Joseph O. Shelby

Joseph O. Shelby
Shelby in uniform, 1860s
Birth nameJoseph Orville Shelby
BornDecember 12, 1830
Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedFebruary 13, 1897 (aged 66)
Bates County, Missouri, U.S.
Buried 39°00′07.0″N 94°34′12.8″W / 39.001944°N 94.570222°W / 39.001944; -94.570222
Allegiance Confederate States of America
Service / branch
Years of service
  • 1861 (MSG)
  • 1861–1865 (CSA)
RankBrigadier-General (CSA)
CommandsShelby's Brigade
Battles / wars
Spouse(s)
Elizabeth Nancy Shelby
(m. 1857)

Joseph Orville "J.O." Shelby (December 12, 1830 – February 13, 1897) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded cavalry in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. After the Confederacy surrendered, Shelby tried to swear fealty to Emperor Maximilian I during the French invasion of Mexico. With the Emperor's permission, Shelby formed a colony of Confederate exiles in Mexico until the defeat of the French, then abandoned the operation.