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The original house built on what is now the Hacker property was built by Issac Kellion, a landowner and farmer who raised tobacco, corn, and other crops to sell in Winston-Salem at the markets. Records indicate Mr. Kellion joined the Confederate army in May, 1862 as the war moved closer to his estate. He was awarded the rank of Major, and commanded a small regiment to guard the armory and shot towers in the area. In April of 1863, a large force of Union soldiers, under the command of Col. William Garrison, moved through the area with orders to 'search and destroy' enemy ordnance. A scouting party sent by Col. Garrison encountered a group of Confederate soldiers south of the Kellion property and began firing on them. The main part of the Confederate forces were just over a hillside from the skirmish, and quickly surrounded the Union soldiers and forced their surrender. A group of twelve Union soldiers were taken prisoner and marched to the closest holding area, the basement of Major Kellion's home. The men were locked in the cellar, and a guard was posted.
The main Union force moved through the area two days later, and encountered Major Kellion's Confederates encamped next to the creek bordering the property. Fierce fighting between soldiers erupted and continued for several days, most of it consisting of hand-to-hand combat, as ammunition was a scarce commodity. One attack followed another as lines of infantry would attack, then be driven back by strong resistance. The Confederates steadily lost ground as the much larger Union force moved to engage the Confederates. A group of Confederate soldiers took refuge in the Kellion house, which had been turned into field hospital for the past several days. One account from a Confederate private, Scott Mason - a survivor of the incident, related in a letter to his sister, Jenny Simmons, that "blood covered the floors and walls" of the building, and the "surgeon's skill was suspect", "he would amputate even for a simple flesh wound". And "we were frightened more by the surgeon, than by the entire Union army". The dead soldiers and body parts removed from the soldiers were thrown into the cellar through a hatch in the floor. Over the period of several days, the pile of dead flesh grew to almost fill the cellar.
At the end of the fifth day of battles, Major Kellion's men were forced to retreat to Westfield, leaving the house and property to the Union. When the soldiers entered the house, they were horrified to find the first floor filled with wounded and dead Confederate soldiers missing arms and legs, the living in terrible pain as there were no anesthetic available. Several had severe infections from the unsanitary conditions and were mad with fever. Col. Garrison was so shaken by the scene that he wrote in his diary "I have never experienced anything quite so horrible as the house where these soldiers were housed", "I ordered the soldiers who were still living to be removed to our surgeon's tent, and the house to be burned."
The house was cleared and set on
fire. Within minutes, screaming was heard coming from the cellar where the trapped
Union soldiers remained. Several Union soldiers ran to the basement wall and
began digging as the flames grew higher. Col. Garrison ordered his troops to
put out the fire and quickly organized a bucket brigade. The soldiers were able
to break through the basement stones at the back of the house. Two soldiers
went into the smoke and darkness. 
One
scrambled out seconds later mad with fear, screaming and trembling, as his comrades
worked to extinguish the fire. He began vomiting for several minutes, still
with a look of horror on his face. The other soldier pushed the bloody body
of a Union soldier out of the hole, then scrambled out himself. The soldier
he saved was still alive but unconscious.
The soldier who saved his comrade related that "no one else is alive in that hell", (related from Col. Garrison's dairy), and that "..it was a scene from any man's worst nightmares. Bodies, body parts, arms, legs everywhere. Rats crawling over the bodies. Several of our troops had been trapped by the pile of rotting flesh and had died, crushed under the weight." Assured that no survivors remained in the basement, Col. Garrison stopped the bucket brigade and allowed the house to burn to the ground.
The lone survivor, Sergeant Wilson Timmons, remained unconscious for several days following his rescue. He was sent to the Union field hospital in Hillsville, Virginia where he remained for several months. The doctors notes related the horror Timmons survived. "The horror of that night... They kept throwing bodies into the basement without regard. We continued to yell and banged on the floor so that they might move us to another cell. Even a pig's sty would be a welcome home compared to this". "Several of our troop had been buried by the bodies when the pile fell over from its own weight, crushing all but three of us." "..we heard the rats at night, feasting on the remains... "while we had not eaten for four days" ,and at the end of his ordeal, "We heard rifle firing all around us, then they dumped several of their number into the basement, causing the pile to collapse again, covering all of us with festering flesh." "We had given up hope of rescue when the firing stopped. Two of us who could still move yelled for help, but no one heard us. Several hours later, I could smell smoke and realized that this horror was not enough, but we were about to be burned to death." "Jason Bly, who was still alive began screaming and thrashing about in the bodies, his mind had snapped." "I heard a banging noise and saw a small hole let in light, blinding me as shadows moved into our hell. When Bly spotted the shapes, he must have thought they were demons, coming to take him to even a worse hell. He began crawling into the pile of bodies, digging his way deeper into the pile until only his legs were visible. I recognized the first soldier as Billy Messigner, a young recruit from Delaware. I tried to grab his shirt to help pull me out from under the bodies, but he began screaming and kicked me away, and I lost consciousness". We can only surmise that the other soldier saw Messigner's struggle, and realized that Timmons was still alive, and pulled him to safety through the smoke and stench of the basement.
After the fire, several of the local settlers sifted through the pile to recover the bodies to give them a fitting burial. However, the condition of the remains made recovery all but impossible. A huge pile of partially burned bodies, arms, and legs were recovered, but not all. The cellar was filled in, and a stone was placed to mark the soldier's final resting place.
Nothing remains of the Kellion house today except a few stones from the foundation that mark the location.
A Letter |
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Dear Mrs. Kellion,
May I express our condolences at the recent passing of your husband, Col. Issac Kellion.
As you are surely aware, my client has been attempting to acquire some property from your husband for several years. This property is located north of the town Pilot Mountain consisting of a small house, barn, and adjacent property to the west of the house.
My client offers to purchase the estate, including the adjacent property to the west of the house.
Your consideration in this matter is greatly appreciated.
Please respond at your earliest convenience.
(signed)
Julian Barnard
Attorney At Law
Dobson, North Carolina
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