Capt. Evan Shelby
Capt. Shelby, who with his two sons, was in the Battle of Point Pleasant, was a ranking officer after the death of Colonels Lewis and Field and the wounding of Fleming, until the arrival of Colonel Christian’s regiment. It was Evan Shelby who, with his and the companies of Mathews and Stewart in the ruse, executed the flank movement up Crooked Creek, that led Cornstalk to believe that Lewis had been reinforced, possibly by Dunmore who had played him false and thus decided the fortunes of the day. Captain Shelby became Colonel Shelby of the Revolution, whose distinguished career is followed in the history of Kentucky and Tennessee.
He was born in Wales in 1720,
He early emigrated to Maryland. He commanded a company under Forbes in 1758. In 1771 he settled on the Holston. In 1776 he was with Christian in the Cherokee expedition. In 1779 he led a successful expedition upon the Chickamauga towns, having been appointed by Virginia a general of Militia. He continued in the service throughout the Revolution engaged principally upon the sea board. He rose to the rank of Colonel and before the close of the war to that of General. He died at King’s Mountain, Dec., 4th, 1794.
SOURCE: The Battle of Point Pleasant A Battle of the Revolution, October 10th, 1774, Mrs. Livia Nye Simpson-Poffenbarger, The State Gazette, Point Pleasant, W.V., 1909
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