Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/415

 MILTON

MILTON

main. At that time he was unaware that Lee was on his inarch to invade the north. Ewell, with Early's and Edward Johnson's divisions, attacked liini on two sides, June 15, and cap- tured the outworks. On June 18, after fighting continually for three days against Longstreet's corps, Milroy was obliged to destroy his artillery and wagon train and retreat to Harper's Ferry, and in the movement he lost a large portion of his force, reported by Milroy to have been 3000 in killed, wounded and prisoners captured. He had successfully checked tiie advance of General Lee's army for three days, until his provisions were exhausted. This detention, it was claimed by General Milroy, enabled General Meade to make his dispositions at Gettysburg instead of at a point further north. General Milroy was placed under arrest by General Halleck, June 26, 1863. for evacuating Winchester without orders from General Schenck, his immediate commander, and was released May 13, 1864, and ordered to Nash- ville, Tenn., for duty, and he fought his last battle against Generals Forrest and Bates, defeat- ing their combined forces on the old Murfreesboro battle-ground. He resigned from the army, July 26, 1865. He was elected a trustee of the Wabash and Erie canal company in 1868 ; was superinten- dent of Indian affairs in Washington Territory, 1872-75, and Indian agent in Washington Terri- tory, 1875-85. He was married May 17, 1849, to Mary Jane, daughter of Valerius Armitage of Indiana, and his widow and three sons survived him. He died in Olympia, Wash., March 29, 1890.

MILTON, Homer Virgil, soldier, was born in Milton Plantation, Louisville, Ga., in 1781 ; son of Capt. John and Hannah E. (Spencer) Milton. He was married May 17, 1801, to Elizabeth Rob- inson. He entered the U.S. army, was promoted major. May 3, 1808 ; lieutenant-colonel, Septem- ber, 1810 ; was promoted colonel, 3d infantry, Aug. 15, 1813 ; took an active part in the war of 1812, distinguished himself in several engage- ments, and gained the rank of brigadier-general of volunteers. He was an hereditary member of the Society of the Cincinnati. His children were : John Milton, born April 20, 1807 (q.v.); Homer Virgil Milton, born April 2, 1813, and Jane Eliza- beth Milton, born Aug. 23, 1815. He died at Milton Plantation, Louisville, Ga., April 2, 1822.

MILTON, John, soldier, was born in Halifax county, N.C., in 1740 ; son of John and Mary (Farr) Milton, and, according to tradition, a descendant of Judge Christopher Milton, brother of John Milton, the jxjet. His father was born in England, and came to North Carolina about 1734. He joined the Revolutionary army as an ensign in the 1st Georgia regiment, Jan. 7, 1776 ; was promoted 1st lieutenant ; and was taken prisoner at Fort Howe, Ga., in February,

1777, with Lieut. William Caldwell, on the sur- render of that place, held as a hostage, and im- prisoned in the castle at St. Augustine, Fla., until November, 1777. He was promoted cap- tain, Sept. 15, 1777, and on his release returned to the army and served until the end of the war, retiring Sept. 15, 1782. He was secretary of the state of Georgia in 1777, 1781-83 and 1789, and on Dec. 6, 1778, at the approach of the British, removed the public records to Perrysburg by order of the governor. He engaged in planting after the war, and received the two votes of the Georgia electore for first President of the United States in 1789. He was a charter member of the (Georgia) Society of the Cincinnati. He was married to Hannah JE. Spencer, and of their children, Gen. Homer Virgil Milton (q.v.), was an officer in the war of 1812. He died at Mil- ton plantation, near Louisville, Ga., about 1804.

MILTON, John, governor of Florida, was born on the Milton plantation, near Louisville, Gra., April 20, 1807 ; son of Gen. Homer Virgil and Elizabeth (Robinson) Milton. He was educated in the academy at Louisville and in the law office of Roger L. Gamble, and established a large law practice. He was a strong states' rigiits advocate, and in 1832, while a resident of Colum- bus, Ga., was a candidate for representative in congress on the nullification issue, but was de- feated. He removed to Mobile, Ala., in 1835, where he continued to practise successfully, and was captain of Alabama volunteers in the Florida Indian war of 1837-39. He removed to New Orleans, La., 1840, and had a large practice. In 1846 he removed to Florida ; was a Demo- cratic representative in the Florida legislature in 1849 ; a presidential elector in 1849, and was war governor of Florida, succeeding Madison S. Perry, and serving 1861-65. He was twice mar- ried : first to Susan Amanda Cobb, and secondly, to Caroline Howze. He died near Marianna, Fla., April 1, 1865.

MILTON, William Hall, surveyor-general, was born near Marianna, Fla., March 2, 1864 ; son of Judge William Henry (q.v.) and Lucy Hall (Hearn) Milton. He attended the Marianna academy and the Agricultural and Mechanical college. Auburn, Ala. He was clerk and treas- urer of Marianna, 1885-93 ; a representative in the Florida legislature, 1889-91 ; was admitted to the bar in 1890 ; was court commissioner, 1890-94 ; presidential elector on the Cleveland ticket in 1892 ; U.S. surveyor-general of Florida, 1894-97 ; mayor of Marianna, 1898-99; president of the board of managers, Florida State Reform school, 1898- 1902 ; and a prominent candidate for governor of Florida before the Democratic state conven- tion of June 19, 1900. He was an hereditary member of the Society of the Cincinnati, and a