The evening times., 1897-02-13

Gen. Joseph Orvilc Shelby was born in
Lexington, KY, in 1891. When nineteen
years OF age he went with his parents TO
Missouri Hemp was the great Missouri
staple in those Gays, and when lds parents
settled on n farm young Shelby bysecuredem-
ploymcpt on q ropewaik at Waveriy.
He ultimately became owner Of the works
and OF big plantation in Lafayette county,
and as a aconsequence became aslave-owner.
When the Kansas dispute arose Mr.. Shelby
sympathiZed with the pro-slarery element,
and in the border troubles which followed
ne was a leader in several OF the raids into
Kansas.
After the actual hostilites began in Kan
sas he became known among his neighbors
as Captain Shelby. Later he raised COM
pany OF Confederate cavalry yandentered the
field starting South to join Gen. Price. A
few weeks later Capt Shelby was commits
stoned as colonel of cavalry and ordered
back to Missouri to recruit a regiment.
Returning with one hundred nied, WHO had
numerous sklrmishcs with Federal bands,
Col Shelby quickly organized regiment.
to which wer" joined three Missouri regl-
ments in cavalry organization known
as ''Shelbys Brigade" This brigade, I'M
der Gen Shelby, saw much hard service in
Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
When the news of Lee sur render cameto
the Confederate army In the West ten.
Shelby found himself at the head OF well
equipped and thoroughly disciplined body
ofnen many OF whom would not admitthat
their cause had been lost. He succeeded in
convincing his followers that further fight
ing ould be useless, and when, as an alter
native, Ie proposed a march TO Mexico,
there to espouse the cause OF MaXiman.
one thousand OF his men readily joined him.
At Corsicana an election was held, and
shelby was again chosen commander OF
the brigade, receiving every vote. The col
umn then moved on to Houston and 70
Austin, where the Confederate government
had Subtreasury, in which was stored
$500, 600 in gold and silver
Gen. Shelby arrived at Austin barely in
time TO save this treasure from a maraud-
ing band of guerrilIas, under Capt. Rabb.
VINO captured the treasury buuding and
started in to loot. Shelby's men surround
ed the place, and after shooting down a
number OF the marauders drove them off.
The Missourians guarded the subtreasury
until the following day, when the mayor OF
4 AuStin proposed to Gen. Shelby that, as
his men were the last organized body of
the ConfedeTaCy in Texas, they should
take this Confederate money The general
positively refused, saying:
Il went into the war with clean hands
ana by Gods blessing | will go out OF the
war with clean hands
From Anstin Shelby'S 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 MaXimilian had been reigning for
a year. Gen. Shelby offered to take imme
date service with his band and to recruit
an army OF 40, 900 men from the United
States to Supersede the native troops. but
MaXimilan was suspicious, and the Mis-
sourians were forced To disband. Many OF
them settled in Mexico. others went to the
Pacific coast of California. while some
returned 10 their former homes.
Gen. Shelby became a freight contractor
in Mexico, but in 1867 he returned to his
| farm in Missouri, where he lived a retired
| life until 1898. In the last named year
President Cleveland appointed him United
States marshal for the western district of
Missouri