John Miller grew up in Virginia, and, in 1777, settled in Crab Orchard, Carter Country, Tennessee, near the Shelving Rock Encampment Historical Landmark. This area is north of the Great Smokey Mountains, near Knoxville, and located along the Doe River. The area was founded by Daniel Boone and others in 1767. The Millers are thought to have migrated with the Boone Family from Pennsylvania and are believed to be some of the first settlers of this area of Tennessee.
Around 1780, when John was 27, he reportedly helped in the American Revolution by shoeing horses near Shelving Rock, Tennessee for the "Overmountain Men". They were appalachian backcountry men who unexpectedly became American revolutionaries. See Wikipedia for more on the "Overmountain Men" and also the "Battle of Kings Mountain" which was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina. Some sources claim that John fought in this battle as well. Other sources (see attached letters) suggest that John served under George Washington for eight years.
After the war ended, John was offered a tract of land by the governor of the Virginia colony for his bravery and meritorious services. Some sources suggest that he did not accept the land believing it was not appropriate. Other sources suggest that he sold the land.
In 1782, twenty-nine-year-old John Miller married nineteen-year-old Mary Ann (Keene). Mary's roots in America were much deeper than John's. Several of Mary's ancestors were born in Virginia in the mid to late 1620's (the Mayflower landed in 1620). While John's ancestors were German, Mary's ancestors were English. John and Mary had six children; Catherine, George, Elizabeth, Isaac, John (Jr.), and Abraham. All six of these children are strongly supported by documentation and dna evidence and are linked below. John and Mary ended up with roughly 60 grandchildren as a result.
In 1812, John, Mary, their six children, and several related families, moved from Tennessee to Indiana. The attached letters suggest that this was due to their disdain for slavery which was spreading into their area. The move may also have been driven by the allure of inexpensive and fertile land.
In 1814, only two years after settling in Indiana, John Miller died at age 60. Eight years later, his wife, Mary (Keene) Miller, died at age 59. They were both buried on the Stover's farm which was located along the Whitewater River near Brownsville, Wayne County, Indiana (later part of Union County). The Stover and Miller families were close friends. Both families had traveled from the same area of Tennessee to the same area of Indiana. Two of the Stover's children married two of the Miller's children; Lydia Stover married George Miller, and Samuel Stover married Elizabeth Miller.
Biography compiled by JCM - 2023
Note: Much of the information in this biography comes from the book "Oregon Pioneer Miller Families : history & migration of some of the descendants of John and Mary Keene Miller, vol. 1" written by Nathiel L. Kraemer. The following letters and other information were taken from this book which is available for free on line.
===== DNA Evidence =========
John Miller was one of my 4th great grandfathers. I am descended from him through George and Abraham Miller (2nd cousin marriage). Using the ThruLines program on Ancestry.com I can provide evidence for all six of the children of John Miller. Here are my ThruLine results:
Catherine Miller - 31 DNA Matches
George Miller - 54 DNA Matches
Abraham Miller - 10 DNA Matches
Elizabeth Miller - 30 DNA Matches
John Miller - 22 DNA Matches
Isaac Newton Miller - 14 DNA Matches
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ALTERNATIVE PARENTAGE FOR JOHN MILLER (see attached diagram)
The following was written by John Miller's grandson Abraham Miller, Jr. telling the names of his grandparents and great grandparents: "Grand parents John Miller and Mary Keenes, his wife. And Christian Stover and Sarah Lymebok, his wife. Great grandfather's name Daniel Miller and his wife's maiden name Beeler."
There is another version on this family's history that includes an additional generation between Daniel Miller and this John Miller. That additional generation is a John Miller Sr. and his wife Elizabeth Warren. It is not known which of these scenarios is correct. This memorial is written based on the scenario that Abraham Miller described where this John Miller is descended directly from Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller.
====================
JOHN MILLERS PARENTS AND SIBLINGS
John Miller's parents, Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller, are thought to have emigrated from the Pfalz-Zweibruken area of the upper Rhine River Valley near the Allais Lorraine district, Germany, close to the French border. One of the letters attached below states "In 1680 a father, mother and three sons named Miller (or Mueller) left Germany for America. The father and mother both died in passage and were buried at sea. The three sons arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. A son of one of these left five children." That son is believed to be John's father Daniel Miller.
Daniel was probably born between 1705 and 1710 in Germany, and he died in 1792 in Carter County, Tennessee. Birth dates for Daniel's wife Maria Beeler vary widely among sources (1708-1712, 1731, and 1738). Given the birth dates of her children, the 1731 date seems to be the best fit. The historical records are sketchy but Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller may have had at least 5 of the following children that have been attributed in various sources to them (not necessarily listed in order of birth):
1) Henry Miller (1747-1819)
2) John Miller (1753-1814)
3) Conrad Miller (1756-?) m: Susannah (he died in Revolutionary War)
4) Christopher (Chrisly or Chrisley) Miller (1759-?)
5) Alsie Miller m: Daniel Petrie
6) Daniel Miller (1762-?)
7) Margaret Catherine Miller (1768-1835) m: Philip Mulkey
8) Jacob Miller (1770-1849)
9) Susannah Miller (1778-?) m: (1808) Daniel Shelly
Only Henry and John of the above children are well documented and supported by dna evidence. Several sources mention Conrad as well and his death in a battle during the Revolutionary War. In addition, there is a quit claim land deed that appears to support the existence of several of the other children: "17 AUG 1798 Carter Co., Tennessee Land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller Sr., deceased. Quit claim in favor of John Miller, signed by Crisly Miller, Daniel Miller, Daniel Petree, Philip Mulkey, Jacob Miller, Elizabeth Miller (wife) and Susanah Miller." Although, as discussed in one of the attachments provided, some of these signatories may have been John's grandchildren rather than his own children. Henry Miller had sons named Christopher, Jacob, and Daniel. In addition, the Susannah listed as his last child may be the Susannah that was the wife of Conrad who was killed in the Revolutionary War.
==========================
Letter from George Washington Miller to his cousin, Mrs. Livonia Kennedy.
Ping, Washington December 25, 1906
Dear Cousin,
A Christmas greeting, yours of the 14th instant is at hand and was gladly received.
My cousin Mildred kindly tendered her assistance in getting the records of Aunt Elizabeth (Miller) Stovers family which I greatly appreciate. I never saw but two of that family, that was Mildred and Ella Dawson that my youngest brother Jacob married, her mothers name was Eliza, third daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Stover so you can see I don't know very much about the family.
The descendants of John Miller are very numerous and I would like to get just as many of them as possible. There is quite a few that I write that don't answer my letter. It seems to me just like they did not want their name in a book. I find a good many that really do not know what relation they are to the Millers and some of them when I tell them seem to be surprised to know they are related.
Will now give you the history of the Millers as far back as John Miller the hero of the Revolutionary War, who achieved the unsullied glory of eternal Fame, for service rendered in the Colonial Army under command of General Washington for eight years where eternal vigilance was the price of liberty. For these services the Governor of the Colony of Virginia offered him a large tract of land, this he declined saying he owed his services to the American Colonies who had gained their independence from their mother country. He was born in Virginia 1753 and married Mary Keene of Virginia 1782, soon after this he moved to Carter County Tennessee. From their marriage six children were born, whose names were:
Katherine Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in May 1783. Married John Miller of Tenn. June 10, 1803 (17 Apr. 1797).
George Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in June 1785. Married Lydia Stover in Carter County Tennessee in June 1808 (19 Jan. 1805).
Elizabeth Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in October 1787. Married Samuel Stover in Carter County Tennessee (3 Aug. 1804).
Isaac Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in April 1790. Married Martha Beard of North Carolina on November 25, 1815.
John Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in November 1792. Married Sarah Smith Carter County Tennessee in June 1812 (19 Sept. 1812).
Abraham Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in July 1795. Married Mary Little in Centerville, Indiana in January 1822.
The foregoing records were taken from the family Bible of Abraham Miller supposed to be inherited from his father and when he started from Millersburg, Illinois to cross the plains to Oregon in 1851, he gave the Bible to his oldest daughter Elizabeth (Miller) Brown. These records are taken from the Bible and are supposed to be correct.
The four sons of John Miller, the hero of Revolutionary War fame has from their marriages sixty children born unto them, Katherine eight, and Elizabeth nine from the last two that has been handed down to me. The four brothers from the time they left Tennessee have always been on the frontiers building forts to protect themselves in while fighting back Indians to open up the country for settlement.
(Copy of letter in possession of Mrs. Oloff Coffey, Iowa. This letter was sent to her great-aunt, Mrs. Livonia Kennedy of Liberty, Indiana; Mrs. Kennedy being a sister of Mrs. Coffey's grandmother, Mrs. Mary Hannah (Dunbar) Sidener. The dates in parethesis are dates corrected later by Mrs. Coffey from the documented marriage records of Carter County Tennessee)
===============================
Mrs. Oloff Coffey sent the following Miller family data to Claude Miller of Nez Perce, Idaho.
Ginerva Kennedy of Staten Island, New York, in a letter written to her sister, February 20, 1923, says their grandmother, Sarah Stover Dunbar (Sarah being the daughter of Elizabeth, whose father was John Miller born 1753) told how when they moved into Indiana to take up their land in 1811, that they spent the first summer at a Fort. She did not name the Fort. (This Sarah Stover Dunbar was born in Carter County, Tennessee on October 19, 1802 and lived until December 22, 1900. She was a woman of wonderful memory to the very end of her life and Ginevra conversed with her often.) Mrs. Kennedy stated further that John Miller and wife came with their daughter Elizabeth and husband Samuel Stover when they came to settle in Wayne county Indiana. The Stovers and the Millers left Kentucky because of the growing tendency of the permanent settlers to keep slaves, which they were solidly against. They crossed the river at Maysville, Kentucky which was settled about 1782, as Limestone, after the name of the Creek that enters Ohio at this point. these people crossed on a raft. A few days before they had butchered Sarah's calf and cured it as jerky meat.
