Adams County IN Archives History - Books .....Chapter IV Mathias Miller, Sr. 1896 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 17, 2007, 6:50 pm Book Title: Reminiscences Of Adams, Jay And Randolph Counties CHAPTER IV. D. C. Mathias Miller., Sr., was born June 28th, 1821, in the Province of Rhine, Prussia. My mother died when I was seven years old and father died when 1 was fourteen years old. In the year 1838 I learned the turner and chair making trade and worked steady on the trade till 1840, after which I left my home and started for America, on October 12th. I left Haver with the United States ship Tallahasse for New Orleans, La., and arrived there on December 1st, 1840. There was a great time there that day I arrived. Everybody was hurrahing for Tip and Taylor. I was very much pleased with the city of New Orleans. I never saw so many oranges and lemons before nor ever afterwards. A person would think they were in Paradise seeing such beautiful fruit. Well, after taking the sights in at New Orleans, the next day I took a steam boat for Madison, Indiana. It took thirteen days to come to Madison, Ind., from New Orleans, La., and the fare was very cheap, which was only $4.00 for a thirteen days' ride. Then from Madison, Ind., to Decatur, Ind., I traveled afoot through snow, mud and bad roads. It took me seven days to reach Decatur. The journey was awful hard, for I was a green Dutch man; nevertheless I was not in the least discouraged, for the people were very sociable and kind to me, which pleased me very much. I had plenty of money and therefore I had the best of board, but when I came to .settle my board bill up and they refused to take any pay you may believe I never offered the second. I thought to myself, so much the more in my pocket-book, and I thought they must have pitied me then when I wanted to pay them I would show my pocket-book, for it would be no use to talk to them, for they could not understand German, and they would answer by shaking their head no, and saying nicks, nicks. Many a time I think about this and must laugh over it. I know if I could talk English I could get acquainted with the girls very easy. The places where I remained over night the girls would not leave me go to bed unless they would say Dutchman sing Dutch, and you may believe I gave them a song in Dutch that was clear out of sight. The songs I still remember and think I will as long as I live. That was the only English I could understand when the girls said Dutch sing Dutch, so therefore I will never forget those English words. When I arrived at Decatur I found Brother John and Sister Margaret here. There were very few inhabitants here at that time. Mr. Samuel L. Rugg, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. John Closs, Mr. James Niblick, Samuel Patterson, James Patterson, Nicholas Fitick, Frederick Tyler, Harry Scott, John Lahr, Jacob Huffer, William and Front are the names of whom I can remember when I came to Decatur. There was a frame Court House and a log jail here at that time. The names of the officers at that time were Samuel L. Rugg, Postmaster George A. Dent, Jacharia Smith and Mr. Randell. I don't remember all their names. At that time there were three judges whose names were Cillgore, Evans and Elzie. Lawyers came from a far distance to attend to court on horseback. The people don't need to complain now that live here at the present time. Everything is improved wonderfully since I came, but it was a hard-looking place when I came first, but I was well pleased any way and am better satisfied now. I left Decatur in 1842 and went to Ohio to work on the canal, where Spencerville and Delphos stands now, which was all a wilderness at that time. Also worked on the canal between Fort Wayne and Fort Defiance, Ohio, in 1844. I went to Monroeville, Huron County, Ohio, and drove team until 1851. From there I went to Europe. I left New York April 9th, 1851, and arrived at Haver in France after a voyage on the sea of twent-two days. From there I went to my native home, which took me two days. After remaining for months I returned to my adopted country on September 14th, 1851. I could not get married there because I had lost my rights, as I was considered an American citizen, so I got angry and she and I (my best girl) left for America and arrived in New York October 11th, 1851. Her parents were perfectly willing for us to be married, so we got married in New York on October 13th, 1851, in the Catholic church without the civil laws of Prussia. We did not run there to ask every Tom, Dick and Harry in order to get married in New York. Soon after I wrote to the old country that my wife was Americanized and lived in a free country. After our marriage the next day we started for Decatur, but not afoot; and moved on our farm three miles south of town. We lived there until March, 1853. From there we moved to Monroeville, Ohio. There I was at my old place again and remained there until the spring of 1857, and then returned to our farm again in Decatur, Ind. I enlisted in the United States army August 15th, 1862, for three years or until discharged, in Company R, Regiment 89, Indiana Volunteer Infantry. I was in the battle of Mompfordville, Ky., September 14th and 16th, 1862. I stood guard during that battle; also was in the battle of Fort De Russa, Louisana; also the battle of Pleasant Hill, La., on April 9th, 1864, where I was severely wounded and was sent to Jackson barracks hospital, near New Orlean, Louisana. Was in the hospital about two weeks and afterwards they sent me to Memphis, Tenn, in the Overton hospital. Was kept there till August 15th, 1864, then was sent to Jefferson barracks, Mo. They kept me there and then discharged me December 19th, 1864, on account of a gun shot wound in the left shoulder and the loss of the use of my left arm, received in the battle of Pleasant Hill, La. After my discharge I went home and found my wife and five little children all well. A few days after I got home was Christmas and it was a very happy one. When the paymaster paid me in St. Louis, Mo., he asked me what kind of a road there was from Fort Wayne to Decatur. I told him a mud road. He wanted to know if there was an omnibus running there, but I did not know for I was afraid and had to foot it again like I often did before, but I had good luck and got a ride from Mr. August LaBrun from French Township in Fort Wayne, and he gave me a ride in his wagon. So this is all I can write for I am 75 years old. If I was younger I could write more, and another thing, I never went to an English school so therefore it is hard work for me and my spelling needs correction. Decatur, Ind. MR. MATHIAS MILLER, Sen. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Reminiscences of Adams, Jay and Randolph Counties Compiled by Martha C. M. Lynch Ft. Wayne, IN: Lipes, Nelson & Singmaster Circa 1896 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/adams/history/1896/reminisc/chapteri470gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 7.3 Kb