Search results
- There were no major battles in Madison County although both armies moved through the area and Madison County furnished troops for both sides. The southern sympathizers from Madison County were in Companies A, C, D, F, and I of the 64th regiment of the Confederate Army. Those on the Union side served with armies in Tennessee and the west.
visitmadisoncounty.com › the-civil-war-in-madison-countyThe Civil War in Madison County - Visit Madison County, NC ...
The Shelton Laurel massacre was a Confederate regiment's execution of 13 accused United States sympathizers on or about January 18, 1863, in the Shelton Laurel Valley of Madison County, North Carolina at the height of the American Civil War.
People also ask
Why did the 64th North Carolina Regiment march into Shelton Laurel?
What happened to McCoy & Norton in a family's Civil War struggles?
What happened in the Civil War?
Explore How the Civil War Affected Madison County, NC | Learn About the Historic Conflicts North of Asheville
The Civil War in Madison County. Because Madison County was a “border county” in a “border state” during the Civil War, there are many examples of communities as well as families divided in their allegiances.
Shelton Laurel Massacre. Not the only incident in the turbulent wartime mountains, the Shelton Laurel Massacre of Madison County proved, writes historians John Inscoe and Gordon McKinney, that “guerrilla warfare blurred the lines between combatants and noncombatants and obscured the rules of war.”.
- The Gathering Storm
- Home to Mother
- Climbing Family Trees
- A History of Violence
- Modern-Day Echoes
- Finding Middle Ground
- Invisible Borders
In some ways, Shelton Laurel hasn’t changed much. Small farms still dot the starkly beautiful valley. Locals are friendly and courteous, provided you respect their privacy and don’t put on airs. The Shelton clan and related families have lived in the area since the late 1700s, and many current residents can trace their family lines back to one of t...
As the men of the 64th North Carolina converged on the valley, they encountered local resistance, Phillip Shaw Paludan writes in his book Victims. After a brief skirmish, the Confederates tried to get the Shelton Laurel women to reveal their menfolk’s whereabouts. According to Paludan, a leading Civil War and Lincoln scholar who died in 2007, sever...
Dan Slagleis a man on a mission. For nearly two decades, the Madison County native has been chasing down the ghosts of the past, poring over primary documents and collecting oral traditions passed down through generations. “I became interested in the story while researching my ancestors,” he explains. “At least three of them were in the 64th; I had...
But the violence didn’t end with the massacre or even the conclusion of the war. Both Maynard Shelton and Freddy Patterson tell of Pete McCoy’s specially made “man-killing” gun, used to hunt down members of the 64th. All told, McCoy is said to have killed between 20 and 30 Confederates by the war’s end. Another frequently repeated tale recounts the...
Whatever actually happened back then, the Shelton Laurel killings continue to generate considerable interest. Many essays and books have been written on the subject, each providing slight variations in the “facts.” Two novels by local authors —Charles Frazier’s 1997 Cold Mountain and Ron Rash’s 2007 The World Made Straight, both of which were made ...
In 2005, the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatrein Mars Hill staged “Beneath Shelton Laurel,” its own take on the massacre, written by playwright Sean O’Leary. It was subsequently performed in Asheville and at several schools, including Laurel Elementary. John Inscoe, co-author of Race, War, and Remembrance in the Appalachian South, served as a ...
In a broader sense, the Shelton Laurel Massacre and its contentious legacy reflect both persistent divisions within WNC communities and the fierce passions tied to people’s sense of place. Slagle grew up on Big Laurel Creek, downstream from Shelton Laurel, “before I moved to Mars Hill in the third grade,” he explains. “I remember being told you don...
Shelton Laurel Massacre. On a frigid day in late January 1863, a tragedy of the Civil War left its legacy on the farm families of the valley known as Shelton Laurel. Unable to relate to the Confederate causes of slavery and secession, many of these families supported the Union.
Aug 30, 2010 · One event, the Shelton Laurel Massacre in Madison County, personified the hatred, division, and desperation present in the mountains during the Civil War. As the War continued, rations were in short supply and the promises of government agencies to provide staples like salt were not being kept.