Other excerpts from the records of Ginevra Kennedy: John Miller born in Virginia in 1753 married Mary Keene of Virginia in 1782 and went to Carter County, Tennessee; later to Kentucky and helped Daniel Boone drive the Indians out of Kentucky. For which the Governor of Kentucky offered him 600 acres of land where Lexington now stands. But he refused and went on into Indiana for the Millers were always frontiersmen, they kept to the edge of the wave. Our great-grandfather Stover left Tennessee and Kentucky because he did not believe in slavery. When one of his neighbors whipped one of his slaves, an old woman, to death and went unpunished, he swore that he would not live in a country where such things were tolerated and shook the dust off his feet and went to live in the wilds of Indiana, and John Miller and his wife went with them. Both families came up into Kentucky some time before they went up into Indiana in 1811. John Miller served eight years under Washington and Grandma must have told me he was a Captain, for I got the idea somewhere. These records of the Miller family came from the family Bible inherited from John Miller by his youngest son, Abraham. Some of the Millers left Crawfordsville about 1834 and went to Mercer County, Illinois and founded Millersburg. When Abraham left there for Oregon in 1851 he gave the family Bible to his oldest daughter, Elizabeth Miller Brown. Some of their descendants may be there yet and have this Bible."
====================
It is also stated in a record sent to Mary Hannah Dunbar Sidener:
JOHN MILLER THE REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER
In 1680 a father, mother, and three sons named Miller (or Mueller) left Germany for America. The father and mother both died in passage and were buried at sea. The three sons arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. A son of one of these left five children, as:
1. Susan m. Shelly
2. Ailsie m. Petrie
3. Conrad killed in the Revolution
4. Katherine m. Mulkey
5. John m. Catherine Warren
John Miller, b. in Virginia 1753. Died on the farm entered by his son-in-law, Samuel Stover, on Whitewater River in Union County, Indiana, in 1814. Mary Keene, whom he married in Virginia in 1782, died in 1822. Both buried on the Stover farm. In 1900 Mary Hannah (Dunbar) Sidener, of Silver City, Iowa, her sister, Mrs. Lavonia Kennedy, of Liberty, Indiana and a daughter of Mrs. Kennedy's visited the family burial plot of John and Mary Miller on the former Stover farm and took a picture of the rude stone marker. Stones marking the graves were put there by John's sons, who brought them from the Whitewater River, just before their departure for Montgomery County in the western part of the state in 1822 or after their mother's death. Phillip Miller, George's son by his first wife, Lydia, is accredited with carving the initials on the stones, as later in his Oregon home, he made several grave markers.
=====================================
Excerpts from a letter to Mrs. Coffey from Ivan W. Clevenger of Brownsville, Indiana, dated Sept. 22, 1963:
"Our nearest neighbor, Dan Paddock, now deceased, told us at least forty years ago, that the house was more than one hundred years old then.... ..The old cemetery is located about forty rods west of the house on top of a hill and is in very bad condition and was when my parents moved here in 1904. It appears that some graves were not marked at all, and some were marked with native flat rock with name and date chiseled on then by hand. Just a few graves had factory stones. Today there are no stones standing."
Mrs. Margaret Miller Baker, wife of Mandlebert Wendell Baker, was a great-grandaughter of George Miller (born 1785) and his first wife Lydia Stover. Their son Christian Miller, b. 3 Aug. 1807 was her grandfather. She began papers of application to the D.A.R. For membership, but died before she could complete them. She gave John Miller's war service as: (this is John b. 1753) "Soldier in the Revolutionary War. Fought against Cherokee Indians in East Tennessee; fought in the battle of King's Mountain; fought guerilla warfare in Carolinas. From Military Record Book B, page 375, Carter County Tennessee. Records granted 90 Acres of land for War service. Sold 90 Acres of land on Doe River just above Crab Orchard on Nov. 12, 1812, being a grant from North Carolina for service against the Cherokee Indians. Granted December 15, 1778. With the Fincastle Men."
(Mrs. Coffey's note-This information gathered by Mrs. Baker before her death, referred to the father of John Miller, born 1753 and she gave his name as John Miller, born 1731, who married Elizabeth Warren in 1752.)
=====================
Recollections of Lucinda (Miller) Earl (John Miller's grand niece through his brother Isaac), are that our great great grandfather Miller started from Germany to America and died at sea. His family consisted of three sons and one daughter. They continued their trip and landed in America settling in Virginia, but the Christian names of the father and the three sons were unknown to her, the year they started from Germany she did not know. One of these three sons married and raised a family of five or six children whose names were John, Conrad, Susan (Miller) Shelly, Ailsie (Miller) Petrie, and Katherine (Miller) Mulkey, and a slight recollection exists that there was another son whose name she does not recollect.
=================
Mrs. Dorothy Miller McCauley, a great-grandaughter of George Miller through his son George Samuel Miller, wrote in a letter dated, Feb. 19, 1964:
"Concerning John Miller and family stopping in Kentucky to fight Indians with Daniel Boone I had heard that from my father and grandfather. A man named Daniel Boone Shortridge came to Oregon with the Millers. I remember him. When I was a little girl, he visited us several times. Said he was Daniel Boone's nephew and I am convinced that he was. He knew my great-grandfather and wife Mary Ann and told of her Indian blood. I am 65 now and he was an old man when I was 10 years old. I do not know where he died, probably around a town in Oregon named Cottage Grove, I think that was his home town."
(Mrs. Coffey notes: From THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON, pub. 1912, there was a Samuel Boone Shortridge, who was nephew of Daniel Boone and had a DLC about 6 miles south of Cottage Grove, OR)
DANIEL BOONE, in a letter to Gov. Isaac Shelby of Kentucky, dated, Feb. 11, 1796, mentions a Mr. John Miller, who lived on the Hinkston Fork (branch of South Fork of the Licking River in Kentucky).
=========================
Nathiel Kraemer's summary of the information she collected:
In John Glenn Miller's "History of the Miller family", he states that a George Miller, b. 1705 and his wife, Sarah Oliver, were parents of: John; Conrad: Susan; Ailsie; Isaac; Nancy; and Henry Miller and that George Miller was the son of the immigrant, Jacob Mueller. Another account states, that these children were the children of a son of one of the sons of the immigrant ancestor. Differences such as this may never be straightened out. John Glenn Miller is said to have gotten his information from an old family Bible, which is not available to us today. Mrs. Coffey believes that the three sons were indeed, Daniel, Thomas and George Miller. The following Land Record would seem to indicate that the group of children John Glenn Miller gives to George and Sarah (Oliver) Miller, were in fact the children of a Daniel Miller or at least the probable heirs of Daniel Miller.
======================
CARTER COUNTY, TENNESSEE, Deed Bock B, Vol. A, p. 168:
Know all men by these presents that we the undersigned subscribers hereby give up all out right title and claim of the land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller, Deceased, with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging to John Miller to be holey at his disposal and in case anyone of us ever claim any part of said land by any claims here we acknowledge ourselves to be indebted to John Miller and his heirs the sum of one thousand pounds, as witness our hands & seals this 28th of January 1795.
Carter County, Tennessee, May Term, 1738, Registered August 17, 1798.
Chrisley Miller
Daniel Miller
Daniel Petrie
Phillip Mulkey
Jacob Miller
Elizabeth Miller (wife)
Susannah Miller
The names on this Deed might seem to add more children to the list of children given by John Glenn Miller, Ginevra Kennedy and Lucinda Earl. Unless we could assume, as Mrs. Coffey has and I tend to agree with her, that there were more than one generation signing the Deed.
Everyone who reads these lists will probably have their own idea of a summary to offer, but it seems very likely, that for some reason, the heirs were giving up the property into the hands of just one of the heirs. Possibly so they could realize their monetary share of the estate. Conrad, of course, does not sign, for he is said to have died in the Revolutionary War; Susan (Miller) Shelly does not sign, nor does her husband, they could be far away or deceased; Daniel Petrie (son of Adam Petrie) signs for his wife, Ailsie; Phillip Mulkey signs for his wife, Katherine; for some reason Isaac does not sign, nor does Nancy or her husband; I have reason to believe that Henry was living, but his whereabouts in 1795 is unknown. He had been living in Sullivan County Tennessee, but sold his land there in 1793. He shows up with these families in Tax Lists later and may be the Henry Miller who takes up land in Wayne (Union) County, Indiana in 1807. Henry Miller probably had sons Christian (Chrisley-Christopher), Jacob and Daniel. It has occurred to me, that the Chrisley, Jacob and Daniel, who signed on the Deed, might be grandsons of Daniel and sons of Henry, who sign for their father in his absence. It is thought that Elizabeth was most likely the widow of Daniel deceased and Susannah likely the widow of the fallen Conrad.
The foregoing summary is only my own theory and as a researcher who MUST have documentation to truly "BELIEVE", the only real documentation that I realize here, is that the persons named on the Deed were the probable heirs of Daniel Miller deceased and is apparently the same family that John Glenn Miller gives to George and Sarah (Oliver) Miller, and that what Lucinda Earl and Ginevra Kennedy said were the children of one of the sons of the immigrant or the children of a son of one of the sons of the immigrant ancestor.
Nathiel Kramer 1982
=========================
Potential land records for John's father Daniel Miller include:
Land Purchase: 1 APR 1768 Dunmore Co., Virginia Sale of 127 Acres by Lord Fairfax to Daniel Miller. Land Purchase 23OCT 1782 Sullivan Co. North Carolina Sale by State of North Carolina, now in Tennessee.
Land Sale: 1789 Doe River, Crab Orchard, Washington Co., Tennessee. Filed 23 Feb 1791. Purchased from William Sharp 127 acres of land in Dunmore Co., Virginia to William Smith by Daniel Miller and wife Elizabeth. 10 MAR 1788 Sullivan Co. North Carolina
Quit Claim: 17 AUG 1798 Carter Co., Tennessee Land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller Sr., deceased. Quit claim in favor of John Miller, signed by Crisly Miller, Daniel Miller, Daniel Petree, Philip Mulkey, Jacob Miller, Elizabeth Miller (wife) and Susanah Miller.
Land Purchase: Nov., 1784, Daniel (also called David) held land on the Little Limestone in Washington County. People mentioned by Daniel Miller as living nearby include: Samuel Hains, Aaron Burleson, John Pinson, George Brackley, and Joshua Green.
An earlier transaction (Grant 43/600 acres on Oct. 23rd, 1780, in Sullivan Co. Book 15/reel 1013322) shows Daniel Miller in a transaction with John Belor. Mentioned in the papers are Evan Shelby
Land Grant: Daniel granted 600 acres on Beaver Creek on Oct. 23rd, 1782. (B1-30). This was granted by the state of North Carolina.
On the 7th of March, Daniel Miller enters 300 acres on the north side of Holston River on the waters of Sinking Creek, joining John Laughlen, John Gilbert, and Col. Shelby.
In Washington Co., Tennessee, on "The Entry Taker's Report", Daniel is shown to have 300 acres in Sept. 16th of 1779. #1654. Also on this same date are recorded the names of John Shelby, Joseph Bealor, Woollery Bealor, John Bealer. Daniel is listed for March 9th of 1780...# 264.
Around 1780, when John was 27, he reportedly helped in the American Revolution by shoeing horses near Shelving Rock, Tennessee for the "Overmountain Men". They were appalachian backcountry men who unexpectedly became American revolutionaries. See Wikipedia for more on the "Overmountain Men" and also the "Battle of Kings Mountain" which was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina. Some sources claim that John fought in this battle as well. Other sources (see attached letters) suggest that John served under George Washington for eight years.
After the war ended, John was offered a tract of land by the governor of the Virginia colony for his bravery and meritorious services. Some sources suggest that he did not accept the land believing it was not appropriate. Other sources suggest that he sold the land.
In 1782, twenty-nine-year-old John Miller married nineteen-year-old Mary Ann (Keene). Mary's roots in America were much deeper than John's. Several of Mary's ancestors were born in Virginia in the mid to late 1620's (the Mayflower landed in 1620). While John's ancestors were German, Mary's ancestors were English. John and Mary had six children; Catherine, George, Elizabeth, Isaac, John (Jr.), and Abraham. All six of these children are strongly supported by documentation and dna evidence and are linked below. John and Mary ended up with roughly 60 grandchildren as a result.
In 1812, John, Mary, their six children, and several related families, moved from Tennessee to Indiana. The attached letters suggest that this was due to their disdain for slavery which was spreading into their area. The move may also have been driven by the allure of inexpensive and fertile land.
In 1814, only two years after settling in Indiana, John Miller died at age 60. Eight years later, his wife, Mary (Keene) Miller, died at age 59. They were both buried on the Stover's farm which was located along the Whitewater River near Brownsville, Wayne County, Indiana (later part of Union County). The Stover and Miller families were close friends. Both families had traveled from the same area of Tennessee to the same area of Indiana. Two of the Stover's children married two of the Miller's children; Lydia Stover married George Miller, and Samuel Stover married Elizabeth Miller.
Biography compiled by JCM - 2023
Note: Much of the information in this biography comes from the book "Oregon Pioneer Miller Families : history & migration of some of the descendants of John and Mary Keene Miller, vol. 1" written by Nathiel L. Kraemer. The following letters and other information were taken from this book which is available for free on line.
===== DNA Evidence =========
John Miller was one of my 4th great grandfathers. I am descended from him through George and Abraham Miller (2nd cousin marriage). Using the ThruLines program on Ancestry.com I can provide evidence for all six of the children of John Miller. Here are my ThruLine results:
Catherine Miller - 31 DNA Matches
George Miller - 54 DNA Matches
Abraham Miller - 10 DNA Matches
Elizabeth Miller - 30 DNA Matches
John Miller - 22 DNA Matches
Isaac Newton Miller - 14 DNA Matches
========================
ALTERNATIVE PARENTAGE FOR JOHN MILLER (see attached diagram)
The following was written by John Miller's grandson Abraham Miller, Jr. telling the names of his grandparents and great grandparents: "Grand parents John Miller and Mary Keenes, his wife. And Christian Stover and Sarah Lymebok, his wife. Great grandfather's name Daniel Miller and his wife's maiden name Beeler."
There is another version on this family's history that includes an additional generation between Daniel Miller and this John Miller. That additional generation is a John Miller Sr. and his wife Elizabeth Warren. It is not known which of these scenarios is correct. This memorial is written based on the scenario that Abraham Miller described where this John Miller is descended directly from Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller.
====================
JOHN MILLERS PARENTS AND SIBLINGS
John Miller's parents, Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller, are thought to have emigrated from the Pfalz-Zweibruken area of the upper Rhine River Valley near the Allais Lorraine district, Germany, close to the French border. One of the letters attached below states "In 1680 a father, mother and three sons named Miller (or Mueller) left Germany for America. The father and mother both died in passage and were buried at sea. The three sons arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. A son of one of these left five children." That son is believed to be John's father Daniel Miller.
Daniel was probably born between 1705 and 1710 in Germany, and he died in 1792 in Carter County, Tennessee. Birth dates for Daniel's wife Maria Beeler vary widely among sources (1708-1712, 1731, and 1738). Given the birth dates of her children, the 1731 date seems to be the best fit. The historical records are sketchy but Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller may have had at least 5 of the following children that have been attributed in various sources to them (not necessarily listed in order of birth):
1) Henry Miller (1747-1819)
2) John Miller (1753-1814)
3) Conrad Miller (1756-?) m: Susannah (he died in Revolutionary War)
4) Christopher (Chrisly or Chrisley) Miller (1759-?)
5) Alsie Miller m: Daniel Petrie
6) Daniel Miller (1762-?)
7) Margaret Catherine Miller (1768-1835) m: Philip Mulkey
8) Jacob Miller (1770-1849)
9) Susannah Miller (1778-?) m: (1808) Daniel Shelly
Only Henry and John of the above children are well documented and supported by dna evidence. Several sources mention Conrad as well and his death in a battle during the Revolutionary War. In addition, there is a quit claim land deed that appears to support the existence of several of the other children: "17 AUG 1798 Carter Co., Tennessee Land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller Sr., deceased. Quit claim in favor of John Miller, signed by Crisly Miller, Daniel Miller, Daniel Petree, Philip Mulkey, Jacob Miller, Elizabeth Miller (wife) and Susanah Miller." Although, as discussed in one of the attachments provided, some of these signatories may have been John's grandchildren rather than his own children. Henry Miller had sons named Christopher, Jacob, and Daniel. In addition, the Susannah listed as his last child may be the Susannah that was the wife of Conrad who was killed in the Revolutionary War.
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Letter from George Washington Miller to his cousin, Mrs. Livonia Kennedy.
Ping, Washington December 25, 1906
Dear Cousin,
A Christmas greeting, yours of the 14th instant is at hand and was gladly received.
My cousin Mildred kindly tendered her assistance in getting the records of Aunt Elizabeth (Miller) Stovers family which I greatly appreciate. I never saw but two of that family, that was Mildred and Ella Dawson that my youngest brother Jacob married, her mothers name was Eliza, third daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Stover so you can see I don't know very much about the family.
The descendants of John Miller are very numerous and I would like to get just as many of them as possible. There is quite a few that I write that don't answer my letter. It seems to me just like they did not want their name in a book. I find a good many that really do not know what relation they are to the Millers and some of them when I tell them seem to be surprised to know they are related.
Will now give you the history of the Millers as far back as John Miller the hero of the Revolutionary War, who achieved the unsullied glory of eternal Fame, for service rendered in the Colonial Army under command of General Washington for eight years where eternal vigilance was the price of liberty. For these services the Governor of the Colony of Virginia offered him a large tract of land, this he declined saying he owed his services to the American Colonies who had gained their independence from their mother country. He was born in Virginia 1753 and married Mary Keene of Virginia 1782, soon after this he moved to Carter County Tennessee. From their marriage six children were born, whose names were:
Katherine Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in May 1783. Married John Miller of Tenn. June 10, 1803 (17 Apr. 1797).
George Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in June 1785. Married Lydia Stover in Carter County Tennessee in June 1808 (19 Jan. 1805).
Elizabeth Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in October 1787. Married Samuel Stover in Carter County Tennessee (3 Aug. 1804).
Isaac Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in April 1790. Married Martha Beard of North Carolina on November 25, 1815.
John Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in November 1792. Married Sarah Smith Carter County Tennessee in June 1812 (19 Sept. 1812).
Abraham Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in July 1795. Married Mary Little in Centerville, Indiana in January 1822.
The foregoing records were taken from the family Bible of Abraham Miller supposed to be inherited from his father and when he started from Millersburg, Illinois to cross the plains to Oregon in 1851, he gave the Bible to his oldest daughter Elizabeth (Miller) Brown. These records are taken from the Bible and are supposed to be correct.
The four sons of John Miller, the hero of Revolutionary War fame has from their marriages sixty children born unto them, Katherine eight, and Elizabeth nine from the last two that has been handed down to me. The four brothers from the time they left Tennessee have always been on the frontiers building forts to protect themselves in while fighting back Indians to open up the country for settlement.
(Copy of letter in possession of Mrs. Oloff Coffey, Iowa. This letter was sent to her great-aunt, Mrs. Livonia Kennedy of Liberty, Indiana; Mrs. Kennedy being a sister of Mrs. Coffey's grandmother, Mrs. Mary Hannah (Dunbar) Sidener. The dates in parethesis are dates corrected later by Mrs. Coffey from the documented marriage records of Carter County Tennessee)
===============================
Mrs. Oloff Coffey sent the following Miller family data to Claude Miller of Nez Perce, Idaho.
Ginerva Kennedy of Staten Island, New York, in a letter written to her sister, February 20, 1923, says their grandmother, Sarah Stover Dunbar (Sarah being the daughter of Elizabeth, whose father was John Miller born 1753) told how when they moved into Indiana to take up their land in 1811, that they spent the first summer at a Fort. She did not name the Fort. (This Sarah Stover Dunbar was born in Carter County, Tennessee on October 19, 1802 and lived until December 22, 1900. She was a woman of wonderful memory to the very end of her life and Ginevra conversed with her often.) Mrs. Kennedy stated further that John Miller and wife came with their daughter Elizabeth and husband Samuel Stover when they came to settle in Wayne county Indiana. The Stovers and the Millers left Kentucky because of the growing tendency of the permanent settlers to keep slaves, which they were solidly against. They crossed the river at Maysville, Kentucky which was settled about 1782, as Limestone, after the name of the Creek that enters Ohio at this point. these people crossed on a raft. A few days before they had butchered Sarah's calf and cured it as jerky meat.
Other excerpts from the records of Ginevra Kennedy: John Miller born in Virginia in 1753 married Mary Keene of Virginia in 1782 and went to Carter County, Tennessee; later to Kentucky and helped Daniel Boone drive the Indians out of Kentucky. For which the Governor of Kentucky offered him 600 acres of land where Lexington now stands. But he refused and went on into Indiana for the Millers were always frontiersmen, they kept to the edge of the wave. Our great-grandfather Stover left Tennessee and Kentucky because he did not believe in slavery. When one of his neighbors whipped one of his slaves, an old woman, to death and went unpunished, he swore that he would not live in a country where such things were tolerated and shook the dust off his feet and went to live in the wilds of Indiana, and John Miller and his wife went with them. Both families came up into Kentucky some time before they went up into Indiana in 1811. John Miller served eight years under Washington and Grandma must have told me he was a Captain, for I got the idea somewhere. These records of the Miller family came from the family Bible inherited from John Miller by his youngest son, Abraham. Some of the Millers left Crawfordsville about 1834 and went to Mercer County, Illinois and founded Millersburg. When Abraham left there for Oregon in 1851 he gave the family Bible to his oldest daughter, Elizabeth Miller Brown. Some of their descendants may be there yet and have this Bible."
====================
It is also stated in a record sent to Mary Hannah Dunbar Sidener:
JOHN MILLER THE REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER
In 1680 a father, mother, and three sons named Miller (or Mueller) left Germany for America. The father and mother both died in passage and were buried at sea. The three sons arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. A son of one of these left five children, as:
1. Susan m. Shelly
2. Ailsie m. Petrie
3. Conrad killed in the Revolution
4. Katherine m. Mulkey
5. John m. Catherine Warren
John Miller, b. in Virginia 1753. Died on the farm entered by his son-in-law, Samuel Stover, on Whitewater River in Union County, Indiana, in 1814. Mary Keene, whom he married in Virginia in 1782, died in 1822. Both buried on the Stover farm. In 1900 Mary Hannah (Dunbar) Sidener, of Silver City, Iowa, her sister, Mrs. Lavonia Kennedy, of Liberty, Indiana and a daughter of Mrs. Kennedy's visited the family burial plot of John and Mary Miller on the former Stover farm and took a picture of the rude stone marker. Stones marking the graves were put there by John's sons, who brought them from the Whitewater River, just before their departure for Montgomery County in the western part of the state in 1822 or after their mother's death. Phillip Miller, George's son by his first wife, Lydia, is accredited with carving the initials on the stones, as later in his Oregon home, he made several grave markers.
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Excerpts from a letter to Mrs. Coffey from Ivan W. Clevenger of Brownsville, Indiana, dated Sept. 22, 1963:
"Our nearest neighbor, Dan Paddock, now deceased, told us at least forty years ago, that the house was more than one hundred years old then.... ..The old cemetery is located about forty rods west of the house on top of a hill and is in very bad condition and was when my parents moved here in 1904. It appears that some graves were not marked at all, and some were marked with native flat rock with name and date chiseled on then by hand. Just a few graves had factory stones. Today there are no stones standing."
Mrs. Margaret Miller Baker, wife of Mandlebert Wendell Baker, was a great-grandaughter of George Miller (born 1785) and his first wife Lydia Stover. Their son Christian Miller, b. 3 Aug. 1807 was her grandfather. She began papers of application to the D.A.R. For membership, but died before she could complete them. She gave John Miller's war service as: (this is John b. 1753) "Soldier in the Revolutionary War. Fought against Cherokee Indians in East Tennessee; fought in the battle of King's Mountain; fought guerilla warfare in Carolinas. From Military Record Book B, page 375, Carter County Tennessee. Records granted 90 Acres of land for War service. Sold 90 Acres of land on Doe River just above Crab Orchard on Nov. 12, 1812, being a grant from North Carolina for service against the Cherokee Indians. Granted December 15, 1778. With the Fincastle Men."
(Mrs. Coffey's note-This information gathered by Mrs. Baker before her death, referred to the father of John Miller, born 1753 and she gave his name as John Miller, born 1731, who married Elizabeth Warren in 1752.)
=====================
Recollections of Lucinda (Miller) Earl (John Miller's grand niece through his brother Isaac), are that our great great grandfather Miller started from Germany to America and died at sea. His family consisted of three sons and one daughter. They continued their trip and landed in America settling in Virginia, but the Christian names of the father and the three sons were unknown to her, the year they started from Germany she did not know. One of these three sons married and raised a family of five or six children whose names were John, Conrad, Susan (Miller) Shelly, Ailsie (Miller) Petrie, and Katherine (Miller) Mulkey, and a slight recollection exists that there was another son whose name she does not recollect.
=================
Mrs. Dorothy Miller McCauley, a great-grandaughter of George Miller through his son George Samuel Miller, wrote in a letter dated, Feb. 19, 1964:
"Concerning John Miller and family stopping in Kentucky to fight Indians with Daniel Boone I had heard that from my father and grandfather. A man named Daniel Boone Shortridge came to Oregon with the Millers. I remember him. When I was a little girl, he visited us several times. Said he was Daniel Boone's nephew and I am convinced that he was. He knew my great-grandfather and wife Mary Ann and told of her Indian blood. I am 65 now and he was an old man when I was 10 years old. I do not know where he died, probably around a town in Oregon named Cottage Grove, I think that was his home town."
(Mrs. Coffey notes: From THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON, pub. 1912, there was a Samuel Boone Shortridge, who was nephew of Daniel Boone and had a DLC about 6 miles south of Cottage Grove, OR)
DANIEL BOONE, in a letter to Gov. Isaac Shelby of Kentucky, dated, Feb. 11, 1796, mentions a Mr. John Miller, who lived on the Hinkston Fork (branch of South Fork of the Licking River in Kentucky).
=========================
Nathiel Kraemer's summary of the information she collected:
In John Glenn Miller's "History of the Miller family", he states that a George Miller, b. 1705 and his wife, Sarah Oliver, were parents of: John; Conrad: Susan; Ailsie; Isaac; Nancy; and Henry Miller and that George Miller was the son of the immigrant, Jacob Mueller. Another account states, that these children were the children of a son of one of the sons of the immigrant ancestor. Differences such as this may never be straightened out. John Glenn Miller is said to have gotten his information from an old family Bible, which is not available to us today. Mrs. Coffey believes that the three sons were indeed, Daniel, Thomas and George Miller. The following Land Record would seem to indicate that the group of children John Glenn Miller gives to George and Sarah (Oliver) Miller, were in fact the children of a Daniel Miller or at least the probable heirs of Daniel Miller.
======================
CARTER COUNTY, TENNESSEE, Deed Bock B, Vol. A, p. 168:
Know all men by these presents that we the undersigned subscribers hereby give up all out right title and claim of the land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller, Deceased, with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging to John Miller to be holey at his disposal and in case anyone of us ever claim any part of said land by any claims here we acknowledge ourselves to be indebted to John Miller and his heirs the sum of one thousand pounds, as witness our hands & seals this 28th of January 1795.
Carter County, Tennessee, May Term, 1738, Registered August 17, 1798.
Chrisley Miller
Daniel Miller
Daniel Petrie
Phillip Mulkey
Jacob Miller
Elizabeth Miller (wife)
Susannah Miller
The names on this Deed might seem to add more children to the list of children given by John Glenn Miller, Ginevra Kennedy and Lucinda Earl. Unless we could assume, as Mrs. Coffey has and I tend to agree with her, that there were more than one generation signing the Deed.
Everyone who reads these lists will probably have their own idea of a summary to offer, but it seems very likely, that for some reason, the heirs were giving up the property into the hands of just one of the heirs. Possibly so they could realize their monetary share of the estate. Conrad, of course, does not sign, for he is said to have died in the Revolutionary War; Susan (Miller) Shelly does not sign, nor does her husband, they could be far away or deceased; Daniel Petrie (son of Adam Petrie) signs for his wife, Ailsie; Phillip Mulkey signs for his wife, Katherine; for some reason Isaac does not sign, nor does Nancy or her husband; I have reason to believe that Henry was living, but his whereabouts in 1795 is unknown. He had been living in Sullivan County Tennessee, but sold his land there in 1793. He shows up with these families in Tax Lists later and may be the Henry Miller who takes up land in Wayne (Union) County, Indiana in 1807. Henry Miller probably had sons Christian (Chrisley-Christopher), Jacob and Daniel. It has occurred to me, that the Chrisley, Jacob and Daniel, who signed on the Deed, might be grandsons of Daniel and sons of Henry, who sign for their father in his absence. It is thought that Elizabeth was most likely the widow of Daniel deceased and Susannah likely the widow of the fallen Conrad.
The foregoing summary is only my own theory and as a researcher who MUST have documentation to truly "BELIEVE", the only real documentation that I realize here, is that the persons named on the Deed were the probable heirs of Daniel Miller deceased and is apparently the same family that John Glenn Miller gives to George and Sarah (Oliver) Miller, and that what Lucinda Earl and Ginevra Kennedy said were the children of one of the sons of the immigrant or the children of a son of one of the sons of the immigrant ancestor.
Nathiel Kramer 1982
=========================
Potential land records for John's father Daniel Miller include:
Land Purchase: 1 APR 1768 Dunmore Co., Virginia Sale of 127 Acres by Lord Fairfax to Daniel Miller. Land Purchase 23OCT 1782 Sullivan Co. North Carolina Sale by State of North Carolina, now in Tennessee.
Land Sale: 1789 Doe River, Crab Orchard, Washington Co., Tennessee. Filed 23 Feb 1791. Purchased from William Sharp 127 acres of land in Dunmore Co., Virginia to William Smith by Daniel Miller and wife Elizabeth. 10 MAR 1788 Sullivan Co. North Carolina
Quit Claim: 17 AUG 1798 Carter Co., Tennessee Land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller Sr., deceased. Quit claim in favor of John Miller, signed by Crisly Miller, Daniel Miller, Daniel Petree, Philip Mulkey, Jacob Miller, Elizabeth Miller (wife) and Susanah Miller.
Land Purchase: Nov., 1784, Daniel (also called David) held land on the Little Limestone in Washington County. People mentioned by Daniel Miller as living nearby include: Samuel Hains, Aaron Burleson, John Pinson, George Brackley, and Joshua Green.
An earlier transaction (Grant 43/600 acres on Oct. 23rd, 1780, in Sullivan Co. Book 15/reel 1013322) shows Daniel Miller in a transaction with John Belor. Mentioned in the papers are Evan Shelby
Land Grant: Daniel granted 600 acres on Beaver Creek on Oct. 23rd, 1782. (B1-30). This was granted by the state of North Carolina.
On the 7th of March, Daniel Miller enters 300 acres on the north side of Holston River on the waters of Sinking Creek, joining John Laughlen, John Gilbert, and Col. Shelby.
In Washington Co., Tennessee, on "The Entry Taker's Report", Daniel is shown to have 300 acres in Sept. 16th of 1779. #1654. Also on this same date are recorded the names of John Shelby, Joseph Bealor, Woollery Bealor, John Bealer. Daniel is listed for March 9th of 1780...# 264.
John Miller grew up in Virginia, and, in 1777, settled in Crab Orchard, Carter Country, Tennessee, near the Shelving Rock Encampment Historical Landmark. This area is north of the Great Smokey Mountains, near Knoxville, and located along the Doe River. The area was founded by Daniel Boone and others in 1767. The Millers are thought to have migrated with the Boone Family from Pennsylvania and are believed to be some of the first settlers of this area of Tennessee.
Around 1780, when John was 27, he reportedly helped in the American Revolution by shoeing horses near Shelving Rock, Tennessee for the "Overmountain Men". They were appalachian backcountry men who unexpectedly became American revolutionaries. See Wikipedia for more on the "Overmountain Men" and also the "Battle of Kings Mountain" which was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina. Some sources claim that John fought in this battle as well. Other sources (see attached letters) suggest that John served under George Washington for eight years.
After the war ended, John was offered a tract of land by the governor of the Virginia colony for his bravery and meritorious services. Some sources suggest that he did not accept the land believing it was not appropriate. Other sources suggest that he sold the land.
In 1782, twenty-nine-year-old John Miller married nineteen-year-old Mary Ann (Keene). Mary's roots in America were much deeper than John's. Several of Mary's ancestors were born in Virginia in the mid to late 1620's (the Mayflower landed in 1620). While John's ancestors were German, Mary's ancestors were English. John and Mary had six children; Catherine, George, Elizabeth, Isaac, John (Jr.), and Abraham. All six of these children are strongly supported by documentation and dna evidence and are linked below. John and Mary ended up with roughly 60 grandchildren as a result.
In 1812, John, Mary, their six children, and several related families, moved from Tennessee to Indiana. The attached letters suggest that this was due to their disdain for slavery which was spreading into their area. The move may also have been driven by the allure of inexpensive and fertile land.
In 1814, only two years after settling in Indiana, John Miller died at age 60. Eight years later, his wife, Mary (Keene) Miller, died at age 59. They were both buried on the Stover's farm which was located along the Whitewater River near Brownsville, Wayne County, Indiana (later part of Union County). The Stover and Miller families were close friends. Both families had traveled from the same area of Tennessee to the same area of Indiana. Two of the Stover's children married two of the Miller's children; Lydia Stover married George Miller, and Samuel Stover married Elizabeth Miller.
Biography compiled by JCM - 2023
Note: Much of the information in this biography comes from the book "Oregon Pioneer Miller Families : history & migration of some of the descendants of John and Mary Keene Miller, vol. 1" written by Nathiel L. Kraemer. The following letters and other information were taken from this book which is available for free on line.
===== DNA Evidence =========
John Miller was one of my 4th great grandfathers. I am descended from him through George and Abraham Miller (2nd cousin marriage). Using the ThruLines program on Ancestry.com I can provide evidence for all six of the children of John Miller. Here are my ThruLine results:
Catherine Miller - 31 DNA Matches
George Miller - 54 DNA Matches
Abraham Miller - 10 DNA Matches
Elizabeth Miller - 30 DNA Matches
John Miller - 22 DNA Matches
Isaac Newton Miller - 14 DNA Matches
========================
ALTERNATIVE PARENTAGE FOR JOHN MILLER (see attached diagram)
The following was written by John Miller's grandson Abraham Miller, Jr. telling the names of his grandparents and great grandparents: "Grand parents John Miller and Mary Keenes, his wife. And Christian Stover and Sarah Lymebok, his wife. Great grandfather's name Daniel Miller and his wife's maiden name Beeler."
There is another version on this family's history that includes an additional generation between Daniel Miller and this John Miller. That additional generation is a John Miller Sr. and his wife Elizabeth Warren. It is not known which of these scenarios is correct. This memorial is written based on the scenario that Abraham Miller described where this John Miller is descended directly from Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller.
====================
JOHN MILLERS PARENTS AND SIBLINGS
John Miller's parents, Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller, are thought to have emigrated from the Pfalz-Zweibruken area of the upper Rhine River Valley near the Allais Lorraine district, Germany, close to the French border. One of the letters attached below states "In 1680 a father, mother and three sons named Miller (or Mueller) left Germany for America. The father and mother both died in passage and were buried at sea. The three sons arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. A son of one of these left five children." That son is believed to be John's father Daniel Miller.
Daniel was probably born between 1705 and 1710 in Germany, and he died in 1792 in Carter County, Tennessee. Birth dates for Daniel's wife Maria Beeler vary widely among sources (1708-1712, 1731, and 1738). Given the birth dates of her children, the 1731 date seems to be the best fit. The historical records are sketchy but Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller may have had at least 5 of the following children that have been attributed in various sources to them (not necessarily listed in order of birth):
1) Henry Miller (1747-1819)
2) John Miller (1753-1814)
3) Conrad Miller (1756-?) m: Susannah (he died in Revolutionary War)
4) Christopher (Chrisly or Chrisley) Miller (1759-?)
5) Alsie Miller m: Daniel Petrie
6) Daniel Miller (1762-?)
7) Margaret Catherine Miller (1768-1835) m: Philip Mulkey
8) Jacob Miller (1770-1849)
9) Susannah Miller (1778-?) m: (1808) Daniel Shelly
Only Henry and John of the above children are well documented and supported by dna evidence. Several sources mention Conrad as well and his death in a battle during the Revolutionary War. In addition, there is a quit claim land deed that appears to support the existence of several of the other children: "17 AUG 1798 Carter Co., Tennessee Land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller Sr., deceased. Quit claim in favor of John Miller, signed by Crisly Miller, Daniel Miller, Daniel Petree, Philip Mulkey, Jacob Miller, Elizabeth Miller (wife) and Susanah Miller." Although, as discussed in one of the attachments provided, some of these signatories may have been John's grandchildren rather than his own children. Henry Miller had sons named Christopher, Jacob, and Daniel. In addition, the Susannah listed as his last child may be the Susannah that was the wife of Conrad who was killed in the Revolutionary War.
==========================
Letter from George Washington Miller to his cousin, Mrs. Livonia Kennedy.
Ping, Washington December 25, 1906
Dear Cousin,
A Christmas greeting, yours of the 14th instant is at hand and was gladly received.
My cousin Mildred kindly tendered her assistance in getting the records of Aunt Elizabeth (Miller) Stovers family which I greatly appreciate. I never saw but two of that family, that was Mildred and Ella Dawson that my youngest brother Jacob married, her mothers name was Eliza, third daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Stover so you can see I don't know very much about the family.
The descendants of John Miller are very numerous and I would like to get just as many of them as possible. There is quite a few that I write that don't answer my letter. It seems to me just like they did not want their name in a book. I find a good many that really do not know what relation they are to the Millers and some of them when I tell them seem to be surprised to know they are related.
Will now give you the history of the Millers as far back as John Miller the hero of the Revolutionary War, who achieved the unsullied glory of eternal Fame, for service rendered in the Colonial Army under command of General Washington for eight years where eternal vigilance was the price of liberty. For these services the Governor of the Colony of Virginia offered him a large tract of land, this he declined saying he owed his services to the American Colonies who had gained their independence from their mother country. He was born in Virginia 1753 and married Mary Keene of Virginia 1782, soon after this he moved to Carter County Tennessee. From their marriage six children were born, whose names were:
Katherine Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in May 1783. Married John Miller of Tenn. June 10, 1803 (17 Apr. 1797).
George Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in June 1785. Married Lydia Stover in Carter County Tennessee in June 1808 (19 Jan. 1805).
Elizabeth Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in October 1787. Married Samuel Stover in Carter County Tennessee (3 Aug. 1804).
Isaac Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in April 1790. Married Martha Beard of North Carolina on November 25, 1815.
John Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in November 1792. Married Sarah Smith Carter County Tennessee in June 1812 (19 Sept. 1812).
Abraham Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in July 1795. Married Mary Little in Centerville, Indiana in January 1822.
The foregoing records were taken from the family Bible of Abraham Miller supposed to be inherited from his father and when he started from Millersburg, Illinois to cross the plains to Oregon in 1851, he gave the Bible to his oldest daughter Elizabeth (Miller) Brown. These records are taken from the Bible and are supposed to be correct.
The four sons of John Miller, the hero of Revolutionary War fame has from their marriages sixty children born unto them, Katherine eight, and Elizabeth nine from the last two that has been handed down to me. The four brothers from the time they left Tennessee have always been on the frontiers building forts to protect themselves in while fighting back Indians to open up the country for settlement.
(Copy of letter in possession of Mrs. Oloff Coffey, Iowa. This letter was sent to her great-aunt, Mrs. Livonia Kennedy of Liberty, Indiana; Mrs. Kennedy being a sister of Mrs. Coffey's grandmother, Mrs. Mary Hannah (Dunbar) Sidener. The dates in parethesis are dates corrected later by Mrs. Coffey from the documented marriage records of Carter County Tennessee)
===============================
Mrs. Oloff Coffey sent the following Miller family data to Claude Miller of Nez Perce, Idaho.
Ginerva Kennedy of Staten Island, New York, in a letter written to her sister, February 20, 1923, says their grandmother, Sarah Stover Dunbar (Sarah being the daughter of Elizabeth, whose father was John Miller born 1753) told how when they moved into Indiana to take up their land in 1811, that they spent the first summer at a Fort. She did not name the Fort. (This Sarah Stover Dunbar was born in Carter County, Tennessee on October 19, 1802 and lived until December 22, 1900. She was a woman of wonderful memory to the very end of her life and Ginevra conversed with her often.) Mrs. Kennedy stated further that John Miller and wife came with their daughter Elizabeth and husband Samuel Stover when they came to settle in Wayne county Indiana. The Stovers and the Millers left Kentucky because of the growing tendency of the permanent settlers to keep slaves, which they were solidly against. They crossed the river at Maysville, Kentucky which was settled about 1782, as Limestone, after the name of the Creek that enters Ohio at this point. these people crossed on a raft. A few days before they had butchered Sarah's calf and cured it as jerky meat.
