General Alfred H. Terry 1827-1890

Terry, Alfred Howe, 1827–90, American general, b. Hartford, Conn. A lawyer, he led a regiment of Connecticut volunteers at the first battle of Bull Run in the Civil War. Made a brigadier general of volunteers in 1862, he took part in various operations along the S Atlantic coast in 1862–63. For his capture of Fort Fisher in Jan., 1865, he was promoted to major general of volunteers and made a brigadier general in the regular army. In 1876 he directed the campaign against the Sioux and personally led the column converging on the Native Americans from Dakota. The cavalry under Gen. George Custer, massacred at the Little Bighorn, included part of Terry's force. He was promoted to major general in 1886 and retired in 1888.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press.