The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-15
GENERAL SHELBY DEAD
Demise Occurs at His Country
Home in Missouri.
END CONES TO HIM PEACEFULLY.

Remarkable Vitality of the Old Soldier
shown During His Last Illness Served
All Through the CivlI War on the Con-
foderate Side and Then offered His
Services To Maximililn in Mexico-Em-
peror Was Suspicious and Refused.
Kansas City, Feb 15-General ]. o.
Shelby died at his country home, eight
miles from Adrian, Mo-, at 4 o'clock
Saturday morning. The end came peace
fully. The patient had been uncon-
scious since early Monday morning and
had been slowly dying since that time.
General Shelby was taken seriously i'll
ten days ago with pneumonia and grad
ually grew worse. His vitality was
great, however, and his friends and
family had hopes that he would over
come the disease, and, indeed, half a
dozen times since then when given up
perative powers asserted themselves
and each time he revived. During ell
of last Sunday night and most of Mon
day the patient talked continually in
an irrational way.
At times he recognized those about
him but 1t was only for moment, when
he would again lapse into comatose
or dehrious state. He began to sink
rapidly Tuesday morning and in few
moments his pulse was almost imper-
ceptible. Until that moment Mrs. Shell
by, who had been constantly at the gen.
erals bedside, believed that he would
survive. and then gave way, prostrated
with grief and physical and mental
strain. Later General Shelby revived
somewhat but remained unconscious
until death and took practically no med
icine or nourishment.
Sketch of the Generals Life.
General Shelby was born in LeXing-
ton, KY, in 1881. At 19 years of age
he came with his parents to Missouri.
When the Kansas dispute came on, Mr..
Shelby, as a slave owner, naturally
sympathized with the pro-slavery ele-
ment, and in the border 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 quickly organized a regiment, to
which was joined the three Missouri
| regiments in a cavalry organization
known as "Shelbys Brigade" This
brigade, under General Shelby, saw
much hard service in Missouri, Arkan-
sas, 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 a well-equipped and thor
oughly disciplined body of men, great
many of whom would not admit that
| their cause had been lost. Shelby how
] ever succeeded in convincing his fol-
! lowers that further fighting against the
government would be useless. and when
as an alternative, he proposed to march
J to Mexico, there to espouse the cause oi
Maxillian 1000 men of his following
readily Joined him.
Saved the Confederacy's Last Treasure.
! At Corscana an election was held ant
! Shelby was elected commander, receiv
ing every vote. The column then moved
| on to Houston and then on to Austin
the capital of Texas, where the Confed'
crate government had a sub-treasury
in which was stored $3000,00C in gold ant
silver. General Shelbys regiment ar
! rived at Austin barely in time to saw
this treasure from a marauding band o
guerrillas under Captain Rabb, wh'
| captured the treasury building ant
started in to loot Shelby's men sur
rounded the place, and after shooting
down a number of the marauders drov
them off. General Shelby's men guard
ed the treasury until the following day
On the morning following the mayor
Austin proposed to General Shelby tina
,nasmuch as his men were the last or
panized body Of the Confederacy II
Texas they should take this Confederat
money.
General Shelby positively refused, say
ing:
II went into the war with cleal
hands. and, by Gods blessing, 1 viii
go out Of the war with clean hands
From Austin, Shelby's band marches
70 San Antonio and to Eagle Pass
where they crossed into Mexico and re
sumed their march. When they ha
reached the City of Mexico, Maximlia
had been reigning for year.
Macmillan Was Suspicious.
Shelby offered to take immediate serv
ice with his band. and to recruit a
army Of 10000 Americans to suppressed
the native troops. but Macmillan wa
suspicious and Shelby's company wa
forced to disband. Many of them set
tied i'm Mexico others went on TO IN
Pacific coast and shipped for California
while some returned to their forme
homes. General Shelby became
freight contractor in Mexico, but In lst
he returned to his farm In missouri
| -. i.o Ii,rod O retired life until lX9