Author: William Connell Bolin Jr.
Born in October of 1719 in Tregaron, Cardiganshire, Wales, Evan Shelby (Jr.) immigrated with his parents to the colonies as a 15-year old where they settled in what is now Franklin County, PA. Five years later they moved to Prince George’s County (now Frederick County) MD where Evan managed to acquire some 24,000 acres of land where he raised cattle. He married Letitia Cox in 1744 and the two had at least seven children.

He became involved in the fur trade as far away as Green Bay (WI) and served in Braddock’s Campaign (1755) and helped lay out the road from Fort Frederick to Fort Cumberland. In 1758, under the command of General John Forbes, he led a group of scouts across the Ohio River in a daring reconnoiter of Fort Duquesne before the successful attack and taking of the fort from the French.

During Pontiac’s Rebellion in the early ‘60’s Evan lost most of his fur trade and was forced to sell his properties to pay off his debts. His family then moved to Sapling Grove, Fincastle County, VA (now Bristol, Sullivan County, TN) where they erected a trading pot/stockade called Shelby’s Station around 1773. Daniel Boone and George Rogers Clark were known to frequent the post as were many other pioneers headed west. A year later he commanded the Fincastle Company in Dunmore’s War, and fought at Point Pleasant on October 10.

On January 20, 1775 Evan and twelve others signed the “Fincastle Resolutions”, the first adopted statement by the colonists which promised resistance to the death to preserve political liberties. These resolutions were signed in support of the First Continental Congress’ protests of the “Intolerable Acts”. In 1776 Virginia Governor Patrick Henry appointed Evan a Major in the troops led by Colonel William Christian against the Cherokees, and later was made a Colonel himself as he led a successful expedition against the Chickamauga Indians.

Letitia died in September 1777 and Evan married Isabella Elliot shortly thereafter; the two of them had three children together, bringing the total known offspring of Evan Shelby to ten.

In October 1780 he helped organize a volunteer militia under the leadership of his son, Colonel Isaac Shelby (future first Governor of Kentucky) and together with two more of his sons, (Captain) Moses and Evan Jr., the three Shelby’s joined up with other militias as they made their way to King’s Mountain. The one hour battle on October 6, became known as the turning point of the war in the south.

A short time later it was found that Shelby’s Fort now was part of North Carolina. He was elected to the NC senate in 1781 and was named a Brigadier General by the NC General Assembly in 1787. Although elected as the Governor of the rogue “State of Franklin” in 1787 he declined, and retreated from public service on October 29, 1787. He died December 4, 1794 in Sapling Grove at the age of 75.

Additional Biography by Charles Garnett (Nat #181810) a member of the Ocmulgee Chapter GASSAR in Macon, GA

Evan SHELBY, Jr. was baptized 23 Oct 1720 at Tregaron, Cardiganshire, Wales., son of Evan and Catherine Morgan Shelby, Sr. who came to the colonies about 1734. Evan Sr. died in Frederick Co, MD in 1751. Evan Jr. became a fur trader, was in Braddock's Campaign (1755), served as first lieutenant to Capt. Alexander BEALL in 1767-8, and later held commissions in both MD and PA. About 1773, he removed to Sapling Grove where he erected Shelby's Fort in what was then Fincastle County, Virginia, and later Washington County, Virginia, but is today Bristol, Sullivan County, Tennessee. In 1774, he commanded the Fincastle Company in Dunmore's War, and was at the battle of Point Pleasant on 10 Oct of that year. In 1776, Virginia Governor Patrick Henry appointed him Major in the troops commanded by Col. William Christian against the Cherokees. On December 21, of that same year, he was appointed colonel of the militia of newly-created county of Washington, and in 1779, he led an expedition againts the Chickamauga Indian towns on the lower Tennessee River.

In October 1780, Shelby and his volunteer militia joined almost a thousand frontiersmen in the march on British Colonel Patrick FERGUSON. The one-hour Battle of King's Mountain, at which FERGUSON was killed and the British troops routed, is credited by most with having turning the tides of war in the south.

In 1781, Shelby was elected a member of its Senate, and in 1786, the North Carolina Assembly appointed him brigadier general of militia of the Washington District of North Carolina. In March 1787, North Carolina Commissioner Evan Shelby negotiated a temporary truce with Col. John Sevier, governor of the short-lived State of Franklin. In August 1787, he was elected governor of the State of Franklin to succeed Sevier, but declined. He resigned as brigadier general on October 29, 1787, the last of his public service.

Evan SHELBY, Jr. married (1) 1774, Letitia COX, d/o David COX of Frederick County, MD, d 1777; m (2) 1787, Isabella ELLIOTT, who survived him. He died in 1794, and is buried at Bristol. Among his descendants were sons, Isaac SHELBY and Evan SHELBY III, both of whom also fought at King's Mountain.