Rediscovering Arlington’s Civil War History

Rediscovering Arlington’s Civil War History

Two Flags and One Hero

September 1, 2025

In the early days of the American Civil War (1861-1865), bravery did not always come from where one expected. Military ranks and West Point training did not always guarantee valor and prowess on the field of battle.

Sketching the Civil War

August 22, 2025

During the Civil War (1861-1865) tens of thousands of Federal troops passed through Arlington. Many captured their experiences by writing letters home. But a few were accomplished artists, and their sketches and drawings provide a more detailed account of their lives as soldiers.

John Boston

July 13, 2025

By late 1861, US troops had completed the construction of numerous fortifications in Arlington to defend Washington DC. While the forts had a military purpose, they also became beacons of freedom to thousands of refugees fleeing slavery.

Virgil P. Corbett

April 17, 2025

Originally from New York, Corbett is perhaps best known for creating some of the first maps of what we now call Arlington County and its surrounding areas during the Civil War, including Sketch of the Seat of War in Alexandria & Fairfax Counties (1861) and his Map of the Seat of War Showing the Battles of July 18th and 21st, 1861 (1861).

Nimrod Burke

February 20, 2025

Nimrod Burke (circa 1836–1914) was a Black soldier, scout, and patriot who fought for the United States Army during the Civil War. Born in Prince William County Virginia, Burke escaped to Ohio, where he built a life as a free man. He worked as a handyman under Marietta, Ohio, attorney and abolitionist Melvin Clarke.

The History of Upton’s Hill

July 28, 2024

This exhibit highlights Upton’s Hill history as a prime example of the many layers of Arlington’s past. Upton’s Hill was a homestead and farm, a major logistics hub and defensive fort during the Civil War, a weekend country getaway for Washington’s elite, and a real estate developer’s delight. The following virtual exhibit was displayed at the Arlington Historical Museum from July to November 2021.

A Good Soldier at Arlington House, 1861-1864

Lucy Honesty

Samuel Smith

July 24, 2024

Samuel Smith was born enslaved in 1826. His enslavers, William and Catherine Minor, owned a farm called Springfield near the present-day site of Yorktown High School.

The Historic Febrey Lothrop Rouse Estate

History of Enslavement in Arlington

Maple Shade

February 26, 2024

The late Arlington historian Eleanor Lee Templeman's write-up on Maple Shade describes military action during the Battle of Munson's Hill (a minor North-South clash in the autumn of 1861 on the edges of Arlington and Bailey's Crossroads). She asserts that Henry's home "bears within its walls hidden scars.

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