The story of the Hamburg Massacre is one of the darkest chapters in the history of the North Augusta area. From July 4 to 9, 1876, eight men were killed in a series of racial confrontations. It began with a traffic dispute and ended in a group execution. An obelisk was soon erected in memory of the one white casualty of the conflict. Only now has a marker been put in place bearing the names of the seven black victims.

It was unveiled on Sunday, March 6, in a moving and well attended service led by historian Wayne O’Bryant, who has ancestors on both sides of the tragedy.