Friday, October 3, 2025

Question: When was the infamous Saltville Massacre?

Answer: October 3, 1864. The day after holding off a superior Union force at Saltville, Confederate soldiers entered a hospital facility and killed between five and seven wounded prisoners who were members of the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry, along with a white lieutenant, Elza C. Smith. After the war, Confederate guerrilla Champ Ferguson was convicted of war crimes in Saltville and hanged.