May of 2014 marks the 150<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> year of the Arlington National Cemetery. Along with Mill Springs National Cemetery, Arlington has the distinction of being the oldest military burial ground in the United States. The military cemetery is located in Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. In May of1864 the first military burials took place in Arlington, one month before its establishment as a national cemetery.<\/span><\/p>\n The land Arlington now sits on was originally acquired by George Washington Parke Curtis, the step-grandson and adopted son of U.S. President George Washington. In 1802 Curtis began the construction of his home, the Arlington House. The estate was later passed down to Curtis\u2019s daughter, Mary Anna, who had married U.S. Army Officer Robert E. Lee.<\/span><\/p>\n During the American Civil War, Union and Confederate casualties were filling up hospitals and burial grounds around Washington D.C., so it was proposed by a Union general in (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" May of 2014 marks the 150th year of the Arlington National Cemetery. Along with Mill Springs National Cemetery, Arlington has the distinction of being the oldest military burial ground in the United States. The military cemetery is located in Arlington,…<\/span><\/p>\n