Other excerpts from the records of Ginevra Kennedy: John Miller born in Virginia in 1753 married Mary Keene of Virginia in 1782 and went to Carter County, Tennessee; later to Kentucky and helped Daniel Boone drive the Indians out of Kentucky. For which the Governor of Kentucky offered him 600 acres of land where Lexington now stands. But he refused and went on into Indiana for the Millers were always frontiersmen, they kept to the edge of the wave. Our great-grandfather Stover left Tennessee and Kentucky because he did not believe in slavery. When one of his neighbors whipped one of his slaves, an old woman, to death and went unpunished, he swore that he would not live in a country where such things were tolerated and shook the dust off his feet and went to live in the wilds of Indiana, and John Miller and his wife went with them. Both families came up into Kentucky some time before they went up into Indiana in 1811. John Miller served eight years under Washington and Grandma must have told me he was a Captain, for I got the idea somewhere. These records of the Miller family came from the family Bible inherited from John Miller by his youngest son, Abraham. Some of the Millers left Crawfordsville about 1834 and went to Mercer County, Illinois and founded Millersburg. When Abraham left there for Oregon in 1851 he gave the family Bible to his oldest daughter, Elizabeth Miller Brown. Some of their descendants may be there yet and have this Bible."
====================
It is also stated in a record sent to Mary Hannah Dunbar Sidener:
JOHN MILLER THE REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER
In 1680 a father, mother, and three sons named Miller (or Mueller) left Germany for America. The father and mother both died in passage and were buried at sea. The three sons arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. A son of one of these left five children, as:
1. Susan m. Shelly
2. Ailsie m. Petrie
3. Conrad killed in the Revolution
4. Katherine m. Mulkey
5. John m. Catherine Warren
John Miller, b. in Virginia 1753. Died on the farm entered by his son-in-law, Samuel Stover, on Whitewater River in Union County, Indiana, in 1814. Mary Keene, whom he married in Virginia in 1782, died in 1822. Both buried on the Stover farm. In 1900 Mary Hannah (Dunbar) Sidener, of Silver City, Iowa, her sister, Mrs. Lavonia Kennedy, of Liberty, Indiana and a daughter of Mrs. Kennedy's visited the family burial plot of John and Mary Miller on the former Stover farm and took a picture of the rude stone marker. Stones marking the graves were put there by John's sons, who brought them from the Whitewater River, just before their departure for Montgomery County in the western part of the state in 1822 or after their mother's death. Phillip Miller, George's son by his first wife, Lydia, is accredited with carving the initials on the stones, as later in his Oregon home, he made several grave markers.
=====================================
Excerpts from a letter to Mrs. Coffey from Ivan W. Clevenger of Brownsville, Indiana, dated Sept. 22, 1963:
"Our nearest neighbor, Dan Paddock, now deceased, told us at least forty years ago, that the house was more than one hundred years old then.... ..The old cemetery is located about forty rods west of the house on top of a hill and is in very bad condition and was when my parents moved here in 1904. It appears that some graves were not marked at all, and some were marked with native flat rock with name and date chiseled on then by hand. Just a few graves had factory stones. Today there are no stones standing."
Mrs. Margaret Miller Baker, wife of Mandlebert Wendell Baker, was a great-grandaughter of George Miller (born 1785) and his first wife Lydia Stover. Their son Christian Miller, b. 3 Aug. 1807 was her grandfather. She began papers of application to the D.A.R. For membership, but died before she could complete them. She gave John Miller's war service as: (this is John b. 1753) "Soldier in the Revolutionary War. Fought against Cherokee Indians in East Tennessee; fought in the battle of King's Mountain; fought guerilla warfare in Carolinas. From Military Record Book B, page 375, Carter County Tennessee. Records granted 90 Acres of land for War service. Sold 90 Acres of land on Doe River just above Crab Orchard on Nov. 12, 1812, being a grant from North Carolina for service against the Cherokee Indians. Granted December 15, 1778. With the Fincastle Men."
(Mrs. Coffey's note-This information gathered by Mrs. Baker before her death, referred to the father of John Miller, born 1753 and she gave his name as John Miller, born 1731, who married Elizabeth Warren in 1752.)
=====================
Recollections of Lucinda (Miller) Earl (John Miller's grand niece through his brother Isaac), are that our great great grandfather Miller started from Germany to America and died at sea. His family consisted of three sons and one daughter. They continued their trip and landed in America settling in Virginia, but the Christian names of the father and the three sons were unknown to her, the year they started from Germany she did not know. One of these three sons married and raised a family of five or six children whose names were John, Conrad, Susan (Miller) Shelly, Ailsie (Miller) Petrie, and Katherine (Miller) Mulkey, and a slight recollection exists that there was another son whose name she does not recollect.
=================
Mrs. Dorothy Miller McCauley, a great-grandaughter of George Miller through his son George Samuel Miller, wrote in a letter dated, Feb. 19, 1964:
"Concerning John Miller and family stopping in Kentucky to fight Indians with Daniel Boone I had heard that from my father and grandfather. A man named Daniel Boone Shortridge came to Oregon with the Millers. I remember him. When I was a little girl, he visited us several times. Said he was Daniel Boone's nephew and I am convinced that he was. He knew my great-grandfather and wife Mary Ann and told of her Indian blood. I am 65 now and he was an old man when I was 10 years old. I do not know where he died, probably around a town in Oregon named Cottage Grove, I think that was his home town."
(Mrs. Coffey notes: From THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON, pub. 1912, there was a Samuel Boone Shortridge, who was nephew of Daniel Boone and had a DLC about 6 miles south of Cottage Grove, OR)
DANIEL BOONE, in a letter to Gov. Isaac Shelby of Kentucky, dated, Feb. 11, 1796, mentions a Mr. John Miller, who lived on the Hinkston Fork (branch of South Fork of the Licking River in Kentucky).
=========================
Nathiel Kraemer's summary of the information she collected:
In John Glenn Miller's "History of the Miller family", he states that a George Miller, b. 1705 and his wife, Sarah Oliver, were parents of: John; Conrad: Susan; Ailsie; Isaac; Nancy; and Henry Miller and that George Miller was the son of the immigrant, Jacob Mueller. Another account states, that these children were the children of a son of one of the sons of the immigrant ancestor. Differences such as this may never be straightened out. John Glenn Miller is said to have gotten his information from an old family Bible, which is not available to us today. Mrs. Coffey believes that the three sons were indeed, Daniel, Thomas and George Miller. The following Land Record would seem to indicate that the group of children John Glenn Miller gives to George and Sarah (Oliver) Miller, were in fact the children of a Daniel Miller or at least the probable heirs of Daniel Miller.
======================
CARTER COUNTY, TENNESSEE, Deed Bock B, Vol. A, p. 168:
Know all men by these presents that we the undersigned subscribers hereby give up all out right title and claim of the land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller, Deceased, with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging to John Miller to be holey at his disposal and in case anyone of us ever claim any part of said land by any claims here we acknowledge ourselves to be indebted to John Miller and his heirs the sum of one thousand pounds, as witness our hands & seals this 28th of January 1795.
Carter County, Tennessee, May Term, 1738, Registered August 17, 1798.
Chrisley Miller
Daniel Miller
Daniel Petrie
Phillip Mulkey
Jacob Miller
Elizabeth Miller (wife)
Susannah Miller
The names on this Deed might seem to add more children to the list of children given by John Glenn Miller, Ginevra Kennedy and Lucinda Earl. Unless we could assume, as Mrs. Coffey has and I tend to agree with her, that there were more than one generation signing the Deed.
Everyone who reads these lists will probably have their own idea of a summary to offer, but it seems very likely, that for some reason, the heirs were giving up the property into the hands of just one of the heirs. Possibly so they could realize their monetary share of the estate. Conrad, of course, does not sign, for he is said to have died in the Revolutionary War; Susan (Miller) Shelly does not sign, nor does her husband, they could be far away or deceased; Daniel Petrie (son of Adam Petrie) signs for his wife, Ailsie; Phillip Mulkey signs for his wife, Katherine; for some reason Isaac does not sign, nor does Nancy or her husband; I have reason to believe that Henry was living, but his whereabouts in 1795 is unknown. He had been living in Sullivan County Tennessee, but sold his land there in 1793. He shows up with these families in Tax Lists later and may be the Henry Miller who takes up land in Wayne (Union) County, Indiana in 1807. Henry Miller probably had sons Christian (Chrisley-Christopher), Jacob and Daniel. It has occurred to me, that the Chrisley, Jacob and Daniel, who signed on the Deed, might be grandsons of Daniel and sons of Henry, who sign for their father in his absence. It is thought that Elizabeth was most likely the widow of Daniel deceased and Susannah likely the widow of the fallen Conrad.
The foregoing summary is only my own theory and as a researcher who MUST have documentation to truly "BELIEVE", the only real documentation that I realize here, is that the persons named on the Deed were the probable heirs of Daniel Miller deceased and is apparently the same family that John Glenn Miller gives to George and Sarah (Oliver) Miller, and that what Lucinda Earl and Ginevra Kennedy said were the children of one of the sons of the immigrant or the children of a son of one of the sons of the immigrant ancestor.
Nathiel Kramer 1982
=========================
Potential land records for John's father Daniel Miller include:
Land Purchase: 1 APR 1768 Dunmore Co., Virginia Sale of 127 Acres by Lord Fairfax to Daniel Miller. Land Purchase 23OCT 1782 Sullivan Co. North Carolina Sale by State of North Carolina, now in Tennessee.
Land Sale: 1789 Doe River, Crab Orchard, Washington Co., Tennessee. Filed 23 Feb 1791. Purchased from William Sharp 127 acres of land in Dunmore Co., Virginia to William Smith by Daniel Miller and wife Elizabeth. 10 MAR 1788 Sullivan Co. North Carolina
Quit Claim: 17 AUG 1798 Carter Co., Tennessee Land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller Sr., deceased. Quit claim in favor of John Miller, signed by Crisly Miller, Daniel Miller, Daniel Petree, Philip Mulkey, Jacob Miller, Elizabeth Miller (wife) and Susanah Miller.
Land Purchase: Nov., 1784, Daniel (also called David) held land on the Little Limestone in Washington County. People mentioned by Daniel Miller as living nearby include: Samuel Hains, Aaron Burleson, John Pinson, George Brackley, and Joshua Green.
An earlier transaction (Grant 43/600 acres on Oct. 23rd, 1780, in Sullivan Co. Book 15/reel 1013322) shows Daniel Miller in a transaction with John Belor. Mentioned in the papers are Evan Shelby
Land Grant: Daniel granted 600 acres on Beaver Creek on Oct. 23rd, 1782. (B1-30). This was granted by the state of North Carolina.
On the 7th of March, Daniel Miller enters 300 acres on the north side of Holston River on the waters of Sinking Creek, joining John Laughlen, John Gilbert, and Col. Shelby.
In Washington Co., Tennessee, on "The Entry Taker's Report", Daniel is shown to have 300 acres in Sept. 16th of 1779. #1654. Also on this same date are recorded the names of John Shelby, Joseph Bealor, Woollery Bealor, John Bealer. Daniel is listed for March 9th of 1780...# 264.
Around 1780, when John was 27, he reportedly helped in the American Revolution by shoeing horses near Shelving Rock, Tennessee for the "Overmountain Men". They were appalachian backcountry men who unexpectedly became American revolutionaries. See Wikipedia for more on the "Overmountain Men" and also the "Battle of Kings Mountain" which was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina. Some sources claim that John fought in this battle as well. Other sources (see attached letters) suggest that John served under George Washington for eight years.
After the war ended, John was offered a tract of land by the governor of the Virginia colony for his bravery and meritorious services. Some sources suggest that he did not accept the land believing it was not appropriate. Other sources suggest that he sold the land.
In 1782, twenty-nine-year-old John Miller married nineteen-year-old Mary Ann (Keene). Mary's roots in America were much deeper than John's. Several of Mary's ancestors were born in Virginia in the mid to late 1620's (the Mayflower landed in 1620). While John's ancestors were German, Mary's ancestors were English. John and Mary had six children; Catherine, George, Elizabeth, Isaac, John (Jr.), and Abraham. All six of these children are strongly supported by documentation and dna evidence and are linked below. John and Mary ended up with roughly 60 grandchildren as a result.
In 1812, John, Mary, their six children, and several related families, moved from Tennessee to Indiana. The attached letters suggest that this was due to their disdain for slavery which was spreading into their area. The move may also have been driven by the allure of inexpensive and fertile land.
In 1814, only two years after settling in Indiana, John Miller died at age 60. Eight years later, his wife, Mary (Keene) Miller, died at age 59. They were both buried on the Stover's farm which was located along the Whitewater River near Brownsville, Wayne County, Indiana (later part of Union County). The Stover and Miller families were close friends. Both families had traveled from the same area of Tennessee to the same area of Indiana. Two of the Stover's children married two of the Miller's children; Lydia Stover married George Miller, and Samuel Stover married Elizabeth Miller.
Biography compiled by JCM - 2023
Note: Much of the information in this biography comes from the book "Oregon Pioneer Miller Families : history & migration of some of the descendants of John and Mary Keene Miller, vol. 1" written by Nathiel L. Kraemer. The following letters and other information were taken from this book which is available for free on line.
===== DNA Evidence =========
John Miller was one of my 4th great grandfathers. I am descended from him through George and Abraham Miller (2nd cousin marriage). Using the ThruLines program on Ancestry.com I can provide evidence for all six of the children of John Miller. Here are my ThruLine results:
Catherine Miller - 31 DNA Matches
George Miller - 54 DNA Matches
Abraham Miller - 10 DNA Matches
Elizabeth Miller - 30 DNA Matches
John Miller - 22 DNA Matches
Isaac Newton Miller - 14 DNA Matches
========================
ALTERNATIVE PARENTAGE FOR JOHN MILLER (see attached diagram)
The following was written by John Miller's grandson Abraham Miller, Jr. telling the names of his grandparents and great grandparents: "Grand parents John Miller and Mary Keenes, his wife. And Christian Stover and Sarah Lymebok, his wife. Great grandfather's name Daniel Miller and his wife's maiden name Beeler."
There is another version on this family's history that includes an additional generation between Daniel Miller and this John Miller. That additional generation is a John Miller Sr. and his wife Elizabeth Warren. It is not known which of these scenarios is correct. This memorial is written based on the scenario that Abraham Miller described where this John Miller is descended directly from Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller.
====================
JOHN MILLERS PARENTS AND SIBLINGS
John Miller's parents, Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller, are thought to have emigrated from the Pfalz-Zweibruken area of the upper Rhine River Valley near the Allais Lorraine district, Germany, close to the French border. One of the letters attached below states "In 1680 a father, mother and three sons named Miller (or Mueller) left Germany for America. The father and mother both died in passage and were buried at sea. The three sons arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. A son of one of these left five children." That son is believed to be John's father Daniel Miller.
Daniel was probably born between 1705 and 1710 in Germany, and he died in 1792 in Carter County, Tennessee. Birth dates for Daniel's wife Maria Beeler vary widely among sources (1708-1712, 1731, and 1738). Given the birth dates of her children, the 1731 date seems to be the best fit. The historical records are sketchy but Daniel and Maria (Beeler) Miller may have had at least 5 of the following children that have been attributed in various sources to them (not necessarily listed in order of birth):
1) Henry Miller (1747-1819)
2) John Miller (1753-1814)
3) Conrad Miller (1756-?) m: Susannah (he died in Revolutionary War)
4) Christopher (Chrisly or Chrisley) Miller (1759-?)
5) Alsie Miller m: Daniel Petrie
6) Daniel Miller (1762-?)
7) Margaret Catherine Miller (1768-1835) m: Philip Mulkey
8) Jacob Miller (1770-1849)
9) Susannah Miller (1778-?) m: (1808) Daniel Shelly
Only Henry and John of the above children are well documented and supported by dna evidence. Several sources mention Conrad as well and his death in a battle during the Revolutionary War. In addition, there is a quit claim land deed that appears to support the existence of several of the other children: "17 AUG 1798 Carter Co., Tennessee Land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller Sr., deceased. Quit claim in favor of John Miller, signed by Crisly Miller, Daniel Miller, Daniel Petree, Philip Mulkey, Jacob Miller, Elizabeth Miller (wife) and Susanah Miller." Although, as discussed in one of the attachments provided, some of these signatories may have been John's grandchildren rather than his own children. Henry Miller had sons named Christopher, Jacob, and Daniel. In addition, the Susannah listed as his last child may be the Susannah that was the wife of Conrad who was killed in the Revolutionary War.
==========================
Letter from George Washington Miller to his cousin, Mrs. Livonia Kennedy.
Ping, Washington December 25, 1906
Dear Cousin,
A Christmas greeting, yours of the 14th instant is at hand and was gladly received.
My cousin Mildred kindly tendered her assistance in getting the records of Aunt Elizabeth (Miller) Stovers family which I greatly appreciate. I never saw but two of that family, that was Mildred and Ella Dawson that my youngest brother Jacob married, her mothers name was Eliza, third daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Stover so you can see I don't know very much about the family.
The descendants of John Miller are very numerous and I would like to get just as many of them as possible. There is quite a few that I write that don't answer my letter. It seems to me just like they did not want their name in a book. I find a good many that really do not know what relation they are to the Millers and some of them when I tell them seem to be surprised to know they are related.
Will now give you the history of the Millers as far back as John Miller the hero of the Revolutionary War, who achieved the unsullied glory of eternal Fame, for service rendered in the Colonial Army under command of General Washington for eight years where eternal vigilance was the price of liberty. For these services the Governor of the Colony of Virginia offered him a large tract of land, this he declined saying he owed his services to the American Colonies who had gained their independence from their mother country. He was born in Virginia 1753 and married Mary Keene of Virginia 1782, soon after this he moved to Carter County Tennessee. From their marriage six children were born, whose names were:
Katherine Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in May 1783. Married John Miller of Tenn. June 10, 1803 (17 Apr. 1797).
George Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in June 1785. Married Lydia Stover in Carter County Tennessee in June 1808 (19 Jan. 1805).
Elizabeth Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in October 1787. Married Samuel Stover in Carter County Tennessee (3 Aug. 1804).
Isaac Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in April 1790. Married Martha Beard of North Carolina on November 25, 1815.
John Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in November 1792. Married Sarah Smith Carter County Tennessee in June 1812 (19 Sept. 1812).
Abraham Miller born in Carter County Tennessee in July 1795. Married Mary Little in Centerville, Indiana in January 1822.
The foregoing records were taken from the family Bible of Abraham Miller supposed to be inherited from his father and when he started from Millersburg, Illinois to cross the plains to Oregon in 1851, he gave the Bible to his oldest daughter Elizabeth (Miller) Brown. These records are taken from the Bible and are supposed to be correct.
The four sons of John Miller, the hero of Revolutionary War fame has from their marriages sixty children born unto them, Katherine eight, and Elizabeth nine from the last two that has been handed down to me. The four brothers from the time they left Tennessee have always been on the frontiers building forts to protect themselves in while fighting back Indians to open up the country for settlement.
(Copy of letter in possession of Mrs. Oloff Coffey, Iowa. This letter was sent to her great-aunt, Mrs. Livonia Kennedy of Liberty, Indiana; Mrs. Kennedy being a sister of Mrs. Coffey's grandmother, Mrs. Mary Hannah (Dunbar) Sidener. The dates in parethesis are dates corrected later by Mrs. Coffey from the documented marriage records of Carter County Tennessee)
===============================
Mrs. Oloff Coffey sent the following Miller family data to Claude Miller of Nez Perce, Idaho.
Ginerva Kennedy of Staten Island, New York, in a letter written to her sister, February 20, 1923, says their grandmother, Sarah Stover Dunbar (Sarah being the daughter of Elizabeth, whose father was John Miller born 1753) told how when they moved into Indiana to take up their land in 1811, that they spent the first summer at a Fort. She did not name the Fort. (This Sarah Stover Dunbar was born in Carter County, Tennessee on October 19, 1802 and lived until December 22, 1900. She was a woman of wonderful memory to the very end of her life and Ginevra conversed with her often.) Mrs. Kennedy stated further that John Miller and wife came with their daughter Elizabeth and husband Samuel Stover when they came to settle in Wayne county Indiana. The Stovers and the Millers left Kentucky because of the growing tendency of the permanent settlers to keep slaves, which they were solidly against. They crossed the river at Maysville, Kentucky which was settled about 1782, as Limestone, after the name of the Creek that enters Ohio at this point. these people crossed on a raft. A few days before they had butchered Sarah's calf and cured it as jerky meat.
Other excerpts from the records of Ginevra Kennedy: John Miller born in Virginia in 1753 married Mary Keene of Virginia in 1782 and went to Carter County, Tennessee; later to Kentucky and helped Daniel Boone drive the Indians out of Kentucky. For which the Governor of Kentucky offered him 600 acres of land where Lexington now stands. But he refused and went on into Indiana for the Millers were always frontiersmen, they kept to the edge of the wave. Our great-grandfather Stover left Tennessee and Kentucky because he did not believe in slavery. When one of his neighbors whipped one of his slaves, an old woman, to death and went unpunished, he swore that he would not live in a country where such things were tolerated and shook the dust off his feet and went to live in the wilds of Indiana, and John Miller and his wife went with them. Both families came up into Kentucky some time before they went up into Indiana in 1811. John Miller served eight years under Washington and Grandma must have told me he was a Captain, for I got the idea somewhere. These records of the Miller family came from the family Bible inherited from John Miller by his youngest son, Abraham. Some of the Millers left Crawfordsville about 1834 and went to Mercer County, Illinois and founded Millersburg. When Abraham left there for Oregon in 1851 he gave the family Bible to his oldest daughter, Elizabeth Miller Brown. Some of their descendants may be there yet and have this Bible."
