Shepard, William
soldier, congressman, was born Dec. 1, 1737, near Boston, Mass. In 1780 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general under General Lafayette; and after the war was a brigadier-general of militia. In 1785 and 1786 he was a representative in the Massachusetts legislature; in the latter year was appointed a major-general, and in the same year was summoned from his farm to assume command of the national forces at Springfield, Mass., on the outbreak of the Shay rebellion. He was a presidential elector in 1788 and 1792; was a member of the state executive council from 1792 to 1796; and was a representative from Massachusetts to the national congress from 1793 to 1803. He died Nov. 11, 1817, in Westfield, Mass.