William E F S Milburn

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