Colonel Miles Hicks Vernon CSA

VERNON COUNTY IS NAMED AFTER HIM:

Vernon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 20,454. Its county seat is Nevada. The county was organized on February 27, 1855 and was named for COLONEL MILES VERNON

He was a state senator and veteran of the Battle of New Orleans. Vernon County suffered considerable damage during the American Civil War, and the court house was burned by Union troops on May 23, 1863, along with the entire town of Nevada. The present court house dates to 1908.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_County,_Missouri

Excerpts from "THE FIRST ONE HUNDRED YEARS," by Miss Frances Gleason. Pub. 1949 to honor the 100th anniversary of Laclede County (Mo.)

Between 1830 and 1834 several families came in and located in Goodwin Hollow to the northwest of the mouth of the Glaize. These included Peter Goodwin, for whom the hollow, was named, David and Daniel Martin, George Smithers and William Daniels. In 1839 Abner Adkins settled in the neighborhood on the homestead which is still owned by one of his decendants. (Note: The place has since passed out of the family)

In 1838 MILES VERNON of Meiggs County, Tennessee, a Colonel in the war of 1812 came through the Goodwin Hollow district as head of a military escort of 1000 Indians who were being transferred from Georgia to Indian Territory. Seeing it was a goodly land, he returned the following year and took a large claim. In 1844 he came back with his family and quite a company, including Obediah Vernon, father of "Uncle Bill" Vernon and grandfather of D.O. Vernon and Jack Elder who married Polly Vernon eldest daughter of Colonel Miles and settled in the hollow. COLONEL MILES built the house in which his eight sons and two daughters were reared and which is still owned by members of the family. As most of his children settled around in the neighborhood the country as well filled with Vernons.

(Note- The place now belongs to a descendant of Abner Adkins. The old house stood until a few years ago when it burned to the ground and a new one was built. The Vernon Cemetery is nearby. Here COL. MILES and his first wife Ann, their daughter, Polly, granddaughter Sarah Elder and many others of the family are buried. In one corner of the plot are the unmarked graves of some of the VERNON slaves. It is fenced, but grown up in tall grass, and mowed only just before Memorial Day, or as happened recently, when there is a burial there. At least four generations of COL. MILES family are buried in the little Cemetary.)

Colonel Miles Vernon Served in the state senate in 1850 and regarded as a forceful speaker, tho it was laughingly said he could never talk five minutes without referring to his having fought with General Andrew Jackson in the battle of New Orleans (War of 1812) LILLARD the youngest son, who occupied the home place after the fathers death, was a boy of seven when they came to Missouri. He made the jouney on horseback, being seated on a pillow on the horn of a saddle ridden by one of his elders.

Ibed: Old fiddlers developed a great reputation. Some identified with thier own communities, but the fame of others spread throughout the countryside. ~~~ Everyone agree that IKE VERNON, slave of COL. MILES was the best of them all. He played for many generations of dances and it was said that a bottle of whiskey would get him everytime.

Ibed: COLONEL MILES VERNON had built a hotel on the square (in OLD TOWN) which was under the management of the Duvall family and was known as the DUVALL HOTEL.

Ibed: from chapter on the Civil War.
COLONEL MILES remained out of the strife as long as possible, unwilling to take up arms against his country and feeling it impossible to join the enemies of his native South. Repeated warnings tacked up about his premises forced him to make a decision. GENERAL PRICE'S army in passing through on their way south, cutting down trees and blocking the way against the federal troops before the battle of Wilsons Creek encamped on the Vernon Farm. Bayonet holes made by the sentinels are yet to be seen on the posts of the porch and minie balls were picked up on the grounds years later. Colonel Miles and all his sons except Lillard, who remained loyal to the Federal government, joined the Confederate army.

Ibed: MRS. MILES (SARAH) VERNON heard the cannonading at the Battle of Wilsons Creek and two days later news of the engagement came that General Lynon was the first Union General to be killed in battle in the Civil War and his troops met defeat by General Price. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~quakervernons/Vig...

• (The information above By Miss Gleason, and the find a grave website information below tell of a army encampment before the "Battle of Wilson Creek". After the he Battle of Carthage on July 5, 1861 it is possible that either army could have camped there. Since the accounts differ this will need more research.

He was the son of Thomas Gaines Vernon and Nancy Harrison.

The photo of the house has this note on the back: "Col. Miles Vernon Home, S.W. Lebanon, Mo. Original house of logs built 1840. Covered with rustic since Civil War. Military Hospital in Civil War. General Lyons' Northern Army camped here on way to Wilson's Creek to meet defeat by General Price. The Colonel joined Price and went south to Texas...for duration of War. At close of War he returned to old home and was turned over to Federal Concentration Camp at Rolla, Mo. He died there of pneumonia, a broken man, all personal fortune, slaves and homestead lost. Title to same to son Lillard Vernon upon leaving for south 1861. No distribution made later to other heirs. A blot on the honesty of a trustee."

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=36305049

Family links:

Children:

 Mary Elder (1807 - 1886)*

 Jackson Vernon (1811 - 1849)*

 Miles Vernon (1814 - 1871)*

 Anderson Pleasant Vernon (1823 - 1900)*

Spouses:

 Ann Atchley Vernon (1787 - 1856)

 Martha Atchely Wyatt (1803 - 1871)