Louis, where they were mustered out of the service. Capt. Shelly took
passage in a steamer for St. Paul, where he arrived in July, 1849,
being the first printer to permanently locate in Minnesota. The
Pioneer was the first paper printed in St. Paul, but the Register and
Chronicle soon followed. Capt. Shelly's first engagement was in the
office of the Register, but he soon changed to the Pioneer, and was
employed by Mr. Goodhue at the time of his tragic death. When Col.
Robertson Started the Daily Democrat Capt. Shelly was connected
with that office, and remained there until the Pioneer and Democrat
consolidated. Capt. Shelly was a member of the old Pioneer guards, and
when President Lincoln called for men to suppress the rebellion the
old patriotism was aroused in him, and he organized, in company with
Major Brackett, a company for what was afterward known as Brackett's
battalion.

Brackett's battalion consisted of three Minnesota companies, and they
were mustered into service in September, 1861. They were ordered to
report at Benton barracks, Mo., and were assigned to a regiment known
as Curtis horse, but afterward changed to Fifth Iowa cavalry. In
February, 1862, the regiment was ordered to Fort Henry, Tenn., and
arrived just in time to take an important part in the attack and
surrender of Fort Donelson. Brackett's battalion was the only
Minnesota force engaged at Fort Donelson, and, although they were
not in the thickest of the fight, yet they performed tremendous and
exhaustive service in preventing the rebel Gen. Buckner from receiving
reinforcements. After the surrender the regiment was kept on continual
scout duty, as the country was overrun with bands of guerrillas and
the inhabitants nearly all sympathized with them. From Fort Donelson
three companies of the regiment went to Savannah, (one of them being
Capt. Shelly's) where preparations were being made to meet Gen.