General Isaac Shelby
The Canadian Expedition
General Shelby served as a Captain of Rangers under General Braddock and acted bravely in the attack under General Forbes in 1758, in which he led the advance and took from the French Fort Du Quesne.
In 1772, he removed to the west and in 1774 where he commanded a company under Colonel Lewis and Governor Dunmore against the Indians, on the Scioto River. He was in the battle of Kenhawa on October 10, 1774. After the Indians killed Colonels Lewis, Fleming, and Field, Shelby became the commanding officer.
In 1779, Shelby led a strong force against the Chickamauga Indians on the Tennessee River and, for his services and gallantry, was appointed a Brigadier General by the State of Virginia, the first officer ever vested with that grade on the western waters.
Thomas Shelby, a brother of General Evan Shelby, settled on Caldwell's Creek in the eastern part of Mecklenburg County (now Cabarrus) about 1760. He died near the beginning of the Revolutionary War, leaving four sons, William, John, Evan, and Thomas. In the Wilmington campaign, one of these sons (Thomas) served as a private in Captain Charles Polk's company in the spring of 1776.
Colonel Isaac Shelby, the immediate subject of this sketch, was born to the use of arms, as sent as a Lieutenant against the Indians on the Kenhawa River against Chief Cornstalk. The battle lasted from sunrise to sunset. Neither side claimed victory and had extensive injuries, but Chief Cornstalk signed a Treaty agreeing not to attack the settlers on the western frontier. Cornstalk did not keep the Treaty.
Revolutionary War
In July 1776, Colonel Isaac Shelby was appointed Captain of a company of minute men by the Virginia Committee of Safety; and, In 1777, appointed by Governor Henry, a commissary of supplies for an extensive body of troops to guard the frontiers and one of the commissioners appointed to form a treaty with the Cherokees at the Long Island of the Holston River. In 1778, he was elected a member of the Virginia Legislature from Washington County. Thomas Jefferson appointed him, then Governor of that State, a Major in the escort of guards for the commissioners, engaged in running the line between Virginia and North Carolina. On completing that line, his residence was found in North Carolina, which induced Richard Caswell-Governor of the State, to appoint him Colonel of the militia of Sullivan County. In the summer of 1780, he was engaged in Kentucky in surveying, locating, and securing the lands which, five years previously, he had marked out and improved. At this time, Shelby received news of the surrender of Charleston. When he arrived home, he found a requisition from General Charles McDowell to furnish all the aid in his power to check the enemy, who flushed with their late success in overrunning South Carolina and Georgia, had entered North Carolina with a similar object in view. He immediately sought enlistments from the militia of Sullivan County and crossed the mountains at the head of two hundred and forty riflemen in a few days.
He reported to General McDowell near the Cherokee Ford on Broad River. He was by that officer detached, with Colonels Sevier and Clarke, to surprise and take a fort held by Captain Patrick Moore, a noted Tory leader, on the Palcolet River. They surrounded the fort, and the enemy surrendered.
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Captain Moore, one British Major, ninety-three Tories and two hundred and fifty stands of arms and their ammunition greatly needed at that time, were the fruits of this victory.
It was at this period that Major Ferguson of the British Army, in his progress to the mountains of North Carolina, made several attempts to surprise Colonel Shelby, but in every instance, he was baffled through his vigilance and activity.
On August 1, 1780, the advance of the British force came up and attacked Shelby at Cedar Springs. Shelby had chosen the situation, and his martial, adventurous spirit did not avoid the issue of battle. A sharp and animated conflict ensued, which lasted half an hour when the whole force of Ferguson advanced to the scene of action. Shelby deemed it prudent to retreat before superior numbers, carrying off as the fruits of his victory thus far obtained fifty prisoners, including two British officers. The enemy made a rapid pursuit, but Shelby, availing himself of every advantageous ground, completely eluded their efforts to overtake him and soon afterward joined General McDowell with only a loss of ten or twelve killed and wounded.
