Confederate Lynchburg, 1861-1865

In 1860, Lynchburg was a thriving tobacco town. The "golden leaf" had stimulated the economy and made the city financially sound. When civil war erupted, Lynchburg cast her fate with Virginia and the Confederacy. Mobilization began at a rapid rate. Men flocked to the ranks, industries geared to war production and women began making clothing for the soldiers.

Located on three railroad lines and a canal, Lynchburg became an important transportation link for the Confederacy. Soldiers poured into the city during the first year of war. The city established two camps accommodating over 10,000 soldiers. A military hospital came into being shortly thereafter. As the war progressed, sick and wounded men poured into Lynchburg in such a stream that three general military hospitals and three independent hospitals were ultimately established. The general hospitals were divided into divisions and extended even into various tobacco factories.

Lynchburg constantly faced inflation and scarcity during the war. Sometimes action from local authorities aided the problem, but many times Lynchburg citizens lived in fear of privation. With the city full of transit soldiers, crime became an almost insurmountable problem.

The end finally came on April 12, 1865, when Mayor Branch surrendered the city to Federal troops.