| Sources |
- [S104] Cocke County, Tennessee, and its People, Cocke County Heritage Book Committee, (Walsworth Publishing, 1992), 169.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 3B, 31 Jan 2012.
George W. Miller of Ravens Branch killed in Atlanta during Civil War
BY: Brenda Wilburn
George W. Miller, born in 1828 in Cocke County, Tennessee, was the son of William Miller who was born in 1806 in Tennessee. According to information from History of Mr. Sterling, N.C. by Junior and Helen Ball, George was the only known child of William Miller.
George married Temperance Potter on February 18, 1849, in Cocke County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Johnson Potter and Sara Gwyn. Temperance was born in 1831 in Carter County, Tennessee.
George and temperance, who was known as Tempie, were farmers and worked the land in the ravens branch and Del Rio areas. They had seven children by 1861. They were Alfred C. Miller born 1851, Sarah A. Miller (1853) Emily Catherine Miller (1856-1941), Rachel A. Miller 1857, Hannah Elvira Miller (1860-1936), and Andrew Johnson Miller, born June 28, 1861.
According to the census, George could read, but Tempi could not.
From History of Tennessee, when researching the Potters and Millers, the eighth regiment of Tennessee Infantry was recruited from East Tennessee exiles and refugees at Nicholsville, Lexington, Camp Dick Robinson, and other points in Kentucky by Col. Felix A. Reeve, assisted by John B. Brownlow and H. H. Thomas.
The work of recruiting began in the fall of 1862, but owing to the fact that several cavalry regiments, which were more popular with the footsore refugees, were proposed at the same time, volunteers for infantry service were not numerous, and it was not until august 1863 that the regiment, numbering about 700 men, was organized. It was then assigned to the second brigade, second division, twenty-third army Corps, department of the Ohio and was present at Knoxville during the siege of that place. In April 1864, the regiment marched to join Sherman on his Atlanta campaign in which it took a very active part, participating in every engagement at Towah Creek near Atlanta. It was in the advance, and about 100 men of the regiment were killed and wounded in less than fifteen minutes. the eighth regiment also bore an honorable part in the battles of Jonesboro, Georgia and Columbia, Franklin, and Nashville, Tennessee.
In January, 1865, with the remainder of the army of Ohio, it was transferred to North Carolina where it
participated in the actions at Fort Anderson, Town Creek, and Wilmington.
Sadly, George was killed in battle in Atlanta, Georgia on August 6, 1864. This left his wife a widow with seven children ages 10, 8, 7, 6, 3, and 2 years old. according to a letter written by Eva Mae Green Moody to Mrs. Walker at the Stokely Memorial Library in Newport in 1982, it was two years after his death before George’s widow could get proof of his death to apply for a pension. I imagine this process was a problem for her. If she could not read and write, she would have had to depend on others to help her. Then when she had proof of his death, she did not receive a pension for two of her children because the government had the ages of the children two years older than what they were.
It was hard for a family to have something to eat during and after the Civil war. The husbands weren’t
there to raise food to eat and raiders plundered the homes and stores for food, salt, blankets, and clothing. So even if they had some food it would probably have been stolen from them.
Imagine what temperance faced with all those hungry children looking to her to provide food for them to eat!
We know that all the children lived to be grown and marry except for Sarah. I do not have a record of her marriage, but I don’t know if she died young or just never married.
Alfred Miller, son of George and Tempi, married Sarah Louise Teague a daughter of James Michael
Teague and Jane “Jennie” Harrison, who were my great-great-grandparents on my mother’s side of the family. Alfred and Sarah’s children were Martha Miller who married Jess Ramsey; George Miller who married Myrtle-------; Rachel Miller who married Jess Laws; Debbie Jane Miller, Cordie Miller, Ben Miller who married Etta Swanger, John Miller, and Bruce Miller who married Nola Suttles.
Emily Catherine Miller married my great-uncle James “Jim” Green. They had at least 17 children. Some say that they had as many as 21 or 22., but I could find no record for that many. Their first two were twins, Alfred born about 1873, his twin died at birth; Rachel Green born ca. 1875 married Taylor Clark; she also married a Mr. Holland and John Hall. Next was another set of twins born ca. 1878-Eligah and Elisha. Rueben Henry, born ca. 1879, married Mandy Poss. Sarah Ellen Green was born June 1887. William Lawson Green, born Feb. 1887, married Rachel Freeman; Charolette Green, born April 1890, married William Granviel and Doc Clark. Lonibell Green born Nov. 1892 married Sam Smithpeters. James Robert Green, born December 1894, married Bertha, whose last name was either Banks or Birchfield. Jacob Green; Tempie Elizabeth Green died young; Hannah E. Green; and then another set of twins-Ben and Cassie. Ben Green, born March 28, 1897, died October 8, 1941, married Gracie Alexander. Both are buried in the Green and Laws Cemetery in Ravens Branch. Cassie Green born March 28, 1897, married Johnny Ball. Dovie Green born Jan. 12, 1900 married Ben McKinney and Garfield Ball.
