(Nov. 13, 1827-May 16, 1884). Born in Henry County, Kentucky, William Henry Harrison Terrell moved with his family to Bartholomew County, Indiana, the following year. He held several county offices and was editor of the , a Whig newspaper. He was admitted to the bar in the early 1850s and, in 1857, moved to Vincennes, becoming bookkeeper of a short-lived distillery. In January 1862, Indiana Civil War governor selected Terrell as his military secretary.
In 1863, the General Assembly refused to appropriate funds for military affairs, whereupon the governor established a bureau of finance, raised monies privately, and appointed Terrell to administer the funds. In November 1864, Terrell became Indiana adjutant general with the rank of colonel and, by special legislation, was made brigadier general in March 1865. Governor Morton and others praised his excellent administration of war finance.
At the close of the war, Terrell authored and supervised the compilation of (1869). This monumental eight-volume work is indispensable to an understanding of Indiana’s role in the war.
President Ulysses S. Grant named Terrell as third assistant postmaster in Washington, D.C, in 1869. He returned to Indianapolis to serve as a U.S. pension agent. He is buried in .
Help improve this entry
Contribute information, offer corrections, suggest images.
You can also recommend new entries related to this topic.
