In February 1864, in this vicinity, twenty-two white soldiers from the Kinston area were hanged in three groups by Confederate authorities after being captured while serving in the Union army during operations around New Bern, North Carolina, by troops under the command of Major General E. Pickett. Considered, rightly or wrongly, to be deserters from the Confederate ranks, the men had deserted the Confederate Army, joined the Union Army, and were captured near Beech Grove. In the presence of Confederate troops and townspeople, Amos Armyett, William O. Haddock, A.J. Britton, David Jones, John J. Britton, Joseph Haskett, Joel Brock, William J. Hill, John Brock, Calvin Huffman, Lewis Bryan, William Irving, Mitchell Busick, Stephen Jones, Charles Cuthrell, William Jones, W.C. Daugherty, Elijah Kellum, John Freeman, John Stanley, Lewis Freeman, and Jesse Summerlin were executed here.