John Milton (April 20, 1807 – April 1, 1865) was governor of Florida through most of the American Civil War. A lawyer who served in the Florida Legislature, he supported the secession of Florida from the Union and became governor in October 1861. In that post, he turned the state into a major supplier of food for the Confederacy. In his final message to the state legislature as the war was ending, he declared that death would be preferable to reunion with the North, and was found dead of gunshot soon after. He killed himself leaving his wife and numerous children including their toddler Jefferson Davis Milton behind. Early life and personal life Milton was the son of a prominent Southern family and a relative of the famed English poet of the same name. A lawyer and politician, he was the governor of Florida through much of the Civil War, being a strong supporter of secession, as well as a slave owner. He was the son of Homer Virgil Milton (1781–1822), an officer who fought in the War of 1812, and the grandson of Revolutionary War hero, United States presidential candidate of 1789, and former Georgia Secretary of State, John Milton (1756–1804). Born near Louisville, Georgia, John Milton married Susan Cobb († 1842) in about 1830, and they had three children. John and Susan Milton lived in Georgia and later in Alabama. John got remarried to a Caroline Howze (1826-1901) from Alabama in 1844; they had two sons and seven daughters. John and Caroline lived in Alabama, New Orleans, and eventually settled in Marianna (northern Florida). One of his sons was Old West lawman Jeff Milton. One of John's grandsons, William Hall Milton (1864–1942), served as a United States senator from Florida (1908–1909). Career During his career, John became a lawyer, practicing in a number of communities in Georgia and Alabama, before settling in New Orleans. He came to Florida in 1846, and quickly entered the Florida political scene. In 1848, he served as a presidential elector for the state, then in 1850 was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. American Civil War As a supporter and enabler of slavery, he was an early advocate for secession of Florida from the Union. He was a delegate to the 1860 Democratic National Convention from Florida and in the same year ran for the office of governor. A convention was called