A Revolutionary Soldier Who Settled in Ticonderoga
Nathaniel Miller was born 7 May 1760 at Mt. Washington, Mass., a small township lying in the southwestern part of the state and only a few miles east of the New York State border. He died at Ticonderoga 6 October 1844. On 18 May 1784, he was married at Whitehall, N.Y. to Anna Bartholomew, daughter of Lemuel and Mary (Squire) Bartholomew of Whitehall. Anna was born 16 April 1766 and died at Ticonderoga 20 December 1855. They were the parents of:
Mary, born ~ 1 January 1787 Ana, born ~ 7 September 1789 Nathaniel ~ born 3 January 1792 Rachel ~ born 23 September 1794 Elizabeth ~ born 5 January 1797 Phebe ~ born 10 October 1799 Levina ~ born 12 May 1802* Asenath ~ born 5 February 1805 – Died 1819 Samuel ~ born 11 March 1807 – Died 12 October 1808
(As recorded in the Nathaniel Miller Bible as shown in pension application)
Nathaniel and Anna (Bartholomew) Miller removed with their family from Whitehall to that part of Crown Point which is now the northern section of Ticonderoga about 1793. They chose a site on the shore of Lake Champlain about mid-way between the forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point and at the head of “Miller Marsh.” Nathaniel first built a log cabin for his family, but in time this was replaced by a wood framed house.
With his wife and children Anna Archer, Rachel and Nathaniel Miller and grandsons Miron and Milton Grant, he is buried in the small family cemetery situated on a rise of ground lying south of the homestead and east of the present highway to Crown Point. Visible from the highway, this cemetery was restored by a descendant. It is in charge of the Ticonderoga Historical Society who have had military markers place for both Nathaniel and his son Nathaniel. Jr. who served in the War of 1812.
Anna Miller, b 7 Spet 1789 – d 11 Sept. 1832 ~ married Elias Archer. Buried in family cemetery. Nathaniel Miller, b 2 Jan 1792 – d 3 Sept 1859 ~ married Wealthy Ann —-. Both buried in family cemetery. Rachel Miller, b 23 Sept 1794 – d unmarried 30 Sept 1870 ~ buried in the family cemetery Elizabeth Miller, b Jan 1797 – d Port Henry, NY ~ 5 Aug 1882, married William Treadway b 19 Jan 1795 – d Crown Point 22 Feb 1861 Phebe Miller, b 10 Oct 1799 – d 5 Sept 1881; married George Grant ~ 31 Jan 1794- 27 Aug 1877. Buried Ingalls cemetery (Ticonderoga) Levina Miller, b 12 May 1802 – d 5 Sept 1881; married Hiram Kimpton. Place of burial unknown. Possibly Ingalls cemetery.
Levina Miller Kimpton ~~ THS Collection on display Front Parlor
Nathaniel Miller, Sr. served several tours during the Revolutionary War and since his application for a pension under the Congressional Act of 1832 was so detailed and gave one of the best descriptions of the service provided by the Colonial troops, it is included here. It shows the short terms served and their cause, in some cases the reason for the lack of knowledge of officers and more frequently the lack of named regiments.
Miller Cemetery
North Ticonderoga
Parentheses (have been used when the correct word was in doubt.) ~ Brackets [have been used for words within parentheses in the original document.]