On August 19, 1780, Colonels Shelby, Williams, and Clarke, under orders from Gen. McDowell, again attacked, with seven hundred mounted men, a large body of Tories near Musgroves Mill, on the south side of the Ennoree River. On the night of August 18, these officers left Smith Ford on Broad River, took a circuitous route through the woods to avoid Ferguson, whose whole force lay between, and at the dawn of day, after riding about forty miles, attacked the patrol of the Tories, about half a mile from their camp. A brisk skirmish ensued. At this moment, a countryman nearby informed Colonel Shelby that the enemy on the night were reinforced by six hundred regulars (the Queens American regiment from New York) under Colonel Innis. Fatigued as were their horses, retreat was impracticable, and to attack an enemy of such superior force would have been an act of rashness and the certain defeat of his little band of patriots.
Colonel Shelby met the trying emergency with unflinching courage and excellent promptness of action. Colonel Williams was to have the chief command. Accordingly, except for Captain Inman's control, the whole Whig force was ordered to form a breastwork of old logs and brush and make as brave a defense as circumstances permitted. Captain Inman was sent to the river's ford with twenty-five men, fired across upon the enemy, and retreated when they appeared in strong force. This stratagem, being the suggestion of the brave Captain Inman, was successful. Colonel Innis immediately crossed the river to dislodge the rebels. Captain Inman and his little force instantly retreated, hotly pursued by Innis until within the area of the patriot ambuscade, when a single shot by Colonel Shelby gave the signal for attack. With sure and steady aim, the Whig riflemen opened a destructive fire, which continued for an hour when Colonel Innis was wounded; all the British officers except a subaltern were killed or injured. The Tory Captain, Hawsey, and Major Fraser, of the British regulars, with sixty-three privates, were killed and one hundred and sixty made prisoners. The American loss was only four dead and nine wounded. Captain Inman was killed in the pursuit, fighting hand-to-hand with the enemy. After this victory, Colonel Williams, with the prisoners, encamped at Cedar Spring in Spartanburg County and proceeded to Charlotte, North Carolina. Colonels Williams and Clarke then returned to the western frontier, and the prisoners under Major Hammond marched to Hillsboro.
Excited by this brilliant victory, Colonel Shelby prepared to attack the British force at Ninety-six, about thirty miles distant, when an express arrived from General McDowell with a letter from Governor Caswell, dated on the battleground of Camden, informing him of Gates' defeat and advising him to get out of the way. This advice came in good time, for on the following day, a strong detachment from Ferguson's army sallied forth to overtake the victors. However, through Colonel Shelby's energy and activity, the enemy's designs were utterly baffled.
At this gloomy period, Colonel Shelby, in consultation with Colonel Charles McDowell, proposed to Colonels Sevier and Campbell to raise a force as quickly as possible from their several counties and attack the boasting Ferguson. The victory on King's Mountain sent the enemy from North Carolina.
Colonel Shelby suggested to General Greene that he send the expedition to Cowpens, which resulted in victory.
In 1781, Colonel Shelby served under General Marion and, with Colonel Mayhem, was in the skirmish near Monk's Corner. On attacking this post, it immediately surrendered with one hundred and fifty prisoners. Soon afterward, he obtained leave of absence from Gen. Marion to attend the General Assembly of North Carolina, of which he was a member from Sullivan County.
In 1782, Shelby was appointed a Commissioner to settle the preemption claims upon the Cumberland and lay off the lands allotted to the officers and soldiers south of Nashville. Afterward, he returned to Boonesboro, where he married Susanna Hart, whose father was one of the partners of Judge Henderson.
The War of 1812
In May 1792, he was elected the new State's first governor again in 1812. At the onset of the War of 1812, Isaac Shelby led four thousand volunteers to the shores of Lake Erie to assist General Harrison in the Battle of Thames.
Finally, in 1817, President Monroe appointed Isaac Shelby as Secretary of War, but because of his advanced age, he declined the honor and died in July of 1826.
Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical by C. L. Hunter
Isaac Shelby
