Dade County, Missouri Biographies-S. N. MCMILLEN

History Of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade And Barton Counties, Missouri, 1889. 
Published by Goodspeed, 1889; Pgs. 829, 830

S. N. McMillen, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Washington Township, 
was born in Hardeman County, W. Tenn., in 1833, and is the son of Robert D. 
and Mary (Neely) McMillen.  Robert D. McMillen was born near Knoxville, 
Tenn., in May, 1794, and after living in different parts of Tennessee, 
he moved with his parents to Mississippi, and was married in Monroe Couty, 
of that State, in 1823, to Miss Neely.  After marriage he removed to 
Hardeman County, Tenn., and in 1836 returned to Mississippi.  One year later
he came to what is now Dade County, settling in a small log cabin near South
Greenfield, and there improved a good farm.  He died there in 1868.  All was
wild and unbroken when he settled in Dade County, wild game was plentiful, 
and the nearest doctor was in Greene County.  They were obliged to go to 
Springfield to mill, and the nearest postoffice was at Bolivar.  Mr. 
McMillen handled a great deal of stock.  Mrs. Mary M. (Neely) McMillen was
born in Tennessee, and died when the subject of this sketch was but an 
infant.  Of the eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. McMillen, six are still
living.  After the death of his wife, Robert D. McMillen took for his second
wife Miss Minerva Anderson, who died in Dade County, Mo., in 1844.  He then
married Mrs. Permelia Ann Thaxton, who died in 1868.  S. N. McMillen was 
reared in the wilds of Dade County, and owing to the scarcity of schools, 
never attended but a few months.  He began for himself at the age of 
twenty-two or twenty-three, and in 1855 went with an exploring expedition
through New Mexico and Oklahoma.  In 1857 he went with others to Choctaw 
Nation, purchased cattle, and drove them to California, the trip taking 
108 days.  In 1858 he returned to Missouri, where he and another man 
purchased a large number of sheep, and started for Texas, but near Fort 
Smith he was taken sick and returned to Missouri.  In 1862 he was made 
second lieutenant of a company of Enrolled Missouri Militia, was captured
the same day and paroled.  He soon after considered it unsafe to remain at
home, and went at once to Rolla, where he was engaged as a teamster for the
Government to transfer supplies from Rolla to different points.  This he 
continued for eighteen months, when his health failed.  He then went to 
Leavenworth, made one trip with freight to Denver, Colo., in 1864, and 
returned in 1865.  In July of the last named year, Mr. McMillen married 
Miss Sarah A., daughter of Archibald and Patsey Morris, natives of Robertson
County, Tenn., who came to Dade County, Mo., in 1843.  Here Mrs. Morris died
in 1888.  Mr. Morris is still living, and is seventy-five years of age.  
To Mr. and Mrs. McMillen were born eight children, two sons and three 
daughters now living.  After marriage Mr. McMillen rented land for a few 
years, and then settled on the old home farm, where he now has 255 acres 
of good land, mostly the result of his own labor.  He was president of the
school board near South Greenfield, for a number of years, was his party's 
choice for public administrator in 1888, but was defeated with the rest of
the Democratic party.  He was a Whig previous to the war, but since then he
has affiliated with the above party.  His first vote was cast for Mr. 
Fillmore, in 1856.  Mr. McMillen is one of the few who have lived in Dade
County fifty-two years, and has witnessed the marvelouos growth of the 
country in that time.  He was reared almost among the Indians.  His 
grandfather, William McMillen, was a native of Scotland, and came to 
America when young.  While a soldier in the War of 1812, he was captured
by the Indians, and retained a prisoner three and a half years. His family,
which was then living in Tennessee, supposed him dead, and were greatly 
surprised when he returned to them and related his experiences with the 
Indians.  He died in Tennessee.  He married Miss Mary Doak in 1792.

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