While there appears to have been agreements with the Indians, not all was
peaceful as Indian raids continued. The family information,
(Family oral tradition perhaps passed on down by
Susanna Thomas Miller, Isaac’s widow who lived to be age 73.) states
that Isaac Carswell Miller and a child from the Martin family at Big Cove
were taken in the Indian attack on 31 October 1755
on this settlement. John Martin had settled in Big Cove before it was
opened and had established his family there. By the time of the
attack, Robert Miller and his wife also had other children born to them at
Big Cove. The records go on to describe that the two boys escaped
after some time and went to Big Sewickley Creek in
Westmoreland
County. While there
is no recorded information on Isaac Miller,
there is information on the Martin children that is found in Boucher’s
History of Westmoreland County (1906) vol. 1, p. 114
-115 and in C. Hale Sipe’s The Indian Wars of
Pennsylvania (1929). (I could not find this
book on the internet so I borrowed the book through my local library from
another city. The same but more fully detailed story of the Martin
children [Mary, Martha, Janet, James, & William] and their Mother who were
kidnapped is worth the read if you want to follow the same course of action
I took to borrow it. In Sipe’s book, this story is on pages 224-229.)
The two boys along with others were taken west, and one of their stops was
at an Indian camp on the Big Sewickley Creek near the present location of
Bell’s Mills in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
(See photos and history of this
location close by Robert Miller’s property of record) From this time
until after the burning of Hannastown in 1782, the history of the Miller
family is based on estimates from the few sources available.
We have since discovered much historic information
but not all that relates specifically to Millers on this internet site. You
will find a wonderful collection of Pennsylvania history on an easy to use
website.
http://digital.library.pitt.edu/pittsburgh/
This lack of information was caused by the continued state of war with the
Indians that led to the burning of the villages of the settlers and the
killing or capture of many of them. Many of these Indians attacks were
instigated by the British once the conflict with the colonists began.
There also was little government presence in these frontier areas to record
the events.
It is estimated that of the ninety-three settlers in Big Cove, forty-seven
were killed or captured. The ones that were captured were taken west
to Ohio, but as noted above, Isaac Miller and one of the Martin children
were able to escape almost 7 years later.
John Martin somehow discovered his children were being held in Ohio, and in
1762 petitioned the governor of Pennsylvania to help get them released
(Pennsylvania Archives, Vol.4, page 100).
While Isaac Carswell Miller does not appear in any of the records of this event, he
is known by his descendants to have been involved. He also would not
have been listed in any records of those released since he escaped. If Isaac
was born in 1750, he would have been about four or five years old when taken
by the Indians, and by 1762, he would have been about twelve. It may
have been Isaac C. Miller and the Martin child that told John Martin where his
other children were located. (Scroll to down to end
to see a Miller time line.)
Sometime after 1755, Isaac Robert Miller Jr., who was a farmer, moved his family to
the Hannastown area of
Westmoreland
County. It was
probably after 1762 when John Martin found out about his children. It
would have been difficult for the escaped boys to have found their families
if they had moved. The most likely time for the move was when the area
west of the Allegheny Mountains was opened
for settlement in 1769. Robert is noted in the 1773 tax rolls
(computed in 1772) of Hempfield
Township in
Bedford County; however, this township is now in
Westmoreland County and is where his property was
located. There are two pieces of property associated with Isaac Robert Miller
Jr. in this area. These can be identified in the Westmoreland County court records that Isaac C. Miller
filed on 13 March 1793 as part of the
settlement of the estate of his father, Isaac Robert Miller Jr. It was recorded
that Isaac C. had received rents of the “Hannastown place” and rents “from the
year 1779 until 1792 from the old place on Sewickley.” He also had
made repairs to the old Sewickley place. From other court records it
is known that Isaac Robert Miller Jr., owned three hundred acres located in
Huntington
Township (now Sewickley)
on the Big Sewickley Creek. Isaac Robert Miller Jr. on
3 July 1772 filed a Caveat against the acceptance of any Survey
of his tract practically by William Brown, Joseph Brownlee and John
Campbell. It appears that Isaac Robert Miller Jr had laid out his tract before
anyone else, but had not registered it by 1772. The process of getting
a patent for property in this frontier area during the early years was
difficult. This argument over the land appears to have led to an
assault on Robert Miller by William Brown in 1773. Based on an 1867
map of Hempfield Township of Westmoreland County, the
300 acres was on the Big Sewickley Creek near where he
escaped from the Indians. While there are none of the families
associated with this property listed on the 1867 map, there were a number of
Miller families still located in this area at that time.
