The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-10-02
GENERAL sHELBY's OLD SLAVE

GENERAL SHELBY'S OLD SLAVE His Body Servant in the War is Still
 With the Family.
 General Joe" Shelbys old body ser want, Uncle Billy Hunter, in spite of his seventy-two years, is still sturdy and vigorous, H. remembers the war times remarkably well, and likes noth- ing better than to talk of the many fights and incidents in the life of his 'old massa, the famous confederate general, whose body rests in Forest Hill cemetery. With the exception of Shelby's expedition into MeXico-one ot the most dramatic events in our history-and the thirty years after the war when the general lost sight of him entirely, Uncle Billy" was with him from the time he was twelve years old. Billy is at his best when he gets started on General Shelby during the wal
 'Dere never was man like Gen'l shelby sah" said Billy, the other daY to a reporter for "The Star" His soi5rs jes thought the world of him, | w Slll | never NIp HE It, bul NolllN cli' boys an he was always in de front, a-ladn' em on. Many's the time I've brought up a fresh hoss for him when his was shot. and carried coffee an bite O something to eat to him on the field. Wasn't no else could cook for the genl 'cept ole Billy. Come here, you damned black nigger, an get me something to eat. he uster yell an you bet l did right smart. He would cuss me awful, but, LOT! that wasn't nothing. When he didn't. knew there was trouble on.
 All through the war l tended him, and when he was shot in the wrist at Cape Girardo I nursed him. Lots oS men went hungry in those days, but generally could pick up something for the genl. Had to be mighty careful bout it, for he didn't allow no stealth
 Yes sah, I was captured jes once. Lemme see, that was at Lone Jack. Gen1 Shelby sent me to Colonel Jor- dams camp bout a mile away, an the Feds scooped me and took me into the village, but in an hour an half the James brothers came chargin' through and drove the Feds off. They pulled me out from between two feather beds where I was keeping away from the bullets and took me back to Shelby When he saw me he looked mad clean through. Where In hell you been. black rascal?' says he, go get me some breakfast damned smart
 When Gen'l Shelby starte for Mex ico with his one thousand picked men he says to me, Billy, you take Miss Betty-that's my missus-and the cril- dren back home and you're a free man. So I left him at Galveston and carried them 'cross the Gulf of Mexico to New Orleans and from there to Lex ington, safe and sound. After that l drifted off on my own hook, working as porter in hotels an tending bar, and I never heard of the Genl for morn thirty years. One day while l was working for Jim Baldus in Chicago l heard that my ole massa was United Marshal in Kansas City and l let him know where I was. He sent for me to come back, but I guess l didn't start quick enough to suit him. for one Sun day when l was readin the papers ln the barroom in walks man and says:
 "I'm Deputy Marshal Potts, of Kan sas City, an I'm looking for William Hunter
 "I'se the man, sah,' says l.
 "'What you done, Billy? said Bal dus. I'll stand by you.
 "'General Shelby told me to bring you back with me Potts said. He said. that damned nigger worked Tor me more than thirty years, an hes going to take it easy now. You bring him back, and I'll give him all the land he wants
 "Id go through fire for the ole massa,' says I, and back l starts. The missus give me two horses and l stayed with 'em til the general dled. I done lost the best friend l had then An now I'm living with Joe shelby Jr.. sah, and tend his children jest as I did him when he was little Teller. But every Decoration Day l goes over 1 to my ol massae grave and put flowers on it in memory of the finest man that ever lived, sah--GenI Joe Shelby, - Kansas City Star