General William Lyman Shepard
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 2nd district
In office March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1797
Preceded by	William Lyman
Succeeded by	Jacob Crowninshield
Massachusetts Governor's Council
In office 1792 – 1796
Born	December 1, 1737 Westfield, Massachusetts
Died	Westfield, Massachusetts
Resting place	Mechanic Street Cemetery
Nationality	November 16, 1817
Political party	Federalist
Spouse(s)	Sarah Dewey[1]
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain  United States
Service/branch	British Army, Continental Army
Years of service	1754–1763[2] 1775–1777
Rank	Sergeant,Lieutenant Colonel, Captain, Colonel, Major General, General
Commands	4th Massachusetts Regiment
Battles/wars	French and Indian War American Revolutionary War Battle of Princeton, Battle of Trenton[3]

William Lyman Shepard (December 1, 1737 – November 16, 1817) was a United States Representative from Massachusetts. Born in Westfield, he attended the common schools, engaged in agricultural pursuits, and served in the French and Indian wars for six years. He was a member of the committee of correspondence for Westfield in 1774, and was a lieutenant colonel of Minutemen in April 1775. He entered the Continental Army in May 1775 as Lieutenant Colonel and was commissioned Colonel of the 4th Massachusetts Regiment on October 6, 1776, serving throughout the Revolutionary War.

Shepard was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1785 and 1786 and was selectman for Westfield from 1784 to 1787. He was chosen major general of the Fourth Division of the Massachusetts militia in 1786 and defended the Springfield Arsenal during Shays' Rebellion, ordering defenders of the arsenal to fire cannons at attacking rebels at "waist height." That order would earn Shepard a lasting reputation as the "murderer of brethren." He was a member of the Governor's council of Massachusetts from 1792 to 1796, and was appointed in 1796 to treat with the Penobscot Indians and, in 1797, with the Six Nations.

Shepard was elected as a Federalist to the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Congresses, serving from March 4, 1797 to March 3, 1803; he resumed his agricultural pursuits and died in Westfield. Interment was in the Mechanic Street Cemetery. A statue of him stands in Westfield.

General William Lyman Shepard's headstone

[edit] References

• William Shepard at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Lockwood, John Hoyt (1922), Westfield and its historic influences, 1669-1919: the life of an Early Town., Volume 1, Springfield, MA: Rev. John Hoyt Lockwood, D.D., p. 599. 
2. ^ Abbatt, William (March-April 1915), The Magazine of History with Notes and Queries Vol. XX N. 3-4, Springfield, MA: Connecticut Valley Historical Society, p. 260. 
3. ^ Connecticut Valley Historical Society (1904), Papers and proceedings of the Connecticut Valley Historical Society. 1876-1903 1876-1903., Volume II, Springfield, MA: Connecticut Valley Historical Society, p. 260. 

[edit] External links

• William Shepard at Find a Grave

http://www.icollector.com/Letters-to-Militia-General-WILLIAM-SHEPARD_i8598171 http://www.westfieldkiwanis.org/shepard.htm

http://www.shaysrebellion.stcc.edu/shaysapp/person.do?shortName=william_shepard