In the 1860’s what is now Arlington County was called “Alexandria County.” Almost immediately following the outbreak of the Civil War, “Alexandria County” was occupied by Union soldiers. To give an idea of how quickly “Alexandria County” was taken by Union soldiers, here are some dates of historical importance: On April 14th, 1861 Fort Sumter falls. In mid-April Virginia secedes from the Union. On April 18th Robert E. Lee is offered command of the Union army. He declines the command and leaves his home, Arlington Hall, on the 22nd.
Only a month later, on May 24, 1861, multiple Union regiments crossed Aqueduct Bridge (located where Key Bridge now stands) in the early hours of the morning. The encountered little resistance and took few casualties. The resistance was composed mainly of confederate volunteers who took no casualties, retreated, and ultimately surrendered. The Union troops immediately setup headquarters in Robert E. Lee’s old home. The Union would later defile Lee’s home by burying their dead in his lawn.
The Confederacy never made an attempt to retake “Alexandria County.” From the Union takeover until the end of the Civil War, Arlington was a relatively boring place to be. The more devoted Confederates had cleared out of Arlington and headed South before the Union troops got there. Union troops dug trenches, built 22 forts, and created artillery emplacements to create a defensive perimeter around Washington D.C.
These defenses were never used. Arlington ended up serving as the beginning of a road to the south. Almost 100,000 troops could be in Arlington County at any time. This meant that enormous resources were required to shelter and feed them. As a result, local trees were felled for timber, livestock was confiscated, and citizen’s home were confiscated to shelter troops. By the end of the war, most of Arlington’s residents had disappeared.
One notable event was the establishment of Freedman’s Village, an all black community. As the Union took more of the south, more slaves were taken from their southern masters as “contraband”. This meant they would not be returned to their owners. The large number of blacks being brought to D.C. had potential to create an overcrowding problem, so the Quartermaster of the D.C. military district chose this site for their housing and education.
Sources:Only a month later, on May 24, 1861, multiple Union regiments crossed Aqueduct Bridge (located where Key Bridge now stands) in the early hours of the morning. The encountered little resistance and took few casualties. The resistance was composed mainly of confederate volunteers who took no casualties, retreated, and ultimately surrendered. The Union troops immediately setup headquarters in Robert E. Lee’s old home. The Union would later defile Lee’s home by burying their dead in his lawn.
The Confederacy never made an attempt to retake “Alexandria County.” From the Union takeover until the end of the Civil War, Arlington was a relatively boring place to be. The more devoted Confederates had cleared out of Arlington and headed South before the Union troops got there. Union troops dug trenches, built 22 forts, and created artillery emplacements to create a defensive perimeter around Washington D.C.
These defenses were never used. Arlington ended up serving as the beginning of a road to the south. Almost 100,000 troops could be in Arlington County at any time. This meant that enormous resources were required to shelter and feed them. As a result, local trees were felled for timber, livestock was confiscated, and citizen’s home were confiscated to shelter troops. By the end of the war, most of Arlington’s residents had disappeared.
One notable event was the establishment of Freedman’s Village, an all black community. As the Union took more of the south, more slaves were taken from their southern masters as “contraband”. This meant they would not be returned to their owners. The large number of blacks being brought to D.C. had potential to create an overcrowding problem, so the Quartermaster of the D.C. military district chose this site for their housing and education.
http://www.arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org/learn/snapshots/civil_war_history.html
http://www.civilwartraveler.com/EAST/VA/va-north/north1.html
Map: http://www.historicmapsrestored.com/civilwar/virginia-seat-of-war.html
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