James Miller, Wyandot County, Ohio, War of 1812 Veteran

The adventures of Ohio Militia soldiers who enlisted in the War of 1812 is not always well known.  The obituary of James Miller of Crawfordsville, Ohio, (Wyandot Union August 31st, 1882) who died at the age of 96 years gives a glimpse of his life and the trials and tribulations of his War of 1812 service.

Born in Philadelphia in 1787, James Miller left Pennsylvania at the age of 12, making his way through the unbroken forests until he arrived at old Chillicothe, Ohio. James "helped clear up the wilderness" on the lands of Duncan McArthur, who owned extensive property on Paint Creek.

Governor McArthur, much beloved by Chillicothians, raised a regiment to fight the British in 1812. James Miller was one of the first to enlist.  On the march north through the pathless wilderness to Detroit, McArthur's regiment stopped 17 miles west of Carey, Ohio.  The men constructed a fort or blockhouse. They named it Fort Findlay.    

Courtesy Ohio Historical Society

Miller remained with the regiment until it was surrendered to the British by General Hull. At that time, he saw the famous Chief Tecumseh. Later men from Chillicothe were taken by boat to a point on Lake Erie where Cleveland is now located.  They were put ashore without provisions and left to find their way south through the forests to the Ohio River.  As Miller described it, there were "many perils and a great number fell out by the way and died in the forests." Miller was one of the fortunate number who "triumphed over starvation and constant tramping for two weeks." He entered Chillicothe one morning just as the sun was rising. 

In 1813, he married Rhoda Howard and continued working for Duncan McArthur. In 1824, he, along with others from the Ross and Pike County area, headed north to permanently settle along the Tymochtee Creek in Wyandot County, Ohio. "Only a few white people" then lived in the northern wilderness. 

Courtesy Crawfordsville, Ohio

The couple remained there for 58 years. James Miller was survived by his wife who was  then 94 years of age. Their oldest son, Nelson Miller, aged 69, lived with them. The War of 1812 veteran was laid to rest in the Ritchey Cemetery.

King Charles Gifts Facsimile of 1879 Resolute Desk Plans

Resolute Desk

Courtesy White House Historical Association

 

King Charles III on his recent visit to the United States presented President Donald J. Trump with a framed facsimile of the design plans of the Resolute Desk, a partner desk, constructed by Master Carpenter William Evenden from the white oak and mahogany timbers that were once part of the HMS Resolute ship. The original plans, are held by the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.

King Charles III during U.S. Visit

Courtesy of United Kingdom

The HMS Resolute was part of an arctic expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, who along with his crew had disappeared during an expedition in search of the Northwest Passage. The Resolute and several other ships became locked in the ice. The officers and crew made it back to England after a harrowing trip over the ice. 

 

HMS Resolute 

Courtesy of United Kingdom

In 1855, the HMS Resolute was discovered by an American whaler. She was adrift in open waters after the summer  thaw. She was some 1200 miles from where she had been abandoned. Congress appropriated the funds to refit the ship and return her to England.  She was given as a gift of friendship to Queen Victoria. 

In 1879, the HMS Resolute was decommissioned. Queen Victoria requested a desk be made from her timbers and presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes. He placed it in his second floor personal study. It is topped with embossed leather and features heavily carved panels. A plaque details its history and creation.

JFK and John Jr, at the Resolute Desk

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

When the Oval Office was constructed, U.S. Presidents, with few exceptions, have used the desk. President Donald J. Trump had it removed temporarily for refurbishing in February 2025 

A replica of the desk can be viewed at the Hayes Presidential Library and Museums and at other presidential libraries.