Stephen Decatur Miller
The name doesn't ring a bell?Well, you can't feel too bad about that, he was only a minor figure in history.
But, since he's a relative, I've been doing a little research on this guy. (I descend from his uncle/namesake Stephen Miller, of York County, South Carolina.)
Anyway, Stephen Decatur Miller was a contemporary of Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun. He served in both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. He was also Governor of South Carolina.
Unfortunately, most folks who recognize his name, only do so because they've heard of his daughter Mary Chestnut, the Civil War diarist. And, even they are a very, very small group.
It's really a shame. The more I find out about this guy, the more interesting he becomes. For instance, in 1825, he presented arguments in the last known witchcraft trial in the United States.
And, you thought only Yankees put people on trial for such nonsense as witchcraft!
posted by wsmv at
1:48 AM
4 Comments:
In what source did you find the most information about Stephen Decatur Miller? And in what source did you find the fact about his presentations in the 1825 witch trial?
Thank you for your time!
MNMS
You will find a great deal on Miller's congressional career at the Library of Congress. They have online transcrips of the journal of both the House and Senate from his terms of service.
Another great source on Miller is the annotated version of his daughter's famous diary: "Mary Chestnut's Civil War."
I am a direct descendent of Stephen Decatur Miller, SC Gov. and am interested in any ancestral background you may have.
Anonymous: get a hold of one of the many versions of his daughter's famous diary "Mary Chestnut's Civil War." Depending on the edition you locate, you will find quite a bit of info on the Miller family.
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