Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/880

 854 SHIELDS SHILOH of cowardice. In the middle ages the knighta and men-at-arms, being clothed in complete rnail^ had less need of a shield, and it fell into gradual disuse. The Norman shield until the middle of the 12th century was long and of the form called kite or pear-shaped ; but sub- sequently it became smaller, and as a vehicle for bearing heraldic devices assumed a variety of shapes which have been preserved to the present day. (See ARMOR, and HERALDRY.) slim. US, North and Smith, two towns of Eng- land, situated respectively in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, on the N. and S. banks of the river Tyne, near its mouth in the North sea, 6 m. below Newcastle, and 250 m. N. N. W. of London ; pop. of North Shields in 1871, 8,619 ; of South Shields, 46,836. The manufactures of both consist principally of ar- ticles used for nautical purposes, and of glass, pottery, and alum. Ship building, once exten- sively carried on, has much declined, and is now chiefly confined to repairing, for which there are large docks. The entrance to the Tyne is difficult, but there are two lighthouses, one 123 and the other 77 ft. above the sea. There is an extensive stone pier at the mouth of the harbor. The name Shields is derived from the sheeh, or sheds, in which the fisher- men of the Tyne formerly lived. Interesting Roman remains were discovered at South Shields in 1875. SHIITES. See SIIIAHS. SHIKARPOOR, a town of British India, in the province of Sinde, 15 ra. W. of Sukkur on the Indus, on the route by the Bolan pass between Hindostan and Afghanistan; pop. about 80,- 000, one third Mohammedans. It stands on a low plain abounding with fruit trees, and in- undated by the river at certain seasons. The place is of considerable commercial impor- tance, and fine cotton goods are manufactured. SHILLING, an English silver coin equivalent to 12 pence sterling, or j s of a pound. In reducing English money of account to Uni- ted States money, a shilling is equivalent to 24-3325 cts., or, within the 1200th part of a cent, to 24^ cts. The value of the coin as compared with the United States silver trade dollar, according to the proclamation of the secretary of the treasury of Jan. 1, 1876, is 21-4365 cts., or, within less than the 125th part of a cent, to 21$ cts. Many of the states while colonies had issued bills of credit which had depreciated in different degrees in the different colonies. Thus in New England cur- rency (used also in Virginia, Kentucky, Ten- nessee, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida), after the adoption of the decimal system, the pound in paper money was worth only $3-333, and the shilling 16| cts., or 6. to $1 ; in New York currency (also in North Carolina, Ohio, and Michigan) the pound was worth $2 60, and the shilling 12$ cts., or 8*. to $1 ; in Pennsylvania currency (also in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland) the pound was worth $2 70, and the shilling 13^ cts., or Is. 6d. to $1 ; and in Georgia cur- rency (also in South Carolina), the pound was worth $4 20f, and the shilling 21 f cts., or 4s. 8d. to $1. In many parts of the country these denominations continued to be used long after they ceased to be represented by actual money, and the reckoning by shillings and pence is not yet entirely abandoned. In Can- ada the shilling was formerly reckoned at 20 cts., or 5*. to $1 ; but since the introduction of decimal currency in 1871, 4. 2d. make a dollar. SHILOH (Heb., rest, peace), a town of ancient Palestine, in the division of Ephraim, on a high mountain N. of Bethel. It was the seat of the ark of the covenant from the last days of Joshua to the time of Eli. An annual " feast of the Lord " was observed at Shiloh, and one of these celebrations was made an opportunity for the remnants of the defeated Benjamitea to supply themselves with wives, by lying in ambush in the vineyards and seizing some hundreds of the dancing women. After the carrying off of the ark by the Philistines, at the close of Eli's life, Shiloh sank into total insignificance. Its site is now identified with Seilun, a small place" with some Roman re- mains, 20 m. N. of Jerusalem. The words in Gen. xlix. 10, which are rendered in theauthor- ized English version "until Shiloh coirie," and are by Christian theologians referred to Christ as prince of peace, are explained by Jewish writers as meaning "until he (Judah) como to Shiloh," and by Vater, Gesenius, and other critics translated " until rest come." SHILOH, a locality, so called from a church situated there, near Pittsburgh Landing, on the Tennessee river, in Hardin co., Tenn., where a battle was fought, April 6, 7, 1862, between the Union forces under Gen. Grant and the confederates under Gens. A. S. John- ston and Beauregard. The battle is sometimes called that of Pittsburgh Landing. After the evacuation of Nashville, the confederate forces in the west were concentrated near Corinth, Miss., while Grant was preparing to move so- as to cut off their communications in western Tennessee. On April 1, with about 32,000 men, he reached Pittsburgh Landing, where he was to be joined by Gen. Buell. Johnston, who had about 45,000 men, moved from Cor- inth and attacked Grant on the morning of the 6th. The attack fell first upon the division* of W. T. Sherman and Prentiss, both of which were driven back, three regiments of 'the lat- ter being captured and the whole army forced back almost to the landing. In the afternoon Buell's advance appeared on the opposite bank, and a single division crossed while the battle was going on. Gen. Johnston was mortally wounded, and the command devolved upon Beauregard, who assailed the Union centre and left, on which most of the artillery had been concentrated, and which were also covered by two gunboats. The attack was repelled, and at night a bombardment was opened, which compelled the confederates to retire a little.