During the Civil War, Old City Cemetery served three distinct and important roles: it was a burial ground for over 2200 soldiers, both Union and Confederate; it was the location of the Pest House smallpox quarantine hospital; and it was the location of the quartermaster’s glanders stable for innovative medical research on a disease affecting the Confederate cavalry horses. Since 1806, when city founder John Lynch gave the first acre of land, it has been the final resting place for over 25,000 residents of the city. Portions of the cemetery are still in active use, and a number of Civil War soldiers, both Union and Confederate, are buried throughout the rest of the cemetery.
