Was a circuit rider. He was pastor of Shepherd’s Church in 1860 when the present brick building was erected, and preached the first sermon from its pulpit wen it was ready for use.

The Shackford’s suffered much tragedy in the Civil War years. Their 17 year old son was killed at the battle of Five Forks and his body was never found, although his mother on hearing that he was wounded traveled all the way to Farmville in a wagon, accompanied only by an old retainer. She also lost two brothers in the war. Four of the younger children, a son and three daughters, died of scarlet fever; and two of Straughan Henleys’ children died after contracting the disease through the Shackfords’ gift of their children’s clothes. After the was a near-tragedy occurred when Mr. Shackford, having decided to turn the old outside kitchen into a workshop, contrived andirons out of two long shells thought to be duds. Just after his wife had called him in to dinner they exploded, interrupting his blessing and blowing out the end of his workshop.