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| John T. Miller—A Family Legend by Shirley Miller Dunn My father urged me to sit down with him at the dining room table. It was Christmas day, and the smell of turkey still lingered throughout the house. I was reminded of the many times we had gathered around that dining room table before. I sat beside him, and he opened a large brown envelope filled with family photos and small keepsakes he cherished. “I want to show you something,” he said, while gently removing an old, yellowed photo with torn edges, “This is your great-grandfather, John T. Miller.” My eyes opened widely and I was pleasantly surprised. It was at that moment that I saw the similar resemblances between us; namely, my father, my grandfather, and myself. It was though I was looking in a mirror at clones, spanning four generations, and curiosity overwhelmed me. The resemblance was undeniable, and for the first time in my life, I wanted to know more about the man in the photo. John T. Miller was born April 18, 1845, in Fredricksburg, Osage County, Missouri. His father, Isaac Miller was the son of an Irish immigrant named James Miller who came to America after 1795 from County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. John’s mother was Narcissa Shockley, and she appears to have died before her only son’s second birthday. On May 09, 1847, Isaac Miller married secondly to Elizabeth Wolf in Osage County, Missouri. She died before 1854 when Isaac married Elizabeth’s sister, Mary Wolf and they would care for John until age 15, at which time he enrolled in the Osage County Home Guards on April 2, 1861. Later that year, John enrolled as a private on September 5, 1861 and mustered into service with the 5th Iowa Cavalry, Company M (known as the Osage Rifles) at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri. He must have felt strongly about the Union cause because he appears to have joined without his father’s knowledge. Little did John know it would be the last time he would ever see his father again. On December 21, 1861, Isaac Miller commissioned the following letter to be written to the War Department in Washington D. C.: State of Missouri Osage County Before me the undersigned, a justice of the peace, within and for said County personally came Isaac Miller, a resident of Osage County, State of the aforesaid, and being duly sworn accordingly to Law states that he is the Father of John T. Miller who enlisted under Capt. J. K. Kidd—in Col. Ellis’ regiment of Cavalry on or about the 5th day of September, 1861 and that his said son John entered said service without his approbation or without his consent, that his said son John is under the age of nineteen years and that he the said Isaac Miller has never at any time given his written or verbal consent to any military or other officer to his said son entering into the Military Service of the United States. He further states that he the said Isaac Miller is now and for some time has been sick and infirm and cannot attend to his necessary business without the aid and assistance of his said son John and asks that he be discharged and sent home. He further states that when he last heard from his son he was at the St. Louis Arsenal under the command of the said Capt. J. K. Kidd. Subscribed and sworn before me this 21 day of December 1861 and further I state I have lived for nineteen years a near neighbor to the said Isaac Miller and believe his statements in regard to the age of his son and of his own health and circumstances are true and that this application is made in sincerity and truth for the causes herein stated. George Hopkins Justice of the Peace Osage County, Missouri Isaac was truly ill and died from a lung disease the following year at the young age of 43. John would not return home from the service until 4 years, 6 months, and 11 days later. One can only imagine the sorrow and grief that filled his heart, upon returning home to find his father had died. In 1882, John T. Miller writes the first of many correspondence to the Commissioner of Pensions in Washington D.C. He stated he was 5’ 8” tall, with a light complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. He declares that he was wounded by a gunshot in the leg at Rattlesnake Gap, GA., and in the chest at Peach Tree Creek, GA., he lost some of his hearing in a battle at Pittsburgh Landing, TN, April 6th, 1862, while he was on a gunboat and in close proximity to a cannon being heavily fired. On January 1st, 1862, he contracted small pox and was sent to the Small Pox Hospital on an island in the Mississippi near the St. Louis Arsenal. Many ill soldiers were sent to the island and died there. Deceased soldiers were buried in mass graves. Later, officials ordered their remains removed and reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, but many of them didn’t get reburied. Before they could be removed, some remains had been washed away during flooding of the Mississippi River. However, my great grandfather survived and from Crocker, Missouri he requested that the government increase his pension on July 26, 1921, and he wrote: To the comishinger on pentions Dear Sir. I will give you a statement on my survice on the civil war. I joined the home gards Osage co. Mo on the 2 day of April 1861, co. A. Capt Harris was my captain. I surved in that co 5 months and 4 days. I went to the wilson creak battle whar Gen Lines was kiled We drove the rebels back to pe ridge, Mo then we was sent back home then they wanted volunteers 3 year or more. Duren the war I was the 2nd to stept out to fight for my country 3 years during the war. I was sent to Jeferson bares bellow St. Louis on the 5th day on September 1861. I was masterd in Co. M 5 Ioway Cav. In that I was verbal discharged at Nashville, Tennesee. Our regment was all sent to ____? And had to ____? I went into the Michigan Cav 4th in Co G. Captain van? Tharp? was my capt in that company. While on Shermans march to the sea there in Gorgy we captured Jef Davis . I surved in that company until July 27. From the time I left my fathers house, my father was in the state army and died in the army on November the 2nd, 1862. John T. Miller After returning home from the Civil War, John started a family and married three times. He married Mary Ann Wilson in 1865, and she died in 1868. Secondly, he married Serena Caldwell in 1870, and she died in April 1875. He had one daughter named Mary from one of the previous marriages. He later married Mary Francis Douglass, born in Gasconade Co., Missouri on October 23, 1858, in Pulaski Co., Missouri on July 30, 1875. Mary’s father disowned her for marrying a man much older than herself (15 years her senior); however, their marriage lasted until they parted in death. During their remaining years together, Mary would have to care for him. On August 1, 1931, she wrote to the Veteran’s Administration, requesting a pay increase to assist with the costs incurred for additional care of her elderly husband: My husband is 90 years old and has had to have someone to see after him. He runs of and we have to wach him and he has lost his mind. He cannot feed himself or dress himself or wait on the calls of nature. He threatens to kill himself and others about him. I took him to see Dr Murphy at Richland (Missouri) and he told me he was intitled to $125. He said my husband has a catrack in both eyes. At times is so hard and I have to keep a girl and boy here to help care for him. Truly, Mrs. John T. Miller John T. Miller died the following year and his obituary was published in The Crocker News, Crocker, Pulaski County, Missouri, on July 9, 1932: Obituary John T. Miller, an aged and long time resident of this vicinity, passed away at his home southeast of Crocker Saturday at the age of 92 years, 2 months and 13 days. He was united in marriage to Mary Douglas, July 30, 1875, and to this union seven children were born, all of whom survive him. They are Mrs. S. B. Neander of Swedeborg, Mrs. Wood Carver of Waynesville, Mrs. Len Peterson, Walter (my grandfather) and William of Rockport, Ill, Robert of St. Louis, and Everett of Crocker. He also leaves a daughter by a former marriage, Mrs. Mary Manes of Swedeborg. He also leaves two brothers and one sister besides other relatives and a host of friends to mourn his passing Mr. Miller united with the Baptist church at an early age and remained firm in that faith until death. He was a veteran of the Civil War, enlisting April 5, 1861, and was discharged October 31, 1865, after more than four and one-half years in the union army. Funeral services were conducted at the Crocker cemetery Sunday afternoon by Rev. Chas. H. Moneymaker, with the local Legion Post assisting. Crocker News. His obituary was an understatement of his sacrifice to our country. He received full military honors at his burial, the Veterans Administration paid $1.35 for a flag, but I had expected more. I had hoped to honor him by writing this report; however, I end it with the famous words of Abraham Lincoln who said it best when he delivered his historical speech at the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work that they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. ABRAHAM LINCOLN November 19, 1863 |
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| John T. Miller Circa 1925 |
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