History of Lincoln County Kentucky United States of America

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James M. Shackelford, soldier, was born in Lincoln county, Ky., July 7, 1827; son of Edmund and Susan (Thompson) Shackelford, and grandson of Samuel and Charlotte Shackelford. He attended an academy at Springfield, Ky.; served in the war with Mexico as 1st lieutenant, 4th Kentucky volunteers; was admitted to the bar in 1853, and in September, 1861, was commissioned colonel of the 25th Kentucky Union volunteer regiment, and fought at Fort Donelson, Feb. 6, 1862, in the first brigade of Lew Wallace's division. Later he was made colonel of the 8th Kentucky cavalry, and was promoted brigadier-general, March 17, 1863. In July, 1863, when Gen. John H. Morgan, the Confederate raider, crossed the Cumberland river near Burksville, he was met by the Union forces, who followed him, and pressed the pursuit across the Ohio river into Indiana and thence to Ohio, riding through the suburbs of Cincinnati across to Buffington Island. Shackelford had pressed Morgan so hard that there was very little opportunity to cross, and 700 prisoners were taken. Morgan himself escaped with the 300 men remaining, and was pursued to Salineville, Ohio, where, July 26, 1864, Shackelford captured the whole party of 364 men before they could enter Pennsylvania. Later in August, 1863, Shackelford took command of those regiments and some that had been organized by Burnside at Camp Nelson, Ky. He led them into East Tennessee, through Williamsburg and Big Creek Gap to Kingston. Burnside then stationed his forces at Knoxville and Shackelford moved on, and took Cumberland Gap, capturing 2500 prisoners under General Frazer. He continued to Virginia, drove all of the Confederates out of the valley and returned to Knoxville where Burnside was concentrating to meet Longstreet. General Shackelford's cavalry was confined in the fort during the three weeks of the siege and then with 4000 cavalry he pursued Longstreet up the valley, fighting a hard battle at Bean's Station. He subsequently made his home in Indiana and was a presidential elector from that state on the Garfield and Arthur ticket in 1880, and on the Harrison and Morton ticket in 1888. President Harrison appointed him judge of the U.S. court in the Indian Territory in 1889, and he served four years on the bench. In 1893 he was appointed attorney for the Choctaw nation.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Lincoln County Kentucky

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