James Alfred Locke Miller Jr.'s Comments

The HALL information I have goes to John Hall (1734 - Aug 20, 1797) married Sarah Green and had 8 childern, including John (?Green?) Hall (April 24, 1769 - Jan 18, 1834) that married Sarah Anderson. According to what has been written, John Hall came down the "Great Wagon Road" from Pennsylvania. One cousin remembers Abner L. Hall being called "Abner Lee" (which could be short for "Leander"). "Leander" has been used in several family writings.....but some old folks think it was "Legrand or Legrande". Probably will never know for sure.

Caroline seems a good guess. My Mrs. Susan Caroline Malcolm Woollen lived about the same time, too.. "Legrand" is an old Wilmington, N.C., name should your Hall research point in this, my direction. "Lee" could be an informal nick-name for Leander? Either you book, or own knowledge; how far back on our Hall's is known? Jim

Thanks for your input. There does not seem to be any family record about Mary C. Hall's middle name. I do know that Issac Anderson Hall had a sister named Nancy Caroline Hall. That's the only name I see that starts with a "C". So your guess is good as mine. They did not know where she was buried. It is not for sure what Abner L. Hall's middle name was....most people think that is "Leander", but could be "Lee" or "LeGrand". On legal documents he only signed as A.L. Hall. I guess I'll have to do some more research work and go back to the Rowan library in Salisbury. Again, thanks for the information and if you learn anything new please let me know.

Note: below con't. The book on the N.C. CSA militia, I have it, but where? I can't remember if both were in the same company (usually it would be different companies unless they were in it in sequense) but I'm pretty sure in my book it said Squire Hall was a captain. They may have helped guard the Salisbury prison if it was established early in the war. I think I read that Miller was also in some local Loyality unit? Hall could have been earlier a Sgt. before he made Capt. in the militia, and ditto a Pvt. in regular service before Sgt. Official records show my Pitt Co., N.C. Epis. Rev. (Alexander, Va., seminary after war) Edward Wooten/Wootten (son of Shadrack "Shade" and Mary Elizabeth Wooten; book on N.C. CSA mothers says she had five sons in service) enlisted Pitt Co. as a cavalry Sgt. to end of War. By family tradition he ended a Capt.; the local CSA vets encampment record him as a "Lt", cavalry. I think he was also the vets encampment chaplain, and is the skinny bearded tall man in the camp photo. The editor of N.C. State Archives NC Troops volumns told me his CSA vets unit would know if his claim as Sgt. and LT. was fraud; a lot of late field or higher commission did get in some records. He said next time the cavalry unit is reprinted, it would also show Lt. Ditto CSA "official" records of "deserters"; later official records show that as incorrect in many cases. Capt. Hall's post Rowan CSA militia I know not except it was said he was a Pvt. I'd love to know about his Fredericksburg experiences if any?

Love to see the Hall book; how far back does it go: to and beyond "Col""Dr" (reason for titles are unknown) John Hall (Jr.?) in Penn? Future Capt. Miller and Mary were married 5-14-1857. Rev. Locke Miller (ordained age 55) was born 8-9-1858 and died Concord, N.C., 10-22-1945, a Freemason. So out with the double siblings marriage ceremony: sounded good! What did Mary C. Hall Miller's "C." initial stand for; any earlier female "C" names in the Hall family? Is Mrs. Miller buried Bethal Lutheran, Rowan Co., N.C., with her son Rev. Locke Miller, husband Capt. Miller, and his father John Cyrus Miller? I think so? Some have Capt. Miller's middle name as "Arthur", and some have Squire Hall's middle name as other than Leander; possibly it was "Lee"? Note: con't above

Sorry to be so long. Susan R. Miller was Abner Hall's first wife. They had 9 childern before her death. He remarred 7 years later to a Mrs Mary Taxanna Walter Owen on June 4, 1891. They had 8 more childern.....one of which was my grandfather, Harvey Leander Hall. My father was Malcolm Rudolph Hall. If you wish, you can contact me at 336-669-1026. I am 63 and retired so you can contact me at any time during the day. I am a Vietnam Vet and have 4 childern and 7 grandchildern. Thank you in advance for any information you can give me.

