"Who Was Who In America, Historical Volume", 1963
has the following entry for "SHAYS, Daniel":
SHAYS, Daniel, army officer, insurgent; b.
Hopkinton, Mass., circa 1747; s. Patrick and Margaret
(Dempsey) Shay (changed spelling); m.
Abigail Gilbert, 1772. Served as ensign in battles
of Bunker Hill, Ticonderoga, Saratoga, Stony
Point; commd. capt. 5th Mass. Regt., 1777; mem.
Pelham (Mass.) Com. of Safety, 1781, 82; prominent
in insurrection of West Mass. known as
Shays' Rebellion, (caused by econ. depression),
demanded redress of grievances; chmn. com. which
drew up resolutions that Mass. Supreme Ct. should
be allowed to sit, provided it dealt with no case
involving indictments of insurgents or debts; leader
force of 1,000 insurgents, Wilbraham, Mass., 1787,
attacked U.S. arsenal, Springfield, Mass. (protected
by Gen. William Shepard), defeated by
Mass. Militia, routed by Gen. Lincoln at Petersham;
fled to Vt. after defeat; condemned to death,
1787; petitioned for pardon, 1788, pardon granted;
ret. to Sparta, N.Y.; Shays' Rebellion took his
name even though many others participated
who were equally prominent. Died Sparta, Sept.
29, 1825.
Tim Holls
20020129.0725
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<<
I always thought of Shays in his Massachusetts role, not as a long-time
later resident of NY. I would be interested in the details of that later
life. LC lists Daniel Shays' dates as 1747 to 1825, so he lived through
important decades of state and national controversy. Did he just disappear
and settle down to a quiet life of farming? Or was he drawn to the politics
of Jacksonian radicalism and the movements in rural NY that led, after his
death, to the Anti-Rent Wars?
A search of the NYS historic marker database shows no mention of Shays.
There are 20 works in the NYS Library catalog on Shays, some of which might
have clues to his later life.
You should also check the following, listed in LC which is not listed in the
NYSL catalog. The publisher, NEHGS has copies for sale at $2.00 each:
Title: The Family of Daniel Shays : from Descendants of
Daniel Shays, by Elmer S. Smail, November, 1934 / edited by
Mary Ann Nicholson.
Published: Boston : New England Historic Genealogical
Society, c1987.
Description: v, 90 p. ; 23 cm.
LC Call No.: CS71.S5358 1987
Dewey No.: 929/.2/0973 19
ISBN: 0880820195 (pbk.)
Notes: Includes index.
Subjects: Shea family.
Shays, Daniel, 1747-1825 -- Family.
Shays' Rebellion, 1786-1787.
Other authors: Nicholson, Mary Ann.
Smail, Elmer S. Descendants of Daniel Shays.
Control No.: 4793947
>>> [log in to unmask] 01/24/02 05:16PM >>>
I sent in a question on Daniel Shays earlier this week. I had one reply from
Bob Arnold, which makes me think that I did not pose my question correctly.
Hope you will forgive me for trying again. Les Buell
I am trying to follow Daniel Shays route after his failed rebellion (Shays'
Rebellion). I know his is buried here in western New York, but I am not sure
how he arrived here. Does anyone know if he left the country and went to
Canada after fleeing to Vermont with the collapse of the rebellion? Thanks
Les
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