SAMUEL TERRY

Samuel Terry was born in about 1831 in Alabama and migrated to Montgomery County, Texas, in the 1850s. He married Sarah Ann (Sallie) Norsworthy in Walker County on July 12, 1859. She was born in Union Parish, Louisiana the daughter of W. B. Norsworthy, and the couple is enumerated with the Norsworthy family in 1860 in Montgomery County.
Sarah Ann was the sister of James H. Norsworthy.
Sam Terry joined the Danville Mounted Riflemen as a private and is listed on the muster roll of February 14, 1862. On March 29 at Danville, he enlisted in Second Texas Lancers under Capt. Wooldridge, later to become Company B, 24th Texas Cavalry. Sam gave the value of his horse as $135.00 and the value of his equipment as $20.00.
He trained at Camp Hebert and then rode to Arkansas with his regiment. Once there, the Texas cavalrymen were dismounted. Sam was one of the eight men whom Captain Wooldridge detailed to take the horses back to Montgomery County, and his muster roll of August 28th notes that he was absent on detail. One man was to be in charge of ten horses, by order of General Hindman, and they were to be grazed, since the Confederacy would not pay for fodder.
Samuel returned to Arkansas, where his regiment was now stationed at Ft. Hindman at Arkansas Post. After the battle, it is noted on his muster roll that he was “Absent Without Leave, Escaped at the Battle of Arkansas Post.” This battle was fought on January 11, 1863, and the Union forces over ran the fort (see the story of the battle on the history page,Co. B 24th Texas Cavalry.
Samuel managed to make his way back home to Montgomery County. Some months later, he reported for duty at an unknown date and was assigned to the Trans-Mississippi Department. However, this news did not reach the men in the field for a number of months, and the company commander continued to report him as Absent Without Leave.
The truth was that Samuel reported to authorities and was attached the the Seventeenth Consolidated Dismounted Cavalry, which was made up of men who for some reason, became separated from their units.
A rare pay voucher is in Terry's files. Copies of pay vouchers are not normally part of the records that survived. This one is very pale, and the microfilm copy is poor.

Samuel Terry's Payroll Voucher, 17th Consolidated Dismounted Cavalry
Paid through August, 1863

Finally, in February of 1864 it was noted that he was “now in the Trans-Mississippi Department.” He was reported to be in the Trans-Mississippi through April, when his name was dropped from the rolls. All the Confederates were paroled in May 1865, at the end of the war.
So far, we have been unable to find Sam or Sallie in 1870, either in Texas or Louisiana. Their death dates are unknown.

Most of the above information was compiled from county and census records, and from the Compiled Service Records. Nancy Hargesheimer furnished information on the Norsworthy family.

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