Henry Terry, the son of Noah and Phebe (McCarty) Terry, raised western Huron County's first infantry company for military service. When the Ohio Adjutant General rejected his offer of a three months company for the Union cause, Terry tirelessly recruited a new company of three years volunteers. After the command was accepted as Company G of the 24th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the volunteers elected Terry to be their company commander.
Colonel Jacob Ammen acknowledged Terry as the best company level officer in the 24th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment and obtained a promotion for Terry to the rank of major. After Ammen's promotion to brigadier general, Terry was promoted again to the rank of lieutenant colonel, the regiment's second ranking officer.
During the early afternoon of December 31, 1862, at the Battle of Stones River , Terry took over command of the regiment when Colonel Frederick Jones received a mortal wound while attacking and driving a large Confederate force away from the Nashville Pike. Only minutes after taking over command of the regiment, Terry himself was killed in the field south of the Nashville Turnpike.
The remains of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Terry returned to Huron County in February 1863 and were interred in Huron County's Brightman Cemetery, a seemingly peaceful hilltop setting overlooking the Peru Hollow Road. The Terry family plot is near the cluster of trees on the right side of this view.
The Terry family plot and other stones in the Brightman Cemetery are in poor condition. Vandalism and weathering has taken an unfortunate toll. Restoration is badly needed to honor this fallen veteran's last memorial.
But there is good news! Members from Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War's McLaughlin Camp #12 of Mansfield have pledged to check on this. I shall post updates on this matter later.
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