Fleming Bowyer Miller

Early life

Miller, son of John and Priscilla (Bowyer) Miller, was born in Fincastle, Virginia, October 8, 1792. He graduated at Washington College, Lexington, Virginia, in 1813, and then entered Yale College, where he graduated in 1816. After graduation, he studied for two years in the Litchfield Law School.

Career

In the fall of 1819 he was admitted to the bar in Nashville, Tennessee, and practiced there for a year, but then returned to Virginia and settled in his native place, where he resided until January 1, 1874, when he removed to his son-in-law's house in Staunton.

From 1825 to 1838, he represented his county in the Virginia State Legislature, either in the Virginia Senate or the Virginia House.He attended the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830 and appears in the large group portrait of the event by George Catlin.

In 1835, he was the unsuccessful candidate of the Democratic party for the U. S. Senate. In 1836 he declined a nomination for Governor of Virginia due to the severe illness of his wife.

In 1850, Miller was elected to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1850. He was one of three delegates elected from the Valley delegate district made up of his home district of Botetourt County as well as Roanoke, Alleghany and Bath Counties.

Again in 1852 he was returned to the State Senate. In 1853 he was appointed U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and held the office until the breaking out of the American Civil War;

Miller was a member of the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861, voting for secession on April 17 following Lincoln’s call on Virginia militia to recover federal property.

Upon the organization of the Confederate Judiciary, Miller was appointed to his earlier position as Attorney for the Western District of Virginia under that Government.

Following the American Civil War, Miller was re-elected to the Virginia state Senate again in 1867.

Death

Fleming Boyer Miller died in Staunton, August 10, 1874.