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The Spectacle National Park Service Arlington House U.S. Department of the Interior The Robert E. Lee Memorial The Spectacle From the Office Down the Hall The Problem with Lovely Invaders George Carlin said, “Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong.” Sometimes we forget that Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial is, at least in a larger sense, a national park. Perhaps that is because we don’t let anyone sleep next to the Deodar Cedar, no matter how long they wait. We won’t even let you climb it. It is beautiful and, by its mere, majestic green presence, seems to speak volumes on the passing of time and natural resources—themes near and dear the heart of any national park. But in truth, the Deodar is an interloper just as surely as was the Union Army. Chitral Gol National Park following year Rhodes planted two Cedrus at the moment. In fact, it not only provides However, that is not true in Chitral Gol deodara, Deodar Cedars, in circular planting summer shade for Arlington House National Park where you can sleep beside all beds behind the House. We have one left. (definitely a good thing), it also offers a good the Deodars you want—but you have to launching point for us to explain the worry about being eaten by a snow leopard When Mary Lee made her last, very sad visit concepts of historic preservation and (wolves are getting pretty rare). Chitral Gol to Arlington House, the Deodar was still just interpretation—again, themes near and dear National Park, a narrow, breathless high a seedling in a nursery across the river. It was to the heart of a national park. So maybe we valley on the border between Pakistan and less than that when Robert E. Lee died three won’t cut it down just yet, but let it die out on India is home to a whole forest of Himalaya years earlier. In 1925, Congress told us “to its own instead. Cedar, or Deodar, as we call them. So, it restore the Lee Mansion in the Arlington appears that the Deodar Cedar, at least as National Cemetery, Virginia, to the condition There is a Deodar Cedar in Dehra Dun, India found in northern Virginia, is an exotic in which it existed immediately prior to the that lived 704 years. So perhaps in 2578, the species. Civil War…” In that condition, there was no Arlington House site manager will be faced Deodar Cedar. with a real tickler: replant it or not? Now that In 1873, the Quartermaster Generals Office is something to sleep on. hired David H. Rhodes, a trained landscape So it must go. But wait, New York Times gardener, to live in Arlington House and put science reporter William K. Stevens said, Kendell Thompson some kind of order to the land once owned “When these interlopers choke out native Site Manager by Mary Lee which in places had taken on an species, ecologists see a danger signal.” While Arlington House, “appearance of a wilderness of weed, in the English Ivy might be some kind of The Robert E. Lee Memorial some places from five to seven feet in height,” ruthless, exotic strangler, surely the lovely the cemetery superintendent wrote. The Deodar doesn’t seem to be choking anything Volunteers Monthly Newsletter - Volume VI, Number 6 - June 2005 Area Special Events June 2-5 Civil War medical demonstrations and talks at the Cyclorama Center, Gettysburg (PA) Annual “Blue and Gray Reunion” in Philippi, about Frederick hospitals after the nearby National Park. Free. 717-338-9114 or WV. Includes music, kids’ activities battles at the Monocacy National Battlefield www.nps.gov/gett. throughout with Saturday skirmish (1 pm) near Frederick, MD. Free. 301-662-3515 or and evening Civil War Ball and night www.nps.gov/mono. June 10 skirmish. Sunday reenactment of the Battle Special Fredericksburg NPS “History at of Philippi at 2 pm. For more information Reenactment and living history at Dorey Sunset” tour, “The Sunken Road Reclaimed,” call 304-457-4265 Park, east of Richmond, VA (entrance off an inside look at the restoration of the Darbytown Road). Annual event includes famous road that figured prominently in the Tour, Gettysburg (PA) Battlefield, covers all encampments, military and civilian battles at Fredericksburg (VA) at the National three days of fighting. A Civil War Weekend demonstrations and battles each day at 2 pm. Park visitor center. 