Return to the Land

RETURN TO THE LAND

A History of THE MILLER FAMILY of Bland County, Virginia

by David S. Miller, II, M.D.

Return to the Land

A History of the Miller Family of Bland County, Virginia

PART I:

The Descendants of Charles T. Miller

PART II:

The Children of John Harvey and

Minnie Catherine Wright Miller

PART III:

The Oaks

by

David S. Miller, II, M.D

Table of Contents Preface............................................................................................................................................. 3 Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................... 4 Map of Virginia, 1740..................................................................................................................... 5 Kimberling Valley .......................................................................................................................... 6 Part I: The Descendants of Charles T. Miller ................................................................................. 8 In The Beginning ......................................................................................................................... 8 Coat of Arms ............................................................................................................................. 11 The Frontier ............................................................................................................................... 13 John Miller................................................................................................................................. 16 Charles T. Miller........................................................................................................................ 24 Dr. Lorenzo John Miller ............................................................................................................ 34 John Harvey Miller .................................................................................................................... 41 David Oliver Wright .................................................................................................................. 48 Part II: The Children of John Harvey and Minnie Catherine Miller............................................ 54 Edgar Lorenzo John Miller........................................................................................................ 54 David Stafford Miller ................................................................................................................ 58 Martha Mae Stella Miller .......................................................................................................... 59 Carl Arlington Miller................................................................................................................. 61 Marie Texie Miller..................................................................................................................... 64 Earl Jordan Miller ...................................................................................................................... 66 Harvey Vaden Miller ................................................................................................................. 68 Lenore Bethel Miller ................................................................................................................. 71 Part III: The Oaks.......................................................................................................................... 76 Dedication.................................................................................................................................. 76 The Line Continues ................................................................................................................... 77 World War I............................................................................................................................... 80 The Journey Begins ................................................................................................................... 92 The Watsons .............................................................................................................................. 95 The Great Depression ................................................................................................................ 99 The Log Cabin ......................................................................................................................... 101 The Farm.................................................................................................................................. 105 Growing Up On The Farm....................................................................................................... 116 Uncle Willie............................................................................................................................. 122 Future Farmers of America...................................................................................................... 127 College Years .......................................................................................................................... 130 Retirement: A New Life Begins .............................................................................................. 134 Expectations............................................................................................................................. 136 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 137 Miller Family Tree ...................................................................................................................... 138 Index ........................................................................................................................................... 157

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Preface

Have you every noticed in your children certain behavior patterns that mimic their grandparents or a close relative? Have you ever imagined what your great-great-grandfather or grandmother were like? They certainly had similar emotions, aspirations, hopes and dreams that we have today. Therefore, in a sense, we emulate them as we live our lives now. To know your family background is to know yourself. We often like to believe we are descendants of royalty, war heroes, discoverers, great scientists, or outstanding national leaders. In reality we are unique individuals who possess certain qualities and talents that have been given to us by our ancestors through genetic transmission. Every individual possesses certain characteristics that express traits of their ancestors some of which in turn will be passed on to following generations. We do not have to be directly linked to a famous individual or family in order to feel a sense of pride. Each of us contributes to mankind and the culture in which we live. This book is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the earlier years of the Miller family tree, as we know it; the second part concerns the lives of the children of John Harvey Miller; and, the third part is devoted to the author’s immediate family. Search of the Miller family history was a meager attempt in trying to discover who we are. The research has taken years to accumulate facts and stories of our forebears so that an historical record can be given to subsequent Miller generations. This reporting is not complete by any means. Hopefully, our descendants may uncover more facts, which will correct and add to this original manuscript. Every generation should record their story for posterity because once we are gone it can never be recorded accurately again. Soon we will be known as the ancestors

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Acknowledgements

A debt of gratitude is due to Harvey Vaden Miller, Jr. Vaden spent considerable time searching our past. He remains enthusiastic that more information of the preceding lineage of Charles T. Miller will be forthcoming if we are diligent enough to keep looking and asking questions. Tenacity is one of Vaden’s ancestral traits. Much of this could not have been possible without the help of my Aunt Lenore Miller Jarrell. She was gracious enough to spend time relating facts and stories of her parents and siblings. She shared with us pictures and letters that add significantly to this history. Special thanks goes to Margie Miller Thompson and her son Michael Thompson for bringing their research to this book. Parke Coleman Bogle, a relative and genealogist, shared with me much information on the Miller line and produced many facts, which would not have been recorded without her assistance. I am especially grateful for the information that she recalled concerning the children of Charles T. and Anna McNeil Miller. Many of whom she knew. And above all, much love and gratitude is given to my wife Janet Bird Miller for assisting me throughout this process and my daughter Sara Miller Clark for organizing and setting the material in its final form.

Vaden Miller, Jr. .

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Map of Virginia, 1740 From F.B. Kegley, Kegley’s Virginia Frontier (Roanoke, VA: Southwest Virginia Historical Society, 1938.)

