John Martin Miller, assistant adjutant-general of the Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Kansas, is one of the numerous eastern men who settled in Kansas in the early days of the state and have witnessed its marvelous growth. Mr. Miller was born in Fulton county, Pennsylvania, April 15, 1840, a son of John Miller, a farmer, and wife, whose maiden name was Susan Schneider, both natives of Pennsylvania. John Miller, the father, was a son of Henry and Margaret Ann Miller. On both the paternal and maternal sides Mr. Miller is of German descent.

John M. Miller was reared on a farm in his native Pennsylvania county, and at the age of fifteen became a teacher in the public schools. He taught in all nine terms, the first five of which were taught in Fulton county, Pennsylvania, prior to the Civil war, and the last three were taught in Mercer county, Ill., subsequent to his service in the Union army. On Jan. 1, 1861, he was married to Miss Jane Eliza Stephenson, of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, and to their marriage were born five children—two of whom died in infancy. The other three are: Mrs. Addie Miller Sperry, of Kansas City, Mo.; Harry Allison Miller, who is inspector of transportation for the Santa Fe Railway Company, with headquarters at Dodge City; and Mrs. Jeannette Miller McCoy, of Encampment, Wyo. On Aug. 13, 1862, Mr. Miller bade good-bye to his wife and infant daughter, Addie, who was then but one day old, and enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Second Illinois infantry, giving loyal and true service to his country in the great struggle for the preservation of the American Union. Early in 1869 he removed from Mercer county, Illinois, to Johnson county, Kansas, and located at Spring Hill, where he engaged in the lumber business. While a resident of that city he served one term in the state legislature, representing the Olathe district. In 1874 he removed to Larned, Kan., where he also engaged in the lumber business and while a resident of that place served as county treasurer, and also one term as representative to the state legislature from Pawnee county. Thirty-two years ago, or in 1879, he removed to the city of Topeka, where he has since resided. The first four years of his residence there he held a responsible position with the Santa Fe Railway Company, but he later engaged in the livery business. During Colonel Harrison's administration as mayor of Topeka he was sanitary sergeant with Dr. Hibben, and later occupied the position of deputy clerk of the district court. He has been adjutant of Lincoln Post, No. 1, Grand Army of the Republic, for twelve years, and for the past four years has been adjutant-general of the Department of Kansas, a position that has never previously been held by any one more than two years. Such is the esteem in which he is held by the members of the Grand Army of the Republic in the State of Kansas. Besides his identification with the Grand Army of the Republic he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights and Ladies of Security, and other prominent fraternal organizations. This biography of Mr. Miller is a brief record of the life of a self-made man, who, with worthy ambitions and a strong character, has attained success in his life's work, and has proved amply worthy of the strong hold which he has upon the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens.