DS Terry Biographical Notes - Online Archive of Terry's Texas Rangers

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David Smith Terry

March 8, 1823 - August 14, 1889

Born in Todd County KY on March 8, 1823.

Studied law under T. J. B Hadley.
Admitted to the Bar at Galveston in 1845.
Served in Col. Hays's 1st Regiment of Texas Mounted Riflemen in the Mexican War.
Lost the election for district attorney of Galveston in 1847.
Went to California for the Gold Rush of 1849.
Developed a successful law practice in Stockton, CA.
Married Cornelia Runnels in 1852.
Elected to the CA state supreme court in 1855.
Involved in an altercation with the leader of the San Francisco Vigilance Committee during which he stabbed Hopkins through the neck with a Bowie knife in 1855.
Became chief justice of the CA State Supreme Court in 1857.
Killed U.S. Senator David Broderick in a duel in 1859.
Resumed private practice in California until the war.

Served with the Rangers as a volunteer while on his way back to TX to raise a regiment of his own and wounded in right arm at Chickamauga in 1863.
Returned to TX with commission to raise his own regiment known as "Terry's Texas Cavalry," which operated briefly in the trans-Mississippi theater..

Lived for a time in Mexico as a rancher following the war.
Returned to Stockton, CA to practice law in 1868.
Served as a prominate delegate to CA state constitutional convention, 1878-79.
Married Sarah Althea Hill in January 1886.
Killed in an altercation by bodyguard of U.S. Supreme Court Justice S. J. Field in CA on August 14, 1889.
Buried in the Stockton Rural Cemetery, Stockton, San Joaquin County, CA.

Also Identified As:
	David S. Terry
Family Members & Researcher Contacts:
	Matthew Green (Gr-Gr-Grandson) Nancy Gulotta (Gr-Gr-Granddaughter) (Gr-Gr-Granddaughter) Jenifer Reeves (Gr-Gr-Gr-Granddaughter) John Reeves (Gr-Gr-Gr-Grandson) Fulton Rivers (Gr-Gr-Gr-Great Nephew (Director of Grave Markers, California Division UDC)
Parents:
	Joseph Royal Terry Son of Nathaniel Terry b. May 17, 1792 in Halifax, VA m. Sarah D. Smith on April 17, 1816. d. November 1877 in Cumberland County, KY. Sarah David Smith daughter of David Smith & Obedience Beauty Fort b. 1793 in NC d. 1837 in Brazoria County, TX. Benjamin Fort Smith (Uncle & Guardian) Son of David Smith & Obedience Beauty Fort b. 1799 in Logan County, KY. Immigrated to Texas in 1833. Fought under General Andrew Jackson in the Bttle of New Orleans. Fought in Capt. Karne's Company at San Jacinto. d. January 10, 1841 in Montgomery (now Grimes) County, TX.
Siblings:
	? Terry b. Joseph Terry b. October 15, 1817 in KY? Benjamin Franklin Terry b. February 18, 1821 in Russellville, KY. m. Mary Bingham on October 12, 1841. Served as a delegate to the Texas Secession convention in January 1861. Served as a volunteer aide to Gen. Longstreet at the Battle of First Manassas in April 1861. Appointed Colonel and commisioned to raise a regiment of Texas cavalry. Elected first commander of Terry's Texas Rangers. d. December 17, 1861 at Woodsonville, KY. Joseph Nathaniel Terry b. November 29, 1824 in Hinds, MS Aurelius Josiah Terry b. ~ 1828 in Hinds County, MS. Clinton Lucretius Terry b. June 30, 1831 in Clinton, Hinds County, MS. m. Adrianne Gautier on September 6, 1855. Served as a volunteer with Terry's Rangers. d. April 14, 1862 at Shiloh, TN.
Spouse(s):
	Cornelia Runnels b. May 22, 1829 m. David S Terry in 1852 d. December 1844 Sarah Althea Hill m. David S. Terry in January 1886
Children:
	Jefferson Davis Terry d. Nov 1862, Stockton, CA. Samuel Langdon Terry b.1855, Stockton d. Mar 1885, San Joaquin, CA. David S. Terry b.1857, Stockton, CA d. Dec 1873. Clinton Terry b. 1859, Stockton, CA Frank Terry b. about 1863 in Stockton, CA d. before 1889.
Gravesite:
	Lot 1, Blk 14, Stockton Rural Cemetery, Stockton, San Joaquin County, CA

