Alfred Terry
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Alfred Howe Terry (November 10, 1827 - December 16, 1890) was a military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869 and again from 1872 to 1886. Although born in Hartford, Connecticut, Alfred's family quickly moved to New Haven, where he spent most of his childhood. After attending Yale Law School in 1848, Terry became a lawyer and was appointed clerk of the Superior Court of New Haven County.
Terry's military service
When the Civil War started, Terry raised and led a regiment of Connecticut volunteers who fought in battles such as the First Bull Run. He was appointed brigadier general and was involved in the battles around Charleston. He was sent to Virginia and fought in the battles around Richmond and in the Siege of Petersburg. His greatest achievement of the war was when he was placed in command of the expedition that defeated the Confederate forces at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher. He was in North Carolina when the war ended.
After the war, Terry stayed with the military. He helped negotiate the Fort Laramie Treaty, which ended Red Cloud's campaign against American troops in the region. After being assigned a post in Georgia, Terry became a strong opponent of the Ku Klux Klan.
Terry was overall commander during the Sioux Wars. In October 1877, he went to Canada to negotiate with Sitting Bull. He was still in command in Montana during the Nez Perce War and sent reinforcement to intercept Chief Joseph.
In 1886, Terry was promoted to Major General and was given command of the Missouri. He died in New Haven, Connecticut. He was one of the best citizen soldiers the nation has produced.