Westend in Lynchburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Civil War in Lynchburg
Prisoner-of-War Camp
Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 1, 2012
1. Civil War in Lynchburg Marker
Inscription.
Civil War in Lynchburg. Prisoner-of-War Camp. This was the site of a Confederate training camp and Union prisoner-of-war camp during the Civil War. Before Virginia seceded from the Union in April 1861, the population of Lynchburg doubled with the influx of soldiers from other parts of the state, as well as from throughout the Confederacy. Virginians were housed at Camp Davis in Lynchburg, while other soldiers bivouacked here at the fairgrounds just outside the city. , At first, all prisoners-of-war were to be detained in Richmond, the Confederate capital, but the jails and warehouses there quickly filled. Auxiliary facilities were established elsewhere. Lynchburg was an obvious choice for a prisoner-of-war camp because of its superior rail system and its remoteness from the front lines. , Located on part of the fairgrounds, the camp was for Federal prisoners waiting to be exchanged. No medical services were available, and many deaths occurred in the camp before the autumn of 1862, when the sick and wounded were moved to hospitals in Lynchburg. After the exchange cartel ceased operating in the summer of 1863, the camp quickly became overcrowded. The only permanent structures inside the enclosure were open stalls that had been used for livestock, so the prisoners were forced to live in them or in tents. Most of the Union dead were buried in the City Cemetery by the firm of George Diuguid and then, in October 1866, were re-interred at Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg. E.C. Glass High School now stands on the site of the prison camp.
This was the site of a Confederate training camp and Union prisoner-of-war camp during the Civil War. Before Virginia seceded from the Union in April 1861, the population of Lynchburg doubled
with the influx of soldiers from
other parts of the state, as well
as from throughout the Confederacy. Virginians were housed at Camp Davis in Lynchburg,
while other soldiers bivouacked
here at the fairgrounds just
outside the city.
At first, all prisoners-of-war were to be detained in
Richmond, the Confederate
capital, but the jails and warehouses there quickly filled. Auxiliary facilities
were established elsewhere. Lynchburg was an
obvious choice for a prisoner-of-war camp because
of its superior rail system and its remoteness
from the front lines.
Located on part of the fairgrounds, the
camp was for Federal prisoners waiting to be
exchanged. No medical services were available, and many deaths occurred in the camp before the autumn of 1862, when
the sick and wounded
were moved to hospitals
in Lynchburg. After
the exchange cartel
ceased operating in the
summer of 1863, the
camp quickly became
overcrowded. The only
permanent structures inside the enclosure were
open stalls that had been used for livestock, so
the prisoners were forced to live
in them or in tents. Most of the
Union dead were buried
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in the
City Cemetery by the firm of
George Diuguid and then, in
October 1866, were re-interred
at Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg. E.C. Glass
High School now stands on the
site of the prison camp.
Erected by Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1861.
Location. 37° 24.418′ N, 79° 9.978′ W. Marker is in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is in Westend. Marker is on Memorial Avenue (Virginia Route 163) near Park Lane, on the right when traveling north. It is on the grounds of E. C. Glass High School visible from the street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lynchburg VA 24501, United States of America. Touch for directions.
sectionhead>More about this marker. Marker has three photographs and to the right a map of the area during the Civil War. On the left is a photograph captioned “POW Chester A. Tourtellotte, 18th Connecticut Infantry — Courtesy The American Civil War Research Database”; center bottom is a portrait captioned “POW Pvt. Melker M. Jeffreys, 15th West Virginia Infantry — Courtesy Sally Thayer and family”; and center next to the map is a photograph captioned “POW camp scene, reenacted — Courtesy M. Ernest Marshall.”
Also see . . . Taylor Wilson Camp Heritage Group. Shows plans for a monument to the prisoners-of-war. (Submitted on August 12, 2012.)
3. Close-up of map on marker
Click on image to zoom in.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 12, 2012. This page has been viewed 1,387 times since then and 63 times this year. Last updated on August 31, 2020, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on August 12, 2012, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.