BIO: William E. Miller, Cumberland County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/ ______________________________________________________________________ History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania. Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc. Illustrated. Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1886. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm ______________________________________________________________________ PART II. HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA. CHAPTER XXXVIII. BOROUGH OF CARLISLE. 386 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. CAPT. WILLIAM E. MILLER. Abraham Miller came to this country in 1738, and settled in Lebanon County, Penn. He laid out what was formerly Millerstown, but is now known as Annville. During his residence there he was engaged as an iron master. He came to Cumberland County about 1765, purchased lands in Allen Township, along the Yellow Breeches Creek, where he built mills, and near which he resided. One of these, a fulling-mill, remains standing at the present day. He served as a soldier during the Revolutionary war. He married Rebecca Epwright, of Harrisburg, an English lady by birth, by whom he had six sons and one daughter. His sixth son, Abraham, was born at and became possessor of the homestead. His wife was Elizabeth Boyer, a daughter of Frederick Augustus Boyer, a German by birth, who took degrees at Heidelberg, and who also served as a soldier during the revolution. Abraham, the younger, had five sons and two daughters. Andrew G., the father of the subject of this sketch, was born at the old homestead in 1811. He became a merchant. During the years 1869- 71, he served his district (the eighteenth) in the Senate of the State. He married Eleanor Umberger, whose paternal ancestor, John Leonard Umberger, came to this country in the ship "Hope" in 1732. He had six children: William E., Mary, John R., Ellen, Henrietta M. and Andrew G. Mary, died in infancy; John R. and A. G., both graduated at Princeton, and are now practicing lawyers at the Carlisle bar; Ellen, married H. Lee Snyder, an officer of the United States Navy, by whom she had two children: Richard Henry Lee and George McKnight; Henrietta, married George Bridges, of Shippensburg, Penn., and has one son - John; John R., married Caroline O. Rankin, a daughter of Dr. William Rankin, of Shippensburg, Penn., and had one daughter, who died in infancy, and one son - Hugh Rankin; A. G., married Jane Kennedy, a daughter of Joseph Kennedy, of Shippensburg. William E., the eldest son, was born at West Hill, Cumberland County, February 5, 1836. He was reared on the farm, and owing to the limited means of his parents and to the fact that his father was a great invalid for many years, he received but a limited common school education. Young Miller showed a fondness for military life in his youth, and at the age of sixteen joined a military horse company, known as the "Big Spring Adamantine Guards," which company was organized in 1814, and when the war of the Rebellion broke out was among the first to tender its services to the Government, through the Governor of the State, A. G. Curtin. Cavalry was not included in the three months' call, so that the services of this company were not accepted until the later call for three years' troops was made. August 8, 1861, this troop left Newville, Cumberland County, for Washington, D. C., where, on the seventeenth of the same month, it was sworn into the United States service, in the yard in front of the war office, by Lieut. Elwood, and became Company H, Third Pennsylvania Cavalry. Up to this time William E. Miller served as a private, but was mustered into service as a second lieutenant. Owing to our limited space it is impossible to give a full account of the achievements of this officer, and we will, therefore, relate but a few of the more important events in his military career. He was one of the few officers that survived the rigid discipline at the training school of Camp Marcey during the winter of 1861-62, under Col. W. W. Averill, a graduate of West Point. In the spring of 1862 he 387 BOROUGH OF CARLISLE. accompanied his regiment to the Peninsula, and, upon the arrival of the army at Fortress Monroe, was assigned the advance to Yorktown, where he received his baptism of fire, on the same ground, where, nearly a century before, his great-grandfather closed his military career under Gen. Washington. A singular coincidence that his great-grandson should draw his sword in defense of the same Union, and on the same ground, where, nearly a century before, the great-grandfather had concluded fighting for its establishment. After leaving Yorktown Lieut. Miller's regiment again led the advance to Williamsburg, where it participated in the fight on the left under Gen. Heintzelman. Torrents of rain fell during this battle, and the night following was the essence of darkness, rainy and muddy. During this night, Lieut. Miller was summoned to Gen. Heintzelman's headquarters, and handed a dispatch with the following sententious order: "This dispatch is for Gen. McClellan. You may find him at Yorktown, or you may find him on the road between this and Yorktown, or you may find him anywhere along the line of this army, but you must find him, and a reply must be at these headquarters before daylight to-morrow." The task was accomplished, and Lieut. Miller received the congratulations of both Gens. McClellan and Heintzelman. So much, indeed, was Gen. McClellan impressed with this occurrence, that, though he never saw Miller until nineteen years afterward, he at once recognized him and recalled the circumstance. Lieut. Miller participated in all the sad scenes that followed on the Peninsula. He took an active part in the invasion of Maryland, and September 16, 1862, led Gen. Hooker's advance across Antietam Creek, and drew the first fire from the Confederate guns. During the 17th he was assigned an independent command, and acted under orders from Gen. Hooker direct. At a critical period in the battle, when Lieut. Thomas' battery was charged by Jackson's troops, Lieut. Miller came to the rescue and aided in saving the guns. For his gallantry on this occasion he was made captain, being promoted over all the first lieutenants of the regiment. In the campaign of 1863, Capt. Miller took a conspicuous part in the battles of Brandy Station, Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville; and at Gettysburg, on the 3d of July, won distinction by a gallant and timely charge, made in violation of orders, on Wade Hampton's flank, which contributed largely to the defeat of Stuart in his attempt to gain the rear of the Federal right flank. After participating in thirty-seven cavalry engagements, Capt. Miller, with his regiment, was mustered out of service August 24, 1864. In 1856 he was married to Elizabeth Ann Hocker, by whom he had two children: Caroline O. R. and Elizabeth. The later died in the spring of 1862, while he was encamped in front of Yorktown, while the former grew to womanhood and married George K. McCormick, with whom she now lives at Knoxville, Tenn. In 1859 Mrs. Miller took malignant typhoid fever, and died. June 25, 1868, Capt. Miller was again married, this time to Anna De Pui Bush, of Tioga County, Penn., a daughter of J. S. bush, a wealthy and retired lumber merchant. This lady is possessed of a considerable literary attainments and position, and is the author of a reference book, "Who and What," and many minor stories. Since the war Capt. Miller has been engaged in the hardware business at Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Penn. He is social, but retiring and modest, firm in his opinions, and unchangeable in his convictions. He is highly esteemed by his neighbors and friends, ad he was respected and admired by his comrades in arms. Some estimate may be formed of the man by the remarks made by his old commander, Gen. D. McM. Gregg, at the dedication of the cavalry shaft at Gettysburg, October 15, 1884: "Of course everybody expects to hear from Capt. Miller, whose name is so inseparably and honorably connected with our shaft. Possibly having built so well, on the very ground on which he fought so well, he will try to escape talking, which he can do well also. How pointedly he can write you can all attest." Capt. Miller takes an active part in all public enterprises; has served two terms as chief burgess of his town; was the original commander of Post 201, G. A. R.; is a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, president of the Carlisle Board of Trade, and vestryman of St. John's Episcopal Church.