The Shelton Laurel Massacre occurred during the Civil War in Madison County, North Carolina . Madison county is in WNC located in the NC mountains and about 30 minutes away from in the Asheville area.

Most Western North Carolinians were union sympathizers during the civil war. There were many bushwhackers who harassed and raided the Confederate troops. At Shelton Laurel, many of the Shelton family were accused of being union sympathizers aiding union troops and they were executed in what is known as the Shelton Laurel Massacre. This is the incident that gave Madison county its nickname, Bloody Madison. This story is documented in Victims : A True Story of the Civil War. 

See also North Carolina Civil War Battlefields & Museums

American Civil War Books