State of New York County of Essex …. On this 27th day of May 1833 personally appeared before me Joseph S Weed one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the county of Essex aforesaid Nathaniel Miller a resident of the Town of Ticonderoga County and State aforesaid aged seventy two years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
Gen. Johm Burgoyne
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated – His officers were Colonel John Williams of Salem, N.Y. & Captain Joseph Ingols. No other officers recollected – they were frequently changing – He entered the service in the fore part of June 1777 & left the said service the fore part of July following – he resided in Granville, Washington County, N. York – an alarm came to that place & he was ordered out & went into the service in (compliance) with those orders. He was in no battle – had a few skirmishes – he marched through the woods from Granville, his place of residence, to Poultney, Vt. thence to Castleton, stayed there some days, keeping guard, being few in number – then went to Hubbardton, Vt. There kept guard some days until Colonel Seth Warner arrived with some militia he had recruited in Vermont. He joined Warner’s troops & marched to Mount Independence opposite Ticonderoga, crossed the bridge over Lake Champlain to Fort Ticonderoga. He was there on Picket guard with about 500 men – (was upon) the night the Americans retreated from Ticonderoga before Burgoyne & who while (lying in waight) on the Lake [Champlain] & on the (turn), on Mount Defiance & on Mount Hope & between those mountains. Afer retreating across the lake to Mt. Independence an officer ordered some of the men to turn back & pull up the bridge & the men obeyed & pulled up a part of it – the Americans continued their retreat toward Hubbardton, Vt. through the woods & arrived there the first day from Ticonderoga –
marched from Hubbardton to Poultney in a body, from thence each went to his several homes & this applicant arrived at his home in Granville – some of those who retreated from Ticonderoga were Continental troops but their companies or regiments are not recollected – he knew Colonel Warner’s regiment & he knew the Colonel & General St. Claire, saw them both at Ticonderoga – This applicant was not in the battle at Hubbardston but was near enough in advance of the battle to hear the guns & the officers went to General St. Claire to prevail on him to turn back to assist in the battle & this applicant saw the officers come back from the general tearing their hair with rage because he refused to grant their request – they however (halted) a short time & then marched on – Colonel Warner’s regiment was mostly cut off – it was said at the time that only 36 were left – those with whom this battle was fought were a part of Burgoyne’s army that followed the Americans from Ticonderoga & they followed on to Castleton – shortly after the party with this applicant retreated from Hubbardton they met a (drove) of cattle followed by some Canadiens & it was said Indians – they took seven Canadiens & drove the cattle back – they had been plundered from the inhabitants in that vicinity as it was said & supposed – & this applicant saw a number of individuals who said that their cattle had been driven away – the above is all the actual service this applicant rendered to his country that season as he was taken sick immediately after his return home & did not recover till Janry following – his sickness was occasioned by fatigue & exposure while out – he however was obliged to keep himself ready at all times to enter the service at a moments warning & he did keep himself so ready but his sickness prevented him returning to the service again that season – he provided himself with arms, ammunition & provisions – in the service – he was in actual service this term not less than one month – he thinks it was more but he cannot state precisely from (age & the correspondent loss) of memory – he was a private
Gen St. Clair
He was out a second term under the following named officers: one Webster of John Williams, was colonel – does not recollect which – Silas Childs was Captain – Ichabod (Parker) he thinks was Lieutenant – He entered the service this term in the Spring of 1778 about the time lake [Champlain] broke up it must have been April – the company to which he belonged was divided into 3 or 4 classes; one of which was to be continually scouting by turns so that if the classes were 3, each class was out a third part of the time – but whenever there was an alarm the whole company turns out & this applicant was out very frequently on alarm, besides his taking his turn scouting – he left this service some time in November – it was when the Lake froze over as that the enemy could not navigate the Lake, he resided when he entered the service this term in the same place he did when he entered the first term – he was in no battles – his duties were scouting & watching the enemy – the scouts to which he was attached lay at Whitehall then Skenesborough, on the mountain & other most advantageous for observing the enemy in their movements – had no marching – it was called scouting – no Continentals with this company – he knew no regular officers nor any others except those in command over him – there were none with him – whenever any scout discovered any of the enemy, intelligence was given forthwith to the main body of men & they would all turn out frequently passed and repassed between Canada & the town Kingsbury a place about 15 miles south of Whitehall where a number of tories resided – no large bodies of enemy appeared in those parts during the season – small parties only came for the purpose of plunder – he entered the service this term as a volunteer instead of being drafted – the orders were for certain number of men but not (many) he does not know – he cannot state (necessarily) how long he was out this term from loss of memory but he was out not less than three months as a private
He entered the service & served a third term under the following named officers & served as follows:
