Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/350

 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