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Kimberling Valley

The secluded and peaceful Kimberling Valley is nestled in the beautiful mountains of Southwest Virginia in Bland County. It is in this area that much of our Miller history evolves. The Valley is several miles wide and approximately 10-12 miles in length lying in an East-West direction. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides except its entrance on the east end near Hollybrook. Witnessing a sunrise from the East or seeing the rising harvest moon in this picturesque landscape is spiritually enlightening to me. To take in this vision from Grandfather Miller’s front porch will be etched in my memory for a lifetime. A clear stream fed by the mountain springs bisects the Valley. It was and is the main water supply for the farmers’ livestock. In earlier times the stream was inhabited by an abundance of aquatic life. After extensive timber cutting during the past century and extensive forest fires the flow on the creek has diminished considerably, especially during the dry summer months. For the early settlers the stream was the focal point of their existence providing food and sport. Lying to the north the Valley is cradled by an extensive forest that at one time provided an economic base through the timber business. Most of this area is now part of the Jefferson National Forest. It is hoped that in time this vast forest region will reclaim some of its original pristine environment. It once provided a wealth of wildlife for our ancestors. During the French and Indian War Kimberling Valley began to be noticed. It is believed that one of the earliest settlers was Jacob Kimberline. It is not known whether he had a family or was an exploring hunter and trapper. During this period Shawnee Indian warriors, a northern tribe from the Ohio region, were raiding and killing along the New River Valley. The French had collaborated with these Indians and supplied them with arms to murder and destroy encampments in an attempt to discourage settlers from inhabiting the lands East of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. In the fall of 1763 some fifty Indian warriors traveled by way of the Great Sandy and entered what is now Mercer County, West Virginia. After a number of killings on the Roanoke, Catawba, and New River Settlements they were discovered whereupon they began a hasty retreat towards the Ohio. As they crosse d Walker’s Creek and entered the Kimberling Creek area Jacob Kimberline and two others were captured and taken northward. On October 12, 1763 around midnight Captain William Ingles and Captain Henry Gorman and their men (with the help of Captain Audley Paul) discovered the Indians and their captives encamped on the north bank of the New River in what is now Sumner County, West Virginia. Three of the Indians were killed and several wounded while the survivors escaped quickly down river. Records do not reveal whether Kimberline was freed from his captors or had been killed. Nevertheless, it is believed that Kimberling Creek and Valley received its name from this early settler. 1

1 David E. Johnston, A History of the Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory (Radford, Virginia: Commonwealth Press Incorporated, 1906, reprinted 1969), pp. 33-34.

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It is not clear who inhabited the Valley after Kimberline but available information suggests William Munsey was patented the Hollybrook farm area in 1782 that was conveyed to Henry Harmon Sr. in 1790. Harmon was German and had moved here from North Carolina in 1775. He became known as the grea t Indian fighter “Old Skygusta”. One of his grandsons, Colonel William Neal Harmon, farmed the land until 1898. 2 As will be shown later in the book, deeds of transfer were discovered of land being sold into our Miller family. Originally the land was sold to William Rice Miller, son of Charles T. Miller, and later deeded to Charles upon the death of William Rice by his widow, Lydia Hearn Miller. The valley now is greatly changed from the early 1800’s but still possesses its tranquility of scenery protected by the ever-existing sheltering mountains. Some of the descendants of the original Millers, such as myself, still live there watching over the land that gave birth to us.

2 Bland County Centennial Corporation. History of Bland County (Virginia). Radford, Virginia: Commonwealth Press, 1961, pp. 86-87.

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PART I

The Descendants of Charles T. Miller ---------------------------------

In The Beginning

The Miller name is widely spread throughout the world and particularly in America. It is an honorable name since it was adopted by those who earned their living by plying their skills as operators of mills, which processed food, grains for men and their animals. Millers were part of a technology that brought civilization into the industrial age. As the population expanded in Europe the Miller name was frequently taken. In America, in the 1820 census of Virginia, there are listed 87 John Millers alone. So it becomes obvious that tracing our particular Miller ancestry is a daunting task. However, I have attempted to piece some of the early knowledge into general information on the Miller family at-large. Was there an original Miller? There is evidence of multiple family lines and it is improbable that there was a common singular origin. The question then is from which line did Charles T. Miller, our earliest ancestor found in records, originate? The Millers who immigrated to America mostly came from England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and smaller European countries. In early English records the spelling of Miller varies as follows: Milner, Mellere, Meller, Millar, Millere, and Miller. The name is also known in Germany in such forms as Mulloer, Mueller, Muhler, Moehler, and Muehler. In England the Miller name is recorded as early as 1273 in Oxfordshire and in 1300 there is mention of a George Miller of Warwickshire. 3 Millers were also among the earliest settlers in colonial America. There was a migration of Millers in Europe that eventually led to immigration to America. The Thirty Years War (1618-1648), fought mostly in Germany, left Switzerland unscathed. Many people sought refuge in Switzerland during this conflict between the Catholic and Protestants. By the late seventeenth-century they began moving northward toward the “lowlands” or the Netherlands. Karleen and Tom Miller of Morrisville, Pennsylvania researched the lineage of a Johann Michael Mueller, Jr. of Switzerland. According to their information Johann Michael Mueller, Jr. moved from a small village of Zollikofen, Switzerland, just north of Bern, and became part of the Reform Church. This particular family line moved north most likely because of religious beliefs. Their migration took them along the Rhine River where they settled in the Rhineland-Pfaltz area of Southern Germany. Church records list the respective families of this Miller line. Johann Michael Mueller, Sr. was born in 1655 in Zollikofen,

3 Roots Research Bureau, L.T.D., Genealogy and Historical Sketch: The name and family of Miller, Millar (Roots Research Bureau, L.T.D., 1984), pp. 1,3.

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Switzerland and moved to Germany with his second wife, Anna Loysa Regina. They had six children: Johann Nicholas Mueller, Johann Abraham Mueller, Samuel Mueller, Catherine Barbara Mueller, Eva Catherine Mueller and Johann Michael Mueller, Jr. All of the siblings died in Germany except for Johann M. Mueller, Jr. who died in Maryland in 1771 or 1783. Available documentation shows that our line does not connect directly to this family but we can say at least one colonial Miller family came from Germany. The reason that I chose this particular family as an example is that the given names appear again in our lineage from John Harvey Miller ’s family: Abraham, Samuel, Catherine, and Barbara. There is little doubt that Millers played a significant role in the early founding of colonial America. In the Boston, Massachusetts area the Miller name was as prominent as it was in the Virginia colony. Families began to emigrate from Europe on an increasingly large scale and were dispersed throughout the American territory. There was little or no official record keeping at this time. Thus it is difficult to be precise in tracing a lineage. The early settlers of the Shenandoah Valley were German, Scotch-Irish and English. There is available information concerning families coming down “the Valley” from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1732, Jose Hite, along with other Germans, settled what is now Winchester. In the same year, the Scotch-Irish John Lewis settled in the Staunton area. In addition to these settlers an Adam Miller family appears in the records. Adam Miller was born in 1700, possibly in Schneisheim, Germany. While still young he came to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with his wife. Later he lived in Williamsburg, Virginia. In 1727, on learning of the beautiful Valley, he moved and settled in what is now Rockingham County on the south fork of the Shenandoah River. In 1741, Governor William Gooch bestowed on Miller a Certificate of Naturalization. It stated that at that time Miller had been a resident of the Shenandoah Valley for 15 years. 4 In an attempt to find out if our line is connected to that of Adam Miller an extensive search was done at the Virginia State Library in Richmond, Virginia. Five or six generations of Adam Miller’s family were traced over the span of approximately 100 years. No definite connection could be established between our family and this particular line. In a recent conversation, Sheila Miller Brewer, daughter of Samuel David Miller, recalled that her grandfather, Earl Jordan Miller, told her that our line was German. However, other family members dispute this. My father, David Stafford Miller, Sr., explicitly stated that our family was Scotch-Irish. My father related to me as a youngster that our Miller ancestors migrated down the Shenandoah Valley. Many of the settlers not only came to the colonies to escape religious persecution but also to seek better economic opportunity by plying their trade in the New World. The wonderfully rich land of the Shenandoah Valley was able to provide many with a new and prosperous life. An Irish connection can be established from Minnie Catherine Wright Miller ’s relatives (See chapter David O. Wright ). It is likely our Miller lineage is a

4 John C. Wayland, Ph.D., History of Rockingham County, Virginia (Harrisonburg, Virginia: C.J. Carrier Company, 1972), pp. 34-35.

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combination of Scotch-Irish and German because a great portion of our family’s oral history and documentation points to this conjecture.

So who were our earliest colonial ancestors? When did they arrive in America? Where did they enter the colonies? How did they acquire land? What were their religious affiliations? It is hoped that this is the beginning of the search for our identity and that a future Miller genealogist will pick up where we end and complete the task. Remember each of us carries a portion of genetic material that these early ancestors passed on to us.

Map of United Germany, From Baxter, Angus. In Search of Your German Roots: a complete guide to tracing your ancestors in the Germanic areas of Europe, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.

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Coat of Arms

The Miller family or clan has had a coat of arms for centuries. This points toward the antiquity of the Miller name. In the medieval era local clans waged war against each other frequently over territorial disputes. In these battles the warriors wore armor for protection. They also wore face shields that hid their identity and thus their allegiance. If each faction wore the same type of armor it would have been chaos on the battlefield. So the development of specific designs and colors, known as a coat of arms, became associated with a particular clan or group.

This coat of arms became the recognizable feature of an armored knight. The identifying emblem was painted on his shield and on the surcoat that he wore over his armor. Horses often wore cloth coverings emblazoned with the coat of arms as well. A knight’s lance carried a pennon (a small flag) that contained the same insignia, and an identifying crest of feathers adorned his helmet. Once gunpowder was invented, the protective armor needed to be made of thicker and thus heavier metal. It became so cumbersome that eventually armor was discarded al together. However, the insignia was retained for family and group identification. It remains today as a symbol of which group we historically belong. The coat of arms represents various components of the knight’s protective gear. The depiction includes the crest, wreath, helmet, mantling, and shield. Near the bottom is usually a ribbon inscribed with a motto or war cry (See illustration at right). The following illustration represents one of the most ancient coat of arms of the Millers of England.

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Burke in 1844 describes it in the Encyclopedia of Heraldry:

Arms – “Argent (sometimes ermine), a fess wav y between three wolves’ heads.” Crest - “A wolf’s head erased argent, gorged with a fess wavy onjure.”

A Miller Coat of Arms

This illustration represents the ancient coat of arms of the Millar family. This family was of Scottish origin and is described as follows:

Arms – “Argent, a cross Molene gules” Crest – “A dexter hand holding an open book proper.” Motto – “Felicem reddet religio” 5

The Millar Coat of Arms

NOTE: The Roman Empire had conquered the British Isles centuries before and thus there remained elements of Latin. The Latin motto as interpreted by the author translates as “Religion Gives Happiness”. I suspect the book on the Millar coat of arms represents the Bible and the hand represents man spreading the gospel. The crucifix on the helmet represents Calvary, which we defend.

