The final line of the entry about Captain William E. Miller, in the 1905 Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, ends with "Such is the record of Capt. William E. Miller, a worthy citizen and a gallant soldier." The biographer begins by telling us Captain Miller is "one of the best known and most highly esteemed citizens of Carlisle." Today, nearly one hundred-fifty years after the war ended, many do not know the story of William E. Miller; Civil War Hero, State Senator and one who was deeply involved in the life of Carlisle in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Miller's story was, and remains a fascinating account of a man who lived a life engaged in service to others, and is well worth remembering and retelling.
What do you think of when you hear the term "public servant?" A soldier? An elected official? Perhaps a person who volunteers his or her time in some community service? Well, William E. Miller was all of these. A life long resident of Cumberland County, Miller chose to make Carlisle his home. Despite outliving two wives and one of his children, Miller did not retreat from life. He lived his life as an example of service. Miller served his country during the Civil War, his state as a Senator, and his community, holding various local public positions. Miller also served as a leader of the Hamilton Library and Historical Association, forerunner of the Cumberland County Historical Society, during its formative years. A review of his life and accomplishments demonstrates that William E. Miller exemplifies the meaning of a "public servant."
Early Life
Verses from a poem by Dr. S. Ritter Ickes are used in the following section of this paper. Ritter was a fellow soldier at Gettysburg in 1863 and wrote the poem, "Bill Miller" after learning of Miller being awarded the Medal of Honor.
In Cumberland County, whar he war born,
A sawin' wood an' hoe in' corn,
An' doin' of chores about the farm,
Feedin' the stock in his daddy's barn;
Like many Pennsylvanians, William E. Miller's ancestors were German immigrants on both sides of his family. His paternal great-great-great grandfather and mother came into Philadelphia in 1730, and settled in what is now Lebanon County (then part of Lancaster County). His great-great-grandfather, Abraham Miller, laid out the plan for the town of Annville. Abraham Miller's son Abraham moved his family to Cumberland County. His son, Andrew G. Miller remained in Cumberland County, and that is where their son, William was born and raised.
'Tendin' school when Fall set in,
Grabin learnin' jest like sin,
William Edward Miller was born in West Hill on Feb. 5, 1836 and lived and worked on the family farm. Until the outbreak of the Civil War, William was running the farm for his father, who had lost a leg due to an infection. Like many young men in the Shippensburg and Newville areas, he joined the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry as a Private. At the formation of Company H, known as the "Big Spring Adamantine Guard," or simply the "Adamantine Guard," Miller was soon made a Second Lieutenant. Armed with only a general education, William Miller had already shown his potential.
Read Before Historical Meeting of the Hamilton Library Association, Carlisle, Pa., November V. 1902, and Reprinted for the Historical Department. From all sources obtainable it is generally conceded that Lees' objective point when he attempted the invasion of Pennsylvania was Philadelphia, though he expected to give battle before reaching this point.
Captain William E. Miller was one of the few Cumberland County residents who won the Medal of Honor during the Civil War. However, Miller may be the most distinctive honoree for winning his medal by going against his orders. Miller was born to a farming family in West Hill, Cumberland County, one mile west of Plainfield in West Pennsboro Township. As a young man, Miller ran his father’s farm and was establishing a small family of his own, when his life was interrupted by the call to war in 1861.