7-8:30 pm. Free. Tour. $595 per person includes upscale Civil War dance 8 pm Saturday. Details: 540-373-6122 or www.nps.gov/frsp. lodging (double occupancy), tour and most Meadow Farm Museum, 804-501-5520. meals. www.civilwarweekend.com or June 10-12 866-CWW-TOUR. Anniversary living history and ranger Reenactment, “Hunter’s Raid at Lexington,” programs at Cold Harbor, part of the living history, battles and period June 4 Richmond (VA) National Battlefield Park. 10 entertainment at the Oak Hill/Cameron Bus tour, “Antietam (MD) 101,” with Ted am-5 pm Saturday, 10 am-4 pm Sunday. Plantation, two miles north of Lexington Alexander. Leaves from the Mayflower Candlelight tour and concert 8 pm Saturday. (VA) on Route 39. Sponsored by the Virginia Hotel, Connecticut Avenue and DeSales Free. 804-226-1981 or www.nps.gov/rich. Horse Center Foundation. More info: Street NW, Wash. DC at 8:30 am (see website www.horsecenter.org/civilwar. for other stops). $132. Sponsored by the June 5 Smithsonian Associates. 202-786-327 or Bus tour, DC/VA “Stuart’s Ride Around June 11 www.CivilWarStudies.org. McClellan,” near Richmond with Ed Bearss. Special programs, “Life in Mr. Lincoln’s Leaves from the Air and Space Museum at Navy” at noon and “Civil War Submarines” Special program, “Field Hospital 7:30 am. $137. Sponsored by the Smithsonian at 2 pm, at the USS Constellation anchored in Demonstration,” at the Pry House Field Associates. www.CivilWarStudies.org or Baltimore’s (MD) Inner Harbor. Free with Hospital Museum on the Antietam 202-786-327. admission. www.constellation.org or Battlefield near Sharpsburg (MD) in 410-539-1797. cooperation with the National Museum of Artillery demonstrations at Fort Washington Civil War Medicine in Frederick. 11 am-3 pm. Park, MD (I-495, exit 3A). 1, 2 and 3 pm. Free Walking tour of the Allison Farm, a seldom- 301-695-1864 or www.civilwarmed.org. with park admission. 301-763-4600 or visited area that was the scene of heavy www.nps.gov/fowa. fighting during the battle of Cold Harbor Manassas (VA) Heritage Railway Festival (Richmond), led by historian Gordon Rhea. includes displays, living history and much June 6 Talk before the tour at Beulah Church. Event more downtown at the Manassas Museum. Bus tour, “Gateway to the Shenandoah,” part of the annual meeting of the Richmond 703-368-8453 or www.manassasmuseum.org. includes sites related to Jackson, Stuart and (VA) Battlefields Association. 9 am. Free. Mosby in Northern Virginia and several Blue Details, directions: June 4-5 Ridge Mountain gaps. Leaves from Claude www.saverichmondbattlefields.org. Living history, “Confederate Artillery,” at the Moore Park in Sterling, VA. $45. Box lunch National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, available. Reservations: 703-444-1275. Bus tour, “Drewry’s Bluff,” includes audio- PA. Noon-5 pm. Free with admission. visual presentation and tour of the site www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org or June 9 overlooking the James River. Begins at the 717-260-1861. Anniversary commemoration of the 1864 Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond “Old Men and Young Boys” battle at (VA) at 8 am. Returns noon. $30. Living history encampments at Spangler’s Blandford Church in Petersburg, VA. 5 pm. Reservations by May 28. More info: 804- Spring, Gettysburg (PA) National Park. Free. Free. 804-733-2400. 649-1861 extension 20. or [email protected] 717-338-9114 or www.nps.gov/gett. June 9-12 Civil War Camp Day at Fort Ward Museum Living history, “Wounded at Monocacy,” Greater Gettyburg (PA) Brass Band Festival in Alexandria, VA. Living history drills and 2 The Spectacle Area Special Events (continued) demonstrations throughout the day. Living history encampments at the 13. 7-8:30 pm. Free. 540-373-6122 or Candlelight tour of the fort in the evening. Pennsylvania Memorial and Spangler’s www.nps.gov/frsp. Details: 703-838-4848. Spring, demonstrations on Little Round Top, Gettysburg (PA) National Park. Free. June 18 Bus tour, DC/VA, “Petersburg Campaign, 717-338-9114 or www.nps.gov/gett. Walking tour, “Victorian Symbolism in 1865,” with Will Greene. Leaves from the Air Cemetery Art,” at Blandford Cemetery in and Space Museum at 8 am (see website for Special living history program, “Cavaliers, Petersburg, VA. Meets at the visitor center 7 other stops). $134. Sponsored by the Courage and Coffee: The Night Belonged to pm. Free. 804-732-3531 extension 217. Smithsonian Associates. 202-786-327 or Mosby.” Walking tours of Atoka, VA, a www.CivilWarStudies.org. familiar place to John Singleton Mosby Living history, artillery demonstrations on between Middleburg and Upperville on Stuart’s Hill, Manassas (VA) National June 11-12 Route 50. Lantern tour Saturday begins at 8 Battlefield Park. 1 and 2 pm. Free with park Special event with living history, “150 Years of pm, Sunday tours begin 3 pm. Sponsored by admission. www.nps.gov/mana or Service: Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital.” Civil War the Mosby Heritage Area. Tours begin at the 703-361-1339. encampments, living history impressions, Caleb Rector House. Free, donations speakers, period music on Saturday, Civil welcome.
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