The Captain or commandant as he always styled himself &, who this applicant understood, to be a continental officer, sent to (this) command was Levi Stockwell– Lieutenant was Thomas Boggs, first Serjeant was John (Harder), 2d Thomas (Miles), the (—-Tysol)- the Commissary was – Gillet – Quarter Master Serjeant was Abram Van Deusen, he knew no higher officer & does not know whether there were any others- he commenced this term of service the first of April 1779 & left the same the first of January following – he was a resident of the town of Granville county of Washington State of New York- Drafting orders came & he turned out as volunteer instead of being drafted – had no battles, had no marching other than scouting – his station was at Skenesborough now Whitehall – the barracks were Skenes building – the number of men at this place constantly were said to be 100- his duties & object were to guard the frontiers, scouting, observing the movements or approach of the enemy & to give the alarm to the country & militia when any of the enemy were discovered- when an alarm was given the militia would come to Skenesborough from Granville, Hebron & White Creek, N.Y.& would sometimes remain there a fortnight or till the alarm was over – Colonel Webster who resided in Hebron came to Skenesborough a number of times. Some continental troops during this term lay at Fort Edward, 24 miles distant south & some of the officers, were up to Skenesborough to attend Court Martials & two men were ordered by them to be flogged- Captain Stockwell sent for the officers at Fort Edward instead of Militia officers to sit on courts martial- Col Webster was a militia officer- This applicant was not a Fort Edward during this term. Colonel Sherwood was at Fort Edward- this applicant supposes he belonged to his regiment, but cannot positively state – he was in actual service this term, 9 months- & he was informed that Col Sherwood was a continental officer-
Seth Warner
This applicant with others was selected from the militia company to which he belonged & was bound to military service as a minute man- he was bound to go when ever his country called for & needed his services, to keep himself always ready to start at a single moments warning- was frequently called out – sometimes boats were discovered on the lake [Champlain]as the tories frequently passed and repassed between Canada & the ton Kingsbury a place about 15 miles – by night & oft time when he went to bed he expected to be called up before morning- he provided himself with arms ammunition & substance & some times they had to kill their (own meat)- had no stores to draw from- this service or this engagement commenced the fore part of the year 1780 & continued during the year- during this period he was out more than one third of the time in all but exactly how much of it he cannot recollect, neither can he specify all the particular period- & those he can recollect he cannot specify the length of them- he was out a day or two, a week or more at a time just as occasion required- the following is all he can recollect of this engagement – On the last of February or first of March 1780 when Skenesborough was burnt this applicant turned out on the alarm produced by this officer & went to that place- it was burnt by the Tories & Indians- his Captain this time was Silas Child- no other officers recollected- he was out not less than 3 days- the enemy took some captives at Skenesborough among whom was Lemuel Bartholomew or Bartomy as he was called, his brother in Law- they also killed some & took & carried away some property- In the Spring of this same year he was ordered to Skenesborough to keep guard & went but how long cannot state- through this (same season) [1780] this applicant was out as much as two months in the whole by tours of two weeks each- he was out again in 1780 or he thinks it was most probably 1781 it was the time the tories & Indians burnt Fort Ann & Kingsbury & Fort George- he (being) from his residence [Granville, N.Y.] through the wood about 25 or 30 miles & came out South a little from Fort Ann, the houses or ruins of which were smoking then there halted & it was proposed & thought best to send a scout in advance to observe where the enemy were & to make other observations- this applicant & one other were sent on this scout- they proceeded to Kingsbury where some (houses) belonging to Tories were standing, some of which houses they watched by night- they went on near Fort Edward where they, in sight of that fort, met some Continentals from there on their way to Fort George which had been burnt & demolished & a party of Americans Killed by the enemy- those Continentals were going to Fort George to bury the bodies of those killed – having learnt from these men from Fort Edward that the tories & Indians had gone north this applicant returned home but how long he was out this time he cannot state precisely but from the best of his recollection it could no be less than four days his officers form 1780 & during that near & next [1781] were the following Colonel Webster, Captain Silas Child & he thinks Henry Watkins was Lieutenant- he had different officers after the commencement of the season of 1782 till the close of the war- during this period they were Colonel Webster Capt. Parmeter Lieutenant Jehthel Bartholemew Ensign John Blanchard first serjeant Soloman Vine– this applicant was 2d or 3d serjeant & served as such from the beginning of 1782 till the close of the war- he resided during this period in Skenesborough- at one time however this applicant was under Col Warren’s employed abut 3 miles south of Whitehall landing on East Creek was building a picket fort & some log huts he cannot from old age & loss of memory state how long he was employed under Warren but it could not be less than on month-
Fort Ticonderoga & Mount Independence
Again the applicant with others on the discovery of a boat in South Bay new Whitehall supposed to belong to tories went under Capt. Parmeter Allen & Ensign John Blanchard & lay in ambush near the boat for the purpose of waylaying the enemy (scouts) they come to this boat- they did not return to their boat- this party took it ot Whitehall- he was out this time not less 10 days- This applicant is well known to Joseph Weed– Francis Arthur, Esquire and Doct Levi Wilcox who can certify to his character for truth & veracity to their belief of his service as a soldier of the Revolution. He was born in the year 1760 in the town of Mt. Washington Berkshire county state of Mass. has a record of his age at home in his Bible but mostly obliterated since the Revolutionary War he has resided in Skenesborough & for 39 years past he has resided in Ticonderoga aforesaid- he has no documentary evidence respecting his service except the affidavit hereto annexed- he never received any written discharge & that he is unable from bodily infirmity to attend the court when this applicant was a serjeant he received a document but what has become of it he knows not
He hereby relinquishes any claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the Pension roll of the (agency) of any state
Subscribed & sworn to the day & Nathaniel Miller Year aforesaid before me Joseph S Weed A Judge of Essex Com Pleas
This article is an edited re-print from one originally published by the Ticonderoga Historical Society in its “Patches and Patterns Extended” – Winter/Spring 1991 issue. Copies of this issue, and selected others, are available in our Gift Shop.
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7/23/18 wgd