Preston County, West Virginia Biography of Miles H. ORR This file was submitted by John \"Bill\" Wheeler The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The history of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago and New York, Volume II pg. 117 Miles H. Orr, an honored Union veteran of the Civil War, for half a century a farmer in the vicinity of Masontown, represents a family that was established in that part of Preston County late in the eighteenth century, and the name has been one of honorable associations in that community ever since. The great-grandfather of Miles Orr was John Orr, a native of Ireland, who came to America about 1758. His son, John Dale Orr, took part as a soldier in the American Revolution. He was with the American forces at the surrender of General Cornwallis at Yorktown. Soon after the close of the war he left McClennantown, Pennsylvania, and came to Preston County, West Virginia. establishing his home on Sand Ridge near Independence. He has cleared the land and spent the rest of his active years farming. He died about 1840, and is buried in the cemetery on Scott's Hill. His wife, Elizabeth Johns, lies beside him. Their children were: Catherine, who become the wife of Elisha Fortney, and lived in Harrison County; John, whose life was spent as a farmer in Preston County; Ruth, who became the wife of William Menear and died at Scott's Hill; Hiram, whose record follows; George, who lived near Independence and is buried on the home farm; and James, who became a Baptist minister, moved toIllinois, and died in that state. Hiram Orr was born in Preston County, near Independence, in 1803, and his effective work and most of his years were spent in the Scott's Hill locality, where he died in 1856. His wife, Keziah Memear, was born near Gladesville and died in 1845. Her father, John Memear, was a farmer and died while visiting in Ohio. Of the children Hiram Orr and wife, Maj. Uriah was an officer in the Sixth West Virginia Infantry during the Civil War, was for many years in the lumber business as a mill man and spent his last years retired at Kingswood. Martha became the wife A.B. Menear and died at Kingswood. Eugenus lived near the old homestead. Morgan D. was a Union soldier in the Third West Virginia Infantry, and spent his last days at Fairmont. Miles H. is the next in age. Keziah is Mrs. Monroe Martin and a resident of Reedsville, West Virginia. A Half brother of these children, W. Lee, spent most of his life in Baltimore, where he is buried. Miles H. Orr was born December 17, 1844, was an infant when his mother died, and only twelve at the death of his father. He lived among his uncles and acquired a subscription -school education, and at the same time was trained to farming. On August 15, 1862, at the age of eighteen, he enlisted from Preston County in Company B of the fourteenth West Virginia Infantry. His two captains were Clinton Jeffers and John D. Elliot, while the regiment was first commanded by Colonel Core and then by Col. D.D. Johnson. The regiment rendezvoused at Wheeling, went thence to Clarksburg, then to New Creek, now Keyser, West Virginia, and was ordered to Gettysburg, but arrived to late to take part in the great battle. His command then went into Camp Romney, moved from there to Pertersburg, and the regiment took part in Salem raid as far as McDowell, where the Confederates blocked the way. Returning to Petersburg and then to Keyser, the regiment from the latter point marched to Burlington, where it lay during the remainder of the winter. In the spring of 1864, they went on the Dublin raid, and stopped at the battle of Cloyd Mountain and New River Bridge, and then dropped back to Meadow Bluff and then to Lynchburg, Virginia, and finally to Camp Piatt. From there they marched to Martinsburg, and soon afterward joined in the Shenandoah Valley campaign. They fought in the minor engagement at Stephenson's Depot on the 19th of September and in the battle at Winchester on the 24th, Thence they fell back to Harpers Ferry, and from that point moved up to Cedar Creek, but was forced back to Bolivar-Heights. About this time General Sheridan brought reinforcements from the Army of the Potomac into the valley and the troops moved on, striking the Confederates under old Jubal A. Early at Halltown. They then fought the battle of Fisher's Hill, soon after which occurred the conclusive battle of Cedar Creek, in which Sheridan made his famous ride and which cleared the Confederates from the valley. Afterward the Fourteenth West Virginia was assigned duty guarding different points of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway, and Mr. Orr was in that service until discharged. When he heard of the surrender of General Lee's army he was one of thirty men guarding a division train three miles north of Winchester. He was discharged at Cumberland but mustered out at Wheeling. His regiment had a record of twenty-four battles and skirmishes and he participated in twenty-one of them. His clothing was riddled by bullets, but he escaped without a shot. When he resumed the life of a civilian Mr. Orr returned to the farm and soon bought a tract of land in Valley District. He was occupied with the duties of that farm until the early 80's and since 1883 has been a resident of Masontown. He bought other lands in this vicinity, and farming has constituted the bulk of his business responsibilities. He was one of the promoters and is a director of the Bank of Masontown. Mr. Orr, cast his first ballot for President Lincoln while in the field as a soldier in 1864, and has never failed to support the republican candidate at presidential elections since then. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Grand Army of the Republic. He attended the national encampment at Washington D.C. in 1902 and has met and visited with his old Colonel Johnson several times and in 1915 had the good fortune to meet his old commander, General Duval. December 14. 1867, Mr. Orr married Miss Elizabeth Ashburn, daughter of Aaron and Hannah Ashburn, She was born in the Valley District of Preston County, January 31, 1845, and died November 25, 1913, forty-six years after their marriage. The children of this union were: Birdie M., wife of George M. Cobun of Morgantown; Olive M., wife of N.J. Seaman, of Paden City, West Virginia; Lucy May, at home with her father; and Forest U., who died unmarried at Morgantown.