John Dabney Terrell Sr. facts for kids

John Dabney Terrell Sr. (born October 14, 1775 – died May 10, 1850) was an important person in early Alabama history. He was a surveyor, a planter (someone who owned a large farm), and a politician. He was born in Bedford County, Virginia, and later moved to Marion County, Alabama, where he passed away.

Around 1814, Terrell moved to Alabama. This was before the Indian Removal policies started in the 1830s. He worked as a United States Indian Agent for the Chickasaw people under two presidents. He also built a large farm, known as a plantation, and was a slaveholder. Terrell became very involved in politics, first in the Alabama Territory and then in the new state. He served as both a state senator and a state representative.

Early Life and Family Moves

John D. Terrell Sr. was born in 1775 in Bedford County, Virginia. His family owned plantations and enslaved people. His father, Harry Terrell, was a captain in the Revolutionary War. John likely learned skills needed to manage a large farm.

His family moved from Virginia to North Carolina, taking many enslaved people with them. After a short time in North Carolina, they moved to the Pendleton District in South Carolina. This area is now Pickens and Anderson counties. They settled on a farm along the Big Eastatoe Creek.

Harry Terrell, as a war veteran, was supposed to receive land for his service. However, he died in 1798 before getting it. Later, some of his children applied for this land grant.

John D. Terrell Sr. then moved with his family to Franklin County, Georgia. After some business problems there, he moved again around 1814. This time, he went to what is now Marion County, Alabama. At that time, it was called Tuscaloosa County and was part of the Alabama Territory.

With the help of enslaved labor, he started a plantation near the Military Ford. This ford was a crossing point on the Buttahatchee River. Plantations were often built near rivers for easy transportation and fertile land. His plantation was south of present-day Hamilton, Alabama. It was also seven miles north of Pikeville.

In 1813, Terrell was given the power to apply for a land warrant for himself and his siblings. In 1817, they received 5,333 acres of land. About 2,300 acres were in Ohio, which they sold for fifty cents per acre. It is said that Terrell hosted some of General Andrew Jackson's troops. This was while Jackson's Military Road was being built from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. The road was constructed between 1816 and 1820. Some workers camped at the Military Ford of the Buttahatchee River. This ford had a rocky, sandy bottom, making it easy to cross.

Political Career and Public Service

In northern Alabama, John D. Terrell Sr. quickly became involved in politics. On July 5, 1819, he was a delegate from Marion County. He attended the Alabama Constitutional Convention in Huntsville. There, he helped write the first constitution for the new state. He was one of the people who signed Alabama's first Constitution.

In 1819, he was elected as the first state senator from Marion County. Later, in 1822, Terrell was elected as a State Representative for Marion County. He was also appointed as the first Marion Territorial judge. He reportedly swore in all county officers at Cotton Gin Port, Mississippi. This was a trading post with the Chickasaw people. It was located on the east bank of the Tombigbee River. At that time, Cotton Gin Port was part of Marion County, Alabama. Today, it is in Monroe County, Mississippi.

Around 1825, and possibly into the early 1830s, Terrell served as a U.S. Government Indian Agent. He worked for the Chickasaw Nation in that region. He served under presidents John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. He also surveyed Chickasaw lands for the government. These lands are now in Alabama and Mississippi.

President Jackson wanted to move Native Americans further west. Levi Colbert, the head chief of the Chickasaw Nation, was a respected friend of Terrell. Colbert had given Terrell his first year's supply of corn when Terrell was new to the area. Terrell's job was to try to convince the Chickasaw to give up their lands. He wanted them to move west of the Mississippi River. Under the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the U.S. government forced them to move west in 1837.

Personal Life and Family

John D. Terrell Sr. was a Baptist and later joined the "Missionary Baptists." He was a member of the Whig party. In 1795, John married Lydia Briscoe Warren from North Carolina. They had a large family with four sons and five daughters.

Their oldest son was Edward Garland Terrell, born around 1797. Another important son was John Dabney Terrell Jr. (1804–1885). John Jr. served as the Probate Judge of Marion County for over forty years. Both John Sr. and John Jr. were slaveholders until the end of the Civil War. It is said that Terrell disinherited his son, William Henry Terrell. This was because William became a Presbyterian and a Democrat.

Terrell may have put some of his enslaved property under his son John Dabney Terrell Jr.'s name. This was possibly to avoid losing property in a lawsuit in Tennessee. If he lost the lawsuit, he could have lost his property to pay for damages. Terrell died on May 10, 1850, at 75 years old. His enslaved property was inherited by his wife, Lydia. When she died in 1853, most of the registered enslaved people were inherited by their oldest son, Edward Garland Terrell. John D. Terrell Jr. kept his own enslaved Black workers.

During his life, Terrell sometimes gave enslaved people to his other children. These gifts were recorded in legal deeds. These documents are now kept at the Alabama State Archives. In many families, parents gave enslaved people as gifts for weddings or birthdays. This was also done to help their children when they were starting out.

At his request, Terrell was buried in a sitting position. His coffin was made of walnut and looked somewhat like a chair. His grave was dug deep inside one of three Indian mounds. These mounds were located at Military Ford, on the south side. He was buried wearing a panther vest, given to him by an Indian chieftain. A blanket was spread over his shoulders. He was also buried with items like a gun, a water bucket and dipper, a wash pan, and hand towels. This was a custom among some Native American tribes and other cultures.

The old Terrell homestead and plantation is believed to have been located near Interstate Hwy. 22 (US 78). This is where the highway crosses the Buttahatchee River on the way to Hamilton, Alabama. This area is near the edge of town. It is also close to the Indian Mounds and a park built in the 20th century.

Biographies

• History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography by Thomas M. Owen, s.v. Terrell, John (1978, ISBN: 0-87152-259-4)