Abram O. Miller

Biography #1

Abram O. Miller was born October 2, 1827, in Madison County, Ohio. Miller graduated from the University of Louisville in 1856. When the War broke out in 1861, he was commissioned a 1st lieutenant in the three-month 10th Indiana Volunteer Infantry unit, serving under Mahlon Manson. After participating in the battle at Rich Mountain, (West) Virginia, Miller was promoted to captain. When the 10th was reformed as a three-year unit, Miller was appointed major. The 10th was heavily engaged in the battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky, in January 1862. In April they arrived at Shiloh, Tennessee, the day after the fighting. They were part of Henry Halleck's siege of Corinth, Mississippi, in May. Miller resigned in August as he was commissioned colonel of the 72nd Indiana Infantry, a unit organized at Lafayette, Indiana. The new unit saw routine service in Kentucky before being provided horses in March. The men were armed with Spencer Repeating Rifles and became a part of John Wilder's Lightning Brigade. Miller and his men were actively engaged in the Tullahoma campaign of 1863 as the Union troops pushed the Confederates out of central Tennessee. The regiment and the brigade were conspicuous for bravery during the three days of fighting at Chickamauga, Tennessee, in September. Miller was a part of William T. Sherman's Meridian, Mississippi, raid and joined Sherman again in the Atlanta campaign. The 72nd was heavily engaged in the skirmishes and battles that took place for the three summer months of 1864. The 72nd was remounted after the fall of Atlanta and took part in raids through Alabama and Georgia, riding in James Wilson's famous raids, culminating in April 1865 at Selma, Alabama, where Miller took command of the brigade and was wounded. The 72nd was involved in the pursuit to capture Jefferson F. Davis in his flight after the War. Miller and the 72nd were mustered out on June 26, 1865, having suffered 431 casualties. At times in his civilian life, Miller was a physician and a banker. He died in Lebanon, Indiana, on April 25, 1901 and was buried there in Oak Hill Cemetery.

Submitted by: Jay Wright - July, 2006

Biography #2

COL. A. O. MILLER.

Col. A. O. Miller was born in Madison County, Ohio, in 1827. His parents moved to Clinton County, Indiana, in 1830, where both died in less than five years. He was taken by a relative and raised on a farm on the Twelve Mile Prairie. Studied medicine and graduated at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, 1856; raised a company of men for Lincoln’s call of 75,000 for three months, in ’61. Was in command of his company, C, 10th Regt. Ind. Vol., at the battle of Rich Mountain, in July, ’61. His company was the first of the army to enter the works and took down their flag, the first one taken from Rebel works during the war. Was Lieutenant-Colonel of the 10th Regt. in its three years’ organization. Was made Colonel of the 72th [sic] Regt. in 1862, and served in the field until the close of the war, at which time he, with one hundred and fifty other wounded, were at Montgomery, Alabama, three hundred miles from any Union forces; was promoted to Brigadier-General. While in the army he married Mary L., youngest daughter of Wm. Zion. Was Clerk of Boone Circuit Court for four years. Organized the first National Bank at Lebanon; was its Cashier four years, during which time the bank only lost one hundred dollars, and the banking system changed from 18 per cent. broker to 10 per cent. banking. Being enterprising and in favour of public improvements, he, with Zion Kinworthy and others, lost all they had in building the A. L.& St. L. Railroad, his loss being $20,000 bank stock, a fine home and other property.

Source Citation: Boone County Biographies [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2007. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: Harden & Spahr. "Early life and times in Boone County, Indiana." Lebanon, Indiana. May, 1887, pp. 453-454.

Transcribed by: Julie S. Townsend - July 7, 2007