USA > Virginia > Arlington County > Arlington County > Historic Arlington. A history of the National cemetery from its establishment to the present time > Part 4
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by that gracious sovereign, on the occasion that he brought her information of Marlborough's victory at Blenheim. There was also a portrait of an old reformer, painted by Vandyke, which was very valuable. Near these two hung portraits of John Custis, who married Col. Parke's daughter, and of his son, John Parke Custis, the first husband of Mrs. Washington. The latter was painted by Woolloston, and beside it was an early portrait of Mrs. Washington, then Mrs. Custis, painted by the same artist. Mr. Custis possessed two other portraits of Mrs. Washington, taken from life, one an exquisitely wrought miniature, by Robertson, painted in New York in 1791, and the other a profile in colored crayons by Sharpless.
But it was to the portraits of Washington himself that Mr. , "Custis attached the most value. One of these, painted by Charles . Wilson Peale in 1772, represented Washington as he appeared at " forty years of age. He was dressed in the costume of a Virginia colonel of that day. Another portrait, by Sharpless, showing Washington's profile, was considered the best likeness of the patriot ever executed. There was also in the collection a paint- ing on copper showing the profiles of Washington and Lafayette side by side, in imitation of a medallion. This was painted by the Marchioness de Brienne, and presented by her to Washington in 1789. There were also fine portraits of Nellie Custis, George Washington Lafayette, and of others, rendered famous by their association with Washington.
Among the relics of Washington which Mr. Custis cherished were a sideboard, tea-table, and china punch-bowl, the latter a gift to Washington from the French naval officers ; the large lan- tern that had illuminated the hallway at Mount Vernon; Washing- ton's silver tea set, including a massive tray or salver ; rich por- celain vases, mahogany chairs, several pieces of an elegant set of china, appropriately painted, and which were presented to Wash- ington by the Society of the Cincinnati ; part of another set pre- sented to Mrs. Washington by the French officers ; silver wine coolers and coasters ; a harpsichord, presented to Nellie Custis by Washington before her marriage to Lawrence Lewis ; massive silver candlesticks, with silver snuffers and extinguishers attached ; a mural candelabra ; the bed on which Washington died ; his war tent, and the portmanteau in which it was carried, and other mat- ters of minor interest.
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There was also Washington's camp-chest, and a small iron chest, in which Mrs. Washington had kept certificates for 30,000 pounds sterling, a part of the fortune she brought Washington when she married him.
Not the least interesting of the pictures at Arlington were the battle scenes painted by Mr. Custis himself. These were princi- pally painted on the walls of the rooms, and, while very poor works of art, they represented with some accuracy the figures and costumes of Washington and others as they appeared during the stirring scenes of the Revolution. There were five of these war scenes, and they represented, as near as Mr. Custis could make them, the battles of Monmouth, Trenton, Princeton, and German- town ; the surrender at Yorktown, and the surrender of the Brit- ish colors at the same place. In each of these Washington is the central figure.
Painting these scenes was one of the pleasant diversions of Mr. Custis' later years, and after he had finished the pictures men- tioned he painted a number of hunting scenes. A remnant of one of these is still to be seen in the frieze about the vestibule at the rear entrance to the Arlington mansion.
When the war broke out and the occupation of Arlington by Federal troops succeeded close upon the departure of Gen. and Mrs. Lee for the Confederate capital, all Mr. Custis' art and other treasures were scattered in every direction.
Some of the Washington relics had been deposited by Mr. Cus- tis, previous to his death, with the Government, and now form the principal part of the Washington collection in the National Mu- seum. When they first came into the possession of the Govern- ment they were placed on exhibition in the museum of the Patent Office, where they remained until the establishment of the Na- tional Museum, in 1876.
A number of the paintings were taken away from Arlington by Gen. and Mrs. Lee, and are still in the possession of the Lee family.
