... The exact date of the birth of William Shannon is not known, but he is understood to have been the oldest of the family. His sister, Agnes, was born in 1744 which would place his birth somewhere about 1740. Not much is known of his early life. He seems to have settled in Virginia, at an early age, for his name appears on a roster of the militia of Augusta County, in 1758. There is reason to believe that he was a member of Braddock's expedition against Fort DuQuesne.
During the war of the Revolution, his name appears in the records of the War Department, as ensign and lieutenant in Captain William Lewis' company of the first Virginia regiment. The company muster and payrolls carry his name until November 30, 1777, when they show that he had resigned, date not stated. He probably served again at a later period for he is called Captain Shannon, in the family traditions. There was a Captain William Shannon, who served as quartermaster under George Rogers Clarke in his western expedition, but it has not been ascertained whether it was this one or not.
There is a tradition that he was a captain in Colonel Lochry's regiment, which was sent down the Ohio River in the summer of 1781, to join General Clark, in his intended expedition against Detroit. Captain Shannon was sent ahead with seven men to carry a letter to Clark, announcing the approach of reinforcements. Near the present site of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, they were attacked by the Indians. Several men were killed, and the rest, including Captain Shannon, were made prisoners.
Lochry, unaware of their capture, was attacked at the south of Lochry's Creek, a short distance below Aurora, and defeated. Forty-two were killed, including Colonel Lochry. Shannon was carried north some distance, but was released or made his escape.
A difficulty arises in connection with this story from the fact that in the Pennsylvania Archives, Volume XIV, Page 698, the Captain Shannon of Lochry's expedition is called Samuel. Heitman's Historical Register of the Officers of the Continental Army, speaks of a Captain Samuel Shannon, who was captured by the Indians on the Ohio, in 1781, carried north and put to death. Whether this was the same one or another is not known. It is hoped that something may be discovered which will verify the story.
William Shannon is said to have been very much liked by the Indians, and they showed kindness to him on several occasions.
About the close of the Revolution, he settled in Kentucky. He was a member of the Virginia Legislature (Jefferson County), in 1790*, and of the Kentucky House of Representatives (Shelby County), in 1793. He was an engineer and surveyed his own land, which he received from Virginia while Patrick Henry was Governor. He took up large tracts of land in Kentucky two hundred thousand, it is said. The present city of Shelbyville, Kentucky, was laid out on his farm, and he gave it a plot of ground for a public square.
He was preparing to go as an officer with Wayne on his expedition against the Indians of Ohio, in 1794, when he came to his death in a quarrel with John Felty. He was struck on the head with a stone and died the next day, July 5, 1794. He was never married. His quarrel with Felty, resulted, his descendants say, from his resentment at language used by Felty in the hotel dining room. In their difficulty he threw a dirk knife at Felty, inflicting a wound from which Felty, also, died.