5 Genealogy and Historical Sketch: The name and family of Miller, Millar. p. 12.

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The Frontier

Some understanding of the geo-political boundaries of the Shenandoah Valley and the colonial frontier helps to set the stage for the Miller influences to follow. By the late 1600’s eastern Virginia had been settled with the central government located in Williamsburg. In 1779 the capitol was moved to Richmond as western expansion continued. British rule influenced the naming of the towns, counties, and regions many of which were named after English families and royalty. As pioneers settled the Shenandoah the British Crown wanted to claim more and more of the western territories. This eventually led to the French and Indian War, which was a dispute over land to the west of the Shenandoah Valley. England wanted to encourage settlers to inhabit the Shenandoah in order to establish more territory under the Crown’s rule. A scheme was devised whereby individual settlers or “squatters” could own land and be granted deeds to property. The government arranged for large tracts of land to be granted or given to certain prominent individuals. These land-holding individuals would in turn sell and grant deeds to the populace. On September 6, 1736 there was granted to William Beverly, John Randolph, Richard Randolph, and John Robinson 118,491 acres of land “Beyond the Great Mountains of th e River Sherando called the Manor of Beverly”. 6 Another tract of land was granted in 1739 to Benjamin Borden that contained 92,100 acres known as the Borden’s Grant. Other large parcels were the James River Grant and the Roanoke Grant containing 100,000 acres. In deeding land to many settlers from these large grants communities began to spring up and local governing bodies were formed within the Virginia colony. As the region became settled there was a need for determining boundary lines for owner s’ convenience as well as political and economic reasons. For our interest in this matter Botetourt County becomes a focal point. Large territories and counties gave way to smaller subdivided areas. The following diagram illustrates how the county of Botetourt came into existence. This derivation of counties is important because the genealogical facts were found in courthouse records of Orange, Augusta, and particularly Botetourt. Many searches began with reviewing F.B. Kegley ’s Kegley’s V irginia Frontier that is an accumulation of old courthouse records and deeds from 1760-1783. Botetourt County originally encompassed an enormous territory. The present-day boundaries would begin at the town of Fincastle, southward to the borders of North Carolina and Tennessee, westward to include the states of Kentucky, Illinois and most of Indiana, touching on the southern part of Wisconsin and Lake Michigan, and down the Mississippi to the western border of Kentucky. Botetourt County was named for Lord Botetourt born Norborne Berkeley

6 F.B. Kegley, Kegley’s Virginia Frontier; the beginning of the Southwest; the Roanoke of colonial days, 1740 -1783 (Roanoke, Virginia: Southwest Virginia Historical Society, 1938), p. 38.

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in 1708 in Gloucester County, England. He died in Virginia in 1770. By 1764 Norborne was given the title of Baron de Botetourt. He became a very popular governor of Virginia. Upon his death he was buried beneath the floor of the chapel at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and a statue was erected in his memory. The town of Fincastle was established in 1770 for the purpose of locating a courthouse for Botetourt County. This was the county seat for recording deeds, marriages and other legal and judicial proceedings. The earliest records at Fincastle contain no birth records.

Charles River 1634-1643

York 1643

New Kent 1654

Essex 1692

King & Queen 1691

King William 1702

Spotsylvania 1721

Orange 1734

Augusta 1738

Botetourt 1770

Fincastle 1772-1777

Greenbrier 1777

Kentucky 1776-1777

Montgomery 1776-1777

Washington 1776-1777

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Map of Botetourt County Historical map of the Roanoke Historical Society showing

Botetourt County, Virginia 1770-1820. J.B. Hildebrand (Cartographer), Charles T. Burton (Researcher); with annotations by F.B. Kegley, Wytheville, Va. In cooperation with the Botetourt Historical Society and the Fincastle Herald.

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John Miller

In the research of our Miller family heritage we established documentation as far back as the early nineteenth-century. Before this time, there seems to be little if any official recordings that give solid evidence of our line. Records were found of common names that gave rise to speculation and will be referred to later. It often became intriguing to find a name that promised familial connections only to be disillusioned when no offspring were located. After speaking with several qualified genealogists it became clear that old stories handed down from generation to generation would have to suffice. These stories undoubtedly have some basis in fact because of verified dates, locations, and reco gnizable names. Wouldn’t it have been rewarding to us now if we had listened to our parents and grandparents tell of our heritage when we were young? Vaden Miller, Jr. is one person who had an inquisitive nature and grasped an opportunity in his youth to ask about our family history. Without Vaden’s knowledge much of this portion of the book could not have been written. My cousin, Harvey Vaden Miller, Jr. was the first born of Harvey Vaden Miller, Sr. and Ina Lindamood Miller. As a youngster on the family farm in Bland County he had frequent contact and visits with our paternal grandparents, John Harvey Miller and Minnie Wright Miller, who farmed in the Kimberling section of the county. It was in their lifetime that our story begins. In the late 1930’s and early 1940’s Grandfather Miller’s family was close-knit and weekends were spent with congenial family gatherings on Kimberling Creek. Vaden, being older than I, established a closer relationship with Grandfather Miller. Vaden began to ask Grandfather who his father was and who his great-grandfather was and so on. In those days apparently families, even if they were proud of their heritage, were not particularly interested in accurate genealogical lineage or the idea of passing information down for future generations. Grandfather felt that Vaden was somewhat of a nuisance and tried to ignore his persistent questioning. Finally, after much persuasion, Grandfather spoke of his background. Our Grandfather was a wonderfully jovial and cordial man. He was proud of his family and in particular of his father and brother who were physicians in Bland County. He was a devout Methodist and was known to be very trustworthy; we believed what he said to be ‘the gospel truth’. Grandfather (John Harvey Miller) began by telling of his great-great-grandfather, John Miller (Johannes Mueller ) of Miller’s Mill. Miller’s Mill was an area adjacent to what is now the town of Fincastle in Botetourt County. Vaden also recalled a story told by our grandfather that during his youth he would travel by horseback from his home on Kimberling to Fincastle for social events and to visit his relatives. It seems improbable that he would have traveled this far without strong familial connections.

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When asked who John’s father was, Grandfather exclaimed, “John”. So armed with this information I searched for information on John Millers. From early 1700 to around 1760 the main emphasis of public record keeping were land transactions in the form of deeds, grants, and wills. Most personal family records were kept in Bibles or with other valuable possessions and keepsakes. Some family records of the Shenandoah Valley are found in genealogical reference books and histories but our search for the earlier John Miller was not found. We now return to John Miller of Miller’s Mill. John Miller (Johannes Mueller ) was a German settler who was granted land in Augusta County. In reviewing deeds and historical writings it was apparent that he was living at Miller’s Mill in Augusta County as early as 1745. In 1745 Botetourt County had not yet been founded but Miller’s Mill was located at what later became the town of Fincastle. 7 John Miller owned and operated the mill for his livelihood. He also dealt in land transactions, some evidence of which is as follows:

- April 16, 1755, John Miller, 81 acres on the south branch of Catawba.

-Surveys were made for Neal McNeal on the ground in 1750, delinquent list, Daniel Miller, John Miller, Isaac Taylor, Thomas Tosh – 65 acres joining Tasker Tosh.

-April 16, 1748, survey for John Miller – 65 acres on Little River.

-August 20, 1760 John Miller – grant 84 acres on the south branch of Catawba – PAT BK 34, 685.

-Feb. 14, 1767 John Miller, survey 104 acres Catawba.

-Feb 19, 1768 Israel Christian from Andrew Miller, Heir-at-law of John Miller, deceased £100, 84 acres on a south branch of Catawba; corner to a survey of Samuel McRoberts crossing the Mill dam. AV D.BK. 15, 68. 8

There is a possibility that other John Millers lived in the same region at this time. However, this was a sparsely populated area and it is more likely that the above records are referring to the same person. During this time there were a number of other Millers inhabiting the region that are listed in land deeds and grants, militia listings, and road upkeep responsibilities. Such first names found were John, David, Abraham, Adam, Alexander, Andrew, Anne, Charles, Henry, Hugh, Jacob, James, Peter, Joseph, Mary, Robert, Samuel, Sarah, Thomas, and William. As you will see these first names were to be repeatedly used in successive generations up to the present.

7 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 121. 8 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier, p. 121.

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What else do we know about John Miller of Miller’s Mill? Again the records give us a clue in terms of religious affiliation. We suspect John was a God-fearing man and took his religion seriously as did most people of this region. Presbyterianism was a common sect and it is possible that he practiced within this church. In 1749, Reverend John Craig entered Augusta as a resident dissenting minister and traveled throughout the region to perform the church’s rites. In that year he came from the North Mountain area to Roanoke where on March 7 he baptized Mary Miller, daughter of John Miller at Tinker Creek. On the following day, March 8, on his way back to North Mountain he baptized John Miller, son of John Miller of Calfpasture (River). 9 I later establish that Andrew Miller is the sole heir of John Miller of Fincastle so who were these other John Millers mentioned in records? Did Andrew have a son named John? John Miller had a close friendship and business relationship with Israel Christian. We found their names commonly mentioned together. Christian was a prominent and wealthy figure who commanded some influence. He was the administrator of wills, owned land, and was in the mercantile trading business. The Olde Stone House, which stood by the old Carolina Road at the southern end of Tinker Mountain, was originally owned and operated by a merchant named Erwin Patterson; later Israel Christian operated this trading center. Christian also operated one of the first trading centers in Staunton and as well as other centers at Fincastle, New River, Reed Creek , and Dunkard’s Bottom . The Christians came to the Roanoke Grant in 1760 where they purchased approximately 595 acres from Patterson. Israel Christian conveyed this land later to his son William, on the occasion of William’s marriage to Anne Henry who was a sister of Patrick Henry . In 1773 the Christians left this area and moved to Dunkard’s Bottom on the New River. 10 He was also involved with other aspects of the community. He became commissary for the regiment under Colonel Byrd. He was appointed, along with others, as Justice for Botetourt County in 1769. In November 1771, Christian was promoted by the Governor to the position of sheriff. 11 He was a captain in the Frontier Militia and for his service to the Crown of England he was granted 3,000 acres in 1757. 12 John Miller of Fincastle had at least one son, Andrew, but I was unable to find any documentation or mention of Andrew’s offspr ing. John died around 1766. The following documents are important concerning some of his activities:

-1766, Deed Book 15, page 68 recorded in Augusta County. John Miller gave his son Andrew 81 acres on the south branch of Catawba Creek, a branch of the James River that contained the area of Miller’s Mill.

