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Jefferson J. Terry
written & submitted by Doris Dykes

The Enigma of Jefferson J. Terry

    Jefferson J. Terry was born in Huntsville Missouri to Henderson Terry and Mary Kitchens on 1 Jan 1847. He grew up in this area; much is not know of this time. On the 1850 census of Randolph Co. Missouri, the household of Henderson Terry is listed as follows:   Husband: Henderson Terry age 33yrs b. TN   Wife: Mary Kitchen age 32 yrs b. NC  - Married 22/10/1840 Children:  Joseph age 8yrs, William age 7 yrs, Elijah age 5 yrs, James age 3 yrs, (this would be JJ) Millard age 1 yr., and Ann age 3 mos. The 1860 census of Randolph CO. MO has the household of Henderson Terry as Henderson age 43, wife Martha (Mary) Kitchen age 42, Children: Joseph S. age 18 yrs, William G. age 17 yrs, Elijah M. age 14 yrs, James J. age 13 Yrs, Ann F. age 10 yrs, Thelma E. age 8 yrs, John H. age 6 yrs, and Susan J. age 5yrs.  Note: Milliard does not appear on this census. On the 1870 Census of Randolph CO MO Henderson’s household is listed as follows: Husband: Henderson Terry age 53 yrs b. TN    Wife:  Mary Kitchen age 52 b. N.C. Married 22/10/1840 Children:  William G. age 27 yrs and wife Bonnie age 16 with child Bonnie N. age 6 months. James J age 23 (this is JJ) John H. age 16, and Susan J. age 14.

      The people of Missouri tried to remain natural during the Civil War.  They just wanted to raise their families in peace, and enjoy life’s bounties to the fullest, and be left out of the Federal scam of domination. Abraham Lincoln, who went down in Yankee history as one of the greatest Americans ever, has a dark side that many do not know about.  Lincoln sent Federal occupational troops to Missouri. These troops were from Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. This occupation force raped, pillaged burned and destroyed much of western and west central Missouri. They waged a bloody and ungodly war on thousands of innocent men, women and children. On April 20, 1861 over 7,000 Federal troops sent by Lincoln to secure the U.S. Arsenal at St. Louis massacred 30 civilians, at Camp Jackson. Among the slaughtered were teenage girls and boys, a young mother with her baby in her arms and 75 others that were rounded up. Many Missouri citizens were to survive the attacks of the Federal troops were forced to leave their homes and relocate to areas away from the Kansas border. During this time the Missouri Partisan Rangers came into existence, formed in order to protect the innocent citizens from the Federal Attacks. William C. Quantrill, William T. Anderson and George Todd commanded the most famous of these cavalry units. Although many Northern histories consider the Partisan Rangers to be bushwhackers, they were only waging the type of war that had already been committed against them and their families. They were at times the only defense the people of Missouri had from these savage invaders. They were given “no quarter” when they were captured, and in return, none was given to their enemy.

    Considering this history, J. J. Terry was a young man in his early 20’s, and it has been rumored that he rode with Anderson and Quantril, Upon coming to Indian territory he may have changed his name to escape his identity of a Missouri Partisan. This is just speculation, on my part. When he enlisted in the confederate army his name was Jefferson J. Terry, and on all legal documents and census records from that time on he was listed as Jefferson J. Terry. Note:  I have been told recently, by a cousin, that J.J. ran off   from his family and joined the army at the age of 16, because his brother was fighting in the army. He lied and told them he was 18. He was bugle boy at this time.[1]  In a Choctaw County Times newspaper article written late 1999 there was an article titled “There is gold in those Hills” concerning the land owned by J. J. Terry being called Terry Hill. I for fact know there is no buried treasure in the Terry Hill area, mainly because J. J. died a poor man, having lost most of his wealth. If he had access to a buried treasure it has long ago been lost. J.J. did serve in the confederate army and was captured and released after the war at Alexandra La June 5, 1865. He was a private and served under a Captain Matlock company B Perkins Bat. 1^st Missouri Brigade.  There is no Muster roll for this unit, but a roster has been compiled from POW records. It does state on his application for a confederate pension that he was a Missouri Partisan. On the Cemetery Book for Spring Chapel list of Veterans he is listed as Jefferson J. Terry, Pvt., Perkins Bn., Mo. Ind., CSA (“Pot Terry rode with Quantrill and Bill Anderson”) by C.T.Thomas 

    My grandpa Louis V. Terry, had much respect and affection for his father, as did all his children. JJ Terry came to Indian Territory, worked cutting railroad ties one summer and then taught school at Spring Chapel. He was also a U.S. Marshal. Being a Marshal in those days paid very little. Those that worked out of FT. Smith, Arkansas earned a very small amount of money for each arrest. Certainly not worth the risk of being shot or injured and all the long hours put in pursuit of the criminal, capture and travel to incarcerate.  Once the Indian Nation settled down and after Statehood, J.J. worked with son-in-law Samuel Bailey Spring and sold lots in the northern part of Hugo. In his later years he was an invalid and was cared for by his son Louis V. Terry and his wife Mary Kate Terry. He died June 16, 1935 and was buried in the family plot at Spring Chapel Cemetery. Many dignitaries attended his funeral and several Judges were honorary pallbearers. In the Hugo Daily News it was noted as “ lost one of Hugo’s early pioneers” [2] J.J. was proud of the fact that he attended every Civil War  Reunion, including one in Chattanooga TN and planned to go to one in Richmond Va of which he stated “may be my last one”. He received several minor wounds, except one to his right hand” that said wound will follow me to the grave.”  Grandpa once said of his father “ Papa was a smart man, he had lots of friends and was a good friend to many people.” [i]

[i] Excerpts are taken from the application for a civil war pension.
Compiled by Doris Dykes iisixmillionii@1starnet.com

[1] Mrs. Dave McPherson-2002

[2] Sources: census records for 1850-1870 Randolph CO MO., History of the Missouri Partisan Ranger-www.rulen.com Spring Chapel CM Book, Confederate Pension Application of Jefferson J. Terry, The Choctaw Times, The Hugo Daily News, Personal History notes of Doris Dykes

submitted to OKCHOCTA November 2, 2001 & updated April 17, 2002