The following outline was created by family historian Harriet Terry (of Pratt, Kansas) and the information for this list (and others) was sent to this blog's writer in about 1986-1990. She had been in communication with Dennis Ray Terry of Wellington, Kansas, son of Roy Dennis Terry. Her information, copies of her handwritten copies of letters, etc. were shared with this writer (sister to Dennis). Harriet Terry, in conjunction with other family researchers of descendants in Texas, Missouri, Arkansas and elsewhere transcribed rar
e, handwritten letters sent by William to his sons, letters they sent to him, and letters exchanged among other family members. These were preserved by Red River County, Texas family members who, in turn, handed them over to a state archives at one of the universities. Another descendant, Jed D. Terry, worked with a broad assortment of families to bring together in two volumes copies of most of the letters, annotations, photographs, documents, etc. The Terry Family Letters volumes can be accessed in several major research centers in Missouri, Texas, Arkansas and elsewhere. The following is her outline and my notes in brackets.
"Outline of William Terry's life put together from the letters.
1. Born Hawkins County, Tennessee [other records show sometimes Sullivan Co., Tennessee; but the area was in flux at the time of his birth and research indicates people citing birth in such locations often use several of the names later affixed to the areas]
2.Moved to Gibson County, Indiana "as a young man" [His eldest son is listed on census as being born in Kentucky; it is believed William married Barbara Ennis about 1806 in Kentucky; bulk of his children born in Gibson County]
3.Moved to Madison County, Arkansas in April 1832 [land records indicate his brother John Jr also left about that time; his sons Martin and John will marry in the same general location in the 1830's as well]
4. Moved to Washington County, Arkansas in November 1854 (10 or 12 miles west of Fayetteville, Arkansas)
5. Spent the winter with son Martin Terry in Little Springs, Madison County, Arkansas (1855-56)
6. Made a trip to see his cousins - "The Martin's of the old stock" who lived "out on Sugar Creek on a place called Pea Ridge (Benton County, Arkansas) on June-July 1857. [He makes mention in a letter, also, of hearing about his brother Josiah in Tennessee and from his wife's brother John Ennis in Indiana. It is believed that William, son of John Terry born c 1760 in Botetourt Co., Virginia, would have had an aunt named Rachel Terry who married a John Martin and he or his children may have followed John into Hawkins Co., Tennessee. This, then, would be "the Martin's of the old stock."
7. Moved to Barry County, Missouri in 1858. [Where they were during the war years is unclear; from other letters we know Martin Terry and his family were uprooted and they spent several years trying to stay ahead of one army or another, loosing two children to typhus from fouled water created in the troop and ammunition soiled land and waterways.]
8. Lived with Harp and Ennis families (daughter's Nancy and Matilda's families) in Barry and Greene Counties, Missouri, 1867
9. Lived mostly with son Martin Terry in Barry County, Missouri - July1867 - April 1868.
10. Went back to Greene County, Missouri (daughter Nancy Harp or Matilda Ennis) in early 1869 where he died 15 May.
11. Buried in Green County, Missouri on farm owned by one of his son-in-laws."
"William was rather outspoken in his letters. When he didn't like something, she said so! " Harriet Terry, circa 1985.
Profiles and timelines for each of his children will be added in upcoming entries.
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