Civil War Archives - Arlington Historical Society

Virgil P. Corbett

April 17, 2025

Virgil P. Corbett (1827 – 1875) was a farmer, lawyer, politician, inventor, and businessman who called Arlington his home during the years before and after the Civil War. 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.

Virgil P. Corbett

Nimrod Burke

The History of Upton’s Hill

A Good Soldier at Arlington House, 1861-1864

Lucy Honesty

Samuel Smith

The Historic Febrey Lothrop Rouse Estate

History of Enslavement in Arlington

Maple Shade

Skirmish at Arlington Mill

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