A great many of the relics, however, were seized upon by the vandals who followed and accompanied the Union forces. Cups that had been used by Washington himself were hawked about the streets of the National Capital by peddlers. Negroes enjoy- ing newly-acquired liberty offered for sale articles the value of
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which would have purchased the seller at any time before the war, while soldiers with an appreciation of the character of the treasures they found upon the estate either purchased or pur- loined them as presents for wives and sweethearts in the distant northern States. Some of these scattered relics have since been collected, and are now either in the National Museum or at Mount Vernon. The Government has for years endeavored to secure every memorial of Washington that it can, and a number of the articles stolen or otherwise obtained from the Arlington house have since the war been purchased by those in charge of the National Museum. To many of these relics so acquired the heirs of Gen. R. E. Lee have laid claim, and the question of owner- ship is now pending in the civil courts.
The articles in dispute, now in the possession of the Govern- ment, are not on exhibition, but are carefully stowed away in boxes, awaiting the courts' decision.
While Mr. Custis' literary efforts have been mentioned fre- quently in the preceding pages, they really amounted to little of value, except for the recollections of Washington and the con- versations with Lafayette, which are almost invaluable to the student of the early history of the country. His work was gen- erally of the purposeless order, and very little of it has been preserved. He wrote poems and dramas for his own amusement and for the gratification of his friends.
The following extract from a letter addressed to his wife, then on a visit to some of her relatives, in 1833, may give an idea of the manner in which Mr. Custis performed his literary feats :
" I have made a great mental effort lately, but I am sure you and the Bishop will think my energies might have been better employed.
" I had promised the poor rogues of actors a play for the 12th of September, the anniversary of the battle of North Point, but finding myself not in the vein, I wrote to them to defer it. On Monday the 9th the manager came on from Baltimore, and entreated me to prepare something for the 12th, as it would put six or seven hundred dollars in his pocket. On Monday not a line was finished. At five o'clock I commenced and wrote until twelve; rose the next morning at five and by seven sent off by the stages a two-act piece, with two songs and a finale, called North Point ; or,
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Baltimore Defended, the whole completed in nine hours. It is to be played to-night. To-morrow I shall hear of its success. The principal character is called Marietta. She runs away from her father disguised as a rifle boy, etc., etc."
This letter not only shows the style of Mr. Custis' efforts, but gives an amusing insight into the condition of the American drama at that time. A theatrical manager accepts a play written in nine hours and produces it two days after it is completed, and Mr. Custis, the author, waits complacently at Arlington for the Baltimore papers, which he is sure will contain an account of the unqualified success of his highly-wrought imaginings.
A definite idea of Mr. Custis' home-life could hardly be obtained without some knowledge of the men and women who were his guests at Arlington. They were the descendants from the patriots. . of the Revolution, the representatives of the best families of Vir- ginia, and distinguished men, both old and young, from the National Capital. Mrs. Lewis, Custis' sister, before and after the death of her husband, was as much at Arlington as at her own home. The Masons, from their fine old mansion on what was then Mason's Island, but now is Analostan Island, and the more dis- tinguished family of old Col. Mason, of Gunston, near Mt. Vernon, were constant visitors. The Randolphs, the Fitzhughs, and scores of other well-known people in Virginia also found and appreciated the hearty welcome of the simple old man at Arlington. Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and other statesmen were frequent guests, and amidst the throng, forming one of the conspicuous figures, was the then dashing and highly regarded young officer, Lieut. Robert E. Lee, of the United States Army.
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CHAPTER IV.
LEE AT ARLINGTON-GENEALOGY AND EARLY CAREER-HIS SERVICE IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
The advent of Robert E. Lee at Arlington marks the beginning of an important epoch in the history of the famous estate. From this time on the fine old mansion is as inseparably connected with recollections of the hero of the Confederacy as it is with those concerning Custis himself, and its transfer at the old man's death from the descendants of Martha Washington to those of Light Horse Harry Lee, of the Revolution, was but an advance in the direction of its high destiny.
It was not, however, the beauty of Arlington, or its associations, that drew Lieut. Lee to the estate when he became a visitor there. Nor did the relics of Washington or the genial and admirable qualities of Mr. Custis play any very important part in attracting the young officer. His visits were, in fact, due principally to the presence in Arlington House of a very beautiful young lady, Miss Mary Custis, Mr. Custis' only child. Lieut. Lee's attentions were well received by Miss Custis, and on June 30, 1831, they were married in the main drawing-room of the Arlington Mansion, the room in which visitors are now requested to register their names. The marriage ceremony was witnessed by a large circle of guests, and was performed by the Rev. William Meade, after- wards bishop of Virginia. An amusing incident occurred at the wedding which has freqently been related.
