The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-02-28
lettings Of Army life.
By REv. L. ID. W THERsP5oN, d. D., CHAP
LAIN OF DAVIS MISSISSIPPI BRIGADE.
Lnst Days or Col. Hugh rs. MILLER.


bright and partly painful, which give TO
this period of our history a peculiar
charm, none come over US with more mel
lowed and thoughtful interest, than those
which cluster around the form of him
whose name stands at the head of this
article, whose sands were so soon to be
numbered, and of whom it is not too much
to say that he was one of the most remark
kable men of his day. Those who knew
him at home, as an able jurist, a saga
cious statesman, an incOrruptible patriot,
brave, Wise, chivalrous leader of pub
lie opinion, Will agree with me that few
men of his day were more endowed with
higher or more enrolling gifts than he.
In the army he had few equals as a
Regimental commander. Rigid in the
administration OF discipline, and yet
thoughtful and kind in caring for his
men, prompt in the execution OF orders,
yet always wary and on the alert; doomed
to serve under officers whose military
abilities were far inferior to his own, yet
too much of soldier to refuse obedience,
even where he chafed under sense of
the blunders which he was aiding to en-
act; possessed of fortitude in the en-
durance Of hardship and privation that
nothing could conquer, and a courage on
the battlefield that seemed utterly oblivi-
vious of all danger, and absolutel y void
of fear
One or two incidents will serve to H.
lustrate his fortitude and courage. On
one occasion whilst encamped at Law
rence's Ford, we had a long spell OF the
most fearfully gloomy weather. The rain
dripped necessarily day after day. The
water rose in our tents and covered the
ground. Our chimneys all refused to
draw, and our tents were filled almost to
sufocation with smoke. Large fires were
kinaled out of doors and the tents aban-
doned. All reading, writing and other
indoor work was for the time abandoned.
| One man, however, was the constant won
der of the camp. [ see him now, sitting
in his tent amidst a cloud of shifting
smoke, his pen in hand and his regimen
tai rolls spread out over his camp chest,
stopping every minute to wipe his glasses
| free from the moisture the hot smoke was
drawing from his inhamed eyes, and yet
working on, hour after hour, with an in
dom table will that never gave way to
any rIaing. And [ hear him now, as, upon
my remonstrance, he looked up with that
quiet but determined air, and said "Work
must be done, sir, smoke or no smoke ~
1t was the secret Of his whole success in
life, Work must be done, SIR" and he
was made Of that kind of stuff that would
die inch by inch before it would shrk
duty or shift responsibility.
The second incident will recall itself
to the minds of the men as illustrating
the courage of COL Miller on the bait e
field.
On the first day of tht battle of Get
tysburg, Davis Brigade moved upon one
of the strong st positions in the enemy's
line of defense. 1t so occurred that in
making the assault, the right and left
wings of the 42d Mississippi Regiment
fed to the right and left of railway
track, which ran almost exactly in the
| direction Of our advance upon the enemy
The valley On which we were making our
advance was good deal depressed, and
consequently, the railroad track elevated
on an embankment some twelve or fifteen
feet high. The color guard being to the
left of the embankment, could not be
seen by the men on the right, and there
was difficulty in keeping the alignment.
Col. Miller seeing this, instantly ordered
the color sergeant to loaVe his place in
the line and mount the embapkment with
the colors of the regiment, while the Col
onel taking his place Immediately under
the colors, shouted to the officers on either
hand to align their companies on him. |
never expect to see a grander sight than
that of Col. Miller, his sword at a carry,
his tall and stately form backed against
the western sky, his elastic step like that
Of boy, his conspicuous position making
him the target of eanndneers, ritiemen
and shapshooters, and yet, as calm and
self-possessed amidst the bursting shells,
and rafting grape shot, and whzzing
balls, as if he was moving to dress par
ade.
But it was not of Col. Mlter's s0lderly
qualities l wished to write but Of his
religious experience--that of which, since
the death OF her whom alone he admit
ted fully to a share of his thoughts and
feelings upon religious subjects, and
whose womanly devotion to him was so
great that his death on the battle field
was soon followed by hers of u broken
heart-there is probably no one living
who can speak so fully as myself.
From the time when | entered the
Chaplaincy of his regiment, he was pleas
ed to admit me to his full confidence and
intimate association. For years before en-
tering the army he had been seriously i'm
pressed with the necessity of religious
life, and, at times, almost persuaded tC
give himself up to it.
On several occasions during the earlier
months of my chaplaincy he expressed q
desire to become christian. His bible
was with him on all his marches, and not
only moments but hours were devoted to
Its perusal.
Never, however, until after the com
munion meeting at Ivor Station did he
give expression to his determination tt
devote himself to the life of christian
How wildly the whole scene comes W
before my mind We had just broker
camp at Ivor and set out upon the opeI
campaign. He realized fully that sterr
work was before US. He had sent me
some weeks before to take Mrs Miller
who had been with him in camp, to hel
. relatives in Cumberland county to re
main until the close of the summer cam
paign. We were riding together, one o.
the field officers having kindly lent m,
his horse for a little while, and was tell
ing him of my parting with Mrs. Miller
and of her saying as she pressed my hant
t at parting, 'Oh, if my husband wer,
5 only christian" There was a long 81
lence as we rode along. He seemed alb
lsOrhed in thouoht. At length he said