The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-08

tai Faculties almost lost. He scarcely rec
ognizeS any one and fails to respond TO any
questions. His temperature and pulse have
been gradually rising for the last twenty
four hours. At this time his temperature
is 102 Is; pulse, 10s.'
Gen. Shelby-"Jo," he writes his first
name. and 10 he is best known-and his
division were the fighting arm of General
Price. Brilliant, dashing and successful in
war, he was the idol of Confederates and
the terror of Unionists. A Kentuckian by
birth, he believed in slavery. He loved Mis-
souri, as the home of his adoption. When
war burst upon the land he was true TO his
faith and his affection and offered his life
in their defense. When the knell of his
hopes was sounded at Appomattox he led
band of despairing Confederates into Mex
leo to fight for Macmillan. He soon re-
turned to Missouri, however, and endeared
himself to all classes by his personal quail
ties and his stand for reconciliation.
General Shelby was born in Lexington,
Ky, in 1881. He gained what was consid-
cred a good education in that day and spent
some years in mercantile life. Fate then
attracted him to Waverly, Mo-, where he
began the manufacture of bale rope. 1t
was not long before Bleeding Kansas
brought bands of armed and desperate men
to the west of the Missouri river to fight
out the earliest of the bloody battles for the
freedom of the slave. Shelby's sympathies
were with the South, and he deserted his
factory to raise a company in Kentucky.
He took the field on the plains of Kansas
with Clark, Atchison and Reid. but when
the AbOlitioniStS won he went quietly back
to his factory at Waverly. On the fall of
Sumter Shelby raised, mounted, armed and
uniformed company OF cavalry and
fl-rr
bloody strife. On his return from Mexico
he settled on a farm in Fayette county. He
soon became involved i'll the TIDE OF railroad
speculation, lost his all ana moved 10 a
farm near Adrian, Bates county. President
Cleveland in his second term made him
United States marshal tor the Western dis
trict of Missouri
Courage, courtiness and chivalry came to
Shelby by inheritance. His grandfather
Kentucky, in whose day the lighting of
Indians was a common occupation. His
father was Colonel James Shelby, who
played q part at the battle of the Thames
under William Henry Harrison. and came
out of the war of 1872 with the luster of
glorious deeds General Shelby himself
company he had raised himself and came
out of the conflict with a major generalship
and the admiration of friend and foe Mis-
taken he may have been, but he was mas
terful as commander, gallant as nShter,
generous as a victor and admirable as q
man. Once having accepted the verdict of
influence with the unreconstructed element
in Missouri, and was great factor in re-
storing peace to this distracted common
wealth. Old foes fOrgave him his errors,
and all Missourians swear by him.
Shelby's Missouri division fought through
Missouri Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana
and Texas. When hope became hopeless ii
was the last organized division of the Con-
federate army west Of the Mississippi.
his men yearned for their homes and their
families. There was a dramatic separation
on the field near Corsicana, Tex. There
still remained with Shelby five hundred bold
troopers, and they had an abundant supply
of arms. ammunition and supplies. They
determined to march into Mexico and be-
come soldiers Of fortune with Juarez or
Macmillan. They marched to Waco and
Austin in well-disciplined band. Shelby
was urged TO seize the money in the Con-
federate subtreasury at San Antonio for his
soldiers. but he was not Il plunderer and
hesitated. Texas bandits carried off the
treasure before he could reach San Antonio
to protect il as he had protected public
funds in Austin. Many exiles were await
ing Shelby at San Antonio Among them
were Generals Smith, Magruder, Hindman,
Lyon. of Kentucky, Leadbetter and Wilcox,
of Lees army. Governor Murrah, of Texas,
Governor Morehead. of Kentucky. Governor
Allen, of louisiana. and Governor Trusten
Polk of Missouri Senator Harris. of Ten
nessee, and Senator Vest, of Missouri, were
in that despairing company.
From San Antonio Shelby lee his band
under military discipline to New Braunfels
and thence to Eagle Pass On the Rio
GrdnQe. crossing 10 tleurdS INegrdS, the
fugitive sold the cannon. the arms. the am
munition and the accoutrementS to The sup
porterS of Juarez for $lS.c00, Whit" was di-
vided pro rata among officers and men. Sew
eral Shrewd Germans attempted to take
advantage of q Mexican law and seize all
of Shelby's horses having Mexican brands.
and the treacheTous Mexican SoldIers sup
ported them in the scheme. The Confeder-
ate commander promptly sounded the call
to mount horses. and the five hundred
American veterans only awaited the word
begin Slanohtpr Germans
and the Mexicans wilted. Shelby took
vote of his officers to determine whether
they would cast their fortunes with Juarez.
the Mexican patriot or with Macmillan,
the emperor sent to Mexico by Napoleon.
They voted for Macmillan. The exiles
buried their battle-scarred flag in the
waters of the Rio Grande with fearful cere-
monies and started for Monterey TO join
the French legions. AT Monterey the COM
mand disbanded. Some went to Sonora to
fight against Maximilian. Others went to
California, British Honduras or Brazil
Shelby and q trusty band Of fifty went to
the City of Mexico and then settled in the
Cordova colony of Carlotta.
General Shelby was always loyal to his
friends. This explains in part his strong
Among these friends was John y. Edwards.
who served in his command Edwards was
noted Missouri editor with a ready flow
of magnilouuent English, and he embalmed
the deeds of Shelby's comma nd in a book
He once fought duel near Quincy. ILL.,.
with Major Emery Foster. who had been in
st. Louis Times and Foster on the st. Louis
Journal at the time. DIR. Morrison Munford,
of the Kansas City Times. Edward s
second. The dueists were indicted in Hi
Lois. but the Governor Of Missouri refused
to extradite them Frank James was in
Shelby's division. and the general testified
i'm his behalf when he was on trial for his
life years later Frank and Jesse James
occasionally fled to General Sheiby'S farm
for refuge. While the old fighter dis
countenanced their lawleSsness he could
not find il in his heart TO betray one of his
former soldiers He generally left the farm
when they came. once going as far as St.
Louis. The James brothers once paid the
obligation in part by reScuing one OF the
generals negro servants from an angry
mob of whites.
AS a commander General Shelby had pc
tious in guarding against surprise. and he
always marched as lightly as possible. in
order to fight or flee. as seemed advisable.
with the best advantage. Wagons were his
special aversion. and baggage he considered
as useless as a woman'S wardrobe. His men
kneeded their dough India rubber
blankets. and cooked IL upon boards or
rocks before the fire. He insisted that
forlxed hickory sticks made excellent grid
irons. His favorite way of sleeping was
with his feet to n roaring fire and his head
on his saddle. He aimed never to get far
from his artillery. When horses failed he
harnessed men to drag the guns. Unin-
numbered by wagons, streams had no perils
and mountain passes but few insurmount-
able difficulties.
A boon companion and debonair gallant
has Shelby always been, and when did ever
such a one lack for friends? There was
much of LauncelotS l0ve-passion about
him. with all of Launcelots chivalry and
wooing had for him much of glamour and
more of Witchery Around his camp fire