Charles Shepherd / Shephard
Revolutionary War Soldier

Photo from 1909 Mount Pleasant Beautiful and submitted by Polly Eckles.

Revolutionary War Soldiers and Patriots Buried in Iowa.
DAR Abigail Adams Chapter.
1978: Walsworth Publishing Company Marceline, Mo.

SHEPHERD, CHARLES
Born: 25 December 1763, Baltimore, Maryland

    SERVICE: Enlisted in 1777 at Yorktown, Pennsylvania and served for three years and nine months as matross in Captain Patrick Duffy's Company, Colonel Thomas Proctor's 4th Regiment of Continental Artillery of the Pennsylvania Line. During his service, he took part on General Sullivan's Western Expedition. He was discharged in 1781 at Trenton, New Jersey. Pension S43128.

   DIED: September 1845. He was buried on his farm in Henry County, Iowa Territory. A monument to his memory was placed in the Forest Home Cemetery in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, by the State of Iowa, aided by McFarland post G.A.R., and Log Cabin Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, Fairfield, Iowa. It was dedicated on the 17th September 1903. The following inscription appears on the monument: "Charles Shepherd - A Soldier in the Revolution - Born Dec. 25, 1763 - Died Sept. 1845 - Served 4 years 5 1/2 months - Served in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown - Buried N.E. of S.E. 1/4 Sec 17 Twp 72 N R 7 - Henry County, Iowa."

    NARRATIVE: Charles Shepherd applied for a pension 6 April 1818 while a resident of Duanesburg, Schenectady County, New York. He stated that he entered the service under "the name of Charles Shaffer of which my present name is supposed to be a translation." In 1820, in his pension application, he gave his age as 60 years and referred to his wife, also three children living at home, aged 8 to 12 years; they were Henry, Charles, and James. The Pennsylvania Archives, Third Series, Volume 23, shows Charles Shepherd, matross, P.L., May 9, 1820, age 74. Fifth Series, Volumbe 3, lists Shepard, Charles, resided in Schenectady, New York, in 1818, aged 74., Pennsylvania Artillery - Continental Line Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates of the Pennsylvania Regiment of Artillery.
    By 1840 Charles Shepherd appears in the Iowa Territorial Census, Henry County, age 82; living with him was his wife, age 60 to 70, and a son aged 15 to 20 (this could have been Charles, aged about 22). In adjoining Jefferson County, Iowa Territory, are his sons, Henry, aged 30 to 40, and James, age 20 to 30.

   GENEALOGICAL DATA: Charles Shepherd came to Iowa Territory with his wife and three sons in about 1839. Since he was aged ca 60 years when the eldest of these sons was born in New York State, it is possible there was an earlier family. The name of his wife is unknown. Their known children were:
    HENRY, born ca. 1808, New York.
    JAMES, born ca. 1810, New York. The 1850 Iowa Census, Trenton Township, Henry County, shows his wife, Sarah, 42, born New York; their children were: Christina, 11, Charles, 9 and James, 4, all born in Iowa; in the Ephraim Ogan household nearby appears Nancy Shepherd, age 13, born Iowa, so she may have been a daughter.
    CHARLES, born ca 1812, New York.

Nashua Reporter
Nashua, Chickasaw, Iowa
December 12, 1901

The Daughters of the Revolution will petition the state legislature for a monument to erect over the grave of Charles Shepard, a negro of revolutionary fame. He served in the war of the revolution as a private, and came to Iowa in an early day and died and was buried near his cabin at Millspaugh Mills, Henry county.

Ottumwa Daily Courier
Ottumwa, Wapello, Iowa
Sep 18, 1903

SHAFT TO OLD SOLDIER
Charles Shepherd of Revolution, Honored at Mt. Pleasant
    Mt. Pleasant, Sept. 18- The ceremonies in connection with the unveiling of the monument erected here in honor of the revolutionary soldier, Charles Shepherd, were held here yesterday. On account of the extremely unfavorable weather of the last few days it was decided to postpone the old settlers' meeting until next month, but the soldiers' program was given as at first planned. The soldiers and members of the G.A.R. and the Daughters of the Revolution went to Forest Home cemetery yesterday forenoon where the handsome monument in honor of Charles Sheperd [sic] was unveiled. Mr. Shepherd was born
at Baltimore, Md., in 1765 and served under Washington in several engagements the most notable of which were Brandywine and Germantown. He was with Washington at Valley Forge and served until the end of the war, the surrender of Cornwallis
in 1781. He died near Rome in 1845, and recently an effort was made by the local G.A.R. to find the grave, which had been lost sight of for many years, but it was finally done and through the efforts of Representative Carden in the house
and Senator Young in the senate the last Iowa legislature appropriated $500 to erect a monument to his memory and the same was done under the supervision of the local G.A.R. post. Senator Young of Washington made the principal address at
the unveiling ceremonies. A letter was read from the state regent of the D.A.R., Mrs. Richardson who is now in Berne, Switzerland. The letter was read by C.M. Snyder who made a short address as did George Van Beek. Hon. William Carren of Winfield was to have made an address but his train was late out of Burlington and he did not get to come in time, much to the regret of his many friends here.  The afternoon program was held at the Baptist church. Geo. Van Beek was chairman
of the meeting and the principal address was made by Judge A. R.Dewey of Washington and Comrade Hiram Heaton of Glendale gave a short historical sketch of Charles Sheperd. Rev. Jonathan Lee of Salem gave a short address. There were
special song services at both forenoon and afternoon programs. There was a large crowd in town to attend the ceremonies. An original poem on Charles Sheperd was read by Prof. W.P. Howe.

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