John Darling Terry MOH

b. 03/09/1845 Montville, Maine. d. 04/03/1919 Manhattan, New York.

DATE OF MOH ACTION: 14/03/1862 New Bern, North Carolina.

John D Terry MOH

John Darling Terry was born on 3 September 1845, in Montville, Maine. In May 1861, young John Darling Terry left home for Boston, where, on the 23rd, he joined the 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He was only 15 years old at the time. Terry’s service with the 1st Massachhusetts was short-lived. His father notified the U.S. Army that his son was underage; so on 5 July, just two months after he enlisted, Terry was discharged. However, Terry was persistent. On 5 September 1861, just two days after turning 16, Terry joined the 23rd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

In March 1862, Terry arrived in North Carolina with the 23rd Massachusetts. Since many of his fellow soldiers came from fishing towns along the New England coast, the soldiers embarked on Union gunboats and attacked Confederate vessels and forts in a naval and amphibious operations around Roanoke Island, near the Virginia border. During one such operation, Terry’s gunboat blew up and his clothing caught fire. He jumped into the water to quell the flames, but survived with minor injuries.

On 13 March 1862, Brigadier General John G. Foster led the 23rd Massachusetts and its sister regiments against Confederate forces near the town of New Bern, in northeastern North Carolina. During that battle, Terry, now a sergeant, was shot in the lower left leg, which later had to be amputated below the knee.

Terry was only 16 years old when he preformed the actions for which he received the Medal of Honor. That would have been the end of the war for many, but Terry had different ideas. He was sent to Lexington Army Hospital in New York City, where he was fitted with what was described as a wooden “peg leg.” He remained in the hospital for rehabilitation, serving as the sergeant of arms until he was discharged as an “invalid” on 20 March 1863.

While remaining in New York, Terry attempted to re-enter “active service.” In July 1863, the notorious New York draft riots broke out. Terry, now classified as an “invalid” by the Army, volunteered for service with the outnumbered military forces in New York City, where he was ordered by Major General Harvey Brown “to deliver the muskets and ammunition to the Custom House and Post Office authorities for their defense,” Terry wrote in a letter.

He continued:

 

“I was assigned to command a body of convalescent Soldiers and ordered on guard duty in Gramercy Park by order of Gen. Brown, where, on the corner of 21st Street and Third Avenue, I was struck a severe blow over the left eye with a club by a rioter and was badly hurt. I was mentioned in orders issued by Gen. John A. Wool, for the ‘Very signal service rendered.'”

 

It was on day three of the riots, while reinforcements were arriving from the Battle of Gettysburg, that Terry received word of his appointment as a lieutenant in the 1st North Carolina Colored Volunteers. Lieutenant Terry soon headed back south to New Berne to join his new regiment.

Brigadier General Edward A. Wild did the honors of promoting Terry to 1st lieutenant in the 1st North Carolina Colored Volunteers, which was later renamed the 35th U.S. Colored Troops on 8 February 1864. General Wild also was an amputee, having lost his left arm at the Battle of South Mountain in Maryland.

During the Battle of Olustee, 18-year-old 1st Lieutenant Terry was in the thick of the intense fighting, as the 35th U.S.C.T. and the 54th Massachusetts held off the Confederate advance at the end of the day. And once again, a bullet struck his leg. Fortunately, the leg that was hit was his peg leg. As darkness fell, the 35th U.S.C.T., along with the survivors from the 54th Massachusetts, disengaged from battle and began the retreat to Jacksonville. In the months that followed, Terry was fitted with two new prosthetics in order to remain in the active service.

On 23 May 1865, Terry accepted a promotion to captain from Brigadier General Rufus Saxton, and was posted as a company commander in the 104th U.S.C.T., effective 16 June. However, on 19 September 1865, the Army withdrew Terry’s promotion to captain, citing his disability, and that a captain of a company is expected to march with his command and perform duty on foot with his men.

On 23 September 1865, Terry was assigned to Saxton’s staff at the Freedmen’s Bureau in Charleston, South Carolina. Creation of the Freedman’s Bureau was initiated by Lincoln in March 1865, with the purpose of assisting freed slaves. The bureau was under the Department of War and played a major role in post-Civil War Reconstruction until it was disbanded in 1872.

In October 1865, Terry wrote a letter to a family friend, former New York State Senator Preston King, asking that he look into restoring Terry’s rank to captain. Major General John G. Foster, who heard the case, denied the senator’s petition. King could not reply because he died shortly after receiving Foster’s letter.

On 25 November 1865, Terry submitted a letter of resignation, saying he did not wish to serve as a 1st lieutenant after having served as a captain. On 16 December 1865, Terry had second thoughts about leaving the Army and withdrew his letter of resignation. However, Terry was given a brevet promotion to captain on 21 February 1866. A brevet rank comes without the additional pay of the higher rank and exercise of authority is limited. The practice was common during the Civil War.

On 23 January 1866, Terry was transferred to Headquarters, Department of the South, in Charleston, under command of Major General Daniel Sickles, who was still serving within the Freedman’s Bureau.

Terry was mustered out of the service on 6 June 1866, with the rank of 1st lieutenant. On 22 June 1867, the Army rewarded Terry by breveting him as major, but his official rank remained 1st lieutenant.

After the war, Terry had a 50-year career at the Customs House in New York City as a deputy collector in the audit department, and he also served as a clerk.

A month after his last discharge (6 June 1866) from the military, Terry married Emma Celia Brown. The services were held at the Rose Hill Methodist Church, 221 East 27th Street, in Manhattan, New York City. Their wedding was officiated by Emma’s grandfather, the Reverend Amos Brown. A letter from John’s files reads, Reverend Brown “traveled a great distance to be there,”

John Darling and Emma had ten children between 1867 and 1893. Their first son Alexander Haddon was born in 1876. George, their second son, died at an early age and is not listed on the 1880 census. Another son died prior to 1919. A 1919 letter written by another son, Charles Graham, states, “I have 2 brothers and 5 sisters.”

 

MOH CITATION:

In the thickest of the fight, where he lost his leg by a shot, still encouraged the men until carried off the field.

 

BURIAL LOCATION: WOODLAWN CEMETERY, BRONX, NEW YORK.

BUTTERNUT PLOT, SECTION 141, LOT 14454.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: FAMILY.