Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/406

 MILLER

MILLET

to his views. In 1839 he delivered his first course of lectures in Massachusetts. On March 14, 1844, he announced the second coming of Christ to be at hand. In October, 1844, after seven months' waiting, work was suspended by the Millerites and all repaired to their tabernacles, where they waited until the end of November, when they dispersed and iiflSliated with various sects. " Father " Miller continued to hold to- gether about 50,000 disciples, and in April, 1845, a declaration of faith was agreed upwn and the name " Adventist " adopted, which sect under various names increased steadily. He helped to establish in 1840, The Signs of the Times and Exposition of Prophecy, published in Boston, which afterward became the Advent Herald. He published many sermons and lectures, and his Dream of tfie Last Day was widely circulated. See biographies by Sylvester Bliss, James White and Joshua V. Himes. He died at Low Hamp- ton, N.Y., Dec. 20, 1849.

niLLER, William, governor of North Caro- lina, was born in Warren county, N.C. He was a student at the University of North Carolina, 1802, and became a lawyer. He was attorney- general of the state, 1810; representative for Warren county in the house of commons, 1809-14; speaker of the house, 1812-13; governor of the state, 1814, 1815 and 1817; and state senator, 1821- 23. In 182.1 he was appointed by President Jack- son charge d'affaires at Guatemala, Central America, and he died at Guatemala la Nuevo shortly after reaching his post, in 1825.

MILLER, William Henry Harrison, cabinet officer, was born at Augusta, Oneida county, N.Y., Sept. 6, 1840; son of Curtis and Lucy (Duncan) Miller; grandson of Isaac and Irene

(Miller) Miller, and of Samuel and Betsy (Stanhope) Duncan, and a descendant of Benjamin Miller, who came to Connec- ticut from Scotland in 1650. He spent his boyhood on his father's farm, attend- ed Whitestown sem- inary and was grad- uated at Hamilton college in 1861. He taught in the pub- lic schools of Mau- mee City, Ohio, 1861- 62; served in the 84th Ohio volunteers, May- September, 1862, and studied law in the of- fice of Morrison R. Waite (q. v.). He was mar- ried Dec. 23, 1863, to Gertrude A. Bunce of Vernon, N.Y. He was superintendent of the public

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schools of Peru, Ind., 1863-65; was admitted to the Indiana bar in 1865; practised at Peru, 1865-66, and at Fort Wayne, 1866-74, and entered the law firm of Porter, Harrison & Hines at Indianapolis, of which Gen. Benjamin Harrison was a partner, the firm becoming Harrison, Hines & Miller, and subsequently Harrison, Miller & Elam. Mr. Miller served as the confidential adviser of Gen. Benjamin Harrison long before and during the presidential campaign of 1888, and was apiwinted attorney-general in his cabinet, March 5. 1889. He served until the close of Harrison's adminis- tration in 1893 and then resumed the successful practice of law in Indianapolis, Ind., his son, Sam- uel D. Miller becoming a partner with him in the law firm of Miller, Elam & Foster. He received the degree of LL.D. from Hamilton college, Clin- ton, N.Y., in 1889.

MILLER, William Read, governor of Arkan- sas, was born at Batesville, Ark., Nov. 27, 1823; son of John and Clara (Moore) Miller, and grand- son of Simon and (Rucker) Miller. He

worked on his father's farm and attended school until 1843. He was married Jan. 23, 1849, to Susan E., daughter of Judge William C. Beyens of Arkansas. He was clerk of Independence county, 1848-54; state auditor, 1854-55, 1856-68, 1874-76, and 1887, and was appointed accountant of the Real Estate bank of Arkansas by Governor Conway in 1855. He studied law, 1848-68, as his official duties permitted; was disfranchised and declared ineligible to hold office under the con- stitution of 1868, and the same year was admitted to the bar. He practised law at Batesville, 1868- 74; was Democratic governor of Arkansas, 1877- 81, succeeding Gov. A. H. Garland, and his ad- ministration was rendered conspicuous by his uncompromising opposition to the repudiation of any part of the public debt. He retired to private life in 1881, but in September, 1886, was elected state auditor for the eighth time, serving from January to November, 1887. He died at Little Rock, Ark., Nov. 29. 1887.

MILLET, Francis Davis, artist, was born at Mattapoisett, Mass., Nov. 3, 1846; son of Dr. Asa and Huldah (Allen) Millet; grandson of Zebulon Millet, and a descendant of Thomas Millet (Bos- ton, 1630), and Nicholas Byram (Plymouth, 1620). He attended the public schools of Bridgewater, Mass., and served as a drummer in the 60th Massachusetts regiment and as acting assistant contract surgeon with the Army of the Potomac, 1864-65. He was graduated at Harvard, A.B., 1869, A.M., 1872, and devoted himself to the study of art. He was a pupil at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, under Van Lerius and De Keyser, 1871-72, and won the silver medal of honor at the clo.se of the first year and the gold medal the second year. He was secretary of the