Description
Benjamin Miller enlisted at Fort Scott, Kansas on August 16, 1862, and was mustered as a Private into the 79th USCT Infantry, Company B. On November 5, 1866, P. E. (Peter E.) Miller of Platte County, Missouri, signed claim for compensation #48 for enlisted slave Benjamin Miller and swore an oath of allegiance before Platte County Circuit Court Clerk George W. Belt.
Miller claimed he had acquired title by “…said Benjamin Miller was the property of claimant's father (Lewis Miller) and in the year 1857, said Benjamin Miller for whom compensation is claimed was given to the said claimant P. E. Miller by his father aforesaid.”
Miles Harrington and John Dorsey of Platte County swore under oath that Miller had owned Benjamin for “5 years." Emanuel Sharp and D. P. Lewis of Platte County also swore oath that P. E. Miller was loyal to the U.S. Government and had defended it against the Confederate States of America. Platte County Circuit Court Clerk George W. Belt Weston, Missouri, Court of Common Pleas Clerk William F. Yocum certified that Miller, Harrington, Dorsey, Sharp, and Lewis had personally appeared before him and swore an oath to the truth of the claim. P. E. Miller gave power of attorney to the law firm of Chipman, Hosmer & Co. of Washington, DC, to prosecute his claim for compensation.Date(s) of Creation
11/5/1866
