The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-04-25
Soldiers Ruoget.
A Born Soldier.

AT his own request Major-general
Alfred II. Terry has been retired from
service, owing to ill-health General
Terry was one of the very few men who
entered the army from civil life, with
out West Point military training, and
won distinction as a commander of
large bodies of troops. He was born
at Hartford, Conn, November 10, 1927,
educated at Yale College, and after
ward studied law and was admitted to
the bar in 1S4S, and was clerk of the
courts of New Haven from 1854 to
1860. He had commanded the Second
Connecticut regiment since 1854, and
in April, '61, led it to the field. General
Terry entered the service as colonel of
the Second Connecticut Infantry, a
three-months' regiment, ranking from
May 7, 1861. On retiring he raised, and
returned to the field in company with,
the Seventh Connecticut Infantry
September II, 1861. He was made a
brigadier-general (volunteer) February
20, 1862, and major-general January 10,
1865, at which time his commission as
a brigadier-general in the United States
Army dated-the day of the capture of
Fort Fisher and all the enemy's fort-
fications at the mouth of the Cape Fear
river, North Carolina, by the troops
under his command and the joint CO.
operation of the navy under Admiral
Porter. Those who are familiar with
the operations of the Union armies
fully understand that those officers who
were in the Department of the South
had fewer opportunities and a more
limited field to display their soldierly
qualities than those with the Army of
the Potomac. General Terry was one of
the best officers in that department, and
came north in April, 1864, and joined
the Army of the James, next in rank to
General Gilmore, who commanded the
Tenth Army Corps. In the operations
of the Army of the James in the cam
paign against Petersburg and Rich
mond General Terry bore an honorable
part and won the good opinion of Gen
eral Grant, 50 that on the failure of the
first expedition against Fort Fisher in
December, 1864, under General Butler,
the commander of the armies selected
General Terry to command the second
expedition which General Grant de-
termined to send after full considera-
ton of the circumstances attending the
first and a detailed statement of the
condition of the fort and its garrison
from subordinate officers whose reports
were specially called for by him. 1t
was the general opinion of the army
almost universal among general Off
cers-that the second expedition ought
not to have been ordered, and its fail
ure was generally predicted, and sew
eral elaborate articles were written and
published by army officers stating in
advance of its operations the certainty
and reasons for its failure. January
Is, 1864, at the head of the First Di-
vision of the Twenty-fourth Corps,
aided by the fleet of Commodore
Porter, he carried Fort Fisher by as
sault. The achievement of the troops
under General Terry in the capture of
Fort Fisher won the highest common
dations of military men, and the action
of the president in promoting him to
full ma or-general of volunteers and a
brigadier-general in the regular army
was approved by congress, who ten
dered its thanks to General Terry and
the officers and troops under his COM
mand. 1t was without question one of
the most difficult, determined and sue
cessful assaults ever made. An En-
glish officer, who visited and carefully
inspected the forts in April, stated in
Richmond, where he had come to con-
suit an officer who had participated in
the engagement, that the assault would
be regarded as daring in infantry move
ments as was the charge of Cardigan
at Balaklava in cavalry. Yet this was
absolutely successful. This splendid
achievement, following failure which
had most depressing effect upon the
country, secured to General Terry the
recognition of his abilities as one of
the most successful of the volunteer
generals. The great commanders were
graduates of West Point, but their sue
cesses were gained with volunteers,
and men like Terry were conspicuous
contributors to the glorious result.
He was made brigadier-general of the
United States Army January 10, 1865.
Since the war he has held several i'm
portant commands and has been en-
gagged in considerable Indian fighting
When promoted to the ma jor-general-
ship he was placed in command of the