Wolfe County News - July 4, 1969 WOLFE COUNTY MAN KILLED BY GUERRILLA BAND DURING CIVIL WAR By Nevyle Shackelford Reprinted from the Lexington Leader Mary, Ky --On the right bank of Devil's Creek a hundred or so yards from where it tumbles over a cliff of tremendous height there is small graveyard of indeterminate age. Surrounded as it is by deep woods, the little cemetery exists in preputal shade, a peaceful and fitting place for that last rest which come after the turbulencey usually present in the life of pioneer people, no matter the time or the territory. In one corner of this graveyard there protrudes out of the earth a triangular - shaped stone, evidently removed from the bed of the nearby creek. Beneath this sharp-pointed stone lies the remains of a man whose story throws an interesting sidelight upon the violent tragedy which was the Civil War. The incident which gave birth to the legend occurred on a soft Indian Summer night in the year of 1862 and the main character in this sanguinary episode was a kinsman of this writer. His name was Sanford Shackelford. As the well-confirmed legend goes Shackelford, as was the case of the other farmers living in the immediate neighborhood, was for the time and place, a man of comfortable circumstances. He had a good farm which, lately carved from the wilderness on Devil's Creek, produced well and a the story is that the summer of 1862 had been an unusually good crop year. with regard to the North and the South then locked in stuggle for supremacy, his sympathies are unknown,. But one thing is known for a fact; After that certain Indian Summer night Which held the threat of snow and it did snow, the sympathy of the whole nighborhood was in favor of the Union and the North's cause. Now after the passage of more than a century vestiges of the sympathy remain. The story, essentially the same, has been repeated many times and to summarize the account, guerrillas who pledged no allegiance to either the North or the South, but operated under the flag of the Confederacy, made up the supporting cast of this bloody drama. Out of their stronghold in the wild, inaccessible area which is now known as the Sky Bridge country, they ranged widely, relentlessly harrying properous neighborhoods in all surrounding region. With interest only in pillage, they robbed burned out and murdered promiscuously without regard for any person's war sympathies. Their only concern was getting what they wanted and they took it regardless of whether the owner was a supporter of the Confederacy or Union. And so it was that a band of these violent men paid a nocturnal call on Sanford Shackelford. Hailing his house, he responded by opening the door. In so doing his tall form made an imposing silhouette betwen the bright fire-light inside. He made an excellent target, too. Before he had time to inquire as to his visitors, a rifle cracked and he fell in the door with a ball through his chest. Although sorely hurt, he made an effort to fight back. Squirming around, he started crawling across the floor to where his own rifle hung on a peg. His wife in a condition then, in mid-Victorian terms, described as 'delicate' rushed to him as did the guerillas outside. Despite her frantic pleas for mercy, a burly dark bearded man seized her by the shoulders and held her back while another man churned out the wounded man's brains there on the cabin floor with the butt of a rifle. Then taking what they wanted of horses and provender, the guerrillas galloped away. This much of the story is known for a fact. This sequel is uncomfirmed. Sometime before his death a few years ago, the Rev. J.H. Hieronymus recounted a story he had heard, possibly from his father who was living nearby at the time of this unfortunate episode. The story was to effect that soon after Shackelford was killed, the alarm was spread, and a band of his neighbors hastily organized and took up the guerrillas' trail. His account continued that a light snow started falling, making the trail easier to follow and at dawn the next morning the muderous culprits were surrounded and captured in the vicinity of their stronghold at Sky Bridge. In retribution and despite their pleas for mercy which earlier in the night they had themselves failed to heed. They were bound one by one to huge boulders with hickory withs and rolled over a high cliff. Only one man in the band escaped. Unlike the others he made no plea for his life, but as he was being bound to a rock for the plunge over the cliff, he looked up with the request for time to pray. Taking this as a sign of repentance, a preacher in the group interceded for the man and he was set free. As was mentioned before, this part of the legend is unconfirmed. The other part however, is true. The sharp pointed marker with small sprouts of a native chestnut growing beside it on the water of Devil's Creek is a mute reminder. --------- Nevyle was a great story teller and he sorta embellished his stories. I doubt that Sanford is buried where he says. There is a Shackelford-Miller Cemetery at Mary, and his son Carlisle was already buried there. Carlisle died April 13, 1863, family tradition says that Sanford and his wife Sarah are both buried in this cemetery. Sanford had two other sons and I know that Mandrill (Dink) Shackelford fought the Union side and maybe the other son McDonald (Mack) Shackelford. Below is a typed copy of the Application for Pension, that Sarah filed, and was sent from the Washington D.C. Archives, which tends to give more accurate facts to the death and date of Sanford Shackelford. APPLICATION FOR MOTHER'S ARMY PENSION State of Kentucky) County of Owsley) On this 24th day of September A.D. 1869, personally appeared before me a County Court Clerk within and for the County and State aforesaid, Sarah Shackelford age Fifty-Two years, a resident of the County of Wolf in the State of Kentucky who, being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the act of Congress approved July 14, 1862. That she is with the widow of Sanford R. Shackelford, who was killed at his home in Wolfe County, Ky on the 20th day of Feb. 1864 by rebel guerrillas, for the reason that he was a Union man and mother of Carlisle L. Shackelford who was a Sergeant in Company G. commanded by Captain Landing C. Minter in the 8th Regiment of Kentucky Volunteer Inf. in the war of 1861, who was discharged in or about the 29th day of March 1863 by reason of disease contracted in the Army and who died from same disease. She further declares that her said son, upon whom she was wholly or in part dependent for support, having left no widow or minor child nor children under sixteen years of age surviving, declarant makes this application for a pension under the above mentioned act, and refers to the evidence filed herewith, and that in the proper department to establish her claim. She also declares she has not, in any way, been engaged in, or aided or abetted, the rebellion in the United States; that she is not in the receipt of a pension under the 2nd section of the act above mentioned, or under any other act, nor has she again married since the death of her son, the said Carlisel L. Shackelford. And she hereby constitutes and appoints J.M. Beatty her lawful attorney, to prosecute this her claim for Pension, and to receive the certificate to be issued therefor. My Post Office address is Beattyville county of Owsley and State of Kentucky. Sarah Shackelford Also personally appeared Nancy Oliver and John A. Stamper residents of the County of Wolf and Owsley, State of Kentucky person whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who being by me duly sworn say that they were present and saw Sarah Shackelford sign her name to the foregoing declaration and they further swear that she is the widow of Sandford R. Shackelford who was killed on or about the 20th day of Feb. A.D. 1864 by rebel Guerrillas, by resaon of his being a Union man, and mother of said Carlisle L. Shackelford who performed the military service mentioned in said declaration that she is the identical person she repesents herself ot be. Carole