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Captain Samuel Miller (Revolutionary War Hero) and the story of Hannastown, PA

 The following excepts below are from Old and New Westmoreland by John Newton Boucher, a much respected historian of southwestern Pennsylvania. This book was published by the American Historical Society, NY in 1918.  I have every reason to believe that Samuel Miler and the two sons of Robert Miller, Isaac and Silas (his nephews?) joined or followed this regiment east to New Jersey.  We have historical records that specifically prove Isaac was a Pvt. with the 8th Regt. from January 1777 until August 1780. 
It is well known that the soldiers in the Revolutionary War were not as regimented as are military units today.  Often battle units were divided up and sent where they were needed most.  Men often temporarily deserted to go home and help their families through hardships, or plant their spring crops. Often ill-fed and poorly-clothed soldiers, who were not paid on any regular basis, "deserted" unceremoniously to find shelter, sustenance and a change of clothing only to return to duty just as unceremoniously. 
   These excerpts below are from Chapter XVII of Boucher's Book.

July 1775 - Nov. 1776. THE WAR: The dark red lines indicate where I have cut text from the original narrative.
Lt Col. George Wilson, officer in charge of the 8th Regt. at "Kitanian" (Kittanning), upon receiving his orders to move the regiment to New Jersey writes: "We have issued ye Necesery orders and appointed ye owt Parties to Rendevou at Hanows Town (Hannastown) ye 15 instant, and to March Emeditly from there. " 

I think the best way to tell the story of Captain Samuel Miller, Miller's Block House, and the "rise and fall" of Hannastown, PA, is to start off with map.  When you travel to Greensburg, presently the county seat of Westmoreland County, PA, and ask about tourist attractions you will be directed to visit Hannastown, the original county seat. Hannastown (about 2½ to 3 miles from Greensburg) was, of course, founded by the wily Robert Hanna.  It is a great place to visit and if you are in the area be sure to stop by.   This map was drawn in 1895 by John B. Steel (A descendent of the Steel family who owned Robert Hanna's property after Hanna's death.) Hannastown is in the middle of the map with the fort there indicated by a red square. Miller's Blockhouse is at the bottom of the map which in 1895 was next to the Pennsylvania Rail Road about 2½ miles south of Hannastown.  Rail service did not come to western Pennsylvania until the 1850s. So, the land ownerships shown on the map probably are those in 1895. Miller's blockhouse came to be known as Miller's Station only when the railroad stopped there more than 100 years later.

Click here to see the same Indian attack route taken in 1882 superimposed on a modern day Arial Map of Westmoreland County. The former boundaries of Samuel Miller's land still can be seen on this 1987 map of Hempfield Twp.

At the left is a physical description of Hannastown before it was destroyed in 1782. The "highway" mentioned in the narrative is Forbes Road which is shown on the map.  The writer also describes a bit about the lifestyle of the settlers and their system of law and justice.
Below is one of many descriptions of the Miller's  Blockhouse property. This one is written by George Dallas Albert in his account the History of the County of Westmoreland PA., page 140, Pub. 1882. The "village" mentioned is Hannastown. "Mansion" is not probably how we would describe this house today but was more like a larger than average log house..

"Robert Miller may first have moved to Hannastown area before settling on his three hundred acres. (On the Big Sewickley Creek) The other possibility is that this land is part of Miller’s Station or Miller’s Blockhouse as it also is known.  It was built by Samuel Miller who had settled near Hannastown by at least 1774, 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 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. ( See this map above ▲) It now is on the north side of the railroad.  On an 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. 

From reading separate stories about the Indian attack on Miller's Blockhouse on that fateful day 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 "Issac"  (no age given) who were named as "captured." See here new information gleaned on a trip to Greensburg, PA, in June 2009.

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 Robert Miller 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 New Jersey 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 before going to Westmoreland when the frontier opened.  There is no indication that the parents of Robert and Samuel had accompanied them to America.  They probably remained in Scotland."

Nov. 1, 1777 - Mar. 15, 1778

Below ▼ Washington at Valley Forge painted by Edward P. Moran

1773 -1775 A.D.

Jan. 6, 1777-June 9, 1777