Memorials › Pvt John Wesley Penton
Pvt John Wesley Penton
18 Feb 1844 – 9 May 1891
| Birth | 18 Feb 1844 |
| Death | 9 May 1891 |
| Cemetery | Milton Cemetery Milton , Santa Rosa County , Florida , USA |
| Added by | Doug Lindsey on 17 Sep 2008 |
| FaG | https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23905634 |
Bio
CSA - Served in the 1st Infantry Regiment Florida, Company G. Son of Moses Terrell Penton and Martha Ida Blackstone . Brother of Thomas William Penton and Martha Ida Penton Ard . Around 1868, John W. was married to Josephine Ward, daughter of James N. and Eveline (Hogg) Ward. They had the following children: James Terrell "Dick," b. ca 1870, m. Allie Viola Harrison Troy C., b. ca 1873 Agnes May , (May 12, 1863- January 27, 1901), m. Joseph N. Jernigan Vergie, (August 7, 1878 - March 29, 1897 in Alabama at age 19) - never married Voncille, b. 1886, m. C.A. McKinnon John W. became widely known from his serving in political office and an incident that occurred during that time. During the early 1880s, he was Marshall of Covington County, a job that charged him with keeping the streets in repair and collecting taxes. In 1884, he was commissioned as Sheriff of the county. In this capacity in 1888, he shot and killed Robert Crumpler on the Andalusia Square. This occurred during the scuffle while he was attempting to confiscate Crumpler's team of horses for an outstanding debt. After a long legal battle, John W. fled to Santa Rosa County, Fla., where he had Penton relatives. He took up residence near Milton where he became engaged in the logging business. About three years later in 1891, another tragedy in this saga occurred. John W. Penton was crossing the street on the Courthouse Square in Milton when he was approached by W.D. Cheatham and his gang. During the confrontation, John W. was shot in the back and died within minutes. His brother, Abner, was nearby, but it was too late for him to save John W. Penton. The family and local citizens were enraged at what appeared to be a case of cold-blooded murder. Even though Cheatham was acting in the capacity of some type of detective, the actions did not appear to be professional nor executed in a legal manner. There was considerable publicity regarding the event, and most alluded to a major injustice having been committed. Representative of the reactions is a statement made by P.H. Coleman, who had served as Captain of John W.'s company in the Confederate Army. He said, "John W. Penton was as gallant a Confederate soldier as ever shouldered a musket. He did not know what fear was. He was kind-hearted and generous to a fault."
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Family
Parents
Siblings
- Elizabeth Jane Penton Strickland 1840–1924
- William David Penton 1846–1912
- Thomas William Penton 1850–1934
- Francis Marion "Frank" Penton 1850–1933
- Abner Terrell Penton 1853–1934
- James Madison Penton 1856–1873
- Robert Arion Penton 1859–1946
- Martha Ida Penton Ard 1864–1926
- Bailey Barnabas "BB or Joe" Penton 1866–1944
Children
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