Milton Alexander
Encyclopedia
Milton K. Alexander was an American politician and militia officer who served during the War of 1812
, the Seminole Wars
and, most notably, as a brigadier general
during the Black Hawk War
.
, he moved with his family to Williamson County, Tennessee
in 1804 and, seven years later, moved to Lincoln, Tennessee
.
During the War of 1812
, he served with the Tennessee Mounted Volunteers under General Andrew Jackson
and eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant
remaining with Jackson until the capture of Pensacola on November 6, 1814. As Jackson left to prepare the defense of New Orleans, Alexander stayed behind in Florida. He later served with Jackson during the First Seminole War, however he was discharged after becoming too ill for active duty.
Returning to Tennessee, he married Mary Shields and lived in Giles County for several years before moving to the Illinois Territory
in 1823. Settling in Paris, Illinois
, he became involved in farming and mercantilism before being appointed the town's first postmaster
, a position he would hold for the next twenty-five years.
In February 1826, he would become appointed Clerk of the County Commissioner's Court. He would hold this position until September 1827, when he resigned to accept a commission in the Illinois Militia from Governor Edward Coles
as a Colonel in the 19th Regiment Illinois Militia. He was eventually appointed an aide-de-camp to Governor John Reynolds
in December 1831 and, shortly before trouble began to appear on the frontier, he was required to go with Reynolds to Rock Island
early the following year.
as General Henry Atkinson was organizing a second campaign against Black Hawk
. On June 16, Alexander Posey
and Milton Alexander were elected by the brigades they helped organize to command, respectively, the First and Second Illinois Militias.
In the aftermath of the Second Battle of Kellogg's Grove, Alexander was ordered by Atkinson to search the banks below the Galena
in order to prevent a possible retreat of Black Hawk's band across the Mississippi River
. However, after a fruitless search, Alexander continued along the eastern side of Rock River
with Colonel Jacob Fry until reaching a Winnebago
village on Whitewater, a tributary of Rock River. Rejoining General Atkinson at Lake Koshkonong
on June 3, they were joined by General Posey and Colonel Henry Dodge the following day.
That evening, Atkinson received a report from scouts that they had located the main trail three miles upriver and the main force set out to investigate early the next morning. With Alexander and Dodge searching the west bank of Rock River, they traveled 15 miles before turning back finding no trace of Black Hawk's band.
Eventually running low on provisions, he was sent to get supplies from Fort Winnebago
with General Henry and Colonel Dodge. While there, they received news that Black Hawk had been sighted in the area and it was decided that Dodge and Henry would pursue Black Hawk while Alexander would return to the main force with the supplies.
At the Battle of Bad Axe
, he and Posey led the right flank and was part of the final charge with Dodge, Henry and Posey which ended the battle. His brigade suffered no casualties with the exception of one soldier who was wounded.
A prominent member of the community, Alexander was also an acquaintance of Abraham Lincoln
when he practiced law in Edgar County, Illinois
during the early 1850s.
Due to the disease he contracted as a soldier in Florida, he remained an invalid during the last ten years of his life. He eventually died on July 7, 1856.
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, the Seminole Wars
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
and, most notably, as a brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
during the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
.
Early life
Born to John Brown Alexander and Barbara King in Elbert County, GeorgiaElbert County, Georgia
Elbert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was established on December 10, 1790 and was named for Samuel Elbert. As of 2000, the population was 20,511. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 20,525...
, he moved with his family to Williamson County, Tennessee
Williamson County, Tennessee
Williamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010 US Census, the population was 183,182. The County's seat is Franklin, and it is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, a...
in 1804 and, seven years later, moved to Lincoln, Tennessee
Lincoln County, Tennessee
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. , the population was 31,340. Its county seat is Fayetteville. It is named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
.
During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, he served with the Tennessee Mounted Volunteers under General Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
remaining with Jackson until the capture of Pensacola on November 6, 1814. As Jackson left to prepare the defense of New Orleans, Alexander stayed behind in Florida. He later served with Jackson during the First Seminole War, however he was discharged after becoming too ill for active duty.
Returning to Tennessee, he married Mary Shields and lived in Giles County for several years before moving to the Illinois Territory
Illinois Territory
The Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. The area was earlier known as "Illinois Country" while under...
in 1823. Settling in Paris, Illinois
Paris, Illinois
Paris is a city in Paris Township, Edgar County, Illinois, USA, south of Chicago, and west of Indianapolis. In 1900, 6,105 people lived in Paris, Illinois; in 1910, 7,664; and in 1940, 9,281. The population was 8,837 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Edgar County.-Geography:Paris is...
, he became involved in farming and mercantilism before being appointed the town's first postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
, a position he would hold for the next twenty-five years.
