The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-11

hint of discrimination at the start Com
pared with Forests, Shelbys work was
at times simply guerrilla warfare, and
compared with Jeb Stuart's wanton out
lawry, but in comparison with that of
some of his antagonists, it was quite rs
legitimate rs theirs and perhaps more
Unsuitable.
He was an adopted citizen OF Missouri
state overwhelmingly proslavery in 1860
and it was with him n passion to fight
against coercion To men Of his stamp in
such crises antagonsm only fans the
ruling passion. In the Kansas troubles he
led n company of volunteers in the fight
against free soil There was no place, tnen
for such n man outside the Confederate
camps the moment secession raised the
standard of revolt. He drew sword as cap
tain OF company of home guard cavalry
in 1861, and sheathed it as brigadier general
in the Confederate States army, leading a
division, in 1865.
When the war broke out Shelby was
thirty years old, and was doing "a small
manufacturing business in the little town
of Waverly, on the Missouri river. He
promptly raised n company for the so called
"Home Guard"
His native town was Lexington, Ky,
and John II. Morgan had been his school
mate and playfellow there. Morgan was
at the head Of n cavalry company also, but
his state was trying to live up to the neu
trail dodge, and he couldn't get gun caps
to supply his men. He sent to Shelby to
help him out from the St. Louis markets,
but there happened to be an embargo on
shipments of war stuff just then. There
was no trouble about finding the caps; the
trick was to smuggle them through the
lines. 1t was done by packing them in
howerpots covered with enough earth to
Keep alive the innocent plants and shrubs
that would serve as a passport when the
Union inspector came along Morgan got
the caps, 100000 of them, and the world
knows how well he used them.
The Missouri "Home Guard' was soon
driven to the southern border of the state,
and it's name was changed to Prices Army
OF Missouri. Shelby was sent back to his
old home on Missouri river, then ostensi-
bly, Union territory, to recruit and stir up
things generally for the Confederacy
Several attempts were made to destroy
him while he was thus cut Off from his
friends, but he kept his company afleld
finished his mission and escaped south to
join Price at Lexington. After some heavy
fighting along the Missouri and Kansas
border Price was called east of the Miss!s
sippi to help fight the battles Of Beaur..
gard and Johnston Men for the ranks
were the sorest need just then, and the
cavalry abandoned their horses to do duty
on foot. Shelbys company followed suit
and served as infantry at Cornith until
their one year of service expired Then
Shelby was commissioned to raise a req
ment of cavalry and to go back to his old
stamping ground in the heart OF Missouri
to do it.
The Mississippi river above Vicksburg
was in Union control and picketed by gun
boats, and every place of Importance in
Missouri was garrisoned by Shelby's bitte-
enemies Nevertheless he accepted the lob
and marched his men to the bank opposite
Helena, Ark. A Union gunboat patrolled
the river there, and Sbslby's men, bloom
ing in bright gray Uniforms and fully
equipped, pitched camp and threw out SEN
tinels and scouts almost under the shadow
of Uncle SANS grim monitors. In the
dead of night six volunteers pulled a skiff
silently across, reconnoitered the town,
found a trusty haven and arranged for
breakfast to be ready before daylight for
Captain Shelby and his band The APP
pointmcnt was kept, and the breakfast was
washed down with champagne in honor of
the feat in crossing the river safely. From
Helena the company struck out overland
for Little Rock, lodging Union pickets