General William Shepard | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1803 | |
| Preceded by | William Lyman |
| Succeeded by | Jacob Crowninshield |
| Massachusetts Governor's Council | |
| In office 1792–1796 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1737-12-01)December 1, 1737 |
| Died | November 16, 1817(1817-11-16) (aged 79) |
| Resting place | Mechanic Street Cemetery |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Spouse(s) | Married January 31, 1760 Sarah Dewey[1] |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain United States |
| Branch/service |  British Army Continental Army |
| Years of service | 1754–1763[2] 1775–1777 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | 4th Massachusetts Regiment |
| Battles/wars | French and Indian War American Revolutionary War Shays' Rebellion |
William Shepard (December 1, 1737 [O.S. November 20, 1737][Note 1] –November 16, 1817) was aUnited States representative fromMassachusetts (1797–1802), and a military officer in theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War. As a state militia leader he protected theSpringfield Armory duringShays' Rebellion, firing cannon into the force ofDaniel Shays and compelling them to disperse. He also served in town and state government and was a member of theMassachusetts Governor's Council.
Born inWestfield in theProvince of Massachusetts Bay, he attended the common schools, engaged in agricultural pursuits, and served in theFrench and Indian Wars for six years. He was a member of thecommittee of correspondence for Westfield in 1774, and was a lieutenant colonel ofMinutemen in April 1775 and served under ColonelTimothy Danielson.[4] He entered theContinental Army in May 1775 as lieutenant colonel and was commissioned Colonel of the4th Massachusetts Regiment on October 6, 1776, serving throughout theRevolutionary War, including winter atValley Forge,Pennsylvania, where he commanded the 4th Regiment of Massachusetts Continentals, under the overall command of GeneralJohn Glover. His name is immortalized along with his comrades on stone monuments there. Many letters still exist between Shepard and other commanders, including GeneralGeorge Washington, theMarquis de Lafayette,John Hancock,Samuel Adams,Thomas Jefferson, GeneralHenry Knox and other illustrious founding fathers.
Shepard was a member of theMassachusetts House of Representatives in 1785 and 1786 and wasselectman for Westfield from 1784 to 1787. In this time local farmers and veterans of the war began to rebel after months of destitution and taxation they believed to be unfairly levied by the powers from Boston. Many were consigned to debtors' prison. Shepard, then a major general in the state militia, called to duty the Fourth Division of the Massachusetts militia in 1786 and defended theSpringfield Armory during what became known asShays' Rebellion (after one of its principal leaders,Daniel Shays), ordering defenders of the arsenal to fire cannons at attacking the rebels at "waist height" with cannons filled with anti-personnelgrape shot. Two of the insurgents were mortally wounded. Messages to GovernorJames Bowdoin expressed his deep regret at the shedding of blood. He kept in constant contact with Governor Bowdoin, Sam Adams, John Hancock, and GeneralBenjamin Lincoln, who arrived in a blizzard from Boston just after the Springfield arsenal attack to pursue Shays and his men into the surrounding towns. That order would earn Shepard a lasting reputation as the "murderer of brethren." The local neighbors were so angry that they mutilated his horses, gouging out their eyes, to his horror. He was a member of theGovernor's council of Massachusetts from 1792 to 1796, and was appointed in 1796 to treat with thePenobscot Indians and, in 1797, with theSix Nations.
Shepard was elected as aFederalist to theFifth,Sixth, andSeventh Congresses, serving from March 4, 1797, to March 3, 1803, representing the2nd congressional district; he previously unsuccessfully ran for this district in 1792 (for itsHampshire County seat) and 1794.[6][7]
After retiring, he resumed his agricultural pursuits and died in Westfield, essentially penniless. He was interred in theMechanic Street Cemetery.
A statue of him stands in Westfield, sculpted byAugustus Lukeman.
Each year onPatriots' Day, a ceremony is held in Westfield, wherein his descendants and those of four other founding families of Westfield join city and state government representatives, members of the armed forces, clergy, local school children and residents in giving prayer and remembrance of the town's history.
From a mid-western paper c.1928 he was reported to have been quoted as saying, "Hang On! If the motherhood of America ever lets go, it will serve us right if America turns to the saloon or its equivalent. But the motherhood of America will not let go."
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 2nd congressional district March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1803 | Succeeded by |
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