Arlington National Cemetery established

Background. During the American Civil War, American military personnel who died in battle near Washington, D.C., were buried at the United States Soldiers' Cemetery in Washington or at Alexandria Cemetery in Alexandria, Virginia. By late 1863, both cemeteries were nearly full. In May 1864, the Union Army suffered large fatalities in the Battle of the Wilderness. Separately, beginning in 1863, the federal government used the southern portion of the land now occupied by the cemetery as a settlement for freed slaves, known as "Freedman's Village".

Property Acquisition. The U.S. government acquired the Arlington Estate for $26,800 in 1864 after the property was placed for tax sale. This acquisition followed legislation enacted in June 1862 imposing property taxes on insurrectionary areas. The 1863 amendments required these taxes to be paid in person, leading to the auction of the property on January 11, 1864.

Official Establishment. Sources present two dates for the cemetery's creation. One passage states Arlington National Cemetery was established on 13 May 1864, during the American Civil War. Another records that Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton approved the establishment of a military cemetery on June 15, 1864, creating Arlington National Cemetery. The first burial had already taken place on 13 May 1864, before Meigs formally authorized burials the following month.

Historical Context. The cemetery was named after Arlington Estate, the land on which it was built. Beginning in 1863, the federal government used the southern portion of that land as a settlement for freed slaves, giving it the name "Freedman's Village". In May 1864, the Union Army suffered large fatalities in the Battle of the Wilderness, and the cemetery's creation came during the ongoing Civil War.