William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas
OSAGE COUNTY
ELIJAH MILLS,
was born September 14, 1841, in Fayette County, Ohio;
enlisted September 6, 1861, at
Washington C. H., in Company K, Forty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry
as a private; was
appointed Corporal in 1862, and Sergeant in 1864. In 1864 the regiment
"veteraned" at
Strawberry Plains, East Tennessee, was reorganized and became the Eighth
Ohio Volunteer
Cavalry. Mr. Mills was Quartermaster Sergeant of his Company when mustered
out May,
1865, at Columbus, Ohio; served in the Twenty-third Army Corps; participated
in the
following battles: Lewisburg, W. Va., May 23, 1862, Gauley, W. Va.,
1862, Charleston
W. Va., 1862, Somerset, Ky., March 30, 1863, Carter's "Knoxville Raid."
May, 1863,
Pound Gap, Tenn., Siege of Knoxville, from November 17 to December
5, 1863, Bean's
Station, East Tenn., December 14, 1863, "Raid of Lynchburg, " under
Gen. Hunter.
His regiment served upon outpost and scouting duty in West Virginia,
for two years and a half,
and did the same sort of duty for a year in Kentucky and East
Tennessee, engaging in a great
many skirmishes and minor battles. His own and two other companies
of the regiment, were
surprised at night, while stationed at Huttonsville, W. Va., in 1864,
and captured. The balance
of the regiment, stationed at Beverly, was at once notified and pursued
the Rebels so hotly that
they were obliged to take the horses and arms and let the prisoners
go.
Is married, and has seven children; came to Osage County from Jamestown,
Greene Co., Ohio,
November 3, 1868; a prohibition Republican and a member of the Methodist
Church.