JACOB MILLER

JACOB MILLER WAISTBAND COAT LOCATED IN THE FORT PITT MUSEUM IN PITTSBURG PA. 

Jacob "the Patriot" (as we refer to him) Miller was not  born in Germany or not Switzerland but aboard the ship "The Gestalt" (Patience) in the harbor of Philadelphia, PA.  Because the ship originated from Germany he was listed as German. The family came from Cochem, Rheinland, Pfalz, Germany. They lived in the Mosselle Valley where for many generations they owned and operated a winery. It was called Mtzler Vineyards.  They sold wine to the Royal families of Europe. Because of this they were protected against being persecuted because of their Lutheran Faith. 

Several families pooled their incomes to make their journey together to the New World. Each purchased a 400 acre tract in the Township of Donegal, County of Washington, Pennsylvania. I believe at that time it was considered Ohio County, Virginia. Jacob Miller took the American Oath of Allegiance in 1745 in Philadelphia. He with his brothers and father took their oaths together.

He married a young widow named Mary Frances aka Mary Elizabeth Edwards-Leffler. She was a true American pioneer woman who lived during Indian raids and raised 12 children. He was often away from the Blockhouse (Miller Fort). His home often served as a headquarter for the Continental Army, He is also listed as Culper Spy for Major Benjamin Tallmadge in New York.  He served to translate German messages. His Military service during the French Indian Wars was recognized by General George Washington  

MILLER CEMENTARY

On Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782 Jacob Miller and his neighbor John Hupp were out on the bluff looking for Frederick's missing young colt when they were surprised by a vicious attack of the Shawnee Indians.   He was murdered by tomahawk slashes, scalped and robbed of all of his clothing. This was witnessed by his wife and children.

JACOB MILLER HEADSTONE

MILLER MEMORIAL STONE

THE CULPEPER SPY RING 

The Culpeper Ring was a spy ring organized by Major Benjamin Tallmadge under the order of General George Washington in the summer of 1778 during occupation of New York City at the height of the American Revolutionary War. Their name was derived from the aliases taken by two of its main members, Samuel Culper, SR and Samuel Culpeper, JR The purpose of the ring was to send messages to Washington about the activities of the British in New York. They operated mostly in New York, Long Island and Connecticut. The Ring conducted covert operations until after the end of the War. It's heyday was between 1778 and 1781.After the battle of Monmouth in late June 1778, British forces under General Sir Henry Clinton retreated to Sandy Hook, NJ.  From there, they took a ship for New York City, which they had already occupied for almost 2 years (since Washington's defeat at the Battle of Fort Washington in Sept 1776) Washington became aware of the need for good intelligence, and he asked Major Tallmadge to recruit people who could be trusted to collect it in New York. Secrecy was so strict that Washington did not know the identity of all the operatives. Jacob Miller was a trusted scout and spoke German and was asked by Major Benjamin Tallmadge to volunteer his services along with Caleb Brewster, Anna Strong, Abraham Woodhull, Benedict Arnold, Robert Townsend and the Culpepers. 

ANNE ROWE HUPP & SEIGE OF MILLER'S BLOCKHOUSE

In the Spring of 1782 Indian hostilities commenced much earlies than usual along the western frontier. As early as the month of March hordes of Shawnees were ascertained to have crossed the Ohio River, and were making their way into the settlements. The settlers thus threatened with the massacres, plunderings, burnings, scalpings and captivities, with which they had already become so familiar, were filled with spirit-stirring excitement, commingled with alarm and fear. In the predicament of apprehension and danger, the settlers along the Dutch Buffalo Creek Valley moved themselves with their families to the forts and block-houses. About 3 miles northeast of west Alexandria, on the right bank of the "Dutch Fork of Buffalo" is a peninsula formed by the meandering creek on the one side and Miller's Run on the other. Next to this isthmus is a run skirted by a narrow strip of bottom land, which expands to many acres toward the creek and it confluence with the run. On the side was land washed by the creek there is a bold bluff. On this bluff was Jacob Miller's block-house which was besieged by a party of about 70 Shawnees on East Sunday, March 31, 1782. 

The Indians with their cunning and caution, arrived in the vicinity the night before, distributing themselves in ambush around the block-house and along the paths leading hereto. Thus lying concealed among the bushes or "pea-vines", behind trees or fallen timber, they awaited the operation of circumstances. Most of the men were absent from the block-house on this occasion, some of them being at Rice's Fort, which was about 2 miles further down the creek. The Indians knew of this fact and were waiting to also destroy the men on their return to Miller's. 

Of those who were in this rude shelter were Jacob Miller and his wife Mary Frances (Leffler) some of their children: John, Christopher, Frederick, Peter and 5 year old Henry. Also the Hupp family, John Sr and his wife Ann (Rowe) their children Margaret, Mary John, and Elizabeth. The family of Edward Gaither, and an old man named Matthias Ault. 

Jacob Miller and John Hupp went out that morning in search of a lost colt. They entered the path leading across the run and through the woods in a northeasterly direction from the block-house, and were soon out of view. Soon the quiet of the woods was disturbed by the crack of a rifle, quickly followed by a savage war whoop issuing from that portion of forest into which Miller and Hupp had just entered. This alarm filled the minds of the women with terror and apprehension as to their fate. But Hupp being in the prime and vigor of his manhood made quick return to the block-house was confidently expected by the inmates. But he had fallen a victim to the Indians that lay concealed patiently awaiting the approach of the men. 

