Finding a Soldier’s Grave
Please refer to the map below to find a gravesite in the Confederate Section. Note that the sequence of row and grave numbers is not consistent, and thus each section (or “lot”) has its own order.
—Frequently Asked Questions—
Does my ancestor have his own headstone?
Yes, he probably does. More than 90% of the graves in the Confederate Section were marked by the ladies of the Lynchburg Confederate Memorial Association between 1904 and 1915. At each grave the Association installed a small, white marble headstone inscribed with the soldier’s initials and an abbreviated form of his military unit. A few gravesites were marked in the 1920s by common plot monuments (see below). In 1995 every soldier’s name, military unit, and gravesite location were permanently posted on a kiosk at the entrance to the Confederate Section.
Typical Headstones in the Confederate Section
Why are graves in Lot 178 marked with a single monument to all fifty soldiers buried there, rather than fifty individual headstones?
When the LCMA began marking graves in the early 1900s, this lot had “walks and flowers in it,” which they did not want to disturb by installing so many stones.
Why are the graves in Yankee Square marked with a single monument instead of individual headstones?
We are not exactly sure, but we believe the LCMA thought Yankee Square was a mass grave when it began marking gravesites in 1904. Recent archaeology has disproven the existence of a mass grave and has instead revealed orderly rows of discrete graves.
Where is the Smallpox Lot?
The exact location of the Smallpox Lot is unknown. The undertaker only described it as lying “outside, below fence.” Using the map below, we believe the Smallpox Lot was located somewhere along the right edge of Lots 186, 190, 194, 198, and 202. A total of 29 soldiers were buried in the Smallpox Lot between April 1863 and July 1864.
If you have any questions or need further information about a particular soldier, please contact the Cemetery Center.
Telephone: (434) 847-1465
E-mail: occ@gravegarden.org
Mail: Old City Cemetery 401 Taylor Street Lynchburg, VA 24501