In February 1826, he would become appointed Clerk of the County Commissioner's Court. He would hold this position until September 1827, when he resigned to accept a commission in the Illinois Militia from Governor Edward Coles
Edward Coles
Edward Coles manumitted his slaves in 1819, was secretary to James Madison , neighbor and anti-slavery associate of Thomas Jefferson and was the second Governor of Illinois, serving from 1822 to 1826...
as a Colonel in the 19th Regiment Illinois Militia. He was eventually appointed an aide-de-camp to Governor John Reynolds
John Reynolds (U.S. politician)
John Reynolds was a United States politician from the state of Illinois. He was one of the original four justices of the Illinois Supreme Court, 1818–1825, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1826–1830, 1846–1848, and 1852–1854 , and the 4th Illinois Governor from 1830–1834...
in December 1831 and, shortly before trouble began to appear on the frontier, he was required to go with Reynolds to Rock Island
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
early the following year.
Service during the Black Hawk War
During the first weeks of June 1832, he was one of hundreds of volunteers to report at Dixon's FerryDixon's Ferry
Dixon's Ferry was the former name for Dixon, Illinois, United States. It was located on the bank of the Rock River near present day Illinois Route 26, John Dixon operated a rope ferry service to transport mail from Peoria to Galena. He also established the first post office. The surrounding...
as General Henry Atkinson was organizing a second campaign against Black Hawk
Black Hawk (chief)
Black Hawk was a leader and warrior of the Sauk American Indian tribe in what is now the United States. Although he had inherited an important historic medicine bundle, he was not one of the Sauk's hereditary civil chiefs...
. On June 16, Alexander Posey
Alexander Posey
Alexander Lawrence Posey was a Native American Muscogee Creek poet, humorist, journalist, and politician.-Early life:Alexander Posey born on August 3, 1873, near present Eufaula, Creek Nation...
and Milton Alexander were elected by the brigades they helped organize to command, respectively, the First and Second Illinois Militias.
In the aftermath of the Second Battle of Kellogg's Grove, Alexander was ordered by Atkinson to search the banks below the Galena
Galena River (Illinois)
The Galena River, also known as the Fevre or Fever River, is a river which flows through the Midwestern United States.- Geography :...
in order to prevent a possible retreat of Black Hawk's band across the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. However, after a fruitless search, Alexander continued along the eastern side of Rock River
Rock River (Illinois)
The Rock River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Illinois. It rises in southeast Wisconsin, in the Theresa Marsh near Theresa, Wisconsin in northeast Dodge County, Wisconsin approximately south of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin...
with Colonel Jacob Fry until reaching a Winnebago
Ho-Chunk
The Ho-Chunk, also known as Winnebago, are a tribe of Native Americans, native to what is now Wisconsin and Illinois. There are two federally recognized Ho-Chunk tribes, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska....
village on Whitewater, a tributary of Rock River. Rejoining General Atkinson at Lake Koshkonong
Lake Koshkonong
Lake Koshkonong is a reservoir in southern Wisconsin. It lies along the Rock River, . down-river from Fort Atkinson, primarily in southwestern Jefferson County, although small portions of the lake extend into southeastern Dane and northern Rock counties....
on June 3, they were joined by General Posey and Colonel Henry Dodge the following day.
That evening, Atkinson received a report from scouts that they had located the main trail three miles upriver and the main force set out to investigate early the next morning. With Alexander and Dodge searching the west bank of Rock River, they traveled 15 miles before turning back finding no trace of Black Hawk's band.
Eventually running low on provisions, he was sent to get supplies from Fort Winnebago
Fort Winnebago
This article is about the U.S. Army fort. For the civil township of the same name, see Fort Winnebago, WisconsinFort Winnebago was a 19th century fortification of the United States Army located on a hill between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers in Portage, Wisconsin...
with General Henry and Colonel Dodge. While there, they received news that Black Hawk had been sighted in the area and it was decided that Dodge and Henry would pursue Black Hawk while Alexander would return to the main force with the supplies.
At the Battle of Bad Axe
Battle of Bad Axe
The Battle of Bad Axe, also known as the Bad Axe Massacre, occurred 1–2 August 1832, between Sauk and Fox Indians and United States Army regulars and militia. This final battle of the Black Hawk War took place near present-day Victory, Wisconsin in the United States...
, he and Posey led the right flank and was part of the final charge with Dodge, Henry and Posey which ended the battle. His brigade suffered no casualties with the exception of one soldier who was wounded.
Later years
Following the war, he resumed his duties as postmaster and, in 1837, he was elected by the joint vote of the General Assembly of Illinois to serve as a member of Board of Commissioners of Public Works. He was also a longtime member of the Presbyterian Church.A prominent member of the community, Alexander was also an acquaintance of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
when he practiced law in Edgar County, Illinois
Edgar County, Illinois
Edgar County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 18,576, which is a decrease of 5.7% from 19,704 in 2000...
during the early 1850s.
Due to the disease he contracted as a soldier in Florida, he remained an invalid during the last ten years of his life. He eventually died on July 7, 1856.