Tinbridge Hill in Lynchburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Confederate Section
Old City Cemetery
Included in the number were 187 Union prisoners who died in the hospitals and were buried alongside the Confederates. In 866 they were removed by government order to a federal cemetery near Norfolk, Virginia.
At least eleven of the burials were in “Negro Row” — slaves who perhaps went to war with their masters, worked or died in the hospitals. Recent evidence indicates that several local citizens were also buried within the Confederate Section in unmarked graves, completely unrelated to the war effort.
There were also 99 victims of smallpox who died in the Pest House, most of whom were buried in the large open area to the right of the main walkway. For some reason, seven of these victims were buried outside the Confederate Section over the western hillside of the cemetery. Still others “were buried”, but it is not known where.
Immediately after the Civil War a group of ladies organized to see that the soldier’s graves were enclosed and that an annual “Decoration Day” was held in their memory. Know today as the Southern Memorial Association, the organization is responsible for the peaceful, orderly scene within the Confederate Section: the monuments, Speaker’s Belvedere, Veteran’s Bench, and most importantly, the individual markers indicating where each soldier is believed to be buried. Using the original Diuguid funeral records, this enormous task was begun in 1896 but not completed until 1915, 50 years after the Civil War ended. The efforts of these ladies over their long history insures the living memorial to all those buried here.
Instructions for finding a soldier’s grave
Find the soldier’s state, name, section number and row from the lists on this kiosk. Refer to the diagram of the Confederate Section to locate the grave; but note that section, grave and row numbers are in regular sequence, thus each lot has its own order.
Additional information may be found at Jones Memorial Library and in the book Behind the Old Brick Wall.
(sidebar)
Yankee Square was the area originally designated for Union burials. Most of the Union prisoners were buried alongside the Confederates and Yankee Square was instead used for most of the smallpox victims.
(caption)
Note the several position variants in:
• Grave numbers (top)
• Row numbers (left side)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Science & Medicine • War, US Civil.
Location. 37° 24.929′ N, 79° 9.419′ W. Marker is in Tinbridge Hill in Lynchburg, Virginia. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Taylor Street and 4th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 Taylor Street, Lynchburg VA 24501, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lynchburg, Virginia (here, next to this marker); Lucy Mina Otey and the Ladie’s Relief Hospital (here, next to this marker); Lynchburg’s Confederate Surgeons (here, next to this marker); Crippled Corps and V.M.I. Cadets Form Inner Defenses in Old City Cemetery (here, next to this marker); Women of Lynchburg's Confederate Hospitals (here, next to this marker); Silas Green (here, next to this marker); Confederate Smallpox Memorial (here, next to this marker); The Confederate Memorial Arch (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tinbridge Hill.
Also see . . . Old City Cemetery. Civil War Burials & Removals (Submitted on May 28, 2014.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 1, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 28, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 554 times since then and 2 times this year. Last updated on August 31, 2020, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on May 28, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.