In the early evening, preceding the hour set for the wedding, while Rev. Mr. Meade was journeying towards Arlington, a heavy thunder-storm came up and thoroughly drenched the good clergy- man. When he arrived at the house he found the guests all wait- ing for him, impatient for the ceremony to begin. It was, of course, impossible for Mr. Meade to think of marrying any one while the clothes he wore were soaked with water. To obviate the difficulty, Mr. Custis attempted to supply him with a suit of his own. Unluckily for the fit of these garments, Mr. Custis was short and stout, the clergyman was tall and thin, and his appear-
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ance, when finally arrayed in them, was extremely ridiculous. However, the ample folds of the surplice covered all defects of raiment, and the guests generally were unaware of the awkward predicament of the dignified divine.
The marriage of Lieut. Lee to the heiress of Arlington added to the gayety of life on the estate. It was in the days before marriage journeys were fashionable, and the newly-married couple settled down to housekeeping in the good old style. Lieut. Lee had his estate at Stratford, left him by his father, to which he would have taken his bride, but the young lady preferred remaining at Arling- ton, and as Mr. Custis desired that the young people remain with him, they took up their abode there and made it their home at Mr. Custis' request, until his death, when the property passed into the possession of Col. and Mrs. Lee.
The death of Mr. Custis occurred in 1857 and produced a marked sensation throughout the country. He was ill only a short time, but his disease was pulmonary pneumonia, and four days after he was compelled to take to his bed he expired. After a night of insensibility he roused himself, and, with that transient gleam of light that usually precedes dissolution, he embraced each member of his family and took leave of the old servant who attended him. He requested that his pastor be summoned, and when the clergyman arrived asked that those present join in a prayer for the dying. While the prayer was being offered he ex- pired. The funeral of Mr. Custis took place at Arlington and was attended by a vast concourse of people, in which were men of dis- tinction in every walk of life. The Mount Vernon Guards of Alexandria, the Association of Survivors of the War of 1812 of the District of Columbia, a delegation of the Jamestown Society, field and staff officers of the volunteer regiment, the Washington Light Infantry, and a delegation of the President's mounted troop, all travelled to Arlington to unite in the solemn testimonials of respect.
Mr. Custis' remains were interred in what was then a beautiful grave, a short distance from the mansion. They were laid beside those of his wife, whose death had occurred two years earlier, and over the two graves were erected monuments which still stand amidst the grave-stones that mark the resting-places of thousands of Federal soldiers, a link connecting the past age with the pres-
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ent. With the death of Mr. Custis all the vast estates he pos- sessed passed to his daughter, Mrs. Lee, and Arlington became the homestead of the Lees.
It was not the intention of the writers to introduce into this volume any matter historical or otherwise that has no direct bear- ing upon the history of the estate or those who lived within its precincts, but a sketch of the life of Gen. R. E. Lee while he made his home at Arlington, together with some account of his distinguished ancestry, seems to be indispensable to the complete- ness of the work.
While no additional lustre can be thrown on the achievements of Gen. Lee by any reference to his ancestry, it is worthy of remark that the family from which he sprung has an honorable place in the chronicles of every epoch of English history from the Norman invasion, and in the annals of the American colonial period from the time the family first appeared in this country.
When William the Conqueror landed upon the shores of Britain and flung his armies of mailed knights against the opposing Saxons, Launcelot Lee was one of the party of nobles that formed his personal escort. On the field of Hastings he was one of the most distinguished of that band of invaders and performed such signal service for his king that he was rewarded with large estates in Essex. He became the founder of the family that bears his name.
When the lion-hearted but erratic Richard, more than a century later, in 1192, conducted the Third Crusade into the Holy Land, Lionel Lee was one of the many nobles that accompanied him. He rode at the head of a company of " gentlemen cavaliers," and displayed such gallantry and courage at the siege of Acre that he was made Earl of Litchfield, while another estate, afterwards called " Ditchley," was also bestowed upon him. In the Horse Armory of the Tower of London may still be seen the armor worn by Lionel Lee in this crusade.
