Wells Waite Miller and Me: An 8th OVI Civil War Biography

On July 3, 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg, twenty-one-year-old Captain Wells Waite Miller of the 8th Ohio Voluntary Infantry fought in the bloody heat of Pickett’s Charge as dying men fell all around him. Ultimately, though, his “bruised and undersized regiment” played a crucial role in the Union victory. Chosen to lead an outpost about one hundred yards away from the main Union line, against seemingly insurmountable odds, Miller and 150 courageous men faced down six thousand desperate Rebels. Fighting valiantly, they “broke an entire . . . brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia.”

Miller nearly died from his wounds, and this book reconstructs and celebrates the life of this forgotten Civil War hero—and the incredible synchronicities that exist between his life story and that of the author. The book also contains dozens of photos, most never published before, along with information directly from numerous descendants of Miller.

Miller lived a captivating life before, during, and after the Civil War: a student in Oberlin during a tumultuous time in history; courageous soldier; briefly, a teacher; a highly respected agriculturist; revered member of his community; dedicated, trusted politician; and a son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather.