Murderer or Not?

Virginia Dave

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Waynesboro, Virginia
Just found a little more information on my GGG grandfather today that has me digging deeper. Manoah Shockley was accused of mudered. I have attached the document that states this. However, I can find no further information showing he was cleared etc. I know he died at home in 1917 at 93. Any help would be appreciated.
Murder charge.jpg
 
Perhaps he went to trial and was acquited or he escaped the long arm of the law. Murder convictions were harder to get in ninetenth century America, especially in the Old West. There are many cases that seem like murder where defendants walked away free that I have read. Daniel Sickles, the Union general, shot his wife's lover and was acquited of murder. This was before the Civil War and the first use of the temporary insanity defense in the Unted States I believe.

One of my wife's direct ancestors was hung for murder in North Carolina in 1846 despite a petition with several hundred signatures being sent to the governor to acquit him. His name is Solomon Barfield and he stabbed his brother in law to death in a drunken argument in front of his sister and her children. From what I have learned, this was totally out of character for Solomon Barfield, thus the petition to save him.
 
Sorry, get nosy about other people's stories. Can't find a thing in era newspapers- a Mr. Shockley seems to have been a constable, and prison officer. Doesn't seem a common name? Only a few hits. Completely unrelated story, pretty interesting. Since ' Shockley ' in Virginia only gets a few hits from the search engine, may be one of yours?

1861
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Sorry, get nosy about other people's stories. Can't find a thing in era newspapers- a Mr. Shockley seems to have been a constable, and prison officer. Doesn't seem a common name? Only a few hits. Completely unrelated story, pretty interesting. Since ' Shockley ' in Virginia only gets a few hits from the search engine, may be one of yours?

1861
View attachment 291374View attachment 291373


View attachment 291372
Thank you. I have not been able to find anything, but that he was a farmer. The only traveling he did was while in war. I was sent more information listed below.
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SCOTT TAYLOR

Hello there,
My great great grandfather Manoah Shockley was a brother to Asbury washington Shockley.Asbury born 1-28-1831;died 1872.He was married to Sarah Slate.They had 5 kids, names unknown. The first child died an infant.His uncles Rueben and James were first relatives to go west to Missouri then to California in the Gold Rush.Kinda sketchy but relatives say that Asbury went with them to California.Asbury dropped his last name of Shockley and used Washington as last name.Finally,he was murdered by George Armstrong in California.Asbury was anti-confederate and no love was lost between him and my gg Granfather Manoah Shockley

Some descendants living in Ohio in 1968by the name of Ether Shockley Washburn said this:

It was known that he had five children solely due to the fact that hi five children claimed thier fathers estate in Carroll Co,VA

Wise Shockley Married Florence Etta Kemp they had 14 kids from what I gather Silas Clinton Shockley was born the 13th child.He was born 1-28-1925.His father Wise was a known Alcholic,he stayed drunk most of his life from what I am told.His house still stands off of shockley cemetary road.Wise Shockley's father was John"manoah"Shockley.People called him Manoah.He was my gg grandfather. He was a farmer and owned a self sustaining farm. 1600ac.He was in the home guard in the civil war.Then he was enlisted. He became Captain of Barr's battery. He was captured in farmville,VA during Lee's retreat. He was Jailed for two yrs in Newport News military prison.His brother Col. Legrand Shockley was killed at the battle of saltville.Manoah had to bring his body back from the battle to bury him.I have a lot more email me

Wise Shockley was black haired and of a genial friendly nature and was an expert saw mill amd lumber man. He had a large family and lived on the farm next to his brother French Shockley. He did some farming but spent most of his life at the saw mill. He resembled his mother, Celestia(Montgomery)whose grandmother was supposedly Cherokee( Natakia Redfern). most of all the children. He was a gifted mechanic.

Noah Shockley would be John Manoah Shockley (1823-1917) of Hillsville in Carroll County, a member of the Home Guard and brother of Col. Legrand Shockley, killed in action at Saltville in 1864. There was certainly bad blood between the Smiths and the Shockleys. In a letter of 3 March 1863 Barton says, speaking of attempts to draft his brother the blacksmith, “I heard [Legrand] Shockley say that he was going to watch the mechanics and if he could get any hold he would send them off to the army.” On 22 September the mild-spoken William Alexander wrote to Stephen, “If those Hillsvillians or Shockly villians take or destroy your property, prosecute them for stealing. If they interrupt any thing of mine I will attend to them if I am fortunate enough to get through the war. I can’t find language to express my hatred for such men.” The Home Guard was within its rights to shoot deserters but this was not the usual practice; the killing of Barton and Jack Smith looks suspiciously like judicial murder. While nothing is said explicitly, William Alexander's desire to run for county magistrate (23 March 1864) may have been motivated for a desire to get the whip-hand over those who had been harassing his family. The letters say nothing about the origins of the quarrel between the Shockleys of Hillsville and Smiths of Pine Creek.
 
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