Gravesite of Levi Miller in Lexington, Virginia. Upon his death in 1921, the Evening Star published a front-page obituary under the headline “LEVI MILLER, COLORED WAR VETERAN.” It was the sort of stirring tribute fit for a local hero.
Excerpt: Levi Miller served in the the war, exhibiting bravery in battles in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. His former commander spoke highly of Miller’s combat record, giving a riveting account of his performance at Spotsylvania Courthouse. “About 4 p.m., the enemy made a rushing charge,” wrote Captain J. E. Anderson. “Levi Miller stood by my side– and man never fought harder and better than he did– and when the enemy tried to cross our little breastworks and we clubbed and bayoneted them off, no one used his bayonet with more skill, and effect, than Levi Miller.” Captain Anderson wrote: “During the fight, the shout of my men was ‘Give ’em hell, Lee!'” In his letter of recommendation, Anderson dispelled any doubts as to whether Miller had fought for the South of his own free will. “He was in the Pennsylvania campaign, and at New Castle and Chambersburg he met several black folks whom he knew, and who had run away from Virginia,” wrote Anderson. “They tried to get Levi to desert — but he would not”. After the war, Miller received a full pension from Virginia as a Confederate veteran. According to the Winchester Evening Star, “The pension was granted without trouble, and he had the distinction of drawing one of the largest amounts of any person in the state.” Upon his death in 1921, the Evening Star published a front-page obituary under the headline “Levi Miller, Colored War Veteran.” It was the sort of stirring tribute fit for a local hero.
