Burial at Danville National Cemetery: A family guide

History of Danville National Cemetery

Danville National Cemetery is located in Pittsylvania County, VA, about 144 miles southwest of Richmond.

During the Civil War, Danville was an important railroad center. A great number of recruits, supplies and war materiel were transported to Danville to provision the Army of Northern Virginia. As an important transportation hub, Danville was also the logical site for a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp.

Once the Civil War began, the Confederates found themselves with large numbers of Union prisoners captured in the Battle of Manassas. These POWs were then transported to Richmond, where they were initially housed in facilities such as Ligon's Warehouse and Tobacco Factory and many others like it. However, to reduce the high prison population in the Confederate capital, hundreds of Union POWs were relocated to six tobacco warehouses in downtown Danville, VA. Today, at 300 Lynn Street, Civil War Prison No. 6 still stands. It is a brick structure, originally built for Major William T. Sutherlin in 1855. These six facilities held just over 7,000 officers and enlisted men, 1,400 of whom died of such scourges as smallpox and dysentery brought on by starvation.

By 1864, the South's resources were disastrously depleted due to General William T. Sherman's successful destruction of the railroads. With no access to supplies of food, clothing and munitions, the civilian population of Richmond could no longer feed and cloth themselves, let alone their soldiers. To eliminate the drain on these limited resources, thousands of Union prisoners — mostly officers — were sent to the Danville prison. In winter 1864–1865, there were 2,400 prisoners of all ranks living here in overcrowded conditions.

Notable veterans buried at Danville National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration documents the following veterans of note buried at Danville National Cemetery, listed by section and site as recorded in the cemetery's official register.

• Under Development.

Eligibility for burial at Danville National Cemetery

Planning ahead for a Veteran's or loved-one's final resting place can eliminate unnecessary delays and reduce stress on a family at a difficult time.

The Department of Veterans Affairs covers the grave plot, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government-furnished headstone or marker, and a U.S. burial flag at no cost to eligible families.

Visiting hours

Visitation Hours: Open daily during daylight hours. Office Hours: This cemetery is administered by Salisbury National Cemetery.

How to schedule a burial at Danville National Cemetery

1. The funeral home or family contacts the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117 (24/7 for active funeral arrangements).
2. Provide the veteran's full name, date of birth, social security number, dates of service, branch, and date of death.
3. Fax or email the DD-214 to the cemetery's interment office for verification.
4. Once eligibility is confirmed (typically 30–60 minutes for complete documentation), the cemetery assigns a date, time, and committal shelter.
5. The funeral home transports the deceased to Danville National Cemetery at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where Danville National Cemetery sits in the Virginia cemetery system

Danville National Cemetery is one of the veteran cemeteries operating in Virginia. The cemetery is currently operating with limited burial availability. Families should verify status before planning.

For families considering alternatives, the nearest veteran cemeteries appear in our cemetery sidebar. If Danville National Cemetery is fully reserved, those alternatives are typically the next options.