Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/521

Rh " Outline of Old Testament History " (1869) ; " Out- line of New Testament History" (1870); "Herald Picture Books" (12 vols., 1873) ; and a "Brief History of Martin Luther" (1883).

SHEFFEY, Daniel, lawyer, b. in Frederick, Md., in 1750; d. in Staunton, Va., 3 Dee., 1830. He was bred a shoemaker in his father's shop, but, although without advantages, acquired through his own exertions a respectable education. He emigrated to Virginia when twenty-one years of agi'.' followed his trade at Wytheville, at the same time studied law, and was admitted to the bar. His original character and natural ability soon brought him into notice, he acquired a large prac- tice, and, removing to Staunton. won reputation at the bar, and was for many years a member of the legislature. He was elected to congress as a Federalist in 1810, and served by re-election from 1809 till 1817. His speech in favor of the renewal of the charter of the first United States bank was a masterly effort, and was listened to by the house for three hours in profound silence. He opposed the war of 1812. He often engaged in controversy with John Randolph, who on one occasion, in com- menting on his speech, said : " The shoemaker ought not to go beyond his last." Mr. Shefiey retorted : " If that gentleman had ever been on a shoemaker's bench, he would never have left it."

SHEFFIELD, Joseph Earle, donor, b. in Southporl, Conn.. 19 June, 1793; d. in New Haven, ('(.nil.. Hi Feb., 1882. He received a common- N'huiil education, and in 1808, when only fifteen years of age, began his business career as a clerk in New Berne, N. C. In 1813 he became a partner in a New York house, but remained in New Berne to represent the business there. He travelled ex- tensively in the south on business matters, and, visiting Mobile, Ala., he decided to transfer his southern business to that city, and in a few years became its chief cotton merchant. In 1835 he ivturned to his native state, and established him- self in New Haven. He took an active part in the construction of the New Haven and Northampton canal, and was one of the most energetic in secur- ing the charter for the New York and New Haven railroad. His next enterprise was building the Chi- cago and Rock Island railroad, which proved very profitable to him. His donations to Yale have been munificent. In 1860 the name of its scientific de- partment, which was reorganized and placed on a firm basis by his liberality, was changed to the Sheffield scientific school in his honor. Its two buildings are called respectively Sheffield hall and Xorth Sheffield hall. He gave to other colleges, seminaries, and religious institutions, and his gifts aim mnted to more than $1,000.000.

SHEFFIELD, William Paine, senator, b. on Block island, R. I., 30 Aug., 1819. He was edu- cated at Kingston academy. R. I., and by private tutiirs, was graduated at Harvard law-school in 1843. and admitted to the bar in 1844. He was a member of the legislature in 1842-'5, 1849-'52, 1857-61. 1863-'73. and 1875-'84. He was chosen to congress as a Unionist in 1860, served one term, and in 1884 he was appointed by the governor to fill out the unexpired term of Henry B. Anthony in the U. S. senate, serving from 19 Nov. of that year till 22 Feb., 1885, when the vacancy was filled by the legislature. He was a member of the Rhode Island constitutional convention in 1841, and of the one that framed the existing constitution in 1842. He was a commissioner to revise the state laws in 1871-'2. has been president of the People's library since its foundation, and a trustee of the Redwood library, in Newport, for many years. His publications include many speeches and mono- graphs, especially concerning alterations on the constitution of Rhode Island; "Historical Sketch of Block Island" (Newport, 1876); "Historical Sketch of Newport " (1876) ; and " Rhode Island Privateers " (1883).

SHEGOGUE, James Henry, artist, b. about 1810 ; d. 7 April, 1879. He devoted himself mainly to portraiture, but produced also landscape and genre pieces. He first exhibited at the Academy of design, New York, in 1835, was elected an asso- ciate in 1841, and became an academician two years later. From 1848 till 1852 he was corresponding secretary of the academy.

SHELBY, Evan, pioneer, b. in Wales in 1720; d. at King's Meadows (now Bristol), Tenn., 4 Dec., 1794. At the age of fifteen he emigrated with his father's family to North Mountain, near Hagers- town, Md. He received a meager education, but when quite young became noted as a hunter anil woodsman. In the old French war he rose from the rank of private to that of captain, in which capacity he served throughout the campaign of Gen. John Forbes. He then engaged in trade with the Indians, and afterward embarked extensively in herding and raising cattle on the Virginia bor- der. He was thus employed when, in 1774, war began with the Shawnues and Delawares. Raising a body of fifty volunteers in the Watauga district, he led" them on a march of twenty-five days through a tracklrss wilderness, and joined the Virginia army on the eve of the battle of Point Pleasant. Toward the close of the action, all his ranking officers being either killed or disabled, the com- mand devolved upon him. and he utterly routed the enemy. In 1779 he led a successful expedi- tion against the Chickamauga Indians. He subse- quently served with the Virginia army on the sea- board, rising to the rank of colonel, and then to that of general. His eldest son, Isaac, governor of Kentucky, b. in North Mountain, Md., 11 Dec., 1750; d. near Stanford, Ky., 18 July, 1826. ac- quired a common English education, and the prin- ciples of survey- ing at Frederick- town, and before he was of age served as deputy sheriff of Freder- ick county. In 1771 he removed with his father to the present site of Bristol, Tenn., and followed with him the business of herding cattle till 1774, when, being appointed lieutenant in his father's company, he served in the battle of Point Pleasant, which he was instrumental in winning. He commanded the fort at that place till July. 1775. when his troops were disbanded liy Lord Dunmore, lest they should join the patriot army. During the following year lie was employed at surveying in Kentucky, but, his health failing, he returned home in July, 1776, just in time to be at the battle of Long Island flats. At the first furious onset of the savages, the American lines were broken, and then Shelby, present only as a volunteer private, seized the command,