“My place of residence has been three miles east of Meadville.
I was borned and rased out there.
My father he was a shumaker he had two acres of land joined William Smith farm.
I all ways helped my father earnings what I could work at cobbling
work and worked day time on a farm for William Smith.
And since discharge in return to my fathers home a gain and staid some
time with him til I went to do for myself some lite work what I could on a farm.
My residence has been in this naborhood About all my time.”
~From page 60 of Miller Ross pension file, spelling retained.

Miller Ross

Military Record: Miller Ross
Rank: Private
Unit: Company K, 150th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
Date of Birth: 20 March 1839, Meadville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Date of Death: 26 June 1909, West Mead, Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Burial: [Location not specified here]
Personal Description: ​eyes gray, hair dark, height 5 ft. 8 in., complexion fair
Parentage: Son of William Ross, a shoemaker, and Hester Wirt Ross.
Siblings: William, Syrenus (both Civil War soldiers), Mary, Matilda, Charlotte, Delila, Gilmon, and Orlando Ross.
Occupation Prior to Service: Shoemaker and laborer. Draft registration dated July 1, 1863, listed occupation as laborer, though pension records confirm shoemaking as his trade.
Marital Status: Married Martha Jane Beers on 14 June 1866 in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
Children: Alfred, Hester (“Hattie”), Samuel William, Katherine (“Katie”), Charles Oscar, Edda, and Ida May Ross.

Enlistment and Service

• Enlistment Date: 5 February 1864

• Age at Enlistment: 24 years

• Term of Service: 1 year, 3 months, 12 days

• Discharge Date: 17 May 1865

• Final Rank: Private

​Private Ross enlisted later in the war, registering for the draft in July 1863 and officially joining in February 1864. His reasons for delayed enlistment remain unrecorded; whether rooted in pacifism, family duty, or personal dreams left behind is unknown.
Upon joining Company K of the 150th Pennsylvania Infantry, he entered a unit with a unique and honorable assignment: bodyguard detail for President Abraham Lincoln. From September 1862 until their muster-out in June 1865, Company K was stationed in Washington, D.C., tasked with guarding the White House, the President’s person, and related security duties.
During this time, while the rest of the regiment engaged in major battles, Company K remained in the capital, maintaining vigilance over the Commander-in-Chief during the most turbulent years of the war.

Assassination of President LincolnOn April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre. Some might wonder whether his designated military guard bore responsibility for this tragedy. However, Company K was not directly responsible for security at Ford’s Theatre. Their duty was limited to guarding the White House and grounds, and at times escorting the President in official processions.
At public events and theaters, Lincoln’s security consisted only of civilian police or a single officer from the Metropolitan Police. On the night of the assassination, no members of Company K were stationed at the theater. The security gap lay in the informal protection practices of the era, alongside President Lincoln’s personal resistance to strict protective measures.
Private Ross was discharged on 17 May 1865, just weeks after President Lincoln’s death.

Medical Record SummaryPension files indicate significant health decline during and following service:

• Contracted mumps while enlisted, followed by smallpox, chronic diarrhea, and rheumatism.

• Persistent condition recorded as “disease of the right testicle,” frequently noted in medical and legal affidavits supporting his pension claim.

• Modern retrospective analysis suggests possible metastatic testicular cancer, though differential diagnoses include cirrhosis complications, tuberculosis, or late-stage syphilitic involvement. Definitive diagnosis remains indeterminable without modern clinical evidence.

Affiliations and DeathAt his death on 26 June 1909 at age 70, he was residing with his son Samuel Ross near Ponce de Leon Springs. Private Ross was a member of Sergeant Peiffer Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and was regarded as a man of wide acquaintance and many friends.

I always thought Miller spent the war fighting in brutal battles, but it turns out his story was different. He served in Company K, guarding President Lincoln himself. Imagine that – our ancestor standing watch over the White House during some of the darkest days in American history. And though Lincoln was assassinated while Company K was still on duty, their job was to guard the White House, not the theater that night. It’s a reminder of how every soldier’s story carries quiet burdens we may never fully understand.
CMApplegate, July 11, 2025