The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-06-23
A NOBLE HERO
Who Was Murdered bv Order o.
Gen. F. P. Blair.
OF SERMAN'S ARMY.
A Lucid and Thrilling Account of One
of the Many UncaIled for Crimes
of the Great Incendiary While
Marandlng in this State
During the War.
OF SERMAN'S ARMY.
During the War.

OF The Sunday News, in reference to
the shooting Of James Miller by Sher
mans army, In March, 1865, in retail
alton for the killing of Federal sol.
dier by supposed bushwhnckars. Mr..
Miller lived near Jefferson, in Chester
held County, S. O., and l knew his
brother, the late Mpjor Jno. S. Miller,
and many Of his neIRhbors and FRIENDS
among them some OF those who partl-
cipated With him In the casting of lots.
Some years ago newspaper was placed
In my hands by 4 son.in law Of James
Miller, In which was an account Of the
shooting of Mr.. Miller, purportiDg to
have been written by an officer con-
nected with the affair and present at
his death l have forgotten the name
OF the officer, and of the newspaper,
which l think was published, Ia Lau-
caster or Chesterfield, S. c., ana re-.
produced the article from q Western
paper. This paper was in my port
folio, which was mislaid, lest or stolen
about two years ago.
EXCUSE FOR MILLER's MURDER.
1t stated that the dead BODY of a
Federal soldier, belonging to a West
ern cavalry regiment, l think from
Michigan, was found where he had ev-
Identity been murdered by bushwhacK.
ers, that the Federal commander had
determined to resort to retaliation to
prevent such killings, and Gen Francis
T, Blair, who commanded the 18th
army corps, issued orders for the cast.
Ing OF lots for one man to be put to
death for the killing of the cavalry
man aforesaid.
MY lnformants did not know all who
participated in the casting of lots, but
among them were Mr.. b. r. Clanton.
now living In Chesterfield County, MIR.
Robert Griffith and others who knew
) James Miller. have talked with, and
corresponded With others about ltha!
cruel tragedy, and from them and asEfS
account by the Federal officer befors
mentioned my information was OBJ,
tained.
DRAWING LOTS TO DIE
Decor more of the PARTICIPANTS said
1t came as great surprise to all who
were made to cast lots, and one of
them declared thai he never before or
after found 1T such d task to stretch
forth his right haad to draw a little
piece OF paper out Of a hat. James
Miller drew the fatal lot. He was a
man between forty-fve and fifty wears
OF age and had been captured a day OF
Two before some distance west of Che
raw, while on his way home on fur
Tough from Florence, S. c., where he
mad neen engaged in guarding prison.
ers. lie protested that, while he sym
pathized with his State in her strug.
gle, and had given Of his means for
5he support Of the Cause, he was over
age Tor active service, and had not fir.
81 gun In the war. But he was told
thatthe order was imperative. He beg
ged to re allo6 eel to communicate with
nis wife and children, but this privl.
lege was denied him. He then asked
TO confer with such OF his neighbors
and friends as were cap!ives with him
self. To those he gave directions for
his wife, asking that she be told he
was not Ginning home, and advising
fler ABOUT his farm ard about the Chill.
oren, just as IL he we're going tff on a
Journey TO be absent for time.
MILLER'S LAST REQUESTS.
He then made some requests OF those
VINO were about to shoot him. He
asked, In the first place, that he be not
pound either hand or foot, saying lie
was not goirg to run, that he was pre-.
pared, and bot afraid to die. He then
a-ked that he be not blindfoldad. say.
lDg ne wished to look into the e5 es of
Gloie who were to shoot him, And
lastly, he begged that he be not shot
IN the face, declaring that God had
given him his face, end that in all his
life ne had never done anything of
which he was ashamed His last wish.
es we're respected. He was marched
OH short distance. The firing souad
drawn up, the guns dischargs d rs one
and James Miller lay dead, as much a
hero as If he had died at the cannons
mouth at Gettysburg, In the charge
up Snodgrass Hill at Chickamauga, or
at the bloody angle at Spottsylvania.
Don't shoot me In the face, for
God gave me that, al in all my life
L have done nothing ID be ashamed
Of"
What sentiment, what model.
MILLER's HUMBLE GRAVE.
at Five Forks Methodist Church.
In Chesterfield County, on the road
from Lancaster to Chesterfield Court
House, and half way between the two.
Is the little mound that marks the last
resting place Of James Miller. | have
passed there few times, but never
without dismounting and going softly
With uncovered head to the spot and
recalling the manner and cause OF his
death. Chesterfield County has pro
duced some OF the great men OF South
Carolina, but she never gave birth to a
purer patriot or more unostentatiOusly
brave man than James Miller.
HOW A NEGRO SERVED HIS MASTER.
But the Federal cavalryman, for
whose killing Mr.. Miller was shot, was
not killed by Confederate or bush
whacker at all. Mr.. Gillian Sowell, of
KershaW County, owned negro man
named Ephraim, and entrusted him to
hide his horses and mules from the en-
emy while Sherman's army was pass
Ing and he was found In Lynches
Creek Swamp by soldier, who seized
them and made the negro go with him.
After they had gone some distance the