Who was Shelby?
In 1812, a group of Kentucky soldiers called the militia marched all the way to Canada to fight in the War of 1812. These men were led by a brave Kentucky hero named Governor Isaac Shelby. As they passed a farm near Harrodsburg, Kentucky, something very strange happened. A pig came running out and started following the soldiers!
At first, the men tried to shoo it away, but the pig wouldn’t give up. She walked and walked, right alongside the army. When the soldiers crossed rivers and lakes, the pig swam after them.
The pig became a mascot for the army. The soldiers gave her a special place to rest, and even though they did not have much to eat, they shared their food with her. Once they reached Lake Erie, the pig didn't want to cross the lake into Canada, and a kind man took care of her while the soldiers moved on. When the soldiers returned to the American side, the pig joined up with them, ready to return to Kentucky.
After the war was over, she spent the rest of her life safe and sound on Governor Shelby’s farm.
Today, people still tell this story because it shows how loyal and brave even the smallest creatures can be. Sources claim the pig was a female, and we named her Shelby after her last owner, Governor Isaac Shelby.
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Why It’s True (our sources)
- The story of the Kentucky militia pig appears in old Kentucky histories, like General Robert B. McAfee’s History of the Late War in the Western Country (1816), where he talks about the pig following the army (McAfee, 1816)[McAfee, p. 288–289].
- Kentucky historian Doris D. Settles also mentions the pig in her book “Kentucky and the War of 1812” (The History Press, 2013), explaining its long journey and how it became a symbol of Kentucky pride [Settles, 2013].
Print Your Own Shelby Coloring Sheets!
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Shelby Coloring Packet
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