(See the Patent
Map Index for Robert Miller's property and surrounding property owners.)
Below ▼I have superimposed the footprint of
Isaac Robert Miller Jr.'s land on a modern
land section map. This land, after Roberts untimely death in 1755, became
his eldest son, Isaac's property until Isaac died in 1799. You can see on
this map Robert's neighbor and friend Casper Mercklin's land (and the
location of the Mercklin Cemetery) who lived just south across the
Big Sewickley Creek. The red circle is the location of the
"Bell's Mill Covered Bridge".
This
line indicates that some of Mr. Phillip's narrative was deleted here
for reasons of brevity.
The “Hannastown place” is harder to identify, but Isaac Robert Miller Jr. may first
have moved to a place south of Hannastown area in 1769 before settling on
his three hundred acres. The area was known as Miller’s Station or
Miller’s Blockhouse. It was built by Samuel Miller who had settled
near Hannastown by at least 1772, but it could have been earlier. This
was the family home of Samuel Miller before he was killed. It appears
to have been expanded with cabins as sort of a local meeting place and
support center. In the 1770s it was never called more than just
“Miller’s Place” where people had meetings. The term “fort” was applied by
an Army officer is his report, but there was never a fort there. The
name Miller’s Station appears to have come from the fact that the property
is crossed by the railroad and became a local stop for trains, but this was
many years later. People in the 1800s used that name in identifying
the location. An 1872 map showing the track of the Indian attack
produced by John B. Steel in 1895 locates “Miller’s Place” about two miles
south of Hannastown and about one mile east of the center of what is now
Greensburg. It now is on the north side of the railroad.
(See
this 1872 map and updated information on this page) On this 1857
map it appears as owned by Mrs. Miller, but by 1872 the property is owned by
William Russell. Robert Miller may have owned one of the cabins there.
(Scroll to down to end and view Miller family
timeline.)
There is some thought that Samuel and Robert were brothers who had a
father named Isaac. This is based on the common names of their
children and that their first sons were named Isaac. William Boyd
Duff also noted in his book that Captain Samuel Miller came from the
north of Ireland about 1760 with a brother
who remained east of the mountains. It is clear that Isaac Robert Miller
Jr.
was in
New Jersey before 1760; so the date may have
been blurred in its recording from 1750 to 1760 or that it represents
when Samuel Miller established Miller’s Place. This information
suggests that Samuel Miller came to the frontier before it was opened in
1769 and before Robert did. As noted above, the delay by Robert
going to Pennsylvania may have been because of his young son Isaac and
his wife expecting their second son, Silas who was born in New Jersey.
Once his family situation had stabilized, Robert and his family first
moved to Fulton County, PA before going to Westmoreland Co., PA when the
frontier opened. Robert, when he came to the Hannastown area may
have first settled with his brother Samuel before settling on the 300 acres on the Big
Sewickley Creek. There is no indication that the parents of Robert
and Samuel had accompanied them to America.
They probably remained in Scotland.
Upon further research,
I have found the names of two children of Captain Samuel Miller and
his wife Jane Luckey.
From reading separate stories about the Indian attack on Miller's
Blockhouse. (on the same day as the "Destruction of Hannastown in 1782")
I have gleaned the names of two of his children, a daughter "Dorcas" who
was 8 years old at the time and her little brother "Samuel", b.
abt. 1778, abt. age 4, who were named as "captured". The boy,
Samuel, was said to have died in captivity.
More
about Samuel Miller and his family here.
This line indicates that some of Mr. Phillips
narrative was deleted here for reasons of brevity
The primary home of Isaac Robert Miller Jr., for about six years was the
three hundred acres on the Big Sewickley Creek until he died intestate
in 1775, where he and his wife Agnes raised ten children: Isaac, Silas,
William, Jane, Mary, Joseph, Rachel, Elizabeth and Sarah. The
Letters of Administration issued by the court indicate that Robert
Miller Jr., Yeoman, was killed by the Indians
in before October 7, 1775.