Two of the family were Knights-Companions of the Garter, and their banners, surmounted by the Lee arms, were placed in St. George's Chapel, at Windsor Castle.
Sir Henry Lee was Knight of the Garter in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The Earldom of Litchfield passed to the fifth baronet of his line in 1674.
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From Richard Lee, a younger son of the house of Litchfield, the line of descent of Gen. Lee can be directly traced. This Richard Lee in 1641, during the reign of Charles I., came to America as colonial secretary under the governorship of Sir William Berke- ley, He was possessed of all those qualities which had made his family a line of commanders and soon obtained such influence over the colonists that Governor Berkeley, with his assistance, was able to keep Virginia firm in allegiance to the king and the loyalist party. When the second Charles was still in exile and without a kingdom, he was invited to come to Virginia and rule over his loving and devoted subjects in that colony. By reason of this act Virginia was styled, in a treaty made with the Com- monwealth forces, an "Independent Dominion," this being the origin of the sobriquet it has since borne, "the Old Dominion." The king showed his gratitude for the loyalty exhibited by the colony by ordering the arms of Virginia to be added to those of England, France, Ireland, and Scotland, with the motto, " Eu dat Virginia quintam." 1
It will thus be seen that the Lees were at once and at this early period of history fully identified with the country of their adop- tion.
The county of Westmoreland, with its diversity of hill and dale, its mild climate, fertile soil, and attractive scenery, at an early period won the attention of the Washingtons, Fairfaxes, Lees, and other distinguished families, and they naturally established their homes in this attractive situation. Here they evinced many of the traits, characteristics, and customs of English society.
Frequently they made the country ring with the merry sound of the horn and the hound as they swept through field and wood in pursuit of the wily fox or the bounding stag. In the life and habits of these people, and others of like descent and customs, was formed the germ of that martial spirit which characterizes what is called the " chivalry of Virginia." Gen. Lee himself as boy followed the chase for hours, not infrequently on foot, over hill and valley, laying the foundation of that vigor and robustness that enabled him so easily to overcome the fatigues and endure the hardships of war.
Richard Lee, second son of the Richard above named, was born in Virginia in 1646, and after being educated in law in England
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returned to Virginia and took an active part in colonial legisla- tion. His fourth son, Thomas Lee, was the first of the family to locate in Westmoreland county. He attained high distinction in America and England, and grew to be one of the most prominent- men in the early history of Virginia, in which province he became successively president of the council and governor of the col- ony, being the first native-born American who held the latter office under the British Crown. In colonial history he is known as "President Lee."
The fine mansion of Stratford, in Westmoreland county, the birthplace of Robert E. Lee, two signers of the Declaration of Independence, and several other famous members of the family, was built for Thomas Lee by the East India Company, aided by an ample donation from the privy purse of Queen Caroline, his- former residence having been burned. This structure, which is still standing, was built of bricks imported from England, in the substantial manner common in those days, the walls of the first story being two feet and a half thick, those of the second story two feet. It was even more spacious than the neighboring colo- nial mansions, containing in all nearly a hundred rooms.
Thomas Lee died in 1756, leaving eight children-six sons and two daughters. Several of his sons occupied prominent places in the colonial history of America, while three of them, Richard Henry, Francis Lightfoot, and Arthur Lee, deserve particular mention from their connection with the American revolution.
Richard Henry Lee was a member of the House of Burgesses of Virginia, and afterward became a distinguished member of the Continental Congress. He is best known as one of the great ora- tors of that period, and to him is due that stirring resolution of the 10th of June, 1776, which proclaimed to the world that Amer- ica was full grown and ready to take its allotted place in the family of nations-the resolution "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States ; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally absolved."
Francis Lightfoot Lee was also a member of the Continental Congress and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Inde- pendence ; while Arthur Lee was entrusted in the all-important foreign mission on behalf of the new republic.
