SHEPLEY, John, lawyer, born in Groton, Connecticut, 16 October, 1787; died in Saco, Maine, 9 February, 1857. His family settled in Groton about 1700, the name appearing on the town-records as Sheple. Several of his ancestors held local offices, one of whom, Joseph, was a member of the State convention of 1788, where he opposed the adoption of the constitution of the United States. John entered Harvard in the class of 1806, but left before graduation, studied law and practised in Rutland and Fitchburg, Massachusetts, served in the legislature, was a member of the convention for amending the state constitution, and in 1825 went to Maine, where he formed a partner'-ship with his brother Ether. For many years he was reporter of the decisions of the supreme court of Maine, and he published " Maine Reports" (Hallowell, 1836-'49).--His brother, Ether, jurist, born in Groton, Massachusetts, 2 November, 1789" died in Portland, Maine, 15 January, 1877, after graduation at Dartmouth in 1811, studied law at South Berwick, was admitted to the bar in 1814, and began to practise in Saco. He was a member of the legislature in 1819, a delegate to the convention that framed the constitution of Maine in 1820, and United States district attorney for that state from 1821 till 1833. He had removed to Portland about 1821. He was elected a United States senator as a Democrat, serving from 2 December, 1833, till 3 March, 1836, when he resigned, having been chosen a justice of the supreme court of Maine, of which he was chief justice from 1848 until 1855. In 1856 he was appointed sole commissioner to revise the statutes of Maine. He received the degree of LL. D. from Waterville (now Colby University), in 1842, and from Dartmouth in 1845. While serving on the bench he furnished the materials for twenty-six volumes of reports, and published " The Revised Statutes of Maine" (Hallowell, 1857), and "Speech in Congress on the Removal of the Deposits," in which he vindicated the course of President Jackson (1857).--Ether's son, George Forster, soldier, born in Saco, Maine, 1 January, 1819; died in Portland, Maine, 20 July, 1878, was graduated at Dartmouth in 1837, and, after studying law at Harvard, began practice in Bangor, Maine, in 1840, but in 1844 removed to Portland. From 1853 till 1861 he was United States district attorney for Maine, during which period he argued important eases in the United States supreme court. In 1860 he was a delegate at large to the National Democratic convention in Charleston, and attended its adjourned session in Baltimore. He was commissioned colonel of the 12th Maine volunteers at the beginning of the civil war, and participated in General Benjamin P. Butler's expedition against New Orleans, commanding as acting brigadier-general a brigade at Ship Island, and at the capture of New Orleans he led the 3d brigade, Army of the Gulf. On the occupation of that city he was appointed military commandant and acting mayor, and assigned to the command of its de-fences, resigning in June, 1862, when he was appointed military governor of Louisiana, serving until 1864. On 18 July, 1862, he was made brigadier-general of volunteers. After the inauguration of a civil governor of Louisiana, General Shepley was placed in command of the military district of eastern Virginia, became chief of staff to General Godfrey Weitzel, and for a short time during the absence of that officer commanded the 25th army corps. He continued with the Army of the James to the end of the war, entered Richmond on 3 April, 1865, and was appointed the first military governor of that city. Resigning his commission on 1 July, 1865. he declined the appointment of associate judge of the supreme court of Maine, but in 1869 accepted that of United States circuit judge for the first circuit of Maine, which office he held until his death. Dartmouth gave him the degree of LL.D. in 1878. His decisions are reported in Jabez S. Holmes's "Reports" (Boston. 1877).