page_title: John Harrison Mills
section_title: 50th anniversary
hierarchical_section_title: John Harrison Mills / Biography / Buffalo / 50th anniversary
caption_attribution_description: English: Abdul-Baha's photo فارسی: نگاره عبدالبها
context_page_description: John Harrison Mills was born and died in western New York state, United States. He was raised on a farm but was on to start his art career into Buffalo, New York, just as the American Civil War came on, which he barely survived, advanced his writing and art career including with the rising Mark Twain, extended it further while living in Colorado published in national magazines with his growing family and his art was sold as well as kept in collections like at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum and advanced the success of the business of art. Then back to New York where he again organized the business of art and then back to Buffalo where he continued his art and added to the Albright Gallery collection, as it was known then, and casting bronze works.
context_section_description: As 1912 opened the series of articles on the 50th anniversary of the Civil War continued. Son John, who had been born in Colorado, died February 1, 1912, in Toronto.
  In March Henrietta wrote to the Star of the West Bahá'í magazine saying: "May the beautiful name given by the Blessed Servant of God cause the subscription list to be many times increased and we feel assured that the Star of the West will grow and glow with universal and everlasting light… (sending greetings of the community) hoping one day to 'see Him face to face'", and hosted Sunshine Society meetings at their home in later April. That month Bahá'í Grace Robarts was a guest of the Mills and gave readings at the Hotel Iroquois; she had been the secretary of the Boston Bahá'í community 1910-11. Then Bahá'í Elizabeth Stewart then stayed with the Mills in early May returning from the national Bahá'í convention; she had talked about her trip to Persia at the Mills home.
  Bahá'í meetings at the address of the Mills returned noted in the Bahá'í magazine, amidst which Mills contributed a poem to the First Universal Races Congress, (though none of the contributed poems were printed in the proceedings.) That summer Mills visible at community activities in Buffalo and Rochester. There was a break in coverage of events until October when the Mills hosted a meeting at their home. In November Mills' art was part of exhibition, and was mentioned as a GAR officer; Mills spent some time visiting Bull Run and begun doing art based on his review as well as doing a portrait.
  As 1912 opened Sunshine meetings were held at the Mills and Knobloch returned to give a talk on the Baha’i Faith at the Mills home in mid-to-late-February. In March the Mills hosting of meetings at their home was noted in Star of the West, and then hosting another Civil War veteran, before GAR meetings amidst which he also attended the funeral of his original 1st Lieutenant of company D. April was also the beginning of coverage of 'Abdu’l-Bahá in America echoed in Buffalo. Mills then wrote a correction to some inquiry made of the Buffalo Evening News that there had in fact been Bahá'í meetings at their home for 6 years in a letter to the editor, and then observed the Feast of Ridvan at their home, during which it was announced 'Abdu’l-Bahá might come to Buffalo soon. Grace Robarts had been the alternate delegate from Buffalo to the national convention for late April 1912, and Buffalo was among communities sending contributions between 1911 and 1912 for the Bahá'í Temple. The visit was delayed however though Mills took the opportunity to speak of the religion again, while 'Abdu'l-Bahá went on to the Mohonk peace conference of 1912. 
  
  'Abdu'l-Bahá had given a speech earlier at Howard University about the Civil War and Civil War solder as an impetus of advancing race relations. In later May Mills authored an article for the Buffalo Sunday Morning News reviewing the encampment anniversary of the Buffalo Regiment to near Fairfax and Alexandria roads. The drudgery of living in the encampment after the excitement of anticipating war and some mutual “taking it out” happened. Mills tells the story of a doctor looking for signs of illness and sanitary problems had an unsatisfactory interaction with a soldier whom he then punished but then encouraged often through the fall of 1862 - this may be autobiographical. 
  Why do I thus go into the intimate detail of matters that can no longer be grievances, when death has long ago paid all scores or the interval of comradeship without regard to former rank softened all bitterness and healed perhaps even self-reproach? Why not forget? Simply because the rising generation looks to us for precept and the value of experience, and the future citizen soldier has the right to know the exact conditions under which he is give away his own person for a season, for the general good and to be admonished of what is due the human feelings that may be subjected to his own authority, and how to bear himself under the control and discipline of others in positions of command. I do not defend 
caption: Picture of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
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