St. John's Coalition in Pensacola in Escambia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Edward A. Perry
| | St. John's Cemetery | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 2025
1. Edward A. Perry Marker
A native of Massachusetts, Perry adopted Pensacola, becoming its only resident to rise to Confederate general and the first from here to serve as Governor of Florida.
Educated at Lee Academy and Yale University, Perry moved prior to graduation to teach in Alabama, married there, and then settled in Pensacola, where he became an attorney.
Perry volunteered and was elected to command the Pensacola Rifle Rangers one of the two infantry companies initially raised during the Civil War from Pensacola. After seizing the Navy Yard, his unit was transferred to the Army of Northern Virginia, where it fought in many battles, earning him distinction, wounds, and promotion to command all Florida forces in Virginia.
As Florida's governor, his administration rewrote Florida's constitution, established the state board to oversee public education, and created pensions for Confederate veterans. He also re-designated what was to be the state Confederate memorial marker in Tallahassee to be the only local Confederate monument in Pensacola since the majority of the donors were relatives of the fallen men from the area.
Erected 2018 by
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Education • War, US Civil.
Location. 30° 25.031′ N, 87° 14.023′ W. Marker is in Pensacola, Florida, in Escambia County. It is in St. John's Coalition. It can be reached from the intersection of North G Street and West Belmont Street, on the left when traveling north. The marker is on the St. John's Cemetery grounds, in Section 15 Lot 27. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 North G Street, Pensacola FL 32501, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America,
2. Marker detail: Edward Ayllesworth Perry
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Crypts (within shouting distance of this marker); Mary Lewis Willis (within shouting distance of this marker); Mary W. Willis (within shouting distance of this marker); William F. Miller (within shouting distance of this marker); Helen Fisher (within shouting distance of this marker); Samuel G. French (within shouting distance of this marker); Inventor of FSU Tomahawk Chop (within shouting distance of this marker); First Interment (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pensacola.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. St. John's Cemetery
Also see . . .
1. Edward Ayllesworth Perry (1831-1889) (Find A Grave).
(Saint John's Cemetery, Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, USA) Excerpt: Civil War Confederate Brigadier General, Civil War Veteran Florida Governor. Northern native who fought for the South during the war. Entered Confederate service in May 1861 and Captain of Company A, 2nd Florida Infantry.(Submitted on April 30, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)Promoted Colonel and commanded of the regiment in May 1862, after its commander, Colonel Ward, was killed at the Battle of Williamsburg. Led the unit in the Battle of Fair Oaks and the Seven Days battles, being severely wounded at the Battle of Frayser's Farm. Promoted to Brigadier General, PACS on August 28, 1862 and assumed command of the Florida Brigade. Led the brigade at the Battle of Chancellorsville before being felled by typhoid, which caused him to miss the Gettysburg and Mine Run Campaigns. Returned to his command at the Battle of the Wilderness, where he was again wounded. Ended the war in command of reserve forces in Alabama. Became politically prominent after the war, and was elected Governor of Florida, serving from 1885 to 1889.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 20253. Edward A. Perry MarkerLooking west through the north side of St. John's Cemetery. The Edward Ayllesworth Perry gravesite and monument are behind this historical marker, in Section 15 Lot 27.
2. Edward Ayllesworth Perry (Wikipedia).
Confederate general who was primarily known for serving under Robert E. Lee during the American Civil War and also later became the 14th Governor of Florida. During the Civil War, Perry fought with distinction for the Confederacy, rising from the rank of private to(Submitted on April 30, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)brigadier general. He was severely wounded in the fighting at the Wilderness on May 6, 1864. He briefly returned to the trenches during the Siege of Petersburg, but had not recovered sufficiently for active duty. Hence, he was sent to Alabama for the duration of the war, serving on reserve duty in the Confederate Invalid Corps.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 20254. Edward Ayllesworth Perry Gravesite & MonumentAfter the war he returned to Florida and became a prominent lawyer and Democratic state politician. Elected governor in 1884, he assumed office on January 7, 1885. After leaving office on January 8, 1889, he returned home to Pensacola. He died suddenly of a stroke while visiting Kerrville, Texas, in 1889, aged 58. He and his wife are buried in St. John's Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 30, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
