Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History
Benson Lossing, Ed.

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Terry, Silas Wright 1842-

Naval officer; born in Kentucky, Dec. 28, 1842; appointed acting midshipman in the Naval Academy in 1858; was engaged in blockading service on the Atlantic coast in 1861-63; in the Mississippi squadron and on the Red River expedition in 1863-64; and was present during the naval operations at forts Fisher and Anderson, at the capture of Wilmington, and at the fall of Richmond. In January, 1882, while in command of the Marion, he rescued the crew of the bark Trinity, which had been wrecked on Heard Island, in the Indian Ocean, in 1880; and in February, while at Cape Town, saved the English ship Poonah from total loss by hauling her off the beach, for which he received the thanks of the government of both Cape Colony and Great Britain. He was assigned to the command of the Iowa in 1898; detached in September, 1899; appointed to the command of the navy-yard at Washington, D. C., March 24, 1900, and promoted rear-admiral on the 27th following.