Arlington Cemetery Established: Honoring Fallen Soldiers
Secretary of War Edwin Stanton designated 200 acres of Robert E. Lee's former estate in Arlington, Virginia, as a military cemetery on June 15, 1864. Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs, who despised Lee as a traitor, deliberately placed graves close to the house to ensure Lee could never return to live there. The first military burial had actually occurred a month earlier, on May 13. By the end of the Civil War, over 16,000 soldiers were buried at Arlington. The cemetery has since become America's most hallowed burial ground, with over 400,000 interments including President John F. Kennedy, whose grave features an eternal flame. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, established in 1921, is guarded 24 hours a day by soldiers of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment.
June 15, 1864
162 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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