http://www.rootsweb.com/~indecatu/Pioneer.Miller.html
I thought this might help. Janet ISLEY Price
Decature Co. IN
GREENSBURG STANDARD
Friday January 4, 1907
THE PIONEERS
Our Oldest Citizens, Who Made This Country
What It Is
A FARMER, EX-COUNTY OFFICIAL, CIVIL WAR VETERAN
EIGHTY YEARS OF AGE
WILLIAM L. MILLER
A biographical sketch of Ex-County Treasurer William L. Miller not only
presents to the readers of THE STANDARD, a man
extensively and favorably known, but it is a chapter connecting the
history of the present with the past. Mr. Miller has
been all of his nearly eighty years of life, except his first two years,
a citizen of Decatur county, and he comes of a
historic family that deserves more than a passing mention of this
article. He is of Scotch-Irish stock, transplanted from
Pennsylvania to Kentucky, whence his parents came to Indiana in 1829.
His grandfather, William Miller, was a soldier under
Washington, and while in camp at Valley Forge, that dreary winter of
1777-8, he, on a foraging expedition in the hills of
Pennsylvania, found a bee tree and took a mass of the honey to his
commander-in-chief, whose words of personal
thanks were proudly remembered by him till his dying day. His mother was
Jane Lee, and with just pride a relationship is
claimed with that historic family, the Lees of Virginia. His grandmother
Lee lived near the Old Red Stone Fort, on
Monongahelia river, not far from the junction of the two mountain
streams that form the Ohio. She distinctly remembered
seeing the British and American troops under General Braddock and
Colonel Washington proudly march by her father's
cabin, on their way to the terrible disaster known in history as
Braddock's defeat. She was then fourteen years of age.
She came to Indiana with her daughter, and died at the age of ninety
years, at the Miller's homestead in Decatur county.
Mr. Miller had three uncles that served in the war of 1812-- Alexander
Miller, Joseph Miller and William Lee. A number of
old letters and papers that would show much light on the family history
were kept in an old trunk in the log cabin on the
Montgomery farm, and destroyed by rats as late as in the seventies.
William Lee Miller, the subject of this sketch, was born in Flemming
county, Kentucky, October 28, 1827, on a farm about
two miles from Flemmingsburg. His parents, William T. Miller and Jane
Lee arrived in Decatur county, Indiana, November 1,
1829, and settled four miles northeast of Greensburg, on land now owned
by John T. Meek. His father died in 1857, and
his mother in 1869. The family consisted of seven children; Eliza Miller
McWilliams, the mother of Eph McWilliams; Rachel
Miller Meek, the mother of ex-Sheriff Taylor Meek; Martha Miller Rankin;
Mary Miller Weed; William L. Miller; John Miller,
a
prominent young attorney who died at Versailles in 1859, and Isabella
Miller, who died at the age of twelve.
Mr. Miller was married May 5, 1869, to Mrs. Julia A. Wilson, who died
May 9, 1872, leaving one child, Pearl May Miller,
who
married Edward Hamilton, and died some ten years ago, May 31, 1896. He
was again married January 24, 1884 to Mrs.
Elizabeth E. Lanham. To this union one child has been born, William J.
Miller, now aged twenty-two years. Mr. Miller's
business has been essentially that of a farmer. He inherited a farm from
his father, but he added to this by purchase till
he owned a half section, three hundred and twenty acres in a body, on
the Kingston road, the best land in the county,
being much of it burr oak land, which is superior for corn. In 1866 he
was elected county treasurer and filled the office
two terms with credit to himself and satisfaction to the public. In 1870
he went back to his farm where he continued a
profitable business till he came to this city in October, 1899, and
purchased the William Thomas residence on North
Broadway, where he has since lived in retirement and at his ease. He
still owns one hundred and sixty acres on the
Kingston road, just south of the Miller homestead, known as the old
"Mike" Montgomery farm. In 1872 Mr. Miller met with
a financial loss that forced him to sell one quarter section of his
land. It grew out of a liability for a security debt which
amounted to $12,000 and interest, and another debt of $3,500, of which
he saved about $700-all of which he paid.
But William L. Miller's record as a soldier is the most interesting
chapter of his life's history, and to describe it in detail
would be to write a thrilling narrative. He enlisted at Greensburg,
August 15, 1862, for three years, and at the age of
nearly thirty-five was enrolled as a private in Company C, Seventh
Regiment of Indiana infantry. He afterwards served as
sergeant in his company. The historv of the "Old Seventh" is familiar to
all. It was at first commanded by Col. Dumont,
afterwards by Col Gavin, and later by Col. Ira G. Grover. The regiment
participated in the bloodiest battles of the war in
the East. It fought at Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg,
Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, and
other noted battlefields of the civil war. Sergeant Miller was with his
regiment and in the thickest of the carnage. He was
severely wounded in the left side at the battle of the Wilderness. His
life was saved almost miraculously by a small
pocket dictionary and his watch, which turned the course of the deadly
minnie ball. He preserves the book, the watch
and the bullet as much prized relics. He was discharged from the service
in front of Petersburg, in October, 1864.
Mr. Miller is a Royal Arch Mason. He is a member of the Presbyterian
church, and of the "Pap" Thomas Grand Army Post
No. 5, of this city. Mr. Miller is a Republican, but not an offensive
partisan. He is very popular wherever known and counts
his friends by the list of his acquaintances. He is a good
conversationtist, and especially an interesting talker when it
comes to old reminiscences. He knows all of the old pioneers, and
recalls the first house built for his father by John B.
Trimble and John Montgomery, carpenters of the early day. Mr. Miller's
farm is under the immediate care of his son,
William J. Miller. He is comfortably located and has contentedly set
down to enjoy the evening of his life as befits one
whose career has been active, honorable and useful.
Gloria21351(a)aol.com wrote:
Would anyone have information on a Virginia Catherine Miller born in 1919 and
married a Earl DeVaughn Davis. Had a son name Garry and one named James. Any
information would sure be appreicated. Thanks.