1830 Census - MS, Hinds County
	Head of Houshold	Sarah Terry

1840 Census - TX, Brazoria County
	Head of Houshold	Benjamin Fort Smith

1850 Census - TX, Brazoria County, Page 389, Dwelling 184, Family 184, (17/32)
	Name	Age.	Sex	Color	Occupation	Real Estate	Nativity	Student?	Illiterate?
	B. F. Terry	29	M		Farmer	$7500	KY
	Mary P. Terry	25	F				GA
	Benjamin R. Terry	7	M				TX
	Mary M. Terry	3	F				TX
	David S. Terry	4m	M				TX
	Clinton Terry	20	M		None	$4000	MS	Y
	David S. Terry	25	M		Lawyer	$4000	KY
	A. J. Terry	22	M		None	$4000	MS

1860 Census - State, County, Town, Page, Dwelling, Family, (image)
	Name	Age	Sex	Race	Occupation	Real Estate	Personal Estate	Nativity	Student?	Literate?

1870 Census - State, County, Town, Page, Dwelling, Family, (image)
	Name	Age	Sex	Race	Occupation	Real Estate	Personal Estate	Nativity	Parentage	Student?	Literate?

1880 Census - State, County, Town, Page, Dwelling, Family, (image)

Name

Race

Sex

Age

Rel.

Mar. St.

Occupation

Health

Education

Nativity

Father's Nativity

Mother's Nativity

Related Links:
	The Tri-Weekly Telegraph, November 10, 1862 - Letter from RF Bunting, October 17, 1862 (offsite) Handbook of Texas Online: Terry, David Smith (1823-1889) (offsite) Find A Grave: David Smith Terry
Sources:
	Claiborne, John M. Muster Roll of Terry's Texas Rangers; With Historical Remarks. Galveston: Self Published, 1882. Jones, Andrew M. Annotated Roster of Terry's Texas Rangers, the 8th Texas Cavalry. Unpublished Research. Scott, Paul R. Eighth Texas Cavalry, CSA. Arlington: The University of Texas at Arlington, July 1977. Unpublished MA Thesis. Wagstaff, A.E., ed., Life of David S. Terry: Presenting an Authentic, Impartial, and Vivid History of His Eventful Life and Tragic Death, Continental Publishing, San Francisco, 1892. Buchanan,Albert Russell, David S. Terry of California: Dueling Judge, Huntington Library, San Marino, CA, 1956. Potts, Charles S., "David S. Terry: The Romantic Story of a Great Texan," Southwest Review 19, April 1934.
Research Links:
	"Major Joseph Terry," Glasgow Weekly Times November 22, 1877 Kate S. Terrell's Terry's Texas Rangers Lester N. Fitzhugh's Terry's Texas Rangers, 8th Texas Cavalry, CSA (offsite) The Political Graveyard: Terry, David Smith (1823-1889) (offsite) Broderick-Terry Duel - 1859 (offsite) David S. Terry Stabs Sterling Hopkins of the Committee of Vigilance (offsite) Tales from Colma: The murder of Senator Broderick (offsite) The Sanchez File: Her Attorney, David S. Terry (offsite) Snider Family Genealogy Homepage: David Smith Terry (offsite) William T. Sherman and the California State Militia (offsite) Google search results for "David S. Terry" (offsite) RootsWeb Message Boards (surname: Terry) (offsite) Genealogy.com Genealogy Forum (surname: Terry) (offsite) TXGenWeb Project (Fort Bend County, TX) (offsite) RootsWeb Message Board (Fort Bend County, TX) (offsite) Genealogy.com Genealogy Forum (Fort Bend County, TX) (offsite) TNGenWeb Project (San Joaquin County, CA) (offsite) RootsWeb Message Boards (San Joaquin County, CA) (offsite) Genealogy.com Genealogy Forum (San Joaquin County, CA)

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