Benjamin Franklin Terry(1821–1861). Was the organizer and first commander of the Eighth Texas Cavalry Terry's Texas Rangers in the Civil War. Born on February 18, 1821, in Russellville, Kentucky, the son of Joseph R. and Sarah D. (Smith) Terry. His grandfathers, Nathaniel Terry and David Smith, had been officers in the Revolutionary War, and the latter also served under Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812. By reason of his wealth, large physical size, and popularity, Frank Terry became a leader in Fort Bend County, Texas, and on January 9, 1861, he was elected a delegate to the Secession Convention in Austin. Terry and two fellow delegates, Thomas S. Lubbock and John A. Wharton, conceived the idea of organizing at least one company of Texas cavalrymen for the new government.