Press release from Serafin & Associates:
On Saturday afternoon, upwards of 250 people from all over the country are descending on the Shelton Laurel area near Marshall, North Carolina for a special 155-year family reunion.
Descendants of the victims of the infamous Shelton Laurel Massacre of 1863 have participated in the organizing of this special get-together to honor those who lost their lives, and ensure their memory continues to live on through future generations.
· Date: Saturday, September 8
· Time: Noon – 4 p.m.
· Location: 811 Joe Shelton Road, Marshall, North CarolinaSaturday’s gathering will include lunch, storytelling, speakers, a 16’ x 4’ victim’s display, live music and a special trip to the massacre graves for a cemetery dedication. There will also be an opportunity to relive history on a hayride to Granny Judy’s former cabin location (where the chimney still stands). The cabin was the site where the men and boys were held captive before being marched to their death. The old cemetery, now known as Granny Judy’s Cemetery, is up on a ridge overlooking the cabin location.
As part of the event, the descendants and many relatives will also lay the groundwork for a plan to preserve and protect various cemeteries throughout the Shelton Lauren area before they are lost to the mountains.
My family came out of that part of North Carolina after the Civil War. There are many stories of atrocities that occurred back then that were perpetrated by the Union and Confederate soldiers. Shelton Laurel has by far been the most publicized and rightfully so as it was a tragedy.