"Early History of Thurston County, Washington; Together with Biographies and Reminiscences of those Identified with Pioneer Days." Compiled and Edited by Mrs. George E. (Georgiana) Blankenship. Published in Olympia, Washington, 1914. p. 250. GENERAL WILLIAM WINLOCK MILLER From teaching school in a remote village in Illinois for a monthly salary of $10 to amassing a million dollar fortune, is the record of W. W. Miller, whose memory is prominent in the minds of the remaining pioneers of his day. After receiving his education in Illinois and, with patient frugality acquiring enough money to defray his expenses to the Far West. the young man arrived in Olympia in 1853, his entire fortune comprising only a few hundred dollars. With the business sagacity and perspicuity which was Mr. Miller's main characteristic, he at once began to invest in Olympia property, buying and selling, loaning money to those less fortunate than himself, his speculations ever attended with signal success. Mr. Miller, however, is not only to be remembered as a successful business man, but also a patriot and brave soldier as well. He was one of the first to enlist in the ranks of volunteers organized for the defense of the country in the Indian war of 1855-56, rapidly rising from the ranks until he was finally made Commissary General and staff officer to Governor I. I. Stevens, and this executive was emphatic in affirming that much of the success in quelling the Indian disturbances was due to the able and efficient men who composed his staff. Mr. Hazard Stevens, in his "Life of Governor Stevens," gives the following high praise to General W. V. Miller, as having imparted "extraordinary efficiency to the quartermasters' and commissary's departments, the most difficult of all. These departments, generally kept distinct, was a single department in the service. It was General Miller who collected, largely by impressment, organized and led out into the Indian country the large ox train, which hauled out three months' supplies for the volunteers in the beginning of the campaign, without which it could not have been waged. He was distinguished by remarkable sound sense and judgment, and Governor Stevens counseled with and relied upon him more than any other. And after the close of the Indian war General Miller was Governor Stevens' closest friend in the territory." When Governor Stevens issued his order disbanding the volunteer organization General Miller took steps to sell at public auction the animals, equipment and supplies at hand and settling the accounts. The sales of property realized $150,000, the articles sold generally bringing more than the original cost, and the sum realized was more than enough to defray the entire cost of the expedition. After the close of the war Governor Stevens was successful in having the territory made a separate Indian Superintendency and General W. W. Miller was appointed Superintendent General, which important position he filled with credit to himself and with satisfaction of the Governor. In politics General Miller was an unswerving Democrat and took an active part in the Stevens' campaign when the latter was seeking re-election as a Territorial Delegate to Congress. Among the papers preserved by Governor Stevens was a letter written him by his friend General Miller, when the Governor was in Washington, D. C., which reads: "I believe that National Democracy can verily keep possession of the territory. Your own prospects are good. Now that you have won a National fame, you will always be looked upon as the leading man in the Northwest, and you cannot be beaten at the next election." General W. W. Miller secured as his bride Miss Mary McFadden, an undisputed belle of Olympia and two handsome sons were born to them, Winlock and Pendleton. The General's death occurred in Olympia, and his son, Pendleton, in Seattle, both being interred in Masonic cemetery. Mrs. Miller and her son, Winlock Miller, now make their home in Seattle, although Mrs. Miller has large property holdings still in Olympia. Several years ago Mrs. Miller presented to the city of Olympia the valuable block of laud on which is now situated the Winlock Miller High School. ******************* Submitted to the Washington Bios. Project in May 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.