Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-04-29
.NFCDOTES OF SHELBY.
A., Old Comrade Tells of the Famous
Confederate Fighter.

Confederate Fighter.
M man could ride with 10 Shelby
for four years and be worth his salt at
anrthing else, " said Major ]. F. Stone
street Il did it and ought to know.
have not been worth killing since. F"
Major Stonestrect was an associate of
General Shelby i'll his boyhood and was
with him through the war. Perhaps no
man in Kansas City had more init
mate acquaintance with the dead geo
eral
shelby was essentially mlllta:,
Manor Stonestreet went on HE loved
TIM life Its dangers, labors rough Inv
ING and brilliant successes suited him
down 10 the ground If he had been SO
ulaced that all of his years could have
been spent in war, he would have been
the happiest man ON earth To him the
soldiers life was the happ,eSt of lives,
the soldiers death the death of deaths
He was fond Of his men, but he did not
snare them In his four years of cam
paignlng many, very many, OF them
were killed. He was not sentimental
about it. They took then chances, he
used TO say. He exposed them to no
dangers that he did not share himself
He, too. took his chances.
He was morbidly sensitive about the
conduct of his men, the more So that
they bore the reputation of raiders
which. il must be confessed, they earned
Hard riding and fighting make IA hard
appetite, and they were no respecters of
other peoples pigs and poultry. Once
we were half starving III Arkansas
Shelby and | rode down to the White
river to water our horses. A detachment
of the troops was dong the same thing
inst below us Among them was Dick
Gentry. now of Kansas City. He was a
gallant private and a good fellow
Slung across his saddle was sack, care.
fully tied and bleeding at one end.
what You got thore?' demanded
Shelby.
Been havIR my clothes washed
said Gentry.
"'You'd better get back to camp,
said the general, or your clothes viii
bleed to death
Gentry was put in the guardhouse
That night quarter of fresh pork
found its way to Shelby's tent L
haven't an idea where this came from,
he said as he looked at il huugrily, but
20 round to the guardhousc, orderly,
and tell 'em to turn Gentry loose.
There no use il keeping man shut up
all of his life for little laundry.
q, ,,.,,.a Jp,,r,, TTnva,, continued
Mr., Stonestreet, "when we got the news
Of Lincoln's assassination. The men
were ON review, and the intelligence
went down the line like flash. Some
of them foolishly cheered.
Boys, said General Shelby, sitting
erect on his horse, with one hand raised
in air and his head barred, this is the
heaviest blow yet dealt us. Lincoln's
slaughter was the act of mailman. If
he had lived, he would have been just
and generous 20 the south.
Major General Holmes was i'll com
mand of our part Of the transmississippi
department.. He was West Pointer.
President Davis was West Pointer also
and thought that no man could be sol
der unless be bore the hallmark of that
academy. Therefore he appointed
Holmes who was gentleman and well
meaning but stiff necked and dull.
Holmes sent for Shelby.
General, he said when the cavalry
leader appeared, your men have been
stealing and it must be stopped, They
are thieves.
Sir, said Shelby, whoever told
you so lies
Il believe it is true, said Holmes,
"' Why. asked Shelby.
Because everybody says so.
Do You believe thing when every
body says sop
''T do
Do You know what everybody says
about you?
81 do not. What do they say?
They say that you are a id old
fool, And Shelby walked out.
What is more, continued Mr..
Stonesreet, Shelby was right Men
can't fight and starve too.
General Shelby was soldier only.
As man Of business he was failure
Into business life he brought the same
po.d policies that distinguished him in
war Times, the same dash and the same
Eec6lesness, and they wouldn't do. He
Would lend money TO anybody who asked
Tor IT, taking no security, and to have
served i'm his command was an open
road TO his purse. To the day Of his
Death he was boset by hangers ON who
haa known him in wartime, He seemed
never to weary Of them or to learn that
luty were lcgchcs kansas City Star.
Uses of Mineral Wool.
Mineral wool is coming into general
use as nouconducting covering for