William Shoeman Woods Cabin

The William Shoeman Wood Cabin refers to the previous home of Civil War Confederate veteran William "Bloody Bill" Shoeman. The wood cabin was located in Turner Ashby Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Location
The wood cabin is located in Turner Ashby Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Turner Ashby Memorial Park was the site of a central battle ground between Confederate(led by General Turner Ashby) and Union soldiers(led by Com. John C. Fremont)in June of 1862.Turner Ashby Memorial is currently located off of Port Republic Road, located in between Turner Ashby Apartments and Stone Gate Apartment Complex. The location is a quarter mile away from neighboring James Madison Universitty. Argued by many scholars and critics, it has been discussed that Shoeman built his home in the exact location where he fought along side General Turner Ashby in the battle of Port Republic. Shoeman remembered for his heroics in the battle, was cited as killing as many as thirty Union soldiers the morning of June 6, 1862. See Bloody Bill for more information
The Cabin
The wood cabin was built by Bill Shoeman in the early 1870’s. It consisted of two small bedrooms, a small dining room, and a main room with a furnace. Below the house there was an underground basement with an outdoor entrance where Shoeman kept most of his tools, weaponry, and firewood. A small outhouse was approximately 20 yards from the main cabin. The cabin contained two small windows, one looking out his bedroom and one next to the furnace in the main room. The cabin was very modest. Shoeman had very little furniture and did not have any noted items of high value. Shoeman’s front yard was basic as well; a small cleared away space mostly dirt bordered by a wooden fence. The house was completely submerged in tree-dense woodlands. Shoeman lived off deer, raccoon, bear, squirrel, beaver, and other animals that the woods produced. Many creeks also inhabited the woods. Shoeman lived alone but wrote daily in his journal. The journal was uncovered in his abandoned home in 1894 by outdoorsman George Wallenby. The house and journal writings were later given to Turner Ashby Memorial Foundation
Bloody Bill
William “Bloody Bill” Shoeman was born to Gabrielle and William Henry Shoeman in 1828. He was born and raised on a slave inhabiting plantation in Lynchburg, Virginia. His father was a local politician and a prominent social figure. As a young boy Bloody Bill was quiet and antisocial and spent most of his days wandering through the woods surrounding his home. Unlike his father, Bloody Bill cared nothing for politics and decided to join his local militia in 1854. After two years he became the leader of the 9th Carolina Calvary for Freedom in 1856. Bill enlisted in the army in 1858 and spent various time in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. He was a model soldier and quickly gained the respect of his commanders. In 1861 he served under General Turner Ashby and a high ranking sergeant at the Valley Campaign. Bloody Bill got his nickname from his war antics at the Battle of Port Republic in 1862. On June 6 1862, Gen. Ashby along with Shoeman and roughly a thousand men raided a smaller Union Camp near Kilareed Creek, killing over four hundred men. Fellow soldiers and witnesses of Shoeman’s raid claim he killed over thirty men and did not stop until he lost almost total control of his vision due to his blood-soaked face. He soon became an instant hero in the eyes of Confederates and equally feared among most men. After the conclusion of the Civil War Shoeman spent three years in Charleston, South Carolina working as a deckhand until he moved to Harrisonburg and built his home in the 1870s. He completely abandoned society and lived only by himself. All information obtained on Shoeman come solely from his journal entries. The last entry noted in his journal was in July of 1864. Nothing is known about his whereabouts or his death. His home, found in 1894 was left in complete normal condition. Clothing, rifles, cooking utensils, books, and even food remains demonstrated an ordinary day.No evidence of a planned departure was found.
Abandonment
After the Turner Ashby Memorial Foundation fell through in 1971, the property and cabin were completely abandoned. The cabin was cleared of all artifacts which are currently on display at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville, Virginia. While no trespassing signs and barbed-wire fences were put up, anyone was free to roam through and enter the house. The house instantly became popular for students at nearby James Madison University in the 1980s. Originally a senior send away to some, a student had to enter the house late at night. The cabin was feared and very scary to most people and students found it hard to build
enough courage to enter the house. Stories of murder, rape, prostitution,drug use, and even ghost stories surround the house and nearby woods.Some believe the house to be haunted and believe Shoeman's ghost to be a presence in the house. Often students would get drunk and smoke marijuana or use other recreational drugs before entering.
Eerie Discovery

On October 31, 2007, Halloween night, four students from JMU decided to explore the house. Thomas Cramer, Lawrence Wales, Matthew Siracuse, and Andrew Morris, all from Virginia Beach, Virginia, entered the property around 11:30pm. Between the four of them they had three flashlights and two pocket knifes. All four had been drinking before entering the property. Cramer and Morris had seen the cabin before but had never entered and for Wales and Siracuse it was there first time seeing the property. Later an interview with local television station WVPT expressed the student’s fear and excitement for their trip. The four went through every room in the small house just like many had done before them, scared yet excited, using their flashlights to guide them through the pitch-black cabin. They didn't find much but a ton of trash and a torn yellow blanket.After exploring for no more than five minutes, the four decided they were ready to leave. After leaving the cabin, Cramer decided they should check out the basement too.At first all they found was a completely empty cold wooden floor littered with cigarette buds, beer bottles, and trash. Morris noticed the wooden wall behind the steps looked like it had been redone. After a quick discussion the four decided they wanted to see if anything was behind the wall. They explained in their interview with Karen Roberts at WVPT that they knew they were psyching themselves out, but thought it was would be unbelievable if they found something behind the wall, or discovered something, even if it was meaningless. Behind the four feet high of wall they busted open with Morris’ magnum flashlight they found leaves everywhere. Leaves were knee-high and compressed tightly. After sweeping out many leaves they found a faded grey bucket also filled with the same leaves. Taking out the leaves, they shockingly found what would ultimately total six decomposing human fingers, and three toes. The four were instantly frightened. Cramer dropped the bucket the four sprinted out of the shed and back to their apartment on Port Republic Road. Siracuse called the Harrisonburg Police and reported what happened. The next morning the cabin was completely shut down by police and investigators. After forensic studies the body parts were discovered to be approximately two months and old belonging to a woman around twenty-five years in age. The investigation was later closed and considered unsolved.

Destruction

After November 1, 2007 no person other than police or investigators entered the cabin, or the three acres of woods surrounding it. On January 4, 2008 after much pressure from local Harrisonburg community members the cabin was demolished and the land is currently being landscaped. Many students including the four roommates pass through the woods on Friday and Saturday nights while going to different apartment complex parties. The woods are still talked about amongst the JMU student body.

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