Dec 03, 2018 and in these mountain counties, shelton laurel was known for being particularly remote and isolated. Shelton laurel massacre is denoted by nc 208 and nc 212, which is located west of shelton laurel, madison county, north carolina. Finally, at the book s conclusion, passion and hatred of the enemy come together in a brutal, senseless, savage massacre that evokes the memory. The shelton laurel massacre, which occurred in january 1863, serves as a graphic illustration of the. I highly recommend this book to any thoughtful student of history. A true story of the civil war, by phillip shaw paludan, is an excellent book about the time period surrounding the civil war. In 1869 eight widows from shelton laurel petitioned congress for pensions, under a recent law that allowed unremarried widows of soldiers eight dollars a month. Madison county, north carolina genealogy and history. In response the confederates made a sweep through shelton laurel and captured men and boys that they thought were involved. Thats when union sympathizers from madison county, men and boys, ages to 60. A lot of violence happened there and it was also famous for the shelton laurel massacre during the war of northern aggression. Matthew plyler, when not working as an attorney in fayetteville, nc, makes a number of beautiful north carolina mountains photos available for purchase as prints, fine art prints, framed prints, canvas prints, metal prints.
The 50 unionist raiders who raged into marshall to steal salt, clothing and blankets terrorized some of the population and shot a man. The shelton laurel massacre refers to the execution of accused union sympathizers on or about january 18, 1863 by a confederate regiment in the shelton laurel valley of madison county, north carolina at the height of the american civil war. The shelton laurel massacre haunts roberts new novel, that bright land, the latest title weve taken on in the asheville. In any event he was soon gone through the revolving door of the east tennessee command. Popularly known as the shelton laurel massacre, this civil war story was told by the late historian, philip paludan, in his moving book. After a visit to shelton laurel in the spring of 2003, i finally began the world made straight, a novel that dealt not only with the massacre but its. Some of shelton s ancestors were among the victims of what is called the massacre and, as ive already interviewed a descendent of col. Shelton laurel massacre is a well written and engrossing book. The event sparked outrage among north carolina governor zebulon b. With eric holloway, randy miller, julian adams, ben allison.
Hes written a novel about the massacre the world made straight. This short film tells the true, yet tragic story of what happened to some of the families living in the shelton laurel, of madison county, located in the appalachian mountains of north carolina in 1863. And in these mountain counties, shelton laurel was known for being particularly remote and isolated. A true story of the civil war by phillip shaw paludan. David was only thirteen years old at the time of his death. And the massacre is central to the plot of the world made straight, especially the book and movies running theme of how hard it can be to tell who is on whose side. The shelton laurel massacre was the execution of accused union sympathizers on or about. Documents on the shelton laurel massacre from the north carolina. Ron rashs the cove laurel shelton or shelton laurel. An intellectually satisfying work of suspense the world made straight reminds us of the sort of compelling literature a brave artist can fashion from the shards of such experience. I grew up on shelton laurel and have been to the grave of the that were killed by the rebels on jan. In the shelton laurel case, there is no evidence the home guards tortured women or threw a baby in the snow.
The burial location is near the old allegheny church. It causes the reader to ask questions that can be applied to many wartime atrocities such as the holocaust of world war ii or the my lai massacre in 1968. Shelton laurel, nc shelton laurel, north carolina map. Movie the world made straight brings it all back home to. In this book, laurel gives the reader a vivid picture of how it happened and what really went on. That terrible and fearful time in our countys personal past is thankfully long gone. Movie the world made straight brings it all back home to nc. Jun 20, 2016 shelton laurel massacre subject for new novel. Heres an author that is currently a parris distinguished professor of appalachian cultural studies at western carolina university. Shelton laurel massacre military wiki fandom powered by wikia.
Shelton laurel massacre subject for new novel charlotte. According to maynard sheltons book a familys civil war struggles. From his base point, the massacre of thirteen unionist mountaineers at shelton laurel, north carolina, the author expands the investigation to embrace larger issues, such as the impact of the civil war on small communities, the causation. Madison county, north carolina, earned the moniker bloody madison in the civil war, specifically in january 1863, at the well documented, and well remembered, shelton laurel massacre. Descendants of the shelton laurel massacre public group. Click the ask a librarian button on any page to get help with your nc research. The shelton laurel massacre an execution of men and boys accused of being union sympathizers occurred on january 1863 in madison county, north carolina. Some of sheltons ancestors were among the victims of what is called the massacre and, as ive already interviewed a descendent of col. Apr 04, 2006 an intellectually satisfying work of suspense the world made straight reminds us of the sort of compelling literature a brave artist can fashion from the shards of such experience. Vance and solicitor augustus merrimon the latter of whom investigated the event, and was. After a visit to shelton laurel in the spring of 2003, i finally began the world made straight, a novel that dealt not only with the massacre but its continuing importance over a century later to the participants descendants.
Believe it, shelton laurel is real and true, the massacred people were mostly my kinfolk. To promote a safe environment, please be respectful while chatting. Victims share book recommendations with your friends, join. Feb, 2008 heres an author that is currently a parris distinguished professor of appalachian cultural studies at western carolina university. Discovering the horrific results of the massacre, shelton laurel residents removed their executed friends and relatives from the hastily constructed grave. Judith shelton cemetery in allegheny, north carolina. Shelton laurel massacre is denoted by nc 208 and nc 212, which is located west of. Murder monday interconnections in shelton laurel murders.
