Soldiers buried under High School parking lot

By Linda Jean Haizlip-Theisen

Franklin C. Haizlip, a Confederate Soldier from the Virginia 57th Infantry (Henry County) died in 1862 during the American Civil War and is buried in the Confederate section of Lynchburg City Cemetary. The marker is under a hedge row. Franklin is my great-great-great-great paternal grandfather. Below (left) is his marker.

Personally having moved with my husband to Lynchburg in 1974 from New York, my family was unaware of this fact until my aunt from Rockingham County, North Carolina discovered it while researching our family tree in the 1990's. Below (right) is the respectfull setting at city cemetary.

During the Civil War there was a Prisoner of War camp on the site of E.C. Glass High School on Memorial Avenue. In front of the High School there is a monument honoring and listing the names of the 42 (or was it 43) soldiers from Lynchburg that died during World War I.

There isnt a marker at E.C. Glass High School to honor the 6 union solders buried on the grounds. Now of course E.C. Glass was built in 1952, when Lynchburg was very much in the throngs segregation - the Jim Crow era. The fact that they are buried under the parking lot where vehicles drive over them may be reflective of local attitudes at that time of continued southern defiance and resistance. As a child, I remember traveling through Virginia on my way to visit family in North Carolina and seeing segregated entrances in businesses; one for "colored" and one for "whites only."

Data on Union Soldiers who died as Prisoners of War in Lynchburg, 1861-1865 buried under the auditorium parking lot at E.C. Glass High School:

- Witham, Pvt. Charles W., 10th Maine Infantry, Company G
   Died July 24, 1862 at the Fairgrounds [POW Camp]

- Boyd, Pvt. William C., 27th Indiana Infantry, Company E
   Died August 6, 1862 of typhoid at the Fairgrounds [POW Camp]

- Kinerson, Pvt. Albert, 1st Vermont Cavalry, Company D
   Died: August 15, 1862 [Probably at the Fairgrounds]

- Berry, Pvt. James, 55th Ohio Infantry, Company K
  Died: November 15, 1862 [Probably at the Fairgrounds]

- Wood, Pvt. Samuel D., 26th Michigan Infantry
   Died of starvation sometime after May 12, 1864 when he was taken prisoner at
   Spotsylvania Court House

- Robinson, Corpl. John. 1st Maryland Infantry, Company D
  Died sometime after May 8, 1864, shot by a Confederate guard

In 2010, we as a community having progressed - it is time to place a memorial marker near the auditorium on the Langhorne Road side at E.C. Glass to honor these soldiers. Surely such a memorial would be paid for by private funds.

Once again, it is time to do the right thing. Americans have a history of treating with respect and dignity the military dead of opposing military forces.

----------------------

Update: February 27, 2010

The Taylor-Wilson Camp (website) descendants of Union soldiers is in the process of raising funds to place a statuary monument on the site of the Lynchburg Prisoner of War camp, current day E.G. Glass High School

Update: March 5, 2010

See WSET report (>click here<):
"Group Works to Honor Soldiers Buried Under Parking Lot"

This blog posting “Soldiers buried under High School parking lot“ began as a result of my husbands talk during the Lynchburg City Council public hearing on February 23 relating to the relocation of the Heritage Elementary voter polling place location.

At the end of his comments on February 23, Phil encouraged the city to look to the future when holding public hearings. For example, the upcoming Annual City Budget Hearing. As such, Phil suggested holding it at Heritage High School’s auditorium in order to allow adequate space in case hundreds of people show up. All of which is likely, in light of the fact that drastic budget cuts will probably take place effective for the next City budget beginning July 1, 2010

After the February 23 hearing, my immediate family discussed his (ie Phil's) reason for NOT suggesting E.C. Glass High School as a place for a public hearing.

Though he did not state it during his public comments on February 23, Phil doesn't like the idea of driving and or parking atop anyone's grave especially an American soldier(s) no matter Union or Confederate. Phil as the son of a diabled US World War II Navy submarine veteran and grandson son of a US World War I Navy submarine veteran, believes ALL military personnel deserve proper burial, public acknowledgement and respect.