Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 250,000 military servicemen. It is also the location of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is located in the county of Arlington, Virginia, not far from the Pentagon and across the Potomac River from Washington DC.
Arlington Mansion
It is commonly (and falsely) believed that Robert E. Lee owned the Arlington House, the mansion at Arlington Cemetery. The Arlington House stands atop a crest of Virginia hillside rising above the Potomac River where it overlooks Washington, D.C. As a result of his marital ties to the Washington family, Lee was custodian of the property, which was originally intended to be both a working farm and a monument to George Washington. The property had fallen upon hard times and disrepair when Lee returned from the Mexican American War to oversee the property. However, just before the outbreak of the War between the States, Lee had returned the property to good repair and profitability.
After Virginia ratified secession, Union troops crossed the Potomac and, under Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell, took up positions around Arlington. During the occupation the Union founded several military installations at and around the mansion. These are survived today by parks in the surrounding community as well as Fort Myer. [1]
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