Miller, Albion K.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Capt. Albion Kendall Miller was born at Thomaston, Me., on the banks of what was then St. Irish descent, whose names have been connected with the history of New England since the days of the colonial period. It is not definitely known, but in all probability the first settlement of the Miller family in the new world was made in the colony of Massachusetts, from whence they emigrated to Maine, where we find the first positive records of the family, and where two brothers, Maj. Noah and Hon. Joel Miller, became prominent citizens. Noah Miller served as a major in the colonial army during the struggle for independence, and the early records state that it was in his house that Major Burton sought shelter while escaping from the British in 1781. Hon. Joel Miller was born in Lincolnville, Me., about the year 1784. He served as warden of the state prison, was a member of the state senate in 1828; judge of probate in 1836, and died in 1849. He married Elizabeth Robinson, a descendant of Dr. Moses Robinson, of whom we speak later, and by her became the father of nine children. The third child born to Joel and Elizabeth Robinson Miller was a son, George. He received, during his boyhood, a careful educational training, becoming a careful student and deep thinker. He, later, engaged in mercantile pursuits, and, in connection with his business, also sailed as the commander of a packet schooner plying between Thomaston, Me., and Richmond, Va. His death occurred August 20, 1841. August 16, 1834, he married Julia Robinson, a native of Thomaston, Me., born October 23, 1809, died, 1881, the daughter of Capt. William Robinson, who, at the age of twenty-one years, was captain of a sea-going vessel, followed the sea for thirty years, and was one of a family of three sons, all of whom became captains of ocean vessels. Dr. Moses Robinson, the maternal ancestor of our immediate subject, came first to what is now Cushing, afterward to Warren, Me., with the first settlers, where his son, Archibald Robinson, was the first white child born on the St. George's river. Thus it will be seen that Captain Miller can point back with pride to a long line of ancestry, both paternal and maternal, whose names have become synonymous with the early history of our country, and who have handed down to their posterity a record which, thus far, has been neither marred nor tarnished. To George and Julia Robinson Miller were born three children, of whom Capt. Miller is the eldest. George Edward, the second son, died in 1849, at the age of eleven years. Julia, the youngest child and only daughter, married Charles E. Stearns, and resides in Chelsea, Mass. Albion Kendall Miller was but six years of age when his father died, leaving his family in straitened circumstances. The widow soon moved to Boston, while Albion was taken into the home of an uncle. He remained there but a short time, however, making his home thereafter among strangers, so that it may in reality be said that he was thrown upon his own resources at the tender age of six years, working at choring and such light work as he could find to do. Born of a race of seafaring men, and reared within sight of the sea, picking up pebbles along the coast, or lulled to sleep by the ceaseless music of the waves as they broke upon the shore, it was but natural that his childish pride and ambition should lead him to become a rover upon that mighty deep stretching away in grandeur before him. It is not surprising, therefore, that at the age of thirteen years we find him a cabin boy on the sailing bark "Nimrod," commanded by an uncle, Capt. George W. Robinson. His first voyage was a lengthy one. They sailed in December, from Waldoboro, Me., for New Orleans, when the young mariner saw, for the first time, the city of his future residence. The "Nimrod" discharged her cargo there, and, loading with cotton for European ports started on a trans-Atlantic voyage, and when, in the July following. she anchored in the harbor of New York, the cabin boy had become a sailor "before the mast." With the earnings of this voyage, which he had carefully hoarded, he entered an academy at Thomaston, where he diligently pursued his studies until such time as an exhausted exchequer forced him to leave school. He then started on a voyage from New York to Liverpool and return, this time as a sailor on board the ship "Telamon." Desiring to return to his home, and in order that he might save, as far as possible, his meager earnings, he engaged as cook on the schooner "Adelaide," bound to Thomaston, and shortly after his arrival there he shipped, before the mast, on the full rigged brig "Alida," bound for New Orleans. In the latter city he was left for a short time without a situation, but he would not remain idle and accordingly went to work upon the levee, a position furnishing a great deal of hard labor and but little pay. It, however, afforded him an opportunity to retain his independence. It is, perhaps, worthy of particular notice that during his early struggles no position which afforded the opportunity of earning an honest penny was ever scorned by Captain Miller, no matter how humble that station might be. He next sailed on the ship "John Hancock," for Havre, returning on the same vessel to New York. He then became a student at Comer's Commercial college at Boston, where he pursued a thorough course of instruction upon the science of navigation, graduating from that institution with high honors in 1853, after which he returned again to the sea. After a trans-Atlantic voyage on the bark "Eglantine," he sailed from Boston on the ship "Edward Stanley," for New Orleans, Liverpool and New York. After his arrival in the last mentioned city, he was promoted third officer of that vessel, and soon sailed for New Orleans, arriving in that city in September, 1854. There he was taken sick with the yellow fever, and for many days lay critically ill of the dread disease. As soon as his recovery would permit, he shipped on the bark "William A. Banks," of Philadelphia, for New York. He next went to sea as second officer of the "Georges," bound for Sydney. The voyage, before it terminated, took him to Manila, the China Sea, Calcutta and finally to Boston. There he accepted a position as first officer of the ship "N. Boynton," and in that capacity made two voyages to New Orleans and return. He was promoted to the command of this vessel, receiving his commission upon his twenty-third birthday and, until 1862, acted as her commander. In the year last mentioned he became the commander of the ship "John O. Baker," engaged in the East Indian, Pacific and European trades, and sailed this craft until 1869, when he retired from the sea, after having spent more than twenty years of his life upon the high seas, during which time it has been his proud distinction to carry the banner of the stars and stripes into nearly every seaport of importance in the civilized world. Captain Miller became a member of the commission firm of Ross, Skolfield & Miller, in Liverpool, England, until 1871, when he came to New Orleans and organized the firm of A. K. Miller & Co., now known as A. K. Miller, Meletta & Co., the most extensive ship and steamship agents in this city. Since his residence in this city, Mr. Miller has ever been an active worker and hearty endorser of any and all movements of commercial importance. He is president of the New Orleans chamber of commerce, and in 1892, was sent as the delegate for the united commercial bodies of this city, to the opening of the chamber of commerce at Boston. He is a member of the national board of trade, and at the first meeting of that deliberative body, he was elected one of the permanent vice-presidents. He naturally takes great interest in maritime matters, and is president of the New Orleans Maritime association; also a member of the National Shipping League, the object of which is the restoration of the American mercantile marine to its once proud position among the nations of the world. July 2, 1862, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Ellen Leonard, of South Braintree, Mass., the accomplished daughter of Frederick Leonard, a well-known citizen of that place. For seven years following their marriage, Mrs. Miller accompanied her husband upon all of his voyages, leaving the sea only when he retired therefrom. Their union has been blessed by one child, George A., born on board the ship "John O. Baker," in the Indian Ocean. During the winter months Captain Miller and his family reside in their lovely home in New Orleans. The Captain has lately erected a handsome cottage on the seashore, about an hour's travel from Boston, and when, during the summer, the heat becomes oppressive, he repairs with his family to the coast, there to seek the cooling breezes of the Atlantic, and perhaps, as he gazes out over the blue expanse of water, to sail some of his voyages over. Socially, Captain Miller is a member of the Pickwick and Commercial clubs, of New Orleans, and an honorary member of the Continental guards and the Washington artillery.

From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2, pp. 254-255.