In a message dated 8/22/02 8:24:33 PM Central Daylight Time, bzbee@bellsouth.net writes: > The property was confiscated by the federal government when property > taxes levied against Arlington estate > were not paid in person by Mrs. Lee. The property was offered for > public sale Jan. 11, 1864, and was > purchased by a tax commissioner for "government use, for war, > military, charitable and educational > purposes." > > Arlington National Cemetery was established by Brigadier General > Montgomery C. Meigs, who commanded > the garrison at Arlington House, appropriated the grounds June 15, > 1864, for use as a military cemetery. His > intention was to render the house uninhabitable should the Lee family > ever attempt to return. A stone and > masonry burial vault in the rose garden, 20 feet wide and 10 feet > deep, and containing the remains of 1,800 > Bull Run casualties, was among the first monuments to Union dead > erected under Meigs' orders. Meigs > himself was later buried within 100 yards of Arlington House with his > wife, father and son; the final statement > to his original order. > > Neither Robert E. Lee, nor his wife, as title holder, ever attempted > to publicly recover control of Arlington > House. They were buried at Washington University (later renamed > Washington and Lee University) where Lee > had served as president. The couple never returned to the home George > Washington Parke Custis had built > and treasured. > > After General Lee's death in 1870, George Washington Custis Lee > brought an action for ejectment in the > Circuit Court of Alexandria (today Arlington) County, Va. Custis Lee, > as eldest son of Gen. and Mrs. Lee, > claimed that the land had been illegally confiscated and that, > according to his grandfather's will, he was the > legal owner. In December 1882, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 > decision, returned the property to Custis Lee, > stating that it had been confiscated without due process. On March 3, > 1883, the Congress purchased the > property from Lee for $150,000. > JoAnne Thank you for that info. Looks like crooks took it after all. But in due time it was returned to the family (family member) who promptly sold it. Oh well..... William

Yes, but in the article it seems that it was so desecrated that noone could live in it. I understand that the govt. has made a beautiful site there. So just as well forget and enjoy it. BarnesWK@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 8/22/02 8:24:33 PM Central Daylight Time, > bzbee@bellsouth.net writes: > > > The property was confiscated by the federal government when property > > taxes levied against Arlington estate > > were not paid in person by Mrs. Lee. The property was offered for > > public sale Jan. 11, 1864, and was > > purchased by a tax commissioner for "government use, for war, > > military, charitable and educational > > purposes." > > > > Arlington National Cemetery was established by Brigadier General > > Montgomery C. Meigs, who commanded > > the garrison at Arlington House, appropriated the grounds June 15, > > 1864, for use as a military cemetery. His > > intention was to render the house uninhabitable should the Lee family > > ever attempt to return. A stone and > > masonry burial vault in the rose garden, 20 feet wide and 10 feet > > deep, and containing the remains of 1,800 > > Bull Run casualties, was among the first monuments to Union dead > > erected under Meigs' orders. Meigs > > himself was later buried within 100 yards of Arlington House with his > > wife, father and son; the final statement > > to his original order. > > > > Neither Robert E. Lee, nor his wife, as title holder, ever attempted > > to publicly recover control of Arlington > > House. They were buried at Washington University (later renamed > > Washington and Lee University) where Lee > > had served as president. The couple never returned to the home George > > Washington Parke Custis had built > > and treasured. > > > > After General Lee's death in 1870, George Washington Custis Lee > > brought an action for ejectment in the > > Circuit Court of Alexandria (today Arlington) County, Va. Custis Lee, > > as eldest son of Gen. and Mrs. Lee, > > claimed that the land had been illegally confiscated and that, > > according to his grandfather's will, he was the > > legal owner. In December 1882, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 > > decision, returned the property to Custis Lee, > > stating that it had been confiscated without due process. On March 3, > > 1883, the Congress purchased the > > property from Lee for $150,000. > > > > JoAnne > > Thank you for that info. Looks like crooks took it after all. But in due time > it was returned to the family (family member) who promptly sold it. Oh > well..... > > William