UNKNOWN COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA - BIOGRAPHY - Branch Knox MILLER

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Contributed to The USGenWeb Archives by:
 Mike Miller   (mike_m@exch.deq.state.la.us)
 August 1998

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MILLER, Branch K., Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller

Miller, Branch Knox, brilliantly successful attorney, now deceased, late
residence, 1427 Eighth street, New Orleans, La., was born in that city in
the year 1857.  His ancestors in America were among the original Dutch
settlers of New Amsterdam (New York), from whence some representatives of
the family migrated to the state of South Carolina, in which locality the
paternal grandfather of Branch Knox Miller was born.  The grandfather
subsequently became a distinguished lawyer of the New Orleans bar, but
during the early part of his residence in Louisiana he served for a time as
district attorney of that district composed of the Florida parishes.  The
late Justice Henry Carlton Miller, father of Branch Knox Miller, was,
during many years one of the foremost members of the Louisiana bar, and
attained added distinction as the maker of the first Reporter's Decisions
of the Louisiana supreme court.  At the time of his death, Judge Miller was
one of the associate justices of the supreme court of the state.  Justice
Miller is elsewhere referred to in this work.  He married Miss Louisa Knox,
daughter of Thomas B. Knox, of St. Landry parish, and representative of a
distinguished Louisiana family.  In the course of acquiring a very complete
education, Branch Knox Miller attended Roanoke college, Va.  Later he also
attended Vanderbilt university, Nashville, Tenn., and when his academic
education had been completed, returned home to take up the study of law in
his father's office.  In 1879 he graduated from the law department of the
University of Louisiana, now Tulane, in the honorable position of
valedictorian of his class.  Shortly thereafter he was taken into
partnership with his father and Mr. Finney, and began the practice of law
as a member of the firm of Miller, Finney & Miller, this afterward noted
firm being then composed of Judge Henry Carlton Miller, the late Hon. John
J. Finney, and Branch Knox Miller--indeed, a distinguished firm.  Branch
Knox Miller remained a member of this firm until the death of Mr. Finney,
when the firm was dissolved.  During some years thereafter, Mr. Miller
practiced alone.  In the early 80's he filled, during a period of 3 years,
the position of assistant district attorney, under Hon. John J. Finney, and
subsequently became an assistant city attorney, under Judge Walter H.
Rogers.  This latter office he occupied during four years, at the
expiration of which time it became necessary that he devote his undivided
attention to the requirements of his very large private practice in civil
and corporation law.  Later he was induced to serve as attorney for the
board of liquidation of the city debt, and after some time was succeeded in
this connection by the firm of Miller, Dufour & Dufour, of which he was the
senior member.  As attorney for this board he won especial distinction by
defeating large numbers of old drainage warrants issued in reconstruction
times.  He was successful in all but one of these cases, the exception
being the noted Warner case.  Again, the litigation in which the back pay
of the teachers of the New Orleans public schools was involved, gave Mr.
Miller an opportunity for the exercise of his exceptional abilities, and in
this celebrated case, too, he was successful.  Even though his sympathies
were with the teachers, his position as a lawyer compelled him to take a
stand antagonistic to their claims.  He fought this long-drawn-out case for
the board of liquidation, and finally won it about a year previous to his
death.  The defeat of the proposed merger of the sewerage and drainage
boards was, however, Mr. Miller's greatest public victory.  This occurred
during the general assembly of the state in 1902.  He fought this measure
on the ground that it was unconstitutional.  It was passed, however, and
signed by the governor, immediately becoming a law.  The fight against it
was carried by Mr. Miller into the district courts, and when a decision
against him was rendered here, he took the case to the supreme court, where
the victory was won.  He was devoted to his profession, and as a
practitioner had very few superiors.  His keen sense of justice, innate and
unerring conception of what was right, fine discrimination in reading human
nature, and, finally, his accurate and exhaustive knowledge of the law,
made him a recognized power among able lawyers.  His logical mind and
tenacity of purpose won many a ease that was considered well-nigh hopeless.
He was a conscientious and tireless worker, and his untimely death was
very probably brought about by overtaxing his physical and mental
capacities, great though these were.  Mr. Miller was quiet and composed in
manner, with an expressive countenance, yet capable of great reserve.  His
bearing was always impressive, and was unmistakably stamped with directness
of character and loftiness of purpose.  He was fond of art and literature,
but allowed himself only a limited indulgence in these, as a recreation,
his mind being chiefly centered upon his profession.  He was favored with a
personality remarkably attractive, and ornamented with a politeness and
suavity that spoke eloquently of a superior character and drew to him an
unusually large circle of friends.  He was popular as a club member, and
was also identified with some of the Carnival organizations, but at the
time of his death he was a member of the Boston club only.  As a young man,
Mr. Miller took considerable interest in politics, but other than those in
the district and city attorney's offices he never held or sought a
political position, though he wielded a powerful influence in the uptown
districts and was generally looked upon as a fit and deserving leader.
During a number of years he was attorney for the Canal-Louisiana Bank &
Trust Co., and for the Citizens' bank, both of New Orleans.  Mr. Miller was
a communicant of the Roman Catholic church, and was as prominent in
charitable circles as he was conspicuous in his profession.  In 1884 Mr.
Miller was married to Miss Alice Generes, daughter of a distinguished New
Orleans family, and 1 daughter, namely, Alice, was born to their union.
Mr. Miller died at his home in New Orleans, Sept. 23, 1906.  For
information in regard to other members of Mr. Miller's family, see sketch
of his father, Justice Henry Carlton Miller, elsewhere in this work.  Mr.
Miller's portrait now occupies a place among those of eminent lawyers and
jurists in the gallery of the supreme court of Louisiana, where also hangs
a portrait of his distinguished father.

Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 797-799.  Edited
by Alc e Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.



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