Central Business District in Lynchburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Civil War Lynchburg
Supplying Lee’s Army
— Battle of Lynchburg —
During the war, the city’s foundries and factories produced munitions, mills ground flour for rations, and railway trains and canal boats transported men and supplies to the front. Citizens made uniforms and musket cartridges and cared for the thousands of sick and wounded soldiers in Lynchburg’s thirty-two military hospitals.
Lynchburg escaped destruction when Gen. Jubal A. Early’s Confederate forces repelled Union Gen. David Hunter’s attack in June 1864. After Richmond fell on April 3, 1865, Lynchburg served briefly as the state capital until Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox ended the fighting in Virginia.
Erected by Virginia 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° 24.95′ N, 79° 8.418′ W. Marker is in Lynchburg , Virginia. It is in the Central Business District. Marker is at the intersection of Ninth Street and Jefferson Street, on the right when traveling south on Ninth Street. Marker is located at the end on Ninth Street, near the waterfront. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lynchburg VA 24504, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lynchburg History (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Point of Beginning (about 600 feet away); Nuclear Ship Savannah (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Lynchburg History (approx. 0.2 miles away); Carter Glass (approx. 0.2 miles away); Lynchburg (approx. 0.2 miles away); John Lynch (approx. 0.2 miles away); Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines of the Spanish American War (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lynchburg.
More about this marker. On the left side are two portraits:
Gen. Samuel Garland, Jr., a prominent Lynchburg attorney, organized the Lynchburg Home Guard in 1859. Elected colonel of the 11th Virginia Volunteers, composed of Lynchburg area residents, Garland was promoted to brigadier general before he was killed at South Mountain in September 1862. He is buried in Lynchburg’s Presbyterian Cemetery. - Lynchburg Museum Collection
Gen. Francis R.T. Nicholls commanded the military post at Lynchburg after recuperating from wounds received in May 1863 at Chancellorsville. A native of Louisiana and a West Point graduate, Nicholls prepared Lynchburg’s defenses before the Federal attack in June 1864. - Library of Congress
On the upper right is a "Panoramic View of Lynchburg, 1855. Edward Beyer painted this portrait of Lynchburg depicting the James River and Kanawha Canal, the Orange & Alexandria, the Virginia & Tennessee and the Southside Railroads running along the banks of the James River from Ninth Street depot. Lynchburg became a strategic transportation objective during the war." - Lynchburg Museum Collection
On the lower right is a photo of the "James River and Kanawha Canal. Completed to Lynchburg in 1840, the canal provided a secure and speedy route to Richmond and the Atlantic ports for Lynchburg’s valuable cargoes. During the war it carried troops, ammunition, and essential military supplies eastward to Lee’s army. Devastated by floods in the 1870s, the canal was abandoned and the towpath converted to a railway." - Library of Virginia
Regarding Civil War Lynchburg. This is one in a series of Civil War Trails markers interpreting the Battle of Lynchburg (17-18 June 1864) and the city's role in the Civil War. Select the Civil War Virtual Tour by Marker link below to see other related markers.
Also see . . . Civil War Lynchburg Virtual Tour by Markers. An eight stop Civil War Trails tour, with several Virginia state markers and other memorials added. (Submitted on December 8, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2007, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 2,665 times since then and 44 times this year. Last updated on August 31, 2020, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on December 2, 2007, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 2, 3. submitted on April 13, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 4. submitted on March 17, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.