Editing Marianna, Florida (section)

===Civil War era===

Governor [[John Milton (Florida politician)|John Milton]], a major planter who owned the Sylvania Plantation and hundreds of [[slavery in the United States|slaves]], was a grandson of Revolutionary War hero [[John Milton (Georgia politician)|John Millton]], and a descendant of Sir Christopher Milton, the brother of the famous English poet, [[John Milton]]. However, Milton did not have to rely solely on a distinguished American founding family name. A Marianna resident, he was elected as [[List of Governors of Florida|governor of Florida]], serving during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] years. Governor Milton opposed the [[Confederate States of America]] rejoining the United States.

As federal troops were preparing to take control of [[Tallahassee]], Governor Milton received word that the Civil War had ended and that Florida would again be part of the United States. On April 1, 1865, as the Southern cause was collapsing, Milton died of a gunshot wound from his gun at Sylvania. A ''New York Times'' article, written in polemic style, attributed Governor Milton's sudden death to suicide, which conflicted with local reporting from Florida. The Governor's words, likely political oratorical hyperbole, that he "would rather die" than suffer the humiliation of Federal invasion, were linked to his sudden death by the New York Times.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1865/05/01/archives/suicide-of-gov-milton-of-florida.html|title=Suicide of Gov. Milton, of Florida.|date=1865-05-01|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-01-13|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The West Florida News reported the sudden death of Florida's fifth Governor as a hunting accident.<ref name="Cox">{{Cite book|title=The History of Jackson County, Florida: The Civil War Years |last=Cox |first=Dale |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |year=2010 |isbn=978-1448685141 |location=Two Egg, FL|pages=191}}</ref> Governor Milton was buried in the St. Luke's Episcopal churchyard at Marianna. The New York Times article's account persisted in the difficult days of Reconstruction.

Marianna was the site of a [[Battle of Marianna|Civil War battle]] in 1864 between a small home guard of about 150 boys, older men, and wounded soldiers, and a contingent of approximately 700 [[Union (American Civil War)|Federal]] troops.