9 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 184. 10 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 512-513. 11 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 382. 12 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 280.

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-Feb 19, 1768, Israel Christian from Andrew Miller, Heir-at-Law of John Miller, deceased, £100, 84 acres on a south branch of Catawba; corner to a survey of Samuel McRoberts crossing the Mill dam. AV. D.BK 15, 68. 13

-August 19, 1766, Andrew Miller Administrator of John Miller, with Israel Christian and Benj. Hawkins. BK3, 450. 14

-Sept 9, 1766, John Miller ’s appraisement by James Rowland , Samuel McRoberts et als, Will BK 4, 5. 15

-1766, Deed Book 15, page 68 recorded in Augusta County. John Miller gave his son Andrew 81 acres on the south branch of Catawba Creek, a branch of the James River , which contained the area of Miller’s Mill. 16

From the above information it was established that Andrew Miller was John’s son. When John died Andrew inherited the land at Miller’s Mill and in turn sold the land to Israel Christian in 1768. On Feb 14, 1770 the court recommended to the Governor that a courthouse be established in this area and that Miller’s Mill appeared to be the most obvious place. By now Christian owned the land chosen for the site. It contained 81 acres lying at a spring near the road

on the southeast side of Miller’s Mill. Christian voluntarily gave up or donated 40 acres to the court for establishing a courthouse and the founding of the Town of Fincastle. Being the businessman that he was, in the bequest, he reserved for himself two half-acre lots. One of which was to be selected by him and the other at the discretion of the court. On April 10, 1770 court was held for Botetourt County at Miller’s Mill. 17 Grandfather also said we were related to the Firebaugh family of Fincastle and we did find the Miller-Firebaugh connection in later generations.

Historical Sign at Fincastle

13 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 359. 14 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 450. 15 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 362. 16 Courtesy of Ms. Dottie Kessler, Researcher of Records, Botetourt County Courthouse. 17 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 401.

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BOTETOURT COUNTY & COURTHOUSE MUSEUM FINCASTLE, Virginia December 18, 1994

DISPLAYED ON PREMISES:

STIFF CUFF BOX used in the early 1 800’s by Llila Miller Eaton of Bristol, Va. Donor Harriet H. Fillenger. Displayed in long glass-enclosed case in center of main room upstairs. In the same room upstairs a FRAMED TYPED SHEET hangs on the wall listing members of the Firebaugh family. The list indicates that several Firebaugh boys married Miller girls who gave birth to sons giving them first and second names that Vaden and David mentioned as being used in the Miller family. A QUILT is displayed on the wall in the back bedroom upstairs that was made by Willie Firebaugh, a daughter of Major Phillip Miller Firebaugh, CSA. (Red, white and blue patchwork quilt.) A folded WOOLEN BLANKET is displayed on the bottom of the bed in the bedroom upstairs. The display card reads CIRCA 2745 – Woven in MILLER’S MILL – Fincastle Donor – Mrs. R.D. Boaz. (Blanket is tan with orange and dark brown stripes). A second WOOLEN BLANKET is displayed next to the Miller blanket that was woven by AMMEN’S MILL. In addition to the blanket a FRAMED PICTURE of AMMEN’S WOOLEN MILL, Fincastle, VA., is displayed with a separate side picture (8”x10”_ of Michael T. Ammen 1824-1903. A caption under the picture of the mill notes that Michael is pictured standing in the entrance of the mill. Hanging on the wall in the main room downstairs is a WOVEN MULTI-COLORED CLOTH displ aying signs, pictures and letters. (Turkeys, horses, flowers, etc…). This was donated to the museum by Susan Creeble Mary Arnold Firebaugh CHARLES MILLER FIREBAUGH Alfred, Clara and Betty Riley Firebaugh

NOTE: The above description was written by Mark Miller, son of Carl A. Miller and grandson of John Harvey Miller.

We now return to Grandfather’s recollection of John Miller. In the early and mid- 1700’s land was being settled westward and entrepreneurs like Christian and John Miller took advantage of acquiring more land west of the Roanoke Grant. Grandfather spoke of John Miller moving to

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Dunkard’s Bottom on the New River. This was fertile land and offered economic opportunities. Israel Christian and his son William acquired land as well. There is some question whether John Miller purchased land or was granted land in this region. Vaden Miller has remembered that he was granted 1600 acres but we could never document this from the records of Augusta, Botetourt, Montgomery, or Pulaski Counties. A grant of this magnitude surely would have been recorded so its more lik ely that John bought the land. Dunkard’s Bottom now lies beneath Claytor Lake State Park near Dublin, Virginia.

Dunkard’s Bottom on New River before the dam created Claytor Lake

About 1966, a family gathering consisting of John Harvey Miller ’s children was held at Claytor Lake State Park. Present at the reunion were the brothers David S. Miller (my father), Edgar Miller, Harvey Vaden Miller, Sr. (Vaden’s father), and Carl A. Miller . These brothers told Vaden Jr. , who then was a young businessman, that Dunkard’s Bottom at Claytor Lake was inhabited by their great-great-grandfather – John Miller. Their father John Harvey Miller had told this to them earlier. By then the lake had covered the old home place. However, protruding out of the water, near the northern shore, was the remains of a huge chimney that these brothers stated was what was l eft of John Miller’s home. At this point it became important to establish, by documentation, John Miller ’s presence in Dunkard’s Bottom around 1750. The Dunkers, or Dunkards, were German Seventh Day Baptists from the Ephrata Society of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The Society had been formed in Germany. They suffered religious persecution, fled to Holland, and then immigrated to America where Peter Becker organized a congregation. Conrad Beissel was a member of this congregation but had strong religious beliefs that differed from the main faction. He established

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a monastic society, with buildings designed for a solitary life, for the members that chose to follow him. This became know as the Ephrata Cloister or Society. 18

In 1744, The Treaty of Lancaster had given Virginia claim to the Shenandoah Valley from the Iroquois Indians. In return the Indians were permitted to travel without harassment through the Valley. The Iroquois sold to the English the land between the Allegheny Mountains and the Ohio River for £400. 19 This German religious society took advantage of this treaty and moved from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to the New River. This group were known as Sabbatarians but were commonly referred to as the Dunkards. Their settlement was named Mahanaim. Among those that were connected with this group that came to Mahanaim were brothers Israel, Samuel, Emanuel and Thomas Echerlin, Alexander and William Mack, John Negley, Garrett Zinn, John Miller, Peter Shaver, and the families of Weisers, Wolforts, Goffs, Webers, Gielids, Freys, Londis, and Huffoire. 20 The inhabitants of Mahanaim initially thrived and practiced their faith in peace but this was soon to end. Indian raids disrupted the settlement and many feared for their lives and left the region. Garrett Zinn who had originally purchased land from Samuel Echerlin moved to Carolina. The remaining Echerlins bought up more land but the settlement dissolved and later the Echerlin’s so ld their lands. Some of the remaining inhabitants moved to Philadelphia, others were killed by Indians, and some moved farther west to the Holston River area. A John Miller was mentioned in connection to this settlement at Mahanaim. Did John Miller of Fincastle, along with Israel Christian, take advantage of this land as the Dunkards disbanded? This certainly is feasible and woul d fit with Grandfather’s story . In 1747, surveys for land were done for James Miller on a Parcel No. 13 for 1350 acres on Lucas Creek of the Reed Creek of the New River. 21 On April 6, 1748, a survey of No. 17 was done for John Miller for 65 acres on Little River. Again in 1751 grants and a survey for John Miller for 124 acres on Reed Creek. In 1750, a deed to John Miller from Garret Zinn – 380 acres, part of 900 acres Dunkard ’ s Bottom. In August 1753 a deed to William Stroup from John Miller 124 acres on Peak Creek. Another deed at the same time to John Miller from Peter Shower for 37 acres on the southwest side of New River at the head of Mill Creek . 22 We find other references to John Miller in other locations at about the same time. For example, if we direct our attention eastward to the North Fork of the Roanoke River a John Miller surfaces in relation to the Ingles family in 1750. Thomas, John, and William Ingles of Ingles Mill Creek of the Roanoke area were early settlers in this region. They were here as early as 1746. Thomas and William acquired land on the New River and the Clinch River. John Ingles was killed at Fort Vause in the Roanoke Valley and his wife Mary was taken into

18 Patricia Givens Johnson, The New River Early Settlements (Blacksburg, Virginia: Wolpa Publishing, 1983), p. 73. 19 The New River Early Settlements , pp. 54-56.

20 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 120. 21 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 123. 22 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , pp. 124-127.

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captivity. When she was released she married a John Miller and moved to Carolina. 23 An attempt to trace this Miller involved looking into North Carolina records. A review of the Moravian Archives in Winston-Salem proved unproductive. The John Miller of Dunkard ’ s Bottom is thought to have given up his holdings in Virginia and migrated to Anson County, North Carolina, according to Johnson in the New River Early Settlements. She states that this John Miller was located there in 1762. 24 In speaking with the clerk of the court in Wadesboro, county seat of Anson County, I learned that no Millers were in the records of that period. Mills was the closest name found. Wadesboro had retained some records from 1750-1780 after the courthouse burned. Due to a lack of early birth records and marriage records a search for the common name John proved overwhelming. For example, in 1785 there is listed a marriage in Botetourt of John Miller and Sara Corten but no connection could be established. Hopefully, family records or documents will surface which will give us a direct and verifiable link to John Miller and his transactions and travels will no longer contain gaps and dead ends. Grandfather’s story is the best record that we currently have.

23 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 195. 24 The New River Early Settlements , p. 133.