====================
It is also stated in a record sent to Mary Hannah Dunbar Sidener:
JOHN MILLER THE REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER
In 1680 a father, mother, and three sons named Miller (or Mueller) left Germany for America. The father and mother both died in passage and were buried at sea. The three sons arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. A son of one of these left five children, as:
1. Susan m. Shelly
2. Ailsie m. Petrie
3. Conrad killed in the Revolution
4. Katherine m. Mulkey
5. John m. Catherine Warren
John Miller, b. in Virginia 1753. Died on the farm entered by his son-in-law, Samuel Stover, on Whitewater River in Union County, Indiana, in 1814. Mary Keene, whom he married in Virginia in 1782, died in 1822. Both buried on the Stover farm. In 1900 Mary Hannah (Dunbar) Sidener, of Silver City, Iowa, her sister, Mrs. Lavonia Kennedy, of Liberty, Indiana and a daughter of Mrs. Kennedy's visited the family burial plot of John and Mary Miller on the former Stover farm and took a picture of the rude stone marker. Stones marking the graves were put there by John's sons, who brought them from the Whitewater River, just before their departure for Montgomery County in the western part of the state in 1822 or after their mother's death. Phillip Miller, George's son by his first wife, Lydia, is accredited with carving the initials on the stones, as later in his Oregon home, he made several grave markers.
=====================================
Excerpts from a letter to Mrs. Coffey from Ivan W. Clevenger of Brownsville, Indiana, dated Sept. 22, 1963:
"Our nearest neighbor, Dan Paddock, now deceased, told us at least forty years ago, that the house was more than one hundred years old then.... ..The old cemetery is located about forty rods west of the house on top of a hill and is in very bad condition and was when my parents moved here in 1904. It appears that some graves were not marked at all, and some were marked with native flat rock with name and date chiseled on then by hand. Just a few graves had factory stones. Today there are no stones standing."
Mrs. Margaret Miller Baker, wife of Mandlebert Wendell Baker, was a great-grandaughter of George Miller (born 1785) and his first wife Lydia Stover. Their son Christian Miller, b. 3 Aug. 1807 was her grandfather. She began papers of application to the D.A.R. For membership, but died before she could complete them. She gave John Miller's war service as: (this is John b. 1753) "Soldier in the Revolutionary War. Fought against Cherokee Indians in East Tennessee; fought in the battle of King's Mountain; fought guerilla warfare in Carolinas. From Military Record Book B, page 375, Carter County Tennessee. Records granted 90 Acres of land for War service. Sold 90 Acres of land on Doe River just above Crab Orchard on Nov. 12, 1812, being a grant from North Carolina for service against the Cherokee Indians. Granted December 15, 1778. With the Fincastle Men."
(Mrs. Coffey's note-This information gathered by Mrs. Baker before her death, referred to the father of John Miller, born 1753 and she gave his name as John Miller, born 1731, who married Elizabeth Warren in 1752.)
=====================
Recollections of Lucinda (Miller) Earl (John Miller's grand niece through his brother Isaac), are that our great great grandfather Miller started from Germany to America and died at sea. His family consisted of three sons and one daughter. They continued their trip and landed in America settling in Virginia, but the Christian names of the father and the three sons were unknown to her, the year they started from Germany she did not know. One of these three sons married and raised a family of five or six children whose names were John, Conrad, Susan (Miller) Shelly, Ailsie (Miller) Petrie, and Katherine (Miller) Mulkey, and a slight recollection exists that there was another son whose name she does not recollect.
=================
Mrs. Dorothy Miller McCauley, a great-grandaughter of George Miller through his son George Samuel Miller, wrote in a letter dated, Feb. 19, 1964:
"Concerning John Miller and family stopping in Kentucky to fight Indians with Daniel Boone I had heard that from my father and grandfather. A man named Daniel Boone Shortridge came to Oregon with the Millers. I remember him. When I was a little girl, he visited us several times. Said he was Daniel Boone's nephew and I am convinced that he was. He knew my great-grandfather and wife Mary Ann and told of her Indian blood. I am 65 now and he was an old man when I was 10 years old. I do not know where he died, probably around a town in Oregon named Cottage Grove, I think that was his home town."
(Mrs. Coffey notes: From THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON, pub. 1912, there was a Samuel Boone Shortridge, who was nephew of Daniel Boone and had a DLC about 6 miles south of Cottage Grove, OR)
DANIEL BOONE, in a letter to Gov. Isaac Shelby of Kentucky, dated, Feb. 11, 1796, mentions a Mr. John Miller, who lived on the Hinkston Fork (branch of South Fork of the Licking River in Kentucky).
=========================
Nathiel Kraemer's summary of the information she collected:
In John Glenn Miller's "History of the Miller family", he states that a George Miller, b. 1705 and his wife, Sarah Oliver, were parents of: John; Conrad: Susan; Ailsie; Isaac; Nancy; and Henry Miller and that George Miller was the son of the immigrant, Jacob Mueller. Another account states, that these children were the children of a son of one of the sons of the immigrant ancestor. Differences such as this may never be straightened out. John Glenn Miller is said to have gotten his information from an old family Bible, which is not available to us today. Mrs. Coffey believes that the three sons were indeed, Daniel, Thomas and George Miller. The following Land Record would seem to indicate that the group of children John Glenn Miller gives to George and Sarah (Oliver) Miller, were in fact the children of a Daniel Miller or at least the probable heirs of Daniel Miller.
======================
CARTER COUNTY, TENNESSEE, Deed Bock B, Vol. A, p. 168:
Know all men by these presents that we the undersigned subscribers hereby give up all out right title and claim of the land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller, Deceased, with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging to John Miller to be holey at his disposal and in case anyone of us ever claim any part of said land by any claims here we acknowledge ourselves to be indebted to John Miller and his heirs the sum of one thousand pounds, as witness our hands & seals this 28th of January 1795.
Carter County, Tennessee, May Term, 1738, Registered August 17, 1798.
Chrisley Miller
Daniel Miller
Daniel Petrie
Phillip Mulkey
Jacob Miller
Elizabeth Miller (wife)
Susannah Miller
The names on this Deed might seem to add more children to the list of children given by John Glenn Miller, Ginevra Kennedy and Lucinda Earl. Unless we could assume, as Mrs. Coffey has and I tend to agree with her, that there were more than one generation signing the Deed.
Everyone who reads these lists will probably have their own idea of a summary to offer, but it seems very likely, that for some reason, the heirs were giving up the property into the hands of just one of the heirs. Possibly so they could realize their monetary share of the estate. Conrad, of course, does not sign, for he is said to have died in the Revolutionary War; Susan (Miller) Shelly does not sign, nor does her husband, they could be far away or deceased; Daniel Petrie (son of Adam Petrie) signs for his wife, Ailsie; Phillip Mulkey signs for his wife, Katherine; for some reason Isaac does not sign, nor does Nancy or her husband; I have reason to believe that Henry was living, but his whereabouts in 1795 is unknown. He had been living in Sullivan County Tennessee, but sold his land there in 1793. He shows up with these families in Tax Lists later and may be the Henry Miller who takes up land in Wayne (Union) County, Indiana in 1807. Henry Miller probably had sons Christian (Chrisley-Christopher), Jacob and Daniel. It has occurred to me, that the Chrisley, Jacob and Daniel, who signed on the Deed, might be grandsons of Daniel and sons of Henry, who sign for their father in his absence. It is thought that Elizabeth was most likely the widow of Daniel deceased and Susannah likely the widow of the fallen Conrad.
The foregoing summary is only my own theory and as a researcher who MUST have documentation to truly "BELIEVE", the only real documentation that I realize here, is that the persons named on the Deed were the probable heirs of Daniel Miller deceased and is apparently the same family that John Glenn Miller gives to George and Sarah (Oliver) Miller, and that what Lucinda Earl and Ginevra Kennedy said were the children of one of the sons of the immigrant or the children of a son of one of the sons of the immigrant ancestor.
Nathiel Kramer 1982
=========================
Potential land records for John's father Daniel Miller include:
Land Purchase: 1 APR 1768 Dunmore Co., Virginia Sale of 127 Acres by Lord Fairfax to Daniel Miller. Land Purchase 23OCT 1782 Sullivan Co. North Carolina Sale by State of North Carolina, now in Tennessee.
Land Sale: 1789 Doe River, Crab Orchard, Washington Co., Tennessee. Filed 23 Feb 1791. Purchased from William Sharp 127 acres of land in Dunmore Co., Virginia to William Smith by Daniel Miller and wife Elizabeth. 10 MAR 1788 Sullivan Co. North Carolina
Quit Claim: 17 AUG 1798 Carter Co., Tennessee Land formerly belonging to Daniel Miller Sr., deceased. Quit claim in favor of John Miller, signed by Crisly Miller, Daniel Miller, Daniel Petree, Philip Mulkey, Jacob Miller, Elizabeth Miller (wife) and Susanah Miller.
Land Purchase: Nov., 1784, Daniel (also called David) held land on the Little Limestone in Washington County. People mentioned by Daniel Miller as living nearby include: Samuel Hains, Aaron Burleson, John Pinson, George Brackley, and Joshua Green.
An earlier transaction (Grant 43/600 acres on Oct. 23rd, 1780, in Sullivan Co. Book 15/reel 1013322) shows Daniel Miller in a transaction with John Belor. Mentioned in the papers are Evan Shelby
Land Grant: Daniel granted 600 acres on Beaver Creek on Oct. 23rd, 1782. (B1-30). This was granted by the state of North Carolina.
On the 7th of March, Daniel Miller enters 300 acres on the north side of Holston River on the waters of Sinking Creek, joining John Laughlen, John Gilbert, and Col. Shelby.
In Washington Co., Tennessee, on "The Entry Taker's Report", Daniel is shown to have 300 acres in Sept. 16th of 1779. #1654. Also on this same date are recorded the names of John Shelby, Joseph Bealor, Woollery Bealor, John Bealer. Daniel is listed for March 9th of 1780...# 264.
