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| W. E. F. Milburn home in Greeneville |
The former was a soldier in the war of
the Revolution and a pioneer of Greene County about 1804.
[See above. I have not found any
documentation that either Jonathan or his father served in the
Revolutionary War. John Milburn is listed as a Revolutionary War
Patriot because he renendered material aid.
Jonathan was a
Lieutenant in the Greene County Militia (Oct 16, 1799) (Source:Record
of Commissions of Officers in the Tennessee Militia)
The father was a minister of the
Methodist Episcopal Church for five years more than half a century.
He was, during the war of the Rebellion, an avowed Union man and was
much persecuted and imprisoned by the rebels for his Union
sentiments. He was chaplain of the Eighth Regiment Tennessee Cavalry
Volunteers United States Army. The mother was born near Harper's
Ferry Va April 10 1802 and died February 14 1861. She was a member of
the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject served as a soldier from
November 20, 1862 to October 25 1865 in Company B Twelfth Regiment
Tennessee Cavalry Volunteers, United States Army in the war of the
Rebellion. He was engaged in the battles of Florence and Shoal Creek
and Sugar Creek, Ala; Pulaski, Triune, Clifton, Spring Hill,
Columbia, Campbellsville, Franklin, and Nashville, Tenn, and the
fourteen days of continuous skirmishing with Gen Hood's retreating
forces from Nashville to Eastport, Miss.
After the war he entered school and was
graduated with the degree of AB and won the highest honors of the
class of 1871 in the East Tennessee Wesleyan University. For the two
successive years 1872 and 1873 he was professor of mathematics in his
then alma mater. In the year 1874, he was graduated upon examination
from the University of Michigan with the degree of Master of Arts. He
was president of the Holston Seminary for one year 1874-75 in the
meantime reading law so as to be admitted to the bar in 1876, at
Athens, Tenn, his license being signed by Judge Hayle and Chancellor
Bradford.
In 1879, he removed to Abilene, Kansas,
and early in 1880, he located at Greeneville, Tenn. From January 1882
to July 1885, he was special examiner of the United States Pension
Bureau in the State of Kentucky with headquarters at Bowling , after
which he resumed the practice of law at Greeneville. In November
1886, he was elected as a Republican to represent the county of
Greene and served with ability and distinction in the Legislature of
1887. He was a member of the executive committee of the State
Temperance Alliance, and took an active part in the canvass to adopt
the constitutional Prohibition amendment in 1887. October 1, 1878
Florence Ella daughter of Mr John H Williams of Golden, Col became
his wife. She was born at Ducktown, Tenn March 19, 1859. To this
union have been born three children namely Lulu Belle, Frank Emily,
and Blaine. Mrs Milburn is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
[There is some evidence that he married
again after his first wife's death. A short article from the
Chattanooga Times:
"Johnson
City, Tenn., July 4 – A quiet wedding took palace Wednesday morning
at 9:30 o’clock at the home of Mr. And Mrs. Frank Mountcastle, on
Watauga Avenue when Miss Mary W. Hardy became the bride of Capt. W.
E. F. Milburn, quartermaster of the soldiers home." No marriage
rcord found, but he is listed as married on the 1920 Census and also
on his death certificate." ]
William
E F Milburn died on July 9, 1925 in Greeneville, TN, and according to
his death certificate, he is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery.
The original article is from History of Tennessee, Volume 2, Goodspeed Publishing Company Staff, Southern Historical Press, 1887, p.1224
