The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1905-11-10
IsSlsSIPPI FRIDAY NOVEMBER 10. 1905.
pEN.PICTURES OF THE 0LDEN Time
BY COL w L. CLAYTON.

VI Cne ola Time lawyers living
at Fulton when | went to the
bar, Duke Shelley was an inter-
esting character. He must have
been forty years old when he
was admitted to the bar. l did
not gather up his history, as |
had no thought then of ever writ
ing about him. | know though
from his own statement that he
had travelled considerably in the
United States and seen service in
Texas with the Texas Rangers
and at one time was in the same
company with popular novelist
Mayne Read. Shelley could tell
you much of wild western scenes
and hair breadth escapes from the
bloody Comanches, on the plains
of Texas. Finally he came to the
quiet old town Of Fulton, and set
tied down to the legal profession.
He had not been admitted to the
bar but short time when | moved
there in 1859, and consequently
he was not profound lawyer.
But he had a big brain, and had
his mind trained in early life,
and he had devoted himself la
boriously to his profession, he
would have been a safe and re-
liable lawyer, but never popular
advocate, as he was not a born
orator. He was very interesting
and entertaining talker, his pow
ers of conversation being good,
and his fund of information large
and varied. have sat and list
ened to him talk for hours and
never grew tired. He also had
a magnificent voice, and loved
very much to sing for the enter
tainment of his friends. He
sang many love ditties, and old
time plantation songs with the
old folks at home, and every
thing in the way of q home loving
and country loving cast, always
singing from memory. | never
new him to look at a book or a
paper while singing any song.
His tunes were gay and frolic-
some, sad and mournful, weired
and canny. grand and lofty, as
the singer chose and his subject
justified. Shelley was child of
the south. He loved her hills
and dales, mountains and rivers
her grand rolling prairies and
her institutions. And so when
the first drum beat sounded, he
fell into line, All was elected a
Lieu. N the Ben Billiard Rifles,
the first company received into
service from old ItaWamba county
marching with his command to
Pensacola, Fla, and there re-
maini lg for almost year. He
was large man, weighing over
two hundred and fifty pounds
fine marx for the enemy, and
yet h fought through the war
without a wound. He went where
duty called, never shirking duty,
and was always in the thickest
of the fight. How his great
pondrous body escaped at the
battle of Mumfordsville, while
so many of his command were
killed and wounded, has always
been a mystery to me. Col.
Smith, the Col. of the 10th Miss.
Regiment, and the Lieut.. Col.
Bullard, were both killed in that
fight, and many more men and
officers were killed and wounded
and among the latter were Capt.
J. L. Finley and my own brother
A. ] Clayton. While the war
lasted and the cannon sounded
out their destruction, Shelley
fought battles, sang battle songs
and martial strains, only to come
home at the close clothed in the
habiliments of a deadly disease
contracted in the service. He
He spent his last days and died
at the home Of R. M. Bonun,
known as Woodlawn, and was
buried in the Keyes grave yard.
Speaking Of Shelley's dying
at R. M. Bonun's, reminds me OF
uncle Dick as he was generally
called. I always thought him a
him very fine interesting char
acter, my first remembrance
l;, ,x,,c oho,,t 1879 &C II an