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Robert E. Lee is descended directly from Richard Lee of the second generation of the family in America, and the father of Thomas Lee just described. The descent is traced from Henry, the fifth son of Richard, and the direct ancestor of the subject of this story.
Henry Lee occupied no prominent place in colonial history, his life being that of a student, though, like his brother, he occupied a place in the early councils of the colony. He married a Miss Bland and had three children.
The second son, Henry, became a member of the House of Bur- gesses and took an active part in the exciting political events of the time. He was married in 1753 to Lucy Grymes, a descendant of General Thomas Grymes, of Cromwell's army. He left a large family, six sons and five daughters. The eldest son, who bore the name of his father, was born in 1756, near Dumfries on the Poto- mac, and was distinguished for the character of his services in the Revolutionary war, being best known by the dashing title he earned early in the war, "Light Horse Harry" Lee.
He was the father of Robert E. Lee.
At an early age this third Henry Lee in direct descent was sent to Princeton College, where he distinguished himself as a law student. On completing his studies here he was about starting for England when the outbreak of hostilities caused him to change his plans. He was then nineteen years of age. He abandoned his intention of going to England, and quickly raising a company of cavalry he joined Washington soon after the battle of Lexing- ton. His energy and ability soon earned him a high reputation, and he was speedily promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and assigned the command of an independent corps composed of infantry and cavalry, and known as "Lee's Legion." His services were conspicuous during the war, and at the close of the Revolu- tion none had acquired a more permanent and deserved reputa- tion than " Light Horse Harry " Lee. About the year 1781 he was married to his cousin Matilda, daughter of Philip Ludwell Lee, by which marriage the homestead at Stratford came into his possession.
He was elected to Congress soon after the close of the war and afterwards became Governor of Virginia, to which office he was three times elected.
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During the year 1790 he lost his wife, who had borne him four children. These had all died except the eldest, Henry. After several years of retirement from public life he married Mrs. Anne Hill Carter, daughter of Charles Carter, of Shirley, by whom he had five children, Charles Carter Lee, of Powhattan ; Sidney Smith Lee, a commander in the United States Navy in 1860, and afterward in Confederate States Navy ; and Robert E. Lee. The two daughters were Anne and Mildred.
Robert Lee was born in the same room at Stratford in which were born Richard, Henry, and Francis Lightfoot Lee.
Henry Lee in 1798 returned to public life and became a mem- ber of the General Assembly, and afterwards was re-elected to Congress.
On the death of Washington he prepared the eulogy by direc- tion of Congress, in which occur the memorable words which have become indissolubly attached to the name of the hero of the Revolu- tion : "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his coun- trymen."
In 1811 he removed to Alexandria for the purpose of educating his children, and while here was offered and accepted a major- general's commission during the second war with England. At the close of the year 1817, declining health induced him to visit the West Indies, but obtaining no relief from the tropical climate he determined to return to his native home. Rapidly failing health on his return voyage caused him to direct his course to the coast of Georgia, where, at the home of the daughter of his old comrade, Gen. Greene, on Cumberland Island, he died after a short illness.
His neglected grave is but a short distance from the now dis- mantled mansion, in a wildly overgrown garden of magnolias and sub-tropical shrubbery.
Gen. Lee, as before stated, was born January 19, 1807, in ยท the old manor-house at Stratford which came into the possession of his father through his marriage with his cousin, a member of the other branch of the Lees. The old mansion is best described in the language of Gen. R. E. Lee himself :
" The approach to the house is on the south, along the side of a lawn, several hundred acres in extent, adorned with cedars, oaks, and forest poplars. On ascending a hill not far from the gate the
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traveller comes in full view of the mansion, when the road turns to the right and leads straight to a grove of sugar maples, around which it sweeps to the house. The edifice is built in the form of an H and of bricks brought from England. The cross furnishes a saloon of thirty feet cube, and in the centre of each wing rises a cluster of four chimneys which form the columns of two pavil- ions, connected by a balustrade. The owner, who, before the Revolution, was a member of the King's Council, lived here in great state, and kept a band of musicians, to whose airs his daughters, Matilda and Flora, with their companions, danced in the saloon or promenaded on the house-top."
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