Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in to episode number 42 of our Civil War podcast.

I'm Rich.

I'm Tracy. Hello y'all. Welcome to the podcast.

We just wanted to say here at the beginning of this episode that this will be a shorter

show. Sorry about that, but we had some stuff come up, but we thought you guys would

still appreciate a shortage episode rather than none at all this week. So having said

that, let's get started.

We ended last week's show with the movement by the Union Army in May 1861 to establish

a solid fit hold on the western shore of the Potomac River just across from Washington,

DC. We said that besides occupying the waterfront town of Alexandria, Virginia, the federal

regiments involved in the operation also seized the Arlington Heights.

As I'm sure all of you guys know by now, the impressive mansion and vastest stated Arlington

was the home of Robert E. Lee and his family, a Lee's wife having inherited Arlington in

1857 upon the death of her father who was the step-grandson and adopted son of George Washington.

Now the marvelous view from Arlington's front porch had delighted visitors for nearly

60 years by the time of the start of the Civil War and that grand panorama stretching

a dozen miles in three directions was one of the main attractions of the estate and it

was commented upon by nearly everyone. The capital building was just over three miles

away, the White House even closer, and that meant both buildings would have been within

easy reach of artillery and placed on the heights. One observer noted that quote, it is

not hard to imagine what would have happened if Confederate cannon had found a lodgeman

on the plateau and had started practicing artillery fire with the White House as a target,

...