In 1864, the United States government confiscated Arlington House, the home of Robert E. Lee, when property taxes were not paid in person by Mrs. Lee. Purchased for "government use," Arlington soon became a cemetery as a vengeful Northern military decided to make the property uninhabitable to the Lee family once the war ended. The Lees never returned to Arlington; after the general’s death in 1870, his son brought suit, claiming the government had illegally confiscated the property. By a 5 to 4 decision in December 1882 the U.S. Supreme Court agreed, returning Arlington to Lee’s son who then promptly resold the property to the national government for $150,000. Arlington was retained and expanded as a national cemetery over the next century, becoming one of America’s most hallowed grounds.
00000174-b11b-ddc3-a1fc-bfdbb1a20000The Schreiner University Department of History is honoring the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War with a series of short vignettes focusing on events from 1861 through 1865. The Civil War was the most destructive conflict in American history, but it was also one of our most defining moments as a people and as a nation. Let us know what you think about "This Week in the Civil War." E-mail your comments to Dr. John Huddleston at jhuddles@schreiner.edu.Airs: Weekdays at 5:19 a.m., 8:19 a.m., 4:19 p.m. on KTXI and 4:49 a.m., 9:29 p.m. on KSTX.