Miller, George

25 Nov. 1794–after July 1856. Carpenter, mill operator, lumber dealer, steamboat owner. Born near Stanardsville, Orange Co., Virginia. Son of John Miller and Margaret Pfeiffer. Moved to Augusta Co., Virginia, 1798; to Madison Co., Kentucky, 1806; to Boone Co., Kentucky, 1808; back to Madison Co., ca. May 1813; to Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky, Apr. 1814; to Cincinnati, spring 1815; to Baltimore, 1816; and to Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Virginia, 1817. Married Mary C. Fry, 25 June 1822, in Madison Co., Virginia. Moved to Illinois, 1831. Mason. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by John Taylor, 10/12 Aug. 1839. Moved to Lee Co., Iowa Territory, 1839. Moved to Commerce (later Nauvoo), Hancock Co., Illinois, 1840. Ordained a high priest by JS, Hyrum Smith, and Newel Knight, before Sept. 1840, in Nauvoo. Served mission to Iowa Territory and Illinois, 1840–1841. Trustee and president of Nauvoo House Association. Appointed bishop in Nauvoo, 19 Jan. 1841. Member of Nauvoo Legion, 1841; appointed brigadier general, Sept. 1842. Member of Nauvoo Masonic Lodge; served as Worshipful Master, Dec. 1841–Nov. 1842. Served mission to Kentucky, 1842. President of high priests, 1842, in Nauvoo. When JS was accused of ordering assassination of former Missouri governor Lilburn W. Boggs, Miller wrote letter to Missouri governor Thomas Reynolds, 4 Sept. 1842, in defense of JS’s character. Served mission to Wisconsin pineries on Black River, Wisconsin Territory, 1842–1843, to procure lumber for Nauvoo temple and Nauvoo House. Commissioned brigadier general in Nauvoo Legion, 27 Apr. 1843. Served as bishop of Black River Falls branch in Wisconsin Territory, 1843–1844. Part of committee that petitioned JS to move Black River Falls branch to Texas, Feb. 1844. Admitted to Council of Fifty, 11 Mar. 1844. Served mission to Kentucky to campaign for JS as president, 1844. One of three trustees-in-trust for church following JS’s death, 1844. Appointed “second bishop” under Newel K. Whitney, 7 Oct. 1844. Elected as member of Nauvoo City Council, 1845, but never served because of repeal of city charter. Moved to what became Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie Co., Iowa Territory, 1846; to Tahlequah, Cherokee Co., Indian Territory (later in Oklahoma), 1847; and to Pedernales (near Fredericksburg), Gillespie Co., Texas, 1848. Briefly associated with Lyman Wight’s movement. Moved to Austin, Travis Co., Texas, 1848. Excommunicated, 3 Dec. 1848. Moved to Voree, Racine Co., Wisconsin, 1850, to join followers of James J. Strang’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Moved with Strangites to Beaver Island, Mackinac Co., Michigan, 1850. Moved to Marengo, McHenry Co., Illinois. Died in Marengo.