The Maples
Host to Generals
Middleton Miller, who built this residence about 1840, owned a woolen factory on the Rappahannock River near Waterloo about 15 miles east of here. It manufactured "Confederate Gray" cloth, and Union troops destroyed it early in the war. Miller was nonetheless a generous host to both Northern and Southern officers who passed through Little Washington.
In August 1862, Union Col. Daniel Ullmann, 78th New York Infantry, contracted typhoid fever. As he convalesced here, Maj. John Scott and the Confederate Black Horse Cavalry captured him and sent him to Libby Prison in Richmond. Before his capture, Ullmann had stopped some of his troops in "riotous proceedings." Prominent residents here including Miller wrote a letter commending him as a "chivalrous gentleman" and seeking his kind treatment in captivity. Ullmann was exchanged in early October. He lobbied President Abraham Lincoln to employ blacks in the Union army. Early in 1863, promoted to general, he went to Louisiana to recruit five regiments of the Corps D'Afrique that became a model for the U.S. Colored Troops.
Lt. Col. Thomas Benjamin Massie, 12th Virginia Cavalry, was a county resident. Hampton's leadership during the Beefsteak Raid to capture cattle near Petersburg in 1864 so impressed Massie that he named both his son and his farm at Massie's Corner
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On November 8, 1862, Confederate Gen. Wade Hampton's cavalry paused here while shielding Gen. Robert E. Lee's army as it marched southward through the gaps in the Blue Ridge after the Battle of Antietam. Hampton dined with Miller but was forced to flee when skirmishers of the 8th Illinois and 3rd Indiana Cavalry approached Little Washington and precipitated a Confederate retreat. Col. John F. Farnsworth, 8th Illinois, and his staff added insult to injury by finishing Hampton's meal. Years later, Hampton fondly recalled the excellent quality of Miller's peach brandy.
A brick cabin that was the home of "Aunt Mimy," a Miller slave, stands at the rear of this property. According to tradition, after the war she went to live in a city but returned here in old age to live with Middleton Miller's children, who cared for her until her death. She reportedly left the children the savings accumulated during her years of freedom.
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1862.
Location. 38° 42.591′
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Washington, Virginia (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Historic Stone Marker (about 600 feet away); Kitty Payne (about 600 feet away); Honored In Their Generation (approx. 0.2 miles away); Confederate Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Town of Washington, Virginia (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ellerslie (approx. 0.3 miles away); Washington Graded School (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Washington.
Additional keywords. USCT
Credits. This page was last revised on April 18, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 18, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 248 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 18, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
