“Always seemed to me that having it be the resting place of the greatest American soldiers and other leaders is something Lee would have, in contrast, considered a great honor.”
I seem to remember reading that the legality of what the Union did to Lee’s home was questionable, and it was a very real possibility that Lee could have forced the US Gov’t to dig up all those graves and move them. But he chose not to.
After RE died his son brought suit for recovery against the federal government for illegal confiscation of the property.
In 1882 the Supremes ruled that he was in the right and returned title to him. In 1883 Congress bought the land and home from him for $150,000.
Technically, it was seized for unpaid real estate taxes. Long after Lee's death, his son sued the government and was awarded compensation for the land and buildings.