The creation of Arlington National Cemetery, on this day in history, June 15, 1864, began with the seizure of Robert E. Lee's Virginia home after he defected to the Confederacy in the Civil War.
On May 24, 1864, Union troops moved into Arlington and occupied the house, multiple sources note.
Because of ill will against the South held by Union Brig. Gen. Montgomery Meigs, and the need for burial space for the Union dead, this commander of forces at Arlington urged the federal government to convert 200 acres of Lee’s property into a cemetery, reports U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. , 16,000 graves filled the spaces close to Arlington House, the same source recounts.William Henry Christman on May 13, 1864, according to History.com, was the first person to be buried in Arlington.
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