John Milton | |
|---|---|
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| 5th Governor of Florida | |
| In office October 7, 1861 – April 1, 1865 | |
| Preceded by | Madison S. Perry |
| Succeeded by | Abraham K. Allison |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives | |
| In office 1850 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 20, 1807 near Louisville, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | April 1, 1865 (aged 57) Marianna, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Amanda Cobb Caroline Howze |
John Milton (April 20, 1807 – April 1, 1865) was governor of Florida through most of the American Civil War. A lawyer who served in the Florida Legislature, he supported the secession of Florida from the Union and became governor in October 1861. In that post, he turned the state into a major supplier of food for the Confederacy. In his final message to the state legislature as the war was ending, he declared that death would be preferable to reunion with the North. When he killed himself, his son Jefferson Davis Milton was a toddler.