Ernest Miller

Notes:

He was married first to Mittie STEVENSON, and had one son, Henry. (Dr.Arthur A. Miller, "Newton County Nuggest", (Nortex Press, 1986, p. 197).

(Research):

Census Listings:

1900 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Precinct 6
Enumerated 12 and 13 Jun 1900
SD 8 ED 70 Sheets 8A and 8B
Stamped 125
136-136
Miller, Jake Head W M Apr 1868 32 M 7 Tx --- --- Farmer
Miller, Florence Wf W M Ma 1873 27 M 7 3/3 Tx Ala Ala
Miller, Lockie Dau W F Dec 1893 6 S Tx Tx Tx
Miller, Earnest Son W M Sept 1896 3 S Tx Tx Tx
Miller, Cora Dau W F July 1898 1 S Tx Tx Tx

1910 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Pr 6
Enumerated 13 May 1910
SD 2 ED 133 Sheet 34A
246-246
Miller, Jacob Head M W 43 M2 18 Tx US Miss Farming
Miller, Florence Wf F W 36 M1 18 6/6 Tx US US
Miller, Ernest Son M W 12 S Tx Tx Tx
Miller, Cora Dtr F W 12 S Tx Tx Tx
Miller, Walter Son M W 10 S Tx Tx Tx
Miller, Ava Dtr F W 8 S Tx Tx Tx
Miller, Letha Dtr F W 4 S Tx Tx Tx

1920 Census
Texas, Sabine County, JP 6
Enumerated 16 and 17 Jan 1920
SD 326 ED 176 Sheet 16B
303-313
Miller, Abraham J Head M W 52 M Tx Tx Tx Farming
Miller, Florence Wf F W 46 M Tx Tx Tx
Miller, Walter H Son M W 18 S Tx Tx Tx
Miller, Letha Dtr F W 12 S Tx Tx Tx

Abraham married Florence E. Birdwell about 1893 in Texas. Florence (daughter of James Andrew Birdwell and Mary Alice Cogburn) was born on 24 Mar 1873 in Texas; died on 9 Nov 1920 in Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Newton Historical Commission, Pauline Hines, Compiler "Newton County Nuggests: A Collection of True Stories By Newton County Folk" (Nortex Press, A Division of Eakin Publications, Inc, Austin, Texas, published in 1986) notes that they "had two children, a son, Walter, and a daughter, Roxie. They lived in the Bronson area." Census records show they actually had six children.

Notes:

In "Newton County Nuggets" (Nortex Press, 1986), Dr. Arthur Miller wrote a 3 page history of the Miller family (p. 195-198).

He stated that in 1849, Rev. Robert Marcus Miller and George Miller brought their families to Texas. Rev. Miller, a Baptist Preacher, his wife, Averilla Elizabeth Hare and their son, James Cason, settled in the Spears Chapel settlement, five miles east of Burkeville. They had six more children before Averilla died. Four Hare families, orginally from South Carolina, also camed to Texas. Thomas Cason Hare and his wife Lucretia were probably the parents of Averilla Hare Miller. They are all bured at Tanner Cemetery, about a mile east of Burkeville.

George Miller had married Mary Owens of Florida, and they settled in the Quicksand community about ten miles southeast of Newton. They had three sons: Hamp, Ike and Burl---all of whom had quick tempers and loved a good fight. By contrast, Rev. Marcus's children were docile and easy going.

A neighbor of the Robert Marcus Miller family was Robert Cousins, born in Virginia. He was married to Sarah Jane Jordan, born in Alabama. They had six children before Robert Cousins died.

Another neighbor was Tom Byerly, he had lost his wife Matilda, so Tom and the widowed Sarah Jane Jordan Cousins were married, haviing one son, Caleb (sic) before Tom Byerly died.

Sarah Jane Jordan Cousins Byerly then married the widowed Rev. Robert Marcus Miller, and they proceeded to have six more children to add to their already large family.

Robert married Sarah Jane Jordan after 1861. Sarah was born on 17 Jan 1831 in Neshoba County, Mississippi; died on 11 Mar 1907 in San Augustine County, Texas; was buried in Little Flock Baptist Church Cemetery, San Augustine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Barbara Yancey Dore shows her as a daughter of Henry JORDAN and Mary Ann ROBERTS.

Her gravestone is inscribed Sarah J. Miller Born Jan 17, 1831 Died Mar 11 1907 Aged 76 Years 1 Mo 24 Days.