The court appointed his wife Agnes and eldest son Isaac as
administrators of his estate. Isaac was about 21 years old when
his father died. The Hannastown area until 1782 was continually
under the threat of Indian attacks, and on 7 July 1778,
Captain Samuel Miller also was killed by
Indians near his home at Miller’s Place. He had been ordered from
the war in the east to recruit additional members for the Pennsylvania
Regiment. Since Robert Miller was about 45 years old when he died
suddenly, being killed by the Indians would not be unusual. At the
time of his death, the last four children were under fourteen and the
Orphans Court
on 6 February 1776 appointed "Jasper Merkle" to be their
guardian. The other children who were over fourteen selected their
own guardians. Robert’s son, Joseph, chose “Casper
Merkle” as his guardian and may have been worked for him. Below is a
copy from the actual pages (bottom of page 6 and top of page 7) of the
Westmoreland Co. Administration book A dated Oct.
7 1775. It shows that Isaac Miler, the eldest Son of Robert
Miller, and Robert's widow, Agnes are appointed as co-administrators of
Robert Miller's estate. Many of the Westmoreland County court records
that pertain to Isaac Robert Miller Jr.'s land were administered by the
Hannastown Courthouse, a court house in turn established and
administered by Robert Hanna, himself, who often acted as one of the "Honorable"
judges of that court.
"Westmoreland county, S. S. Before me, a Justice of
the Peace in and for said county of Westmoreland, personally appeared
William Jack, Esq., who was duly sworn according to law, did depose and
say that Captain Samuel Miller, who was killed by the Indians in the
year 1778, at the commencement of the Revolutionary War, actually
settled on a plantation now adjoining Peter Eichar, John Shoeffer, John
Mechling, and others in Hempfield township in the county aforesaid, that
Andrew Cruikshanks (who married the Widow of the said Captain Samuel
Miller), Joseph Russell, who is married to one of the Daughters of the
said Samuel Miller, dec'd, claims the benefit of an act of Assembly
passed September 16, 1785, and that the said Andrew Cruikshanks was in
the course of the said war actually in possession of the said
plantation, and was drove away from his habitation on said land by the
Indians on the 13th day of July, A. D. 1782, being the same day that
Hannastown was burned and destroyed by the Indians, and that, some of
the heirs of the said Captain Samuel Miller was killed and taken
prisoners on the said day, and that the House was burned and the
property in the House by the Enemy, and that afterwards the said
Plantation lay waste and vacant for some time for fear and dread of the
Indians."
"WM. JACK.
Sworn and subscribed before
me the ninth day of March, A.D. 1814. R.W. Williams (J.P.)”
(Justice of the Peace)
“On 13 July 1782 Michael Rugh, his wife Phoebe, his
3 children, and his mother Francina, were attending a celebration for a
wedding that had taken place the day before at a location known as
“Miller’s Blockhouse”. This was the home of the Samuel Miller
family. The entire wedding party was attacked by Indians. Several were
killed, possibly including Michael’s mother, Francina. Mrs. Miller was
scalped and managed to survive only to wear a skull cap for the rest of
her life to hide her lack of hair. On that same day another element of
the same group of raiders attacked and totally burned and destroyed the
county seat of Hannastown.
Miller
researchers, including myself, believe that the Mrs. Miller who was
scalped and lived, was Agnes C. Miller, widow of Isaac Robert Miller
Jr.,
brother of Samuel Miller. MJH
Fifteen persons at “Millers” were taken
prisoner the day of the attack. Michael and his family were among the
fifteen captives. They were taken to the Indian’s camp near what is now
“Oil
City”
Pennsylvania. They spent the winter as prisoners
there. Michael’s young son died that winter. Michael and Phoebe
were taken the following spring to
Canada
where they were held as POWs by the British. Their daughter, Mary,
remained behind with the Indians. At war’s end Michael & Phoebe were
released, sent to New York City, and thus were then able to make their
way home."
The Estate of Samuel Miller (Miller’s Place or
Blockhouse): From: The Frontier Forts of Western Pennsylvania by
George Dallas Albert, Page 324, Pub. 1896
“It will be seen from the
copy of a paper which we give below that reference is made to the
character of the building at the time of its destruction. The paper
appears to have been a deposition made by the Hon. William Jack in some
contested title arising out of the ownership of the old Miller farm. It
was used apparently in evidence, but is no part of the records. The
original document was written is in Judge Jack's own hand.”
Miller Family Information
Credits
Miller
- Big Cove Attack:
From
William Boyd Duff's book, The Forefathers and Families
of Certain Settlers in Western Pennsylvania:
References to the Martin family are found in Boucher’s
History of Westmoreland County
(1906) vol. 1, p. 114 -115 and in: C.Hale Sipe’s,
The Indian Wars of
Pennsylvania, pgs.225-229. (1929).
It is related that about one hundred Delawares and Shawnees from
Ohio and Allegheny areas under the leadership of Shingas, the brother of
King Beaver, on November 1, 1755 invading the Scotch-Irish settlements
along the Great or Big Cove Creek.
Miller
– Hannastown and Miller’s Place Indian attack (July 13, 1782) in found
in: C.
Hale Sipe’s The Indian Wars of
Pennsylvania, pgs.665-671. (1929) and
in
George
Dallas Albert's The History of the County of
Westmoreland Pennsylvania, in footnotes on pgs. 149-150
Miller/Rugh
families at Miller Blockhouse July 13,
1782:
The
following is an excerpt from a story that is posted on the Municipality
of Murrysville, PA website. To see the full article
See Rugh House article.
The Miller and the Rugh families, starting with Michael Rugh, were
long-standing friends and business acquaintances during the middle and
late 1700s.
THE MILLER FAMILY TIMELINE
Est. 1725-1730........Isaac Robert Miller
Jr.(commonly known as Robert Miller) born in Maryland USA
Bef. 1750...............John Martin located in Big Cove.
1750.......................Rev. Cuthbertson leaves
Scotland with Rev Thomas Cameron.
1750.......................Rev. Cuthbertson
ministers in Ireland with Rev Thomas Cameron.
Est. 1750................Isaac (son of Robert
Miller) born in Ireland (Scotland?)
12 Jun 1751...........Rev. Cuthbertson leaves Ireland for Pennsylvania
probably from Londonderry [Derry Loch].
5 Aug 1751............Rev. Cuthbertson arrives in New Castle, DE
(Pennsylvania) with colony of Covenanters.
1751......................Robert Miller and family
immigrated to New Jersey colony.
Est. 1751...............Samuel Miller also may have
immigrated.
1752......................Silas (2nd son of Robert
Miller) born in New Jersey in 1752.
Abt. 1754...............Agreement with Indians over
the Big Cove area in Fulton Co.- earlier settlers were told to leave.
Abt. 1754...............Robert Miller and family
settled at Big Cove, Fulton County, PA.
31 Oct 1755...........Isaac Miller and John Martin's wife and children
were taken captive by the Indians.
by 1762................John Martin learns where his
children were located [Isaac Miller and Martin child escaped].
Aug 13, 1762........John Martin petitioned the
Governor of Pennsylvania for the rescue of his children
1768.....................Westmoreland County area
was purchased from the Indians [opened to settlement in 1769]
Est. 1769..............Miller’s Place
(Blockhouse/Station) built near Hannastown by Samuel Miller.
1771.....................Rugh's
Blockhouse built near Hannastown.
by 1772................Robert Miller had located in
the Hannastown area - 300 acres on Big Sewickley Creek?
3 Jul 1772............Pennsylvania Archives, 3rd
Series, Vol. 2, page 502 - Robert Miller caveat against any other claims
on
land that was on a branch of the Sewickley in the County of Bedford by
William Brown, Joseph Brownlee or John Campbell. The litigation
continued to about 1797 or 1799.
Bef. 1773.............Isaac Robert Miller Jr.,
Samuel Miller and Gideon Miller are listed on the tax rolls of in
Hempfield Township, Bedford County (at that time), PA
1773....................William Brown assaulted
Robert Miller - court case - probably over the property.
16 May 1775........Hannastown
Declaration adopted (similar to Declaration of Independence).
1775.....................Isaac Robert Miller Jr.
died intestate - probably killed by Indians.
11 Oct 1775.........Letters of Administration on the
estate of Isaac Robert Miller Jr., Huntington Township, yeoman, were
"granted to Agnes Carswell Miller "widow and relict of the decedent" and
Isaac C. Miller, "eldest son".
1776...................The Pennsylvania Regiment was sent
to New Jersey to fight - returned on 5 Mar 1778 24 Sep
1777........Isaac C. Miller took Oath of Fidelity before Hugh
Martin (brother of those taken by the Indians).
1777...................Isaac C. Miller joined the
Pennsylvania Regiment but remained in the area as rear guard.
Est. 1778............Isaac C. Miller married first time
[wife unknown, but they had two sons]. He appears to also
have patented property on the Big Sewickley Creek for his home.
7Jul 1778............Capt. Samuel Miller killed by
Indians near Fort Hand while on Military duty.
[later his wife Jane (Luckey Miller) married Andrew
Cruikshanks and Joseph Russell married one of Samuel's daughters]
Joseph Russell was the Orphans Court appointed guardian of this daughter
after her father had been killed by Indians.
1779 to 1792........Rents were collected from the
Sewickley property suggesting it was rented.
1 Feb 1780..........The monies ("goods and chattel" only) of
Isaac Robert
Miller Jr. were distributed to his heirs - He also owned 300 acres on a
branch of Big Sewickley Creek and property in Hannastown that was not
distributed.
12 Jul 1782..........Wedding at Miller’s Place.
13 Jul 1782..........Miller’s Place (Blockhouse) and
wedding guests attacked by Indians [15 people taken captive].
13 Jul 1782..........Hannastown was burned by the
same Indians.
14 Jul 1782..........The Duff home near Export was
burned by the same Indians.
Est. 1783..............Isaac C. Miller married
Susannah Thomas.
1783.....................Captives began to be
returned and last army pay noted for Isaac C. Miller.
1783-4..................People left the Hannastown
area in fear of further attacks [including part of the Miller family].
30 Jan 1787.........Isaac C. Miller, private in 8th
Regt. PA in Deed Book 1, page 221. For services granted 200 acres
of land in Westmoreland in 7th District. (also, noted in
his will).
1787.....................Several of the children of
Isaac Robert Miller Jr. and his widow, Agnes Carswell Miller, are
located in the western North Carolina area.
1 Feb 1791............Isaac Robert Miller Jr.’s heirs
request his property be dispersed.
2 Nov 1791............Isaac Miller and Michael Rugh
post bond for the property of
Isaac Robert Miller Jr.
13 Mar 1793...........Isaac C. Miller reports the status of the property of
Isaac Robert Miller Jr. (his father)
to the courts.
1794......................Silas Miller (brother of
Isaac) removed to Butler County, Pennsylvania, the next county just
northwest of Westmoreland Co.
1799......................Isaac Carswell Miller dies
Isaac
C. Miller appears to have spent most of his life as a farmer except for the
years in the army. He made
his will on 31 March
1799 and had died by
13 April 1799 when it was recorded.
He was about 49 years of age and left his wife with several young
children and property in dispute.
She did not appear to have remarried, but relied on her two
step-sons, Robert and Isaac, who were of age.
In about 1778 when he married his first wife, Isaac recorded a
patent for the property he had on Big Sewickley Creek near
Bell’s Mills where the old Indian village was
located. However, it
appears he never paid the state for the patent, and part of it was sold
by the Sheriff probably around 1790 after the situation in that area had
stabilized. The family was
left with about 75 acres which probably was where they lived.
After the death of Isaac C. in 1799, his wife and her step-son rode
to Harrisburg
to pay the balance of the patent.
The family information states it was Silas, but since Isaac did
not have a step-son named Silas and his brother was in
Butler
County by then
(moved in 1794), it was probably Robert,
the oldest step-son of Susannah. Isaac
C.
appears to have had some money at the time of his death since he
requested that other property be bought for his heirs.
However, this appears not to have occurred.
He also gave to his sons Emas/Amos and William the 200 acres in
the Donated Lands he was awarded for his military service.
William Boyd Duff in his book discusses this property and the
other property problems that the heirs of Isaac had after his death.
The situation was similar to that of their father before his
death. Isaac C. Miller was
buried in the graveyard of the Sewickley Presbyterian Church, which also
is known as the Associated Reformed Church of Sewickley, the United
Presbyterian Church and the Dick Church.
His grave there is marked as a veteran of the Revolution.
Susannah Thomas died on 10 January 1821 at the age of 73 years
and is buried next to her husband Isaac.
(Picture of these grave sites are on the first Miller page of this
website)
This line indicates that some of Mr. Phillips
narrative was deleted here for reasons of brevity
Isaac C. Miller appears to have remained on the family farm and helped
his mother raise the other children until he took the Oath of Fidelity
before Hugh Martin on
24 September 1777 when he was about 27 years old.
Hugh Martin was the brother of those taken by the Indians.
Isaac probably had to take the oath since he was not born in
America, and appears to have joined the
army as a private in probably the Eighth Regiment of Pennsylvania along
with his brother Silas. The last year in the army for Isaac Miller
appears to have been 1783 based on his pay records, and he was awarded
property on 30
January 1787 in the Seventh District of Donation Lands for
his service. This property
was in Westmoreland
County
at the time of assignment to Isaac, but it is now located in
Crawford
County. The 8th Regiment is the
same Pennsylvania regiment in which Samuel Miller served as a Captain.
A History of Butler County, PA. (1881) notes, that a Silas Miller was
“employed” for a time in protecting settlements against the Indians in
Westmoreland, Co. Silas
"removed" from Westmoreland to Middlesex Township of Butler County in
1794. It does not appear
that Isaac ever went east and engaged in the battles there.
He was part of the rear guard that protected against the British
led Indian attacks on the frontier. However, the descendants of Silas indicate that he did join the
Continental Army in the east, which is supported by the military
records. The marriage of
Silas to Jane English in New
Jersey
also supports it.
See this page for more information
Isaac C.
Miller married his first wife about 1778 soon after the time he joined
the army. This is based on
information about first two children, Robert and Isaac, who were around
21 years old when Isaac died in 1799 and who do not appear in any court
records related to the settlement of his estate.
There is nothing further known about his first wife; however, a
search of the families that lived near the Miller home near the Little
Sewickley Creek might give some clues.
Isaac married his second wife, Susannah Thomas, in 1783, which is
based on the ages of their children. (Just the next year after the
attack on Millers Blockhouse in 1782.)
When Isaac first married, he appears to have established his
homestead on the Big Sewickley to the west of Bell’s Mills in Sewickley
Township where the Indian village had been.
His brother, Silas probably located there
from New Jersey after the Revolutionary War and after his marriage to
Jane English. The Martin boy
that escaped with Isaac also established his homestead there but on the
other side of the creek in South Huntington Township.
By 1771
the Rugh family had built their blockhouse between Miller’s Place and
the 300 acre
farm of Robert Miller.
C. Hale Sipe describes Rugh’s blockhouse as a “large
two story log house of Michael Rugh, about two mile south of Greensburg”
was the destination where “among
those who fled from Miller’s” (near Hannastown in 1882),
“were Mrs. Andrew Cruikshank, her
young daughter and her brother”.
One map places it about two and one-half miles west of Miller’s Place.
This would be just on the west side of
Greensburg.
The Rugh family also is involved with the Miller family a number
of times. The wife of
Samuel Miller had married Andrew Cruikshanks before 1782, and on
12 July 1782 they were the host for the wedding at Miller’s
Place which consisted of a number of log buildings.
It may have been when Joseph Russell married a daughter of Samuel
Miller. The bride and Groom
were taken captive. There
was large party that included Mrs. Robert Hanna and her two daughters,
as well as, those from other area families that included Brownlee and
White. There also were a
number of members of the Miller family and Michael Rugh and his family
and mother, Francina. This
celebration lasted well into the next day, 13 July, when the station was
attacked by a large Indian force led by the British.
This attacking group then went on to burn Hannastown, and the
next day they burned the McIlduff (A
Scottish name shortened to Duff later) home near
Export, PA. The attack
almost destroyed this principle area of
Westmoreland
County and caused many
families to leave the area in fear of other attacks.
It was reported by William Jack, that Andrew Cruikshanks and his
wife were the owners of Miller’s Place (Station) at the time of the
attack, and that it left their buildings and possessions in ashes.
The property remained abandoned for sometime after its
destruction.
The
attack on Miller’s Place also resulted in the death and capture of a
number of people, but there are no concise records.
This appears to have been an important affair since many of the
notable families attended.
While there is no record of Isaac and his family attending, it is very
likely that they did. Since
Isaac Miller remarried about 1783, his first wife could have been killed
in the attack. Isaac and
his brother, Silas, were part of the militia that was to prevent these
attacks; however, the British led Indian attack was too sudden and
powerful for these settlers to stop. Isaac and his brother also may not have been with their families
due to their duties. As
suggested above, the second wife of Isaac, Susannah Thomas may have had
another husband named Robertson before she married Isaac.
Since there are no children of record, she may have just been
married and her husband also killed in the attack.
Whatever the case, Isaac had two sons when he married Susannah
Thomas sometime in 1783. It
is estimated that their first child, Amos Miller, was born in 1784.
While there are no papers related to the estates of the spouses,
perhaps because the county government at Hannastown was in disarray
after the attack in 1782 until after they were married.
There also may not have been any estates to be addressed.
It
is reported that a Mrs. Miller was scalped by an Indian during
the attack, but she survived and had to wear a skull cap the rest of her
life. It is not clear as
who this Mrs. Miller was since the wife of Capt. Samuel Miller
had married Andrew Cruikshanks before the attack.
It may have been the first wife of Isaac Miller who could have
survived but not for long.
She also could have been Agnes, the wife of Isaac Robert Miller, Jr. or
one of the wives of their sons.
When and where Agnes died is not known, but the there was a
petition filed at an Orphans Court in Greensburg
(the new home of the Westmoreland County seat) on 1 February 1791
requesting the disposition of the land of Isaac Robert Miller Jr.
In the required response by the sheriff there was a note that
Agnes and other heirs were not within his bailiwick or jurisdiction.
William Boyd Duff in his book discusses what happened to the
children of Robert and Agnes Miller.
Many of them are found in the area of western
North Carolina
by 1787. After the attack
on Hannastown most of the people left that area and went south to avoid
other Indian attacks, but some returned in the mid-1780s.
Agnes may have gone with one of her children who left the area
for the southern states.
The settlement of the estate of Isaac Robert Miller Jr, took over 17 years due to
the Revolutionary War and the Indian attacks. The first part of
the settlement occurred on
1 February 1780 when the
Orphans Court awarded each of the heirs a
portion of the monies from the estate. However, the issue of the
property was not to be addressed until the 1791 request by the heirs,
and its disposition was to drag on over the years. Isaac Miller
and Michael Rugh (who was at the fateful wedding at Miller’s Blockhouse
with his family) executed a
1000 pound bond on
2 November 1791 to assure that Isaac would pay the heirs the
money due from the sale of the property. The
land
of Robert Miller
appears to have been leased based on court documents filed by Isaac
Miller. The “Old Sewickley” place lease began in 1779 and lasted
until 1792 when Isaac had it surveyed so it probably could be sold.
The 1779 date suggests that Agnes Miller may have moved with her under
age children to the home of one of her older children and then moved
with them to the south. By at least 1791, she was no longer in
Westmoreland
County. Since John
and Mary (Miller) Cairns and Robert and Jane (Miller) Biggs, who were
directly involved in reopening the disposition of the land, had removed
to the North Carolina area, Agnes may have been living with one of them.
Isaac had been collecting what rent he could, but the turmoil of the
years appears to have made this and the sale of the land difficult.
His trip to Philadelphia
at the “consent of the Legatees” was possibly to clear the title of the
land that Robert Miller claimed, but never held a clear title.
William Brown and others also appear to have claimed the land. In
1796 proceedings were begun against Isaac Miller and Michael Rugh on the
1000 pound bond, and on
24 January 1797 the Sheriff sold the
300 acres to Casper Merklin. This appears to
have ended the settlement of the estate of Robert Miller.
New information about Robert Miller's land here.
The background of Susannah Thomas Miller is very
unclear except that according to the family she was Welsh. William
Boyd Duff in his book lists what data there is. He appears to
prefer a William Thomas as her father, and he was the son of George
Thomas that resided in Hopewell Township of Cumberland County,
Pennsylvania. William Thomas was first a
tobacconist in Carlisle
and then by 30
November 1773, a school master in
Westmoreland
County. He died some
time prior to 1786. William Boyd Duff raises the possibility that
he died in the 13
July 1782
Indian attack. An 1867 map of
Hempfield
Township shows a G. Thomas
located between the “Old Sewickley” place of Isaac Robert Miller
Jr. and
Greensburg. If this is a descendent of
George and William Thomas, it could place this family near to where
Isaac grew up and the Miller’s Place where the Indian attack occurred.
On the same 1867 map there also is a J. N. Thomas near the location of
the 300 acres.
However, more research is required on this subject before any real
association can be made. As to the birth place of Susannah, she
probably was born in
Pennsylvania
based on her possible ancestors. If George Thomas was her
grandfather, he would have been born in
Wales. His son, William, also
could have been born there, but Susannah born in 1748, would have been
born in Carlisle,
Pennsylvania. Families
arriving around 1730 usually went to the
Cumberland County
area near Carlisle.
