SHELBY
SHELDON
after war.l was appointed colonel. In 1780, at the
head of two or three hundred mounted riflemen,
he eng iged in several severe and successful en-
counters with the advance guard of Ferguson's
army, especially the hattle of Musgrove's Mill on
August 18, which Slielby pronounced tlio hardest
and be-;t fouglit battle ho ever took part in.
After the defeat of Gates at Camden on the 16th,
Slielby proposed tlmt the militia should disperse
to rest and prepare for a concerted attack upon
Ferguson, and it was through his prompt exer-
tions that the forces of the adjoining settlements
wtMV finally assembled on the 25th of the follow-
ing montli for this purpose. On the march, to
expedite matters and to avoid mortification to
otliers, Slielby proposed that Col. William Camp-
bell—the only one of their number not of North
Carolina— should be made commander. While
James Williams (killed), Benjamin Cleveland, and
John Sevier held equal rank with him at the battle
of Kings Mountain, Oct. 7, 1780, nevertheless to
Shelby was due the plan of attack by which Fergu-
son's defeat was accomplished. " As to the plan of
attacking the enemy," says Col. John Sevier in a
letter to Governor Shelby, " yourself was the only
person that first named the mode to me, and the
same was acceded to unanimously," For his
service in this battle Shelby received the thanks
of the North Carolina legislature and a sword.
In the winter of 1782-83, Shelby removed to Ken-
tucky, and shortly afterward was married to
Susanna, daughter of Capt. Nathaniel and Sarah
(Simpson) Hart in the fort at Boonesborough,
Ky.. and settled on his plantation, Traveller's
Rest, in Lincoln county, Kj-. He was a member
of various conventions held in Kentucky during
the struggle of the district for independence from
Virginia, and when statehood was granted was
unanimously chosen the first governor of the
commonwealth. He was
several times presidential
elector. In 1812 he was again
chosen governor. After the
slaughter at River Raisin lie
joined Gen. William Henry
larrison in the Northwest
with a reinforcement of Ken-
The battle of the Thames in
Canada (Oct. .j, 1813) was mainly brought about by
Shelby's determination to pursue the enemy even
beyond the United States. He received a gold
medal and the thanks of congress for his services
in this campaign. In March, 1817, he declined
the portfolio of war offered him by President
Monroe. He was Indian commissioner, and nego-
tiated the purchase of the remaining land of the
Chickasaw Indians in Tennessee and Kentucky.
He left a very large estate, and died at his coun-
try seat, Traveller's Rest, July 18, 182G.
tucky volunteers.
SHELBY, Joseph Orville, soldier, was born
at Lexington, Ky,, June 10, 1831; grandson of
Gov. Isaac Shelby, He removed with his parents
to Waverly, ]\Io., in 1850, and became proprietor
of a rope manufactory in Waverly. He led sev-
eral of the raids during the border troubles in
Kansas, and on the fall of Fort Sumter, in 1861,
he raised a company of Confederate cavalry and
joined General Price's army. He was commis-
sioned colonel of cavalry, and was ordered on re-
cruiting duty in Missouri. He organized " Shel-
by's brigade; " was promoted brigailier-general,
and took part in many battles, distinguishing
himself at Shiloh. When Lee surrendered at
Appomattox General Shelby marched his brigade
of 1000 men to enlist in the service of Maxi-
milian. He was elected commander, and suc-
ceeded in saving from a guerilla band the Con-
federate subtreasury at Austin, Texas, in which
was stored $300,000 in gold and silver. On reach-
ing the City of Mexico Shelby offered to recruit
an army of 40,000 Americans to supersede the
American troops, but Maximilian became suspi-
cious, and Slielby's company was forced to dis-
band. He was a freight contractor in Mexico
until 1867, when he returned to his farm in Mis-
souri. In 1893 he was appointed by President
Cleveland U.S. marshal for the western district of
Missouri. He died in Adrian, Mo., Feb. 13, 1897.
SHELDON, Charles H., governor of South Da- kota, was born in Johnson, Vt. , in 1S40. He passed his childhood on a farm in Lamoille county; went to school but little, and was clerk in a store. In 1861 he enlisted as a private in the 7th Vermont infantry, and was promoted captain. He was governor of the state of South Dakota, 1892-96, succeeding Arthur C. Mellette, and was in turn succeeded by Andrew E. Lee, Populist, Governor Sheldon not being a candidate for re-election. He died in Dea.lwood. S.Dak., Oct. 20, 1898,
SHELDON, Charles Monroe, author, was born in Wellsville, N.Y., Feb. 26, 1857; son of the Rev. Stewart and Sarah (Ward) Sheldon; grandson of Horace and Pliilena(Ward) Sheldon, and of Jabez and Aurilla (Tufts) Ward, and a de- scendant of Jemima Allen, sister of Gen. Ethan Allen. He graduated from Phillips academy, Andover, Mass., 1879; from Brown university, A.B., 1883, and from Andover Theological semi- nary, B.D., 1886. He was ordained to the Con- gregational ministry in 1886; was pastor at Waterbury, Vt., 1886-88, and in 1899 became pas- tor of the Central Congregational church, Topeka, Kan. He was married. May 20, 1891, to Mary Abby, daughter of Everett and Sarah (Dilling- ham) Merriam, of Topeka. Mr. Sheldon edited the Topeka Daily Capital one week, March 13-20, 1900. as a "distinctively Christian daily," receiv- ing $5000 from the profits, $1000 of which he gave
