Milton Terry

Milton Terry (1834-1904) was the son of Oneida’s first white settler, and a veteran of the Civil War who served as the fifth sheriff of Scott County in the 1870s.

See Also: Sheriffs of Scott County

Preceded By: W. Terry • Succeeded By: Fowler Hatfield

Early Life

Milton Terry was born July 17, 1834, the son of Josiah Terry and Nancy Stevens Terry. Josiah Terry, the son of John Terry and Esther Brown Terry, is said to be the first settler of Oneida, and is the ancestor of many of the Terrys who remain in Scott County today.

The Terry family was originally from Botetourt County, Va.

Terry married Jane “Jennie” Thomas, the daughter of Abner W. Thomas and Rebecca Brown Thomas of Oneida. Their marriage took place on July 15, 1854, at Terry’s Oneida home, with justice of the peace David Acres performing the ceremony. Their oldest child, daughter Amanda, was born in 1855. She died in 1860, when she was just five years old.

Milton and Jennie Terry had at least 10 children. Son Joseph, born in 1860, died as a baby.

Civil War

Terry enlisted in the Union army on Sept. 15, 1863, at the age of 29. He joined in Chitwood (now Winfield). Interestingly, another future sheriff of Scott County — James Sharp — had enlisted at Chitwood just 10 days earlier. Like Sharp, Terry served in the East Tennessee National Guard. This coincided with Gen. Ambrose Burnside’s march through Scott County with his 10,000 troops as he traveled to Knoxville to liberate East Tennessee from the Confederacy. Burnside encamped at Chitwood.

Terry was discharged in Clinton, Tenn. on Dec. 14, 1863.

Terry also served with the Independent Scouts of Tinker Dave Beaty, who was loyal to the Union during the Civil War.

Sheriff

Terry was elected sheriff in 1872, succeeding W. Terry. He served in that capacity for one term and left office in 1874, succeeded by Fowler Hatfield.

Latter Years

Terry belonged to Bethlehem Baptist Church in Oneida, where he served as the church’s clerk and moderator pro tem.

In 1892, Terry applied for a disability pension, in which he stated that he had lost his right eye due to the effects of a fever in 1872.

Milton and Jane Terry’s children, aside from Amanda and Joseph, included daughter Rebecca Jeffers (1856-1949), daughter Salina (1858-1943), daughter Jane Duncan (1862-1950), daughter Nancy Ann Litton (1864-1951), son Alvin (1866-1957), son John Marion (1868-1952), son Milton Ensley (1871-1938), and son William Abner (1873-1967).

Terry died on Dec. 29, 1904 and is buried at Abner Thomas Cemetery in Oneida.