In "Glimpes of Newton County History" it was written that Sarah had been married twice before when she married as his second wife, Robert Marcus, who was a Baptist minister. Robert also farmed near Burkeville. "Seven children, six step-children and a husband who had to be away on weekends gave Sarah Miller plenty to do. She was a hardy pioneer woman who lived to be in her seventies."




(Research): She had also been married to Tom Byerly, and had one child by him, Claborn "Clay' Harrison Byerly.

Notes:

Married:
Dr. Arthur Miller, in "Newton County Nuggets" states that Sarah and the Rev. Robert Marcus Miller added six more children to their already large families, the oldest George Washington was born in 1862 and the youngest, Levi, was born in 1872, six months after his father had passed away. This left Sarah Jane, widowed three times, with the responsibility for 19 children in total. Dr. Miller recalls that his grandfather, Robert Martin Miller (born to Rev. Miller and Averilla), recalled that life got pretty tough for the large family. One year there was a severe drought and all the crops were lost. The government shipped corn to all the afflicted communities, and it was distributed among the struggling families. That year they lived on corn pone (bread) and even made a coffee substiute, consisting of corn that had been ground, sieved, and where the shaff had been parched. This, and any wild game or hogs off range kept them from starving.

Dr. Arthur A. Miller writes that before her death, Grandma Sarah had been making her home with her youngest child, Levi at Burkeville.

Notes:

David Pike writes that James Birdwell arrived in Texas in 1854, and that he enlisted in Company "H", 13th Texas Regiment on the 18 Feb, 1862. Served in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Was captured by Union Forces at Pleasant Hill, LA 9 Apr 1864, released in a prisoner exchange at Blair's Landing on the Red River, 20 Apr 1864. Discharged ca 5 May of 1865 at Hempstead, TX.

Henry, second child of J. A. and Mary's, was born 11 Nov 1864. This would indicate that James was home on leave in march of that year, just prior to the Battle of Pleasant Hill.

25 Jan 1906-made application (1st) for CSA pension. It was disapproved.
11 Aug 1909- made second application for pension. It was also disapproved.
He may have still owned land in Newton County. This may have been reason for these disapprovals. On his application he listed real and personal property as:
100 acres - $200.00
1 Pony - 45.00
2 Cows - 20.00
3 Shoats - 3.00
Wife's estate listed as her interest of the 100 acres.

David Pike also notes that "Family Search has James born in (Newton) Alabama. I do not believe this is correct. Also, some accounts have him and his bro. John as children of John and Mary Allen Birdwell. I believe this is also incorrect. "






(Research):

Census Information:

1870 Census
Texas, Newton County, P. O. Newton
Enumerated 4 Aug 1870
Page 20
152-154
Birdwell, James 35 M W Farmer $600 $250 Alabama
Birdwell, Mary A. 27 F W Keeping House Ark
Birdwell, Emelia I [Ophelia]11 F W Tx
Birdwell, Henry W. 6 M W Tx
Birdwell, Addie E 4 F W Tx
Birdwell, Henry G 1 M W Tx


1880 Sabine County Census:
124-125
Birdwell, James A. w m 44 farmer Ala Ala Ala
Birdwell, Mary A. w f 37 wife Ala SC Ga
Birdwell, Henry W. w m 15 son TX
Birdwell, Addie E w f 13 dau TX
Birdwell, Charley L. w m 9 son TX
Birdwell, Florence E w f 7 dau TX
Birdwell, Lemeul J w m 5 son TX
Birdwell, David R w m 2 son TX


1900 Census
Sabine County, Texas
Birdwell, James Head M W 64 M AL AL AL Farmer
Birdwell, Mary A Wife F W 57 N AL AL AL
Birdwell, Norman Son M W 18 S TX AL AL
Birdwell, Elbert Son M W 15 S TX AL AL
Birdwell, Willie Minnie Dau F W 12 S TX AL AL
Cogburn, Martha M-in-Law F W 78 Wd GA GA GA

James married Mary Alice Cogburn about 1859 in Newton County, Texas. Mary was born on 10 Oct 1842 in Alabama; died on 3 Nov 1909 in Bronson, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Was she also called Nancy? According to an email from Dolores Burton, she was named Nancy Cogburn. However, on the 1880 and on the 1900 Sabine County Census, the wife of James Birdwell is listed as Mary. In fact, in the 1900 census, she is shown as Mary A. (Cogburn).

David Pike, a Cogburn researcher, also shows her as Mary Alice. He indicates that she was probably born in Georgia, though census records report Alabama, and on one occasion Arkansas.