Confederate Memorial (Arlington National Cemetery)
Arlington National Cemetery was established in June 1864 as a cemetery for Union (United States of America) Civil War dead. The first military burial at Arlington (a white soldier, William Henry Christman) was made on May 13, 1864, close to what is now the northeast gate in Section 27. However, formal authorization for burials was not given by Major General Montgomery C. Meigs (Quartermaster General of the United States Army) until June 15, 1864.
Arlington, California
"Arlington" is common as a place name in the United States, with other significant communities bearing the same name in Virginia (near Washington D.C.) and Texas. The Southern California location was apparently so named in an 1877 meeting of early residents. At the time, the nation's union Civil War dead were being commemorated through frequent use of the place name, in honor of Arlington National Cemetery.