The Rev. Jacob Long Milburn was born in Greene County, Tennessee, July 5, 1823. His parents died, leaving him and a sister--both quite young, and almost without means upon which to be reared and educated, and both of them being so exceeding corpulent they were not able to make a living by physical labor. Under all these disadvantages he determined to make an effort to obtain an education; consequently he entered Tusculum College, in Greene County, Tennessee, as a student, and through the encouragement and sympathy of friends, and by dint of application and after many disappointments and hard struggles, he obtained a diploma from said college Sept. 27, 1848. He professed faith in Christ in youth, or early manhood, at a camp-meeting held at Bethesda Campground, under the ministry of the Revs. Isaac Bonham and William B. Dawson. Soon thereafter he joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Conversion with him was a realization so clear and vivid that he ever afterward spoke of it with such strong assurance that it left no room for doubts. The pathetic manner in which he often referred to his lost condition, and then his recovery by grace, was always interesting. He possessed an impulsive temperament, yet he was a genial and kind companion. He especially loved his friends.

He was taken under the care of the Knoxville Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry, Oct. 2, 1844; was united in marriage with Miss Martha Rhea by the Rev. J. B. Dobson, D.D., in Greene County, Tennessee, July 28, 1849; was set apart to the whole work of the gospel ministry Sept. 29, 1849. The Rev. W. B. Dawson preached the ordination sermon, and the Rev. J. B. Dobson, D.D., presided and gave the charge. For a short time he edited a paper in Greeneville, Tenn. From there he moved to Benton, Polk County, where he served as principal of the Benton High School for a term of years. He was dismissed by letter from the Knoxville Presbytery April 9, 1855, and then united with the Ocoee Presbytery. In the meantime he preached on Saturdays and Sundays to different congregations, frequently supplying two or three of them as pastor. He was a teacher by profession--that is, he mainly made his support that way--yet he was alike delighted and at ease in the pulpit and in the altar over the inquirer for light and pardon.

When the late war arose between the States of the Union he warmly espoused the cause of the South. Some time during the struggle he moved to Homer, Banks County, Ga., where he remained till after peace was made. He then moved to Sonora, Gordon County, Ga., where he united with the Georgia Presbytery in 1867. He there spent several years teaching school and preaching. He left a lasting impression for good on all classes, but especially among the young people his name is a household word till to-day. He was passionately fond of his scholars. They were objects of his fervent prayers, and also had his special counsel; therefore God honored him with the privilege of witnessing the conversion of hundreds of them. There were times in his ministry when the force of his logic and the powers of the Holy Ghost so accompanied his preaching that it was almost irresistible. he moved from Sonora, Ga., to Loudon, Tenn. There he took charge as teacher of the Masonic Institute. After remaining there a few years, with his usual success, he moved to Tunnel Hill, Georgia; thence to Cumming; thence to Adairsville; from there to Calhoun, Ga. These respective localities not offering sufficient inducements in the way of permanency for schools, he remained but a short time at either of them. He was again called back to Benton, Tenn., to take charge of the school there. He again joined the Ocoee Presbytery. He remained in Benton a few years, and then moved to Branchville, Ala. There he united with the Springville Presbytery, and was elected chairman of the Committee on Examination of Candidates for the ministry in said Presbytery.

He was honored as a commissioner from the Georgia Presbytery to the General Assembly at Lebanon, Tenn., in 1878. He also had a like honor from the Springville Presbytery in 1881, which met in Nashville, Tenn. For many years he had been a faithful advocate of the temperance cause.

Finally, he moved to Trenton, Ga., and was teaching in the Masonic Institute there when he ended his weary pilgrimage. After a brief illness with what was thought to be pneumonia fever in a severe form, he departed this life at 6:39 P.M., March 10, 1884, in the sixty-first year of his age. He fell with his armor on. He left a wife and sic children and many kind friends to mourn their loss. All the children are grown; four of them are married. We trust they are all striving to meet their father and each other on the shining shore above.

Much could justly be written in praise of the many noble, Christian traits of our departed brother. His death has caused dark shadows to fall on his home, his Church, and the ministry; yet he has left a shining light in his life for us all. It may truly be said; "A great man in Israel has fallen." His remains were carried to Tunnel Hill, Ga., and after a funeral discourse, delivered by the writer, attended by a large concourse of friends, on the 11th of March, 1884, with Masonic honors, he was interred there to rest till the Master comes; for Jesus has promised, "And they shall walk with me in white." Well, we can afford to say, Sweet be thy rest, and peace be to thy dust, till Jesus comes. Dear husband, father, and brother, adieu till then.

[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, August 14, 1884, page 2]

1854
J. L. Milburn Greenville, Tenn.
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - East Tennessee Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1854, page 89]

1868
J. L. Milburn, Calhoun, Ga.
Minister - Georgia Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1868, page 102]

1869
J. L. Milburn, Loudon, Tenn.
Minister - Hiwassee Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1869, page 80]

1870
J. L. Milburn, Loudon, Tenn.
Minister - Hiwassee Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1870, page 75]

1874
Milburn, J. L., Calhoun, Ga.
Minister - Georgia Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1874, page 99]

1875
Milburn, J. L., Benton, Tenn.
Minister - Georgia Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1875, page 77]

1876
Milburn, J. L., Benton, Tenn.
Minister - Georgia Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1876, page 87]

1877
Milburn, J. L., Benton, Tenn.
Minister - Georgia Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1877, page 82]

1878
Milburn, J. L., Benton, Tenn.
Minister - Georgia Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
Commissioner to General Assembly in Lebanon, Tennessee, May 16-23, 1878.
Served on the Committee on the Records of Colorado Synod.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1878, pages 4, 8 & 90]

1879
Milburn, J. L., Benton, Tenn.
Minister - Georgia Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1879, page 86]

1880
Milburn, J. L., Benton, Tenn.
Minister - Ocoee Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1880, page 119]

1882
Milburn, J. L., Branchville, Ala.
Minister - Springville Presbytery - Synod of Alabama
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1882, page 125]

1883
Milburn, J. L., Branchville, Ala.
Minister - Springville Presbytery - Synod of Alabama
Commissioner to General Assembly in Nashville, Tennessee, May 17-24, 1883
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1883, pages, 3 & 133]

1884
Deceased Ministers
Springville Presbytery - J. L. Milburn - March 10, 1884
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1884, page 28]