Joeseph Shanois

Joeseph Shanois was born on a farm outside the town of Pittsburg, New Hampshire. The exact date is unknown, but known to be in early March in the year of 1800. He was illiterate for his entire life, although was known around town to be excellent with numbers. He spent most of his childhood on a farm (the son of two French settlers), but was later trained as a cobbler. [Indian Stream Republic and the Indian Stream war;: An authentic bit of New Hampshire history, by Gertrude Weeks Marshall, 1935]

Very little is known about Shanois's life, except that he befriended Ethan Gyles (noted general of the Indian Stream Republic) at a young age. When Gyles left for California, Shanois joined him. Their early westward route is unknown, as Shanois was wanted in connection with the murder of a local prostitute. He and Gyles were both killed in a gunfight in Chicago on March 20, 1844 by an enraged man, thought to be Irish. They were moving back to the east to avoid Gyles' persecution as an adulterer.

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