The two unsuspecting men had been allowed to follow the ambushed path as far as the second little ravine on the land, now owned by William Miller (Jacob Miller's brother) Here, from his concealment an Indian fired upon Hupp and Miller, wounding Hupp mortally: he, however, after he was shot, ran some 60 to 70 yards and sank to rise no more. Miller being a more elderly man, was boldly rushed upon by the merciless wretches, with loud and exultant yells, was tomahawked on the spot. The savages now left their hapless victims, scalped and pilfered of all clothing, left to join the other Indians towards the unprotected block-house. 

While this tragic scene was being enacted, the wild fear, excitement and confusion among the women and children at the block-house, with no male defender but the old man Ault must have been terrifying. With everyone in a panic Providence Gaither, Mary Frances Miller and Ann Hupp turned to calm the whirlwind of fears and tried to inspire them with hope, and to rally the only male defender. Mary Frances in the meantime had deputized her son son Frederick Miller, an active lad aged around 9 or 10 years old, as a messenger to Rice's Fort for aid. But in this strategy they were foiled, for the lad had gone willingly and heroically only a few hundred yards down the peninsula on his dangerous embassy, when he was intercepted by the Indians. Retracing his steps, he was pursued by 2 savages with uplifted tomahawks. This frightful race for life was witnessed from the block-house by his mother. She attempted to leave to help him but was held back by Ann Hupp and old man Ault. Every moment it seemed as though the lad would certainly fall beneath the deadly stroke of one of the 2 bloodthirsty pursuers, each vying with the other which would strike the first and fatal blow. A fence was to be scaled by the boy without a blunder, or death--certain, instant death was his doom. 

Summoning all his boyhood and failing strength he leaped the barrier fence, touching it merely witH his hand as the foremost Indian's tomahawk struck the rail, accompanied with a yell of disappointment, when the savages fired at him. In his struggle to escape, his arm being flexed, one of the balls took effect, passing through his flexed arm both above the elbow and between that joint and the wrist, whirling him around several times. Now subdued shrieks, commingled with joy and terror, were heard in the block-house as Mary Frances quickly opened the door to receive in her arms as he bounded to the door exhausted from the race and the loss of blood. 

At this moment the Indians, leaping from their concealment, appeared in every direction around the block-house, and a hot and continuous firing commenced. The band, with Ault as their counselor, in despair and anguish were forced to the conclusion that the block-house would now soon be taken by storm, or envelop them in its flames, and with no hope of a successful resistance were about to give up. Again, in this crisis of terrible trial, Ann Hupp proved equal to the emergency. Encouraging the trembling Ault and the weeping women with the consoling language of hope--nerving the Miller and Giather women to gather their wits, with true Spartanism, snatching up a rifle fired at the approaching savages. They ran from porthole to porthole, protruding its muzzle in different directions to convey the idea of great forces in the house. All this firing causing the savages to cower behind trees or other objects for protection. 

This conceived and promptly excited strategy of these pioneer women heroines, without a doubt saved the inmates of the block-house from what was otherwise inevitable death. A number of Indians had taken shelter behind a stable that stood not far from the block-house, one of them would occasionally out to view, holding up before himself a piece of clapboard as a shield, and then quickly retreat again to his shelter. He at length stepped out boldly into an open space, defiantly stretching his frame high into the air, at which Ault was prevailed upon to fire; but without doing any harm. This exasperated the savage, causing the assault to become still more terrible 

At this stage of the siege the women saw and recognized three of their men approaching in great haste from the direction of Rice's Fort, when they commenced screaming at the top of their voices, and beckoning the men in the direction they supposed to be the safest point to pass the Indians in gaining the block-house. While the Indians stood in confusion and wonderment, not comprehending the meaning of the screams, the men rushed forward, passing very near to where some of the savages stood, and before the Indians sufficiently recovered from their supprise to fire upon them, they, with face red and turgid from the race, bounded into the block-house unscathed. 

The names of these three daring spirits, who thus periled their live to save their helpless mothers, brothers and sisters from savage fury, or death, were Jacob Miller, Jr, Jacob Rowe and Phillip Hupp. After the arrival of these men in the block-house, the fury and boldness of the savages somewhat abated, and during the rest of the day the firing was less frequent. Evidently filled with disappointment, they skulked about the area until nightfall, and nothing more was heard of them. They were fearing reinforcements from the other forts. They left that night with only the scalps of Jacob Miller, Sr and Hupp. The loss of these two men to the Buffalo Creek was severely felt at a time when men were so much needed; but all hearts in that block-house were overflowing with thanks and gratitudes to a kind and merciful God. 

About noon on Monday the men ventured out from the block-house going sadly and cautiously in search of Hupp and Miller, with the purpose of performing for them the last sad rites of the dearly departed. About 300 hundred yards from the block-house they found the body of Jacob Miller, Sr, lying near the bloody path, and following traces of blood on the leaves and they found Hupp. Their mutilated and frozen bodies were borne to the peninsula and laid side by side only a few yards from Miller's block-house. As they lived near each other so were they buried. Jacob Miller's sons Frederick died on the 27th day of March, 1814 and Capt Jacob Miller died August 20, 1830 and were buried near their father.