The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-03-28

fortunes or the COnfederaCy, he lived to
typify before later generation the he-
roes of class of soldiery whose exploits
gave to the war about all that it COM
passed Of romance--the Marmions and
Roderick Dhus of our western world,
the Marions and Sumters of the civil
conflict. Forrest was greater only be-
cause his field was wider, for he was
not a whit more agile and bold. Morgan
was more noted because he struck with
fire and sword into the heart of region
studded with cities, rich in civilization
and scanned with telegraphs, which
thrilled the nation with startling bulle-
tins of his advent Ear beyond the beaten
track Of armies.
But the knight of the Blue Grass
phalanx and the booted and spurred
rover Of the prai>ies were fellows in
point of audacity, recklessness and per-
sonal courage, displayed in many foray
and fight, as they had been comrades in
boyhood games and sports. In fact, q
degree of kinship might be struck be-
tween the careers of John Morgan and
10 Shelby by CHASING them cousins, or
even brothers german, two natures
sprung from the same blooded source,
driven on by kindred destinies Shelby
was born in Lexington, Ky, and there
had for playfellow the future leader
of Kentucky's dashing cavaliers. He
was an adopted citizen of Missouri when
the war broke out, and it was with him
a passion to fight against coercion. In
the Kansas troubles he had fought in
the thick of the strife at the head of
some volunteers against the free soil
movement. There was no place for a
man Of that stamp outside the Confed-
crate camps when the south hoisted it's
battle standards, and he drew his sword
as captain of company of home guard
cavalry at the very time when Morgan
was stealthily organizing and hying to
rendezvous that company of Lexington s
choice spirits which became the nucleus
Of the world famed cavalry corps. Ken
lucky was trying to play neutral role
and suppress her enthusiastic sons, and
Missouri was drifting toward a similar
policy. But. with the Mississippi be-
tween them and a Federal embargo
backed by bayOnets to awe the timid,
the restless Morgan and interchangeable
Shelby played into each others hand
and helped ON the cause. Morgan was
ready to take the field, but could get no
gun caps i'll Kentucky. He sent to Shelby
to help him out from the st. Louis mar
kets. There was no trouble about pro-
curing the gun caps. The trick was to
smuggle them through the Federal lines.
1t was done by packing the caps in flow
erpots, with just enough earth to keep
alive some innocent plants and shrubs,
that would serve as passport when the
Federal inspector came along. Morgan
got the caps, 100,0 900 Of them, and they
soon made music along the Tennessee
and Cumberland and all the border.
The Missouri home guard was driven
to the southern border of the state in
the first campaigns Of the summer, but
Shelby remained near his old home, Oh
the Missouri river, to recruit and keep
alive the Confederate spirit. Several at
tempts were made to destroy him while
he was thus cut off from his friends, but
he kept his company afield, finished his
mission and joined the formidable army
of Sterling Price in the south. After
some heavy fighting along the border
Price was called east Of the Mississippi
to help fight the battles of Beauregard
and Sidney Johnston. Men for the in
fantry ranks were needed just at the
time, and Sbelby's company abandoned
their horses and served as foot soldiers
around Corinth until their year of en-
listment expired. Then Shelby was com
missioned to raise full regiment and
ordered back to his old stamping ground
on the Missouri river to recruit material.
Meanwhile the Mississippi river above
Vicksburg had passed under Federal con-
troll and was picketed by gunboats, and
every place of Importance in Missouri
was garrisoned by Shelby's bitter foes.
Nevertheless he accepted the task and
marched his men to the east bank of the
river opposite Helena. A Federal gun
boat patroled the river there, but Shell
by's men, in bright gray uniforms and
fully equipped, pitched camp and threw
out sentinels and scouts almost under
the shadow Of Uncle Sans grim mont
tors In the dead of night six volunteers
pulled across in a skiff, accommodated
the town, found a haven and arranged
for breakfast to be ready before daylight
for Shelby and his band. The appoint
ment was kept and the viands washed
down with champagne in honor of the
feat of crossing the river safely. From
Helena the company struck out overland
for Little Rock, lodging Federal pickets
and camps on the route.
Shelby and his men remained at Lit
tie Rock until an expedition was ready
to proceed to the heart of Missouri. This
they joined after enlisting for the war.
The command fought its way to the
Missouri river and back to Arkansas,
Shelby leading out 1000 mounted sol
diers drummed up around his old home
in two days. From the colonelcy Of this
regiment Shelby leaped at once to the