Governor John Milton Found Dead At Sylvania Plantation

That was undoubtedly the headline in the local paper early in April, 1865. Governor Milton was brought to the family plantation from Tallahassee by Confederate Major William H. Milton on the morning of April 1. Later that same day he was found dead in his room, with a spent shotgun at his feet. He had worked diligently to support the Confederacy and to defend Florida throughout the terrible war, and could now see clearly that the War was lost. Eight days later Lee surrendered and the occupation of the South began.
Milton was replaced by A.K. Allison who tried desperately to send a delegation to Washington in an effort to negotiate Florida’s return to the Union. This effort was discovered when they attempted to obtain passes for passage through the Northern lines. An angry General McCook threatened to arrest the committee and Governor Allison as well if they persisted in the effort.
Florida citizens waited anxiously to find out what was to happen to them next, since they were the vanquished enemy helpless at the hands of the North. It was to be several months before anything decisive was revealed, due to the assassination of Lincoln in Washington, and the months of confusion that followed.