The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-04-04
SHE SAW WASHINGTON.
Nus. Nancy Miller 81 Cumberland. Md
Died at the age of 1OS.
Cumberland (Md.) Letter

Cum berland Md Letter
The death Of Mrs. Nancy Miller of this
city, SuGdayfinNhe 10Sth year of her age,
removes thd Oldest living resident Of
Allegheny county, and the last one of its
citizens who saw George Washington at
Ft. Cumberland, Oct. 10, 1894. Mrs. Miller
died at the home OF her son, Henry Miller.
She was born at Greencastle, Pa, June Il,
1880, and came here with her parents when
she was about five years of age. Her hus-
band, Abraham Miller, died in 1890.
Mrs. Miller's memory was clear and won
deTful, and in conversation she was lively
readily answering every question and sup
plying incidents contemporary with her
3irlho0d to establish any statement that
she made. Mrs. Miller's husband was q
timer and she was the mother of eleven
children. She has two sons living, one of
them, her eldest, being in the West where
she visited him few years ago.
Mrs. Miller was a witness to the farewell
inspt ction of the troops stationed in Cum.
berland by Gen. Washington in the year
1904 He had his headquarters at old Fit.
Cumberland, on the beautiful site now
occupied by Emanuel protestant episcopal
church, which overleoks the knobly and
Wills mountains. the Potomac river, and
the Chesapeake Il Ohio canal. These troops
had been concentrated at this point on the
occasion of the whisky riot in Pennsyl-
vania, and it is more than probable that
they occupied old Fl. Cumberland, for
Mrs. Miller spoke of its occupancy about
that period, had a distinct remembrance
Of the large garrison flag and the stern SEN
tinels on duty, who refused her aud the
other children with her admittance into
the military bounds. The building in
which Washington had his headquarters
near TT. Cumberland, is still standing,
| having been removed by Christian Eich-
ner, farmer some years ago, short dis
tance from Cumberland. 1t was in this
locality that George Washington obtained
his first lessons in the art of war, aud for
the first time beheld body of troops sys-
tematically encamped. There he spent
weeks in education of the camp drill and
familiarizing himself with those duties
which were to become so prominent part
of his struggle for freedom.
The most important day of all, which
Mrs. Miller treasured In her memory to the
day of her death, was the day of final re-
view, Oct. IS, 1874, on which Washington
babe adieu 70 the troops and to the citizens
| gathered to witness the parade. She had
! passed through a severe Illness and her
father, an indulgent man, finding that she
was weak, carried her in his arms part oil
the distance between her home and the en-.
campment. The soldiers were aligned
upon the western bank of Willow Greek.
| Gen. Washington was mounted upoa q
white or gray charger, and his personal
appearance and dress were distinctly re-
membered by this remarkable old lady.
Washington, she said, rode up and down
the lines with his hat slightly elevated,
and occasionally making graceful inclina.
ton of the body, facing the command at
the time of salutation. Afterward the
| command marched in review, and Wash
ington raised his hat as a salutation while
they passed. He was loudly cheered by
the soldiers and the people who were pres
ent from all the surrounding counties oil
Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia
Gems. Lee and Morgan we're both present
and participated. The last citizen to tel
the tale OF Washington's farewell review
has gone to her long home.