McClellan Gate completed 1879. Original gate to Arlington National Cemetery, "Meigs" inscribed on it.
Following the establishment of Arlington National Cemetery in 1864, the grounds were enclosed. Several gates provided pedestrian and vehicular access. The main entrance to the cemetery was located where the McClellan Arch currently towers 30 feet above the roadway.
Peters, James Edward. Arlington National Cemetery: Shrine to America's Heroes. Woodbine House, 2000.
Atop the arch facing east, the word "McClellan" is inscribed in gold. Below that is the phrase:
"On fame's eternal camping ground
their silent tents are spread,
And glory guards with solemn round,
the bivouac of the dead."
The west face of the arch is inscribed with the words:
"Rest on embalmed and sainted dead,
dear as the blood ye gave,
no impious footsteps here shall tread
on the herbage of your grave."