Shely joined the 5th Kentucky Cavalry, under the command of Col. D. Howard Smith, on September 2, 1862. His regiment left Kentucky, via the Cumberland Gap, just days before the battle at Perryville. In February of 1863, Shely was transferred to the 2nd Cavalry under General John Hunt Morgan's command. Morgan, after suffering a series of defeats, began a series of raids that led his men (including Shely) out of the Tennessee/Kentucky border area of Clinton and Wayne Counties and up towards Central Kentucky. These raids led into Nelson, Meade, and Washington counties and then across the Ohio River into sourthern Indiana and Ohio. Shely was captured with Col. (Basil) Duke on July 19, 1863 and was eventually sent to Camp Douglas. There Shely spent most of the war. On February 20, 1865 Shely left Camp Douglas as part of an exchange. His narrative describes his journey South in great detail, including a sighting of a "negro soldier." Shely arrived home in Lawrenceburg, Ky. on July 12, 1865.
From the description of Memorandom book Company "F" 5th Kentucky Cavalry : ledger and journal, 1862-1869, bulk 1862-1865. (Kentucky Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 36111563
