Edward A. Perry

Edward Aylesworth Perry
14thGovernor of Florida
In office January 7, 1885 – January 8, 1889
Lieutenant	Milton H. Mabry
Preceded by	William D. Bloxham
Succeeded by	Francis P. Fleming
Judge of theEscambiaCounty Court
In office 1857–1861
Personal details
Born	March 15, 1831 Richmond, Massachusetts,US
Died	October 15, 1889(1889-10-15)(aged 58) Kerrville, Texas,US
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Wathen Virginia Taylor Perry
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861–65
Rank	Brigadier-General
Commands	Perry's Florida Brigade
Campaigns	American Civil War Peninsula Campaign Battle of Chancellorsville Bristoe Campaign Battle of the Wilderness Siege of Petersburg

Edward Aylesworth Perry(March 15, 1831 – October 15, 1889) was a general underRobert E. Leeduring theAmerican Civil Warand the14th GovernorofFlorida.

Early life

He was a descendant of Arthur Perry, one of the earliest settlers of New England.His parents were farmers, Asa and Philura Perry, and he was the fourth of five children.

Born inRichmond, Massachusetts,Perry briefly attendedYale Universitybefore moving toGreenville, Alabamain 1853. In Alabama, he taught and studied law with Hilary Herbert, who later served as a colonel in theConfederate States Army,a U.S. congressman from Alabama, and Secretary of the Navy under PresidentGrover Cleveland.Perry soon moved toPensacola, Florida,and passed the bar exam. He served as a judge forEscambia County, Florida,from 1857 through 1861. He married Wathen Virginia Taylor of Greenville, Alabama, on February 1, 1859, the daughter of Hubbard Bonner Taylor and Marjorie Catherine Herbert Taylor, and a granddaughter of Dr. Hilary Herbert, one of the earliest settlers of Butler County, Alabama. Mrs. Perry was also a cousin of theHilary A. Herbert,with whom he studied law in Alabama.

American Civil War

During theCivil War,Perry fought with distinction for theConfederacy,rising from the rank ofprivatetobrigadier general.In May 1861, he enlisted in the "Pensacola Rifle Rangers",which was later designated Company A of the 2nd Florida Infantry, and was elected as its captain. A year later, he was electedcolonelof theregiment.

General E.A. Perry

In June 1862, he was wounded during the fight atGlendaleduring thePeninsula Campaignand furloughed. On August 28, 1862, Perry was appointed as abrigadier generalin theProvisional Army of the Confederacyand returned to active duty the following year. He led anall-Florida brigadein theArmy of Northern Virginiaat theBattle of Chancellorsville,but was stricken withtyphoid feverand missed theGettysburg Campaign,where Col.David Langcommanded Perry's Brigade.

Perry returned to the Army of Northern Virginia to command his brigade for theBristoe Campaignin the fall of 1863. He was severely wounded in the fighting at theWildernesson May 6, 1864. He briefly returned to the trenches during theSiege of Petersburg,but had not recovered sufficiently for active duty. Hence, he was sent to Alabama for the duration of the war, serving on reserve duty in the Confederate Invalid Corps.

Aftermath; Governor

He returned to Florida and became a prominent lawyer andDemocraticstate politician. Elected governor in 1884, he assumed office on January 7, 1885. During his administration,Floridaadopted a newconstitutionand established the stateboard of education.He was an outspoken opponent of "carpetbaggers".

Perry was active in theScottish RiteofFreemasonry.His antebellum home became theScottish Rite Templein downtown Pensacola.

The Confederate Monument on Palafox Street bears a plaque honoring his wife, Wathen Virginia Taylor Perry, who raised the funds for its erection.After leaving office on January 8, 1889, he returned home toPensacola.In later years, the property was sold for $2.53 million to the adjacent FirstUnited Methodist Church,and fund raising for renovations are in place.

He died suddenly of astrokewhile visitingKerrville, Texas,in 1889, aged 58.He and his wife are buried in St. John's Cemetery inPensacola, Florida.

See also

• List of American Civil War generals (Confederate)

References

• Allardice, Bruce S.Confederate Colonels: A Biographical Register.Columbia:University of Missouri Press,2008.ISBN978-0-8262-1809-4
• Allardice, Bruce S.More Generals in Gray.Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995.ISBN978-0-8071-3148-0.
• Eicher, John H., andDavid J. Eicher,Civil War High Commands.Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001.ISBN978-0-8047-3641-1.
• Sifakis, Stewart.Who Was Who in the Civil War.New York: Facts On File, 1988.ISBN978-0-8160-1055-4.
• Warner, Ezra J.Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959.ISBN978-0-8071-0823-9.

External links

• Official Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida
• Civil War FloridaArchivedJune 14, 2006, at theWayback Machine
• Goellnitz, Jen (1997–2010)."Biography of General Edward Aylesworth Perry" And Then A.P. Hill Came Up.RetrievedOctober 23,2011.
• Edward A. PerryatFind a Grave
• 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment