"The poignant, personal, and unbelievably true story of Mrs. Robert E. Lee and General Montgomery Meigs, and the founding of the Arlington National Cemetery, in the midst of America's greatest struggle, the Civil War"--

Mrs. Lee’s Rose Garden is an intimate retelling of Arlington National Cemetery’s tragic beginnings, and sheds new light on this profound chapter in American history. Mrs. Lee’s Rose Garden is the intensely personal story of Arlington National Cemetery’s earliest history as seen through the lives of three people during the outbreak of the Civil War: Mary Ann Randolph Custis Lee, Robert E. Lee, and Montgomery C. Meigs. With all the majesty and pathos of a Greek tragedy, this story unfolds as the war's inevitable spiral of betrayal, tragedy, loss, and death begins, ultimately transforming the nation’s most famous country estate into its most sacred ground. In the years before the war, the Arlington estate sat like an American Acropolis towering above Washington. Mary Custis Lee was known as the Rose of Arlington, a brash, young, willful, and charming young woman, indulged by her famous father, George Washington Parke Custis, the grandson of George Washington. Artistic, well read, and highly intelligent, she was an avid gardener who spent as much time as possible tending the numerous flowerbeds of the Arlington Mansion, along with her mother and her three daughters. Handsome and dashing, Robert E. Lee was easily the most promising soldier of his generation. But long before he was a field commander he was also a great success in the Army Corps of Engineers, having worked on major projects around the U.S. His friend, Montgomery C. Meigs, who had served under Robert, was a scion of Philadelphia society, and rose to become the engineer responsible for helping to complete the capital, and one of the most accomplished builders of his generation. When the time for war arose, Lee refused the opportunity to head the Union Army. He could not draw his sword against his own state, his own people, and instead accepted a commission in the Confederate Army, pitting himself against many of his old comrades. Thus began a series of events that would ultimately pit these three against each other.

For the average person, most of the American history that he or she knows comes from facts taught to them in school to prepare them for their state mandated tests. That's not the fault of their teachers who were just carrying out the directives of their employers. But it's also a fact that a great deal of that content that they were teaching is dry and boring. However, as in every aspect of life, there is always another story behind each major event. The story of America is interesting and exciting, but it's those lesser known parts of our history that make it special. Even though in most cases, the names and events in the book will be recognizable, most of the stories about them will be new to the reader. If you're a young teacher, perhaps you'll find some material to help you get through those less-than-exciting areas of your textbook. If you hated history as a student, maybe you'll find some of these tales entertaining. For those of you who are history buffs, hopefully you'll come across a few things that are new to you.

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THE IDEA FOR WRITING THIS BOOK came out of my ten years of giving tours in Arlington National Cemetery. The history of the Arlington Estate and the misfortunes that befell the Lee family, resulting in their 1,100 acre property becoming a cemetery, made such an impact on me that I wanted to learn more about the man, Robert E. Lee. But, since I was already 54 years old and had not attended American schools, I knew nothing about James Town, Gettysburg, Bull Run, Antietam, or General Lee’s surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant at the home of Wilmer and Virginia McLean in the town of Appomattox, Virginia, on that fateful day in April 1865. By listening daily to tour guides going through their narration to visiting tourists, I began to learn the history of the Arlington Estate, and how it became a cemetery. I learned about all the wars America participated in, from the Revolutionary War up to July 2000. I quit my job as driver and tour guide on the grounds of this sacred shrine. I will try to bring Arlington National Cemetery to you, right where you are and place it within your fi nger tips. Just be creative and use your imagination to its fullest.