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Charles T. Miller

In this genealogical search of our roots firm documentation finally surfaces when we look to Charles T. Miller, born January 1, 1796. Court records as well as family stories confirm Charles Miller as a progenitor of our line. Grandfather’s story had revealed that Charles Miller’s father was John Miller and his father in turn was also named John. The first official record of Charles was found in the Pearisburg courthouse in Giles County, Virginia. This courthouse was founded around 1816 or 1817 and the mention of Charles was among its earliest records. Bland County was formed long after Giles County. What is now Bland County is where many Millers settled and farmed. Therefore records at the Bland County courthouse did not contain documentation of the Miller family’s earliest activities in the area. However, an appraisal of Charles Miller’s estate, made by his son Lorenzo John Miller in 1863, was discovered in Bland County records. The information on Charles Miller from Giles County records revealed the following: Virginia Marriages of Giles County, 1806 – 1850 Charles Miller and Ann McNeil, 13, Aug. 1819. Statement, “This is to certify the clerk that I am fully agreed to marry Charles Miller.” Signed by Ann McNe il (Charles Kennison is guardian for Ann, 14 Aug 1819, by Charles Kennison). However, no birth records were uncovered for Charles or his parents. We were also unable to find any evidence for any possible siblings of Charles. Without this vital information the question of parentage for this Miller and the connection to John Miller at Dunkard’s Bottom becomes speculative. However, family stories relayed that Charles’ father was John a nd most likely was from Dunkard’s Bottom . Other conclusions can be reached by known dates. John Miller of Fincastle was dead by 1766 so he could not be Charles’ father (Charles was born in 1796), but possib ly he was Charles’ grandfather. Could Andrew, John Miller of Fincastle’s son, have been Charles’ father? Was Andrew in Dunkard’s Bottom ? We certainly can place a John Miller there around 1750. A possible theory behind the lack of early familial connections to Andrew and John is that Charles’ given name could have been other than Miller and he took the name Miller after some respected person that he knew. There was yet another Miller line in the area that I would like to introduce here. Elder Jacob Miller was born of Swiss-German parents who immigrated to Pennsylvania where Jacob was born in 1735. When Jacob became of age he moved to Virginia. Jacob was of the Brethren faith and along with his twelve children was instrumental in establishing the Brethren church in Franklin County, Virginia. We know that the Elder Jacob Miller family was opposed to slavery and they migrated from Virginia westward to Ohio. Eventually Elder Miller’s grown children moved to various areas in the mid-west and spread the Brethren faith. 25 This Miller line can be 25 Patricia Givens Johnson, Elder Jacob Miller, 1735-1815: a founder of the Brethren churches and Dunkard settlements in Franklin County, Virginia, 1775, Ohio, 1800, and Indiana, 1810 and some of his descendants (Silver Hill, Md.: PS Enterprises, 1977), pp. 31, 39-40, 52-53, 166-167.

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traced back to the original Johann Michael Miller who came from the Rhineland-Pfaltz area of Germany (See chapter In the Beginning). One son of Elder Jacob Miller was named Tobias and who born in 1773. Charles T. Miller ’s middle name is said to have been Tobias. Elder Jacob Miller’s other children were Mary, Anna, Eva, John, Abraham, Samuel, Daniel, Isaac, Aaron, David, and Jacob. When the Elder Jacob Miller family moved to Ohio his son Jacob remained in Giles County. Jacob continued the Brethren faith in this area. He was born in 1770, was a carpenter by trade, and married Sarah (Sallie) Chapman on December 9, 1794. Jacob and Sallie lived on the east bank of Walkers Creek near it’s mou th where Ripplemead is now located. Jacob and Sallie had four children named John, Tobias, Jacob and Barbara. The first-born son, John, was born on January 14, 1796, married Sallie (Sally) Peck in January 1825, and died on October 18, 1863. Tobias was born on March 6, 1797 and married Elizabeth Bane on January 19, 1826. Jacob was born in 1798 and the fourth child, a daughter, Barbara was born on November 10, 1800. The head of this family, Jacob Miller, died in Giles County in 1801 at the age of 31. Two years later, in 1803, his widow Sallie married Captain David Johnson. John Miller, first son of Jacob the carpenter, had a close birth date and death date to our Charles Miller and I originally questioned if I had the wrong name of Charles. However, these two are not the same because John was married in 1825 to Sally Peck and Charles married in 1819 to Ann McNeil. We now direct our attention to the second son, Tobias Miller, who also lived on Walkers Creek, 18 miles from the Giles County courthouse. Again we note close birth and death dates to Charles but the marriage is wrong since Tobias married Elizabeth Bane in 1826. 26 It is so tempting to try to connect with this family because of common first names, similarity of dates, and such close geographical proximity. There remain in the surrounding area and at White Gate in Giles County many Millers today. I have heard my relatives speak of Sally Chapman and Sally Peck. Were they friends or relatives? One other point should be made before we leave this Miller line. In the early days of our county people were seeking freedoms of religion. Families tended to cleave to their faith and many married only within their faith. The Jacob Miller family originally were Brethren. Charles Miller’s faith was said to be Methodist but could have been Presbyterian. Most all of the Millers I’ve known in my family line have had ties with the Methodist church. Unless some new evidence is discovered to the contrary it is reasonable to assume our Miller group is not connected to the Giles County Brethren line. However, it is still possible to pose another theory that Charles was born to one of the 11 children of Elder Jacob Miller before they left Virginia. Charles could have been left in Virginia to be raised or adopted by Jacob Miller. We do not have proven definitive parentage of Charles but we do know of his life and his offspring. Charles married Anna McNeil in 1819. Charles was successful in his endeavors as a farmer and as a local minister. It is likely that he brought to his marriage some capital with

26 Research Committee, Giles County, Historical Society, Giles County, Virginia, History, Families (Pearisburg, Virginia: Giles County Historical Society, 1982), p. 316.

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