My second comment is about Abner's civil war service. According to doucments, Abner Leander Hall served in the confederancy until April 26, 1865 when General Joseph E. Johnson surendered after the "Battle of Bennetsville". The troopes moved to Greensboro where they were mustered out. According to records, A.L. Hall was a 1st Sergeant in Company I, of the 3rd Regiment of the North Carolina Militia. His parole was dated May 19, 1865. Here's where I run into trouble. After researching data at the Rowan County Library, I found a reference in the book "N.C. Confederate Militia Officers Roster" by Stephen E. Bradley, page 311. The list of officers for the 120th Regiment, 19th brigade, from Rowan County show that Captain Alfred A. Miller was in Company B on December 29, 1861. Just above in Company A was Captain Abner L. Hall dated September 25, 1862. You have said they were in the same unit and this seems to support it. However, this is a different unit then what you had previously stated for Alfred Miller. Also, this was only a month or two before the first battle of Fredicksburg.....Did he change units?? Was Abner Hall also at Fredicksburg?? I don't know. I would be gratefulI if you have any information about Abner L. Hall's service or any other data. How do you go from being a captain to 1st Segerant? Like most armies, you go where they tell you to go.....I guess. Continued next comment.....

I have a fair amount of information that was gathered back in the early 1950's and compiled into a family document in 1954 by Charlie and Mary Hall of Charlotte. I also have had contact with Grady Hall of Salisbury a few years back. My first comment is about the marriage Abner L. Hall and Susan Rebecca Miller. According to my information, they were married June 1, 1865 by the Rev. S Scherer. This was after Abner returned from the war. Some of your comments seem to indicate that there had been a double wedding when Capt. Alfred Miller married Abner Hall's sister, Mary C. Hall. This could not be true if they were not married until 1865. I don't know when Alfred and Marry were married but it must have been some time before he went to war. According to my information, Mary was born January 18, 1834 and died Sept. 18, 1962 (three months before Alfred was killed at Fredicksburg, VA). I have no information about what she died from. I also have no information about their childern. Continued on next post comment.....

Cousin, a warm Hall "Hello"--I do make mistakes; and I gladly make corrections also. Via our Halls, do you know of any Locke connection? Privately if you like, please send me your mailing address and phone number. Mrs. Jacqueline (Mrs. John G.) Hall Pomeroy of San Jose, Caif., descs. your Squire Hall. As does Mrs. Katherine H. Wagner of Albemarle, N.C., I think Mrs. Jan Ritchie Barbee of Winston-Salem descends both your Squire Hall and my John Cyrus Miller (1811-1893). A descendant of Abner Hall and Mildredge Bourn is Marjory Corey Hall of Goldbar, WA. I think it was Mrs. Turner C. (Hazel) Hall of Mt. Ulla, N.C., who had a wonderful Hall family re-union? Prof. Robert C. Hall, Jr. of Ithaca, N.Y. is of either Mrs. Miller's or Squire Hall's line. Prof. Kent Miller of Tallahassee, Fla., is via Mrs. Miller. My photo of Mrs. Isaac Anderson (Polly) Elliott is from Alice Lentz Hill (Hall?) of Chapel Hill, N.C.--thanks! Mrs. Virginia Hall Stalder of Palo Alto, Calif. is both Hall and Elliott. Mrs. Marie Hoffman Lippard of Salisbury (via Mrs. Sallie Hall Hoffman, d1957?) is ours. Carol Darnell & Richard Gaboury, Wilmington, Ohio, of Squire Hall. The late genealogist Mary Floy Katzman of Framington, Mass., did outstanding Hall/Elliot research: R.I.P. C. Kearney Hall, III, of Sanibal Island, Fla., descs. our "Col. Dr." John Hall (Jr.?) and Mary Hair, daughter of Daniel & Ester Hair. Mrs. Lawrence Miller of Salisbury, N.C., descs. Squire Hall as does Cathy Davis of Amarillo, Texas, & Mrs. Charles McKinley Hall and Mrs. Mary Sims Hall of Burlington, N.C. The Solomon Hall slave case is NC Supreme Court Records Vol. 62, page 283, Thhe trial court (no appeals court then) and NC Supreme Court files are in N.C. State Archives, Raleigh.

Jim, I am J.R. Hall from Greensboro. My great grand father was Abner L. Hall of Rowan county. I am researching information about his Civil War experience. I already know that we are related by marriage of sisters between Alfred Miller and Abner Hall. I have read some of your information that you have posted. Some of the information is the same as I have and some is not the same. I would be willing to compare notes and see if what is the correct information. this is my first experience using this site so I hope I am doing this correctly.

"Ahoy" (what Alexander Graham Bell wanted people to answer his invented telephone with) Lynette, Mel. Janice, Barbarah, and: Chris I loved the poem. A kinsman of Locke Miller's wife, "Little Grandma", Mrs. Mary Ann Pinkston Miller (Mrs. Susan Caroline Malcolm Miller was "Big Grandma"), was Moses Pinkson who wed Patriot Col. Francis Locke's (son of Patriot Gen. Mathew Locke) estranged daughter who Col. Locke bequethed nothing in his will but words to the effect; he told her not to marry that lazy, no-good Moses Pinkston. They had Locke-Pinkston descendants because a minister descendant wrote a book on them; me thinks a few words were omitted from that book--perhaps the kind Christian thing to do? Spiritually I'm simply deist, and thus can mention the words.

Robyn con't from below: ....circa the 1850's "Squire" Hall and sister Mrs. Miller partook of the many slaved estate of uncle (their parents being Isaac Anderson Hall & Mary "Polly" Elliott). Isaac's will ordered that his slaves be manumated and their passage paid back to Africa. Perhaps legally slaves could not be freed to remain in N.C., but they still could be returned to Africa. I am ashamed they were not; but I am esteemed by the same sentimens and values, to be kin to Solomon. After the war, in a case that went to the North Carolina Supreme Court; the slaves brought suit to be paid for their post will labor and price of return to Africa: of course they lost. Rev. Locke Miller's name is a cypher. On the other side at Fredericksburg was distant kin Union Capt. Charles Dearborn Copp who picked up the fallen national colors before Marye's Heights (spelling). One morning in Mass. or N.H., I forget which; his brother Union Col. Copp lived there also. Charles went to the town telegraph office to get a newspaper. There he heard the code clicking out, listening to it's message; then said to those there: "This mean war"". One day in the circa 1880's his (Congressional) Medal of Honor just arrived in the U.S. Mail. He already had a private tombstone which neither mentioned rank nor Civil War. Normally if a veteran has a good private stone, a US government veterans stone is denied. However I pointed out a Medal of Honor stone is of a special colored marble (yellow I think, never saw one), and I paid (about $80) for additional inscription on the obverse telling about Fredericksburg. The cemetery installed it grartis. I sent all my Capt. Copp file with his story to the local library long over a decade ago. I can not even rember the (mid-Mass. I think?) town where he is buried. I'm 66, I would love to see, and place a pebble from Fredericksburg; perhaps from the famous stone fence before which in the worst hand-to-hand combat Capt, Copp earned his mailed, Medal of Honor.

Wow! Never had so many responces. Robyn: I have a photo of my Capt. Alfred Alexander Miller, CSA, Co. K, 57th NC Troops, killed leading his company in a counter-charge down Deep Run Creek below Fredericksburg Rev. Samuel D. Rothrock fetched his and others of his company's remains back to Bethal Lutheran Church, Zeb/Franklin, Rowan Co., N.C. The company was so decimated it was added to Capt. Miller's brother-in-law, Capt. Eli Propt's comany. Eli in his uniform picture looks like Capt. Miller who looks nothing like his father John Cyrus Miller (1811-1893) nor his son (Lutheran Rev. John Abner Locke Miller (1858-1945) who wed Mary Ann Pinkston, daughter of Pvt. Wm. Franklin Pinkston, CSA, of Capt. Miller's unit. The only difference in Capt Propst and Capt Miller's uniform is one has three buttons on the cuffs, the other four. The sword is a studio prop as is too the Bible-like big book. There are photos of his company's Pvt's sitting in the same chair, same way, identically lighted, with same sword. As a child it irked that dad would not say that was Capt. Miller's sword which he said was a "working" (vs. dress) sword which as a child he thought had "Yankee blood" on it but actually was probably just rust. Dad said the sword was stolen from a mover's van in the mid-1940's brief move to Columbus, Ohio. A silent movies actress lived down the street there.. Rev. Locke Miller's name is a mystery:. I tried to make him a descendant of Rowan Co. Rev. War Gen. Mathew Locke via his sons Col. Francis Locke, Maj. Locke, and Capt. Locke--no go. Then I tried the general's daughters--no go. Then the general's little known brother George Locke in adjoining Davie County--no go. I suspect it is via Rev. Locke Miller's mother, Mary (C. or Elizabeth) Hall, who's brother, "Squire" Capt. Abner Leander Hall (Rowan CSA militia; guards at prison?, later a PVT in regul;ar service) wed first, Capt. Miller's only sister, Susan Rebecca Miller. Circa the 1850's (see con't above)...

dear sir , i have become very much interested in your writing , i would love to help you find more info on your extended family . as i myself am a history lover . i was intrigued by your knoweldge of south carolina . i am from back east myself. i was born and raised in virginia . i was born in fredericksburg va and raised out in spotsylvania. i have visited the plantion where where kunta kinta was a slave there in spotsylvania va . so if i can be of any help please write me or email me at onebadtazgirl@yahoo.com

have a good day

Hi James,
sorry for the slow reply. No, I wasn't aware that the doctor was a Greiger, that's interesting. We quite often have people misspell our name by placing the 'i' in the wrong spot. I know that there are quite a few Gregier's in the US but so far have not been able to make a connection. Thanks for the heads up.
Lyn

A belated welcome and thanks for joining the "Texas Cemeteries" group. I noticed your name as "Locke Miller" and wondered had it ever been "Lockemiller"? I have a dead-end line below:

1) Florence Louraney Joplin b: February 24, 1878, d. Jul 16, 1955
......+J. H. Lockmiller b: 1868 MO
..............1) Annie b: 1897 TX
..............2) Clara b: 1908 TX
See: 1910 Census Texas - Dallas, Dallas Ward 5, District 41

Hi James,
Thanks for sharing about your Bradley kin and other Bradley stories with the Bradley Genealogy group. And especially the woman you dub St. Bradley. Indeed she was Amy Morris Bradley, 1806-1921. Duke University Libraries have the correspondence, diaries, and records that document this New Englander's duties as a nurse at U.S. Sanitary Commission convalescent camps during the war and her efforts to establish free schools for blacks and whites in Wilmington, N.C. directly following the war. Here is an inspiring article about her: http://civilwarwomen.blogspot.com/2006/10/amy-morris-bradley.html
Thanks again!
Barbara Bradley Petura

Hi James,
Enjoyed your amusing, if somewhat random, post. Yes, I think it's true. Most Australian's that I know, would be proud to count a convict among their ancestors. I myself was very pleased to find 3 (so far) in my family. Australia in the late 1700's - 1800's, was an unforgiving and harsh environment. It took considerable fortitude and, in many cases, stubborn refusal to be beaten by the elements for these 'pioneers' to not only survive but become the foundation of this nation. The whole time thumbing their noses at the 'establishment' (UK) for the crime of being poor and hungry. Who wouldn't want to share in that gene pool? I regret that out attention to history is not more celebrated than it is.
regards
Lyn