My Genealogy Hound

TIPTON A. MILLER is a native of Trigg County, this State, was born October 16, 1842, and is the fifth of eight children born to John and Nancy B. (Williams) Miller, natives respectively of North Carolina and Virginia. The father was a farmer, came to Kentucky in 1831, located in Trigg County, and in 1848 came to Calloway County. He was a son of John, who was a son of William Miller, of Irish birth, and who was a major of North Carolina troops during the Revolutionary war. Tipton A. Miller spent his early life on his father’s farm, and obtained some schooling at the district schools in his neighborhood, which he supplemented by a thorough course in the Murray schools, graduating in the English branches. He soon after went to Johnson County, Ill., where he taught school for two years. He then returned to Murray and prosecuted his studies further. Next he engaged in business at Snow Hill, this county, but discontinued in the spring of 1861, and assisted in recruiting Company H, Third Kentucky Infantry, Confederate Service, and was mustered into the three years’ service. His regiment participated in most of the heavy battles of the Southwest, and held responsible positions in the front at Shiloh, Corinth, Vicksburg and other equally sanguinary battles. Mr. Miller received a painful wound at Shiloh, and was shot many times through the clothes in different battles. He went out as a first lieutenant of the company, was promoted to captain, but refused to leave his company to accept still higher offices. He was taken prisoner near Selma, Ala., and held six weeks. Returning to Murray at the close of the war, he engaged in teaching school, dealing in tobacco, and farming. He was then a teacher in the Murray schools for a period of twenty months. In 1867 he was elected to the State legislature, and in 1871 re-elected. Since 1881 his attention has been devoted to his present business, that of grocer, the firm being Miller & Whitnel. Mr. Miller was married October 24, 1868, to Miss Mattie A. Lassiter of this county; this union has been blessed with three children: Hontas, Galen and Bunyan, the first of whom received a first-class teacher’s certificate at the age of twelve years. Mr. Miller is a member of the Masonic order.