Rachel Miller married Ben Ashley. I have no information on their children.
Hannah Elvira Miller married John Jones, Jr. born Oct, 1861. They had eight children: Tempy E. Jones, born Aug l, 1888; William Jones, born Aug. 1890, married a black; Swan Jones, born Feb. 1891, married Willa Mae…..; Harriet Jones born Aug. 1893 married Davie Messer; Estela Jones born Aug. 1895; Ellen Jones married Royal “rile” Green; Carter Jones married Eatela who was from Georgia; and I have no record of who Jim Jones married. Many of these are buried at the Jones Cemetery on the hill off the Teague Branch Road.
Andrew Miller, son of George and Tempi Miller, married Emily Ruff. They had seven children: Rueben Bartley Miller, born June 1900, married Nola Davis and lived in the Ravens Branch community off big Creek Road. Their daughter, Flora Miller, born November, 1886, married my cousin Ben Ike Sparks; Zona Miller, born Dec. 1897, married Dave Manis; Garf Eld Miller, born Dec 1888, married Eller Fish; Bille Miller, born april 1890, married Jake Rollins; Omie Miller married Reuben Holt. In early 1900 Andrew “Andy” Miller served as a deacon at ravens branch Church, which was the Christian Church at that time and later changed to Church of Christ.
Ruben Bartley Miller, son of Andrew and Emily Miller, married Nola Davis. Their children were Alton Miller who married Viola Duckett; Lita Miller who married Ralph Bullington; Verlan Miller who married Ruth Barnes, and Cardell Miller who married Hannah Bullington.
Flora Miller, daughter of Andrew and Emily Miller, married Ben Ike Sparks, son of George W. and Spicey Ball Sparks. Flora and Ben had nine children, but only four lived to be grown-George Herbert (Aug. 5, 1909-Jan 15, 1969) married Essie B. Ramsey; Talbert Elbert Sparks (July 28, 1915-Jan. 30, 1993) married Beatrice Jenkins; Martha Sparks (born Aug. 10, 1917) married Alfred Gregg; Fleurdelous Sparks (Sept. 9, 1921-Dec.24,??) married Cleo Montgomery O’Neil. Children of Ben and Flora who died as infants were Luther May 1903-1907, earnest 1905-1906; G.j. 1911-1911; Thersay 1913-1914; and Delia 1919-1920. Ben and Flora suffered much heartache in losing their babies.
Although George Miller died in battle in Atlanta August 6, 1864,he has hundreds of descendants living today, and many of them are in Cocke County.
Smoky Mountain Homeplace
- [S112] Census, 1850.
Name: George Miller
Event: Census
Event Date: 1850
Event Place: Carter county, part of, Carter, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Marital Status:
Race (Original): White
Race (Expanded): White
Birthplace: Tennessee
Estimated Birth Year: 1830
Dwelling House Number: 65
Family Number: 65
Line Number: 23
NARA Publication Number: M432
NARA Roll Number: 873
Film Number: 24564
Digital Folder Number: 004191099
Image Number: 00326
Household Gender Age Birthplace
George Miller M 20 Tennessee
Timpy Miller F 20 Tennessee
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Groom's Name: George W. Miller
Groom's Birth Date:
Groom's Birthplace:
Groom's Age:
Bride's Name: Tempy Potters
Bride's Birth Date:
Bride's Birthplace:
Bride's Age:
Marriage Date: 18 Feb 1849
Marriage Place: Carter,Tennessee
Groom's Father's Name:
Groom's Mother's Name:
Bride's Father's Name:
Bride's Mother's Name:
Groom's Race:
Groom's Marital Status:
Groom's Previous Wife's Name:
Bride's Race:
Bride's Marital Status:
Bride's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M51906-3
System Origin: Tennessee-ODM
Source Film Number: 847608
Reference Number:
|
Search | Advanced Search
1830 - 1864 (34 years)
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
= Link to Google Maps