Bio: William Austin Miller, Bienville & Morehouse Parish Louisiana
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana
The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville,  1890
Submitted by: Kay Thompson Brown



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WILLIAM AUSTIN MILLER

In any worthy history of this parish, the name that heads this sketch will
always be given an enviable place among its leading citizens and its self-made
men. He is the sole proprietor of the cotton warehouse in Arcadia, and has
been for the past five and one-half years, being otherwise interested in the
enterprises which go to make the flourishing little city of Arcadia what it
is.  He was born in Indiana, May 8, 1889, being the younger of two children
born to his parents, the elder child being Sarah E., the wife of B. Ho]mes, a
grocer, of Jeffersonville, Ind.  Their father was born in Kentucky, in 1811,
being a general merchant hy occupation, and although he has attained to the
advanced age of seventy-nine years, he yet enjoys quite good health.  His wife
was a Virginian, and is deceased.  

Capt. Wil]iam A. Miller attended school in the primitive structures of the
Hoosier State, but afterward became a student at Jeffersonville and
Leavenworth, finally taking a higher course at Robinson Academy, near
Nashville, Tenn., where be obtained a good, practical education by his own
hard study and application.  He has always been a warm friend of education,
and gives generously of his means in the support of enterprises of that
nature. When twenty years of age he began merchandising for himself, in
Morehouse Parish, La., but at that time his capital was very small, but
notwithstanding this fact, he kept diligently to work, and at the end of two
years had accumulated some money.  

Upon the opening of the Rebellion, he gave up this work, to join the Morehouse
Stars, which was 120 strong, and this company was attached to the Twelfth
Louisiana Infantry Volunteers, and was assigned to the Army of Tennessee. The
first brigade general was Villepigne, who was killed, then Col. Scott, who was
afterward promoted to brigadier.general. Mr. Miller was in the following
engagements: Baker's Creek, the five weeks' engagement around Vicksburg,
Jackson, Miss., Port Hudson, Resaca, Dalton, New Hope, Lookout Mountain,
Atlanta, Kenesaw Mountain and Peach Tree Creek.  Capt. Miller entered the
ranks as a private, but was first promoted to orderly sergeant, serving as
such fourteen months, next to second lieutenant.  During his service he
received not the slightest wound, and was never taken prisoner.  His company
was disbanded at Greensboro, N. C., and returned to Louisiana. 

In 1864 he was married to Miss Sallie P. Thomas, a native of South Carolina,
their marriage taking place April 3.  She was educated in Judson Institute,
Marion, Ala, and two children blessed her union with Capt. Miller: G. B. (who
died at the age of two years), and Mary E. (Who resides with her father, and
is attending the Arcadia Female college).

The Captain has always been a Democrat, and Hon. John Bell, of Tennessee,
received his first vote for the presidency.  He is a Master Mason, a member of
the K. of P., and also belongs to the A. L. of H.  He and his wife are ardent
members of the Missionary Baptist church at Arcadia, and do all in their power
to assist worthy enterprises.  

Capt. Miller is a land owner in Fordia, as well as in Louisiana, and has a
neat, comfortable and pleasant residence int he southwestern part of Arcadia. 
For years he was clerk and captain on a steamboat, on the Ouachita River and
Bayou Bartholomew, and is now vice president of the Arcadia State Bank, an
enterprising establishment, just inaugurated under very favorable auspices,
with a full corps of able and efficient officers, with a paid in capital of
$30,000.