Milton Alexander

Milton King Alexander (January 3, 1796 – July 7, 1856) was an American politician and militia officer who served during the War of 1812, the Seminole Wars and, most notably, as a brigadier general during the Black Hawk War.

Born to John Brown Alexander and Barbara King in Elbert County, Georgia, he moved with his family to Williamson County, Tennessee in 1804 and, seven years later, moved to Lincoln, Tennessee.

During the War of 1812, he served with the Tennessee Mounted Volunteers under General Andrew Jackson and eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant remaining with Jackson until the capture of Pensacola on November 6, 1814. As Jackson left to prepare the defense of New Orleans, Alexander stayed behind in Florida. He later served with Jackson during the First Seminole War, however he was discharged after becoming too ill for active duty.

Returning to Tennessee, he married Mary Shields and lived in Giles County for several years before moving to the Illinois Territory in 1823. Settling in Paris, Illinois, he became involved in farming and mercantilism before being appointed the town's first postmaster, a position he would hold for the next twenty-five years.

In February 1826, he would become appointed Clerk of the County Commissioner's Court. He would hold this position until September 1827, when he resigned to accept a commission in the Illinois Militia from Governor Edward Coles as a Colonel in the 19th Regiment Illinois Militia. He was eventually appointed an aide-de-camp to Governor John Reynolds in December 1831 and, shortly before trouble began to appear on the frontier, he was required to go with Reynolds to Rock Island early the following year.

...
Wikipedia