Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 29.djvu/371

 Confederate Dc<nt. 355

The new headstones are of the finest white marble, twenty inches high, ten inches wide, and four inches thick. On each one is in- scribed the number of the grave, the name of the soldier occupant, his company, his regiment, his State, and- the letters C. S. A. (sig- nifying Confederate States army).

The reburial in the Arlington Cemetery of the formerly scattered and inadequately marked Confederate dead in the District of Co- lumbia was accomplished by the Charles Broadway Rouss Camp, of Washington, D. C., after about three years of hard work.

Having ascertained, upon investigation, the fact that their dead comrades were widely scattered and inadequately marked, the camp petitioned President McKinley, June 5, 1899, setting forth the de- plorable conditions, and requesting remedial measures. The Presi- dent said it was a matter in which he was deeply interested, and at once favorably endorsed our petition. The result was an act of Congress, approved June 6, 1900, appropriating 2,500 for the re- burial and marking with appropriate headstones and suitable inscrip- tions.

Afterwards the government, with the approval of the committee of the camp, selected a separate plot in the new part of Arlington Cemetery, of an area of three and one-third acres, to which the remains of their comrades should be removed, and named it the "New Confederate Section."

The execution of the work was begun about May 15, 1901, and completed about October i, 1901, except the setting out of trees to adorn the grounds, which will be done some time this autumn or early next spring.

The expenditures upon the work thus far have been as follows:

The amount appropriated by Congress, June 6, 1600 $2,500 oo

The amount of requisition upon the annual appropriation 2,500 oo The amount of additional requisition, about 2,000 oo

Total : $7,000 oo

The committee of the camp has been present and witnessed every stage of the disinterment, reinterment, and erection of the new headstones, and all has been most satisfactorily done.

The future care of this " New Confederate Section," in which the Confederates have been reburied, will be included in the annual ap- propriation for Arlington Cemetery by the United States Congress.

The committee of the Charles Broadway Rouss Camp, which accomplished this patriotic work, is as follows: