The Bryan Democrat, December 1, 1898
Joseph Miller was born a slave on a plantation near New Madrid, Mo., in the year 1847, and died at his home in Bryan, O., November 23, 1898, in the fifty-first year of his age. In the fall of 1861 he left the plantation and cast his lot with the Federal army, and was taken in charge by a Lieutenant of the 3d Michigan Cavalry, who, shortly afterwards, being ordered home on recruiting service, brought him with him and on his return left him with his, the Lieutenant’s, family at Jackson, Mich., where he enlisted as a drummer boy in Company F, 102nd Regiment, United States Colored Troops, and served with his company the remainder of the war, receiving his discharge at Charleston, S.C., Sept. 30, 1865. He participated in some of the hard fought battles of the war, in one of which, while charging up on the foe, he received a wound in his left foot, which never ceased to trouble him, and finally, about two years ago, resulted in the amputation of a part of the foot.
After his return from the war he made his home in Fulton county, O., and there on Sept. 25, 1885, he was joined in wedlock to Miss Emma Drew, and a few months latter came to Bryan, where he has since resided. His wife died on the 25th of May, 1898, three of the four children born to them having preceded her.
One son, Montie, now ten years old, remains, the only representative of the family.
Joseph Miller was a man of strict integrity; he was possessed of a great desire to better the condition of his family, and his race.
He had a peaceful disposition and lived enjoying the respect of all who knew him, and died in a firm belief and bright hope of immortality.
He was a member of Evans Post Bryan, Ohio, Grand Army of the Republic, and was buried in Brown’s cemetery in accordance with the Ritual of that order.
You can look at the names of the other Black Civil War soldiers, sailors, and veterans
from Williams County, or you can view the Ohio county pages to find African Americans
who served from or lived in the state.