Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Carlos Miller

Carlos DeWitt Miller

Representing: Union


G.A.R Post

  • Lucius Day Post #123 Monroe, Snohomish Co. WA

Unit History

  • 84th Illinois Infantry C

See full unit history

Carlos Miller
Full Unit History

84th ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: Quincy, Illinois Summer, 1862
Mustered In: 9/1/62 Quincy, IL
Mustered Out: 6/8/65

Regimental History

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:

  This three year western theater regiment was ordered to Louisville, KY several weeks after Federal muster. It was at the battle Perryville, KY 10/8/1862 and on the march with Union Gen. Carols Buell through the state as the pursued the retreating Confederate forces under Gen. Braxton Bragg.

  At the battle of Stone's River, GA on 12/31/1862 the 84th lost 228 officers and men killed or wounded out of a total of 350 engaged. The unit next moved into the Tullahoma Campaign during which it was engaged in the battle of Chickamauga, TN on Sept. 19-20, 1863 and under siege with Union Gen. Rosecrans in Chattanooga. During the Union breakout from that city it was involved with Union Gen. Hooker in 'the fight above the clouds." 

  The 84th next moved into the Atlanta, GA Campaign. The battles of Franklin and Nashville, TN followed, completing the regiment's battlefield roster.   At final muster its total battlefield casualties were 558, Lost by accident were 7 and 124 died from disease. Total casualties: 689.

Soldier History

SOLDIER:
Residence: LeHarpe, IL Age: 28.11 yrs
Enlisted/Enrolled: 8/11/62/ LeHarpe, IL Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 9/1/62
Discharged: 10/5/63
Highest Rank: Cpl.

Family History

 PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:  

  Carlos DeWitt Miller was born 8/17/33 in Trumbull County, Ohio to Friend B. (b. 1800 MA) and Fanny (b. 1807 NY) Miller. He was the third eldest of at least seven children produced by this farm couple. His siblings were: Rasselass J. (b. 1825 OH), Henry (b. 1830 OH), Monroe (b. 1835 OH), Culvert (b. 1839 OH). Esther Ann (b. 1843 OH) and Eliza Jane (b. 1849 OH).

  No documentation is available pertaining to Carlos' childhood, formative or teenaged years.   Although no date is given, sometime prior to 1860 Carlos married to a woman identified only as Martha (middle initial E. b. ca. 1839 OH) the union would produce one child: Clark C. Miller (b. 12/21/60). While Clark's birthplace was in Illinois, it is not known if the Miller's were residing in that state at the time.

  In August, 1862 Carlos, then living in Ohio, joined the U.S. Army. Almost immediately he was stricken with diarrhea.  His period of service, approximately fourteen months, was to be dominated by his hospitalization in a number of locations and incapacitation primarily from the chronic condition. His suffering was so severe that on 10/5/63 he was granted a medical discharge.

  A surgeon's notation of two days prior at the U.S. General Hospital, Camp Dennison, Ohio read as follows: "During past two months unfit for duty 60 days. Has never been able to perform duties of soldier since enlistment. Should never have been enlisted. Unfit to enter Invalid Corps." (Note: The Invalid/Veteran Reserve Corps was an organization formulated in order to utilize soldiers who because of injury, wounding or illness were deemed unfit for field service, but able to perform a variety of light-duty responsibilities.) Interestingly, despite his alleged inability to function as a soldier Carlos had been promoted from private to the rank of corporal on 9/15/62. 

  Upon leaving the service Carlos returned to Ohio settling in Bristol Township, Trumbull County.   Who and what he returned to is not clear as, sadly, his wife, Martha, had died on October, 26 of the previous year. Who had taken charge of the couples' young son after her death is not known but he was with Carlos in 1870 census.   Also not known is what livelihood Carlos returned to. Likely it was farming supplemented by a $2 per month government disability pension which began immediately after his discharge on October 8th, either in 1864 or '65 Carlos remarried to Elizabeth Anna Gray (b.8/1/36 OH) at Mesopotamia, OH. This union would produce three children: Etta "Ettie" S. (b. 1866 OH), Emerson G. (b. 1868 OH) and Ellen E. (b. 1879 NY).  Also in the household as per the 1870 U.S. Census was Carlos' son, Clark. As of 1870 Carlos was still listed as being employed as a farmer.

   At some point between the birth of son Emerson in 1868 and the 1870 census the Miller's had departed Ohio to resettle in New York State. It was there in Allen Township in the county of Allegany the 1870 U.S. Census bureau found them. At that time Carlos was still farming. A decade later, however, then living in Nunda, Livingston Co., NY he was listed as being employed in a produce warehouse.   The Miller's are known to have been living in Livingston County, New York as late as 8/9/81. From that date until 6/29/87 when they are documented as living Washington Territory their exact whereabouts are not known. One notation has the family moving from Ohio to Washington in 1882, while a 4/1/85 has them still in New York, but then living in the Wyoming County community of Dalton. Did the family travel to Ohio before jumping to Washington?  Likely we will never know.

  Upon arriving in Washington Territory the family appears to have set up household in the community of Duwamish, likely near present-day south Seattle in King County. That was their post office and residential address when on 6/29/87 Carlos paid a $16 registration fee in the territorial capital of Olympia to obtain a 160 acre homestead in the eastern King County community of Redmond, land onto which the family moved in October of that same year. It appears, however, that Redmond may have been a developing community without its own post office as in 1889 the Miller address was noted as Houghton, WA. Houghton was a small community along the shores of Lake Washington that was later encompassed by the City of Kirkland.   In March/April 1891 Carlos, his wife and their family of four received ownership of their homesteaded. A 4/22/91 description of the parcel reads as follows: has timbered farming land, bottom and upland. (The family) has lived their continuously....in a log dwelling approximately 16' x 20'.  (Also constructed) are a stable and 40 rods of fencing. About 4 acres have been cleared and cultivated. (An additional) 10 acres (consists) of slashings and small fruit trees. Total value: $500.

  Although it appears the Millers remained on their Redmond homestead until moving northward to the Snohomish County, community of Monroe circa 1903/04. 1892 throws in another interesting twist in their address saga by indicating farmer C.D. Miller were then residing in the northeast King County community of Bothell.   As with the Houghton/Redmond connection, perhaps Redmond still did not have their own post office in 1892, but were by then serviced out of Bothell.   For the 1900 census, Carlos and Elizabeth were still on their Redmond homestead, but by this time his ability to continue farming was waning. His occupation for that year was noted as “garden laborer."   It appears that the 1903/'04 move from Redmond to Monroe was prompted by the decision or need to give up farming and move into the home of Herbert and Etta E. Seager, their married daughter. It was there on 6/1/10 that Elizabeth died. She was buried in the Monroe I.O.O.F. cemetery.

  Carlos was to remain with his married daughter for the remainder of his years. He died on 6/30/19 at 85.10 years of age. By that date Etta and her husband were residing  at Duvall, King County, Washington - another small community south of Monroe and northeast of Redmond. His earthly remains were then transported back to Monroe for burial next to Elizabeth.

  As earlier noted, almost immediately after his medical discharge from the U.S. Army Carlos began receiving a monthly government disability pension stipend. That payment had begun at $2 per month. At passing he was receiving $35 per month. His last payment was received on 6/4/19. A check received after his death was returned to the government. 

Cemetery

Buried at IOOF Cemetery Monroe
Row: Old Section


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