Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-02-20
40" SHELBY DEAD.
In and Out of War With Clean
Hands-A Famous March,

Hands-A Famous March.
KANSAS CITY. Mo-, Feb. 19-General
Joseph Orville Shelby the noted confederate
officer, has just died here. He was born in
Lexington. Ky, in 1881, and at 10 years Of
age came with his parents to Missouri. He
became manufacturer and slave owner.
When the Kansas dispute came on,
Mr.. Shelby naturally sympathized with
the pro-slavery element and the "bor-
der troubles" which followed. Shelby was
a leader in several Of the raids
into Kansas. When actual hostilities
began he was known among his neighbors
as Captain Shelby. He raised company
of confederate cavalry and entered the
field, starting South to join General Price.
A few weeks later Captain Shelby was com
missioned us colonel of cavalry, and ordered
back to Missouri to recruit regiment. Re-
turning with his band Of 100 men, who
had numerous skrmshes with federal
bands. Colonel Shelby quickly or
ganized regiment to which was Joined the
ganization known as ''Shelbys brigade !"
This brigade, under General Shelby saw much
hard service in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana
and Texas.
When the news OF Lees surrender
came to the confederate army in the
West, General Shelby found himself at the
head OF well-equipped and thoroughly dis
d
would not admit that their cause had been
lost. Shelby, however, succeeded in con-
vincing his followers that further lighting
against the government would be useless,
and. as an alternative, he proposed march
to Mexico, there to espOuse the cause of
Macmillan. Over a thousand men Of his
following readily joined him. At Corscans
an election was held and Shelby was elected
a commander.
The column then moved on to Houston
and then to Austin, the capital of Texas,
where the confederate government had
sub-treasury in which was stored $500. 900 in
gold and silver. General Shelbys regiment
arrived ut Austin barely in time to save this
treasure from a marauding band of guerillas
under Captain Rabb. who had captured the
treasury building and started in to loot.
Shelby's men surrounded the place after
shooting down Il number OF marauders, and
drove them off. General Shelbys men
guarded the treasure until the following day.
On the morning following, the mayor Of
Austin proposed to General Shelby that in
asmuch as his men were the last organized
body of th3 cOnfederacy in Texas, they
should take this confederate money. Gen
eral Shelby positively refused, saying: II
went into the wcr with clean hands and by
Gods blessing will so out of the war with
clean hands"
From Austin Shelbys band marched to
San Antonio and to Eagle Pass, where they
crossed into Mexico and resumed their
march. When they reached the city
of Mexico, Macmillan had been reign
ing for year. Shelby offered
to take immediate service with his band and
to recruit an army OF 10000 Americans to
supersede the native troops, but Maximil-
ian was suspicious, and his company was
forced to disband. Many OF them settled
In Mexico; others went on to the Pa
ciiic coast and shipped for California,
while some returned to their former homes.
General Shelby became freight con-
tractor in Mexico. but in 1867 he returned
to his farm in Missouri, where he lived
u retired life until 1894. when President
Cleveland appointed him United States
Marshal for the Western District OF
Missouri. During the great strike in
1895, when Marshal Shelby was active in
the strikers, he became in
volved in a controversy with Governor
Stone, who contended that United States
officers and troops were being used in
OF the doctrine of state rights
the very doctrine which Shelby had fought so
bitterly for during the civil war. but to Gov
ernor Stone General Shelby replied that
1.-The question OF state rights was decided
by the war, and settled for all time when
Lee had surrendered at AppomattOx." In
the recent campaign General Shelby was an
active supporter of the policy OF President
CLEVELAND