Descendants of the shelton laurel massacre has 1,229 members. This book helped me to get to know the people who lived in shelton laurel. I dont think a book or a lecture could ever evoke the sort of collective. Only five of these womens husbands had been killed in the shelton laurel massacre, the other three having apparently lost their husbands at some other time.
Especially with the marshall attack and the ensuing shelton laurel massacre. My creative writing class recently read a book by ron rash. Probably the best source is the book victims by philip paludan, which is about the massacre. Throughout the war north carolinas western counties suffered considerable violence and disorder. It also revealed that confederate sympathizers were as willing as union sympathizers to be bushwhackers and redefine. Get directions, maps, and traffic for shelton laurel, nc.
The shelton laurel massacre was a brutal killing of men and boys from the ages of 59 by the confederate soldiers in shelton laurel, north carolina. Madison county was called bloody madison because of its history of. This book examines that slaughter, known as the shelton laurel massacre, and the events that led up read more. Senator, and with the support of the new governor, william holden, five widows of the murdered men petition congress for pensions. Hill staged beneath shelton laurel, its own take on the massacre. How madisons civil war massacre was like vietnams my lai. But in the shelton laurel killing, so much has been written and passed on as fact we dont know which story to believe. He contends that verbal orders from henry heth, then commanding the department of east tennessee and western north carolina. In the world beyond shelton laurel, the massacre is largely forgotten.
The shelton laurel massacre was the execution of accused union sympathizers on or about january 18, 1863 by a confederate regiment in the shelton laurel valley of madison county, north carolina at the height of the american civil war. Jan 06, 2015 the world made straight weaves a 70sera storyline with scenes from a civil war massacre that took place at shelton laurel in madison county. We do know, however, regular confederate troops whipped some women. Mar, 2019 in 1869 eight widows from shelton laurel petitioned congress for pensions, under a recent law that allowed unremarried widows of soldiers eight dollars a month. John shelton and calvin and their sisters, chairty, easter, kathern was raised by their mother and all died on shelton laurel. In the world made straight, doctor candler makes two winter visits to shelton laurel. The book can be ordered on amazon i too am related to the sheltonsit is on amazon called victims. Historical marker, nc highway 212, madison county, nc, 2010.
A central setting and theme in the book is shelton laurel and the massacre that occurred there during the civil war. 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. He contends that verbal orders from henry heth, then commanding the department of east tennessee and western north carolina, might have created the impression that he wanted the salt rioters dealt with summarily. The rainforest hermit who stepped out of the wild australian story duration. Look at shelton laurel, haywood county, north carolina, united states from different perspectives. The incident grew out of a series of raids on the town of marshall by unionists claimin. Aug 23, 2016 how madisons civil war massacre was like vietnams my lai. This book mainly focuses on the events leading up to the shelton laurel massacre. The world made straight weaves a 70sera storyline with scenes from a civil war massacre that took place at shelton laurel in madison county. Discussion the shelton laurel massacre civil war history.
Mar 06, 2015 the rainforest hermit who stepped out of the wild australian story duration. Shelton laurel massacre by kevin september 10, 2003 at 09. Allen who led the soldiers that killed the shelton laurel unionists, i thought i should hear the stories that have come down on the other side. Since then a book has been published listing him as a source of some of the facts. The detailed road map represents one of many map types and styles available. Plemmons groceries and feeds, an abandoned country store in luck, nc, makes for a beautiful photo of days gone by. I have walked the grounds of the massacre and this work is a magnificent. These suspected unionist guerrillas were members of a relatively isolated, traditional mountain community. Victims, 2nd edition university of tennessee press. I think paludans book is good, but his sources seem to tell just one. Vance and solicitor augustus merrimon the latter of whom investigated the event.
There is a book about this atrocity called the shelton laurel massacre david shelton was the son of james old jim shelton and martha patsy jane mccoy shelton and grandson of david shelton and catherine miller shelton. Do you know about the shelton laurel massacre on an icy january day in 1863 in madison county. Apr 09, 2012 finally, at the book s conclusion, passion and hatred of the enemy come together in a brutal, senseless, savage massacre that evokes the memory of what happened at shelton laurel during the. Old man wood and shelton were shot in the head, and their brains scattered upon the ground, and they died, without a struggle. Judith shelton cemetery in allegheny, north carolina find a. Shelton laurel massacre north carolina history project. The shelton laurel massacre, which occurred in january 1863, serves as a graphic illustration of the divided loyalties of north carolinians during the civil war as well as the tenuous relationship between state and confederate military authorities.
Charles frazier, the author of cold mountain, studied the shelton laurel massacre in depth during research for the book and paralleled many of. Paludan has succeeded admirably in rooting a historically neglected topic in the lives of ordinary people. On january a civil war tragedy that has come to be known as the shelton laurel massacre took place. I have made inquiries and gathered facts such as i could in reference to the shooting of certain prisoners in laurel creek, in madison county. The shelton laurel massacre, madison county, nc,winter of 1863.
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