Governor Milton

FLORIDA'S WAR TIME GOVERNOR

PHOTO: STATE ACHIEVES

John Milton was the fifth Governor of Florida (October 7, 1861- April 1, 1865).  He was born near Louisville in Jefferson County, Georgia on April 21, 1807.  He was the son of General Homer Virgil and Elizabeth (Robinson) Milton.  He was an attorney who practiced in a number of Georgia and Alabama communities and in New Orleans.  He served in Florida during the Seminole War as a captain of a volunteer company and in 1846 moved to Jackson County as a farmer.  He became active in politics and was a presidential elector in 1848 and a member of the House of Representatives from Jackson County in 1850.  He was a vigorous States-Righter who encouraged the seizure by Florida forces of a Federal military establishments and also instrumental in the early secession of Florida from the Union. 

          As Governor, he developed a very active state militia and stressed Florida’s ability to serve as an important source of food and salt for the Confederate forces.  Collapse of the Southern cause was followed by his death, April 1,1865 by a self-inflected gunshot wound at his family home Sylvania, near Marianna preferring “death to reunion.”  He was married twice.  He had 4 children by his first wife, Susan Amanda Cobb.  His first wife died on April 25, 1842 and in 1844 he married again to Caroline Howze of Alabama with whom he had 10 children.

SOURCE: FLORIDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY WEB SITE

BACK TO Southern Heritage  PAGE