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MILLER CEMETERY, San Augustine County, Texas; photographed November 5, 2008; updated July 4, 2023.
     DIRECTIONS:  From the intersection of US 96 and SR 147 south of San Augustine, go right (south) on 147 3 miles; cross Venado Creek and go right on CR 332; there is a highway sign for Miller Cemetery. Go 1.6 miles on this road and turn left at the sign. This is a very narrow, primitive dirt road leading to private property. Go one-tenth of a mile to the gate and park on the right; there is a sign on a tree in the woods on the left. The cemetery is in the woods behind that sign. There is no road, no cleared trails - just thick woods.
     At the time of my first visit it was obvious the cemetery had been abandoned for a long time. There were no discernible boundaries, no trail to follow, just very thick woods. On that first visit
I found only two identifiable headstones, transcribed below. There were two concrete-lined crypts broken open with no coffins or human remains visible inside, which may have been removed and buried in the ground. Judging from the proximity to the crypts of the two marble markers , they may mark the locations of the re-buried remains.
     The crypts appear to be more than 100 years old. There was a large and a small cast-iron marker leaning against one of the crypts but no lettering was visible through the rust; it is quite possible that these old markers are the original headstones for the crypts.  A search of the surrounding woods revealed more than a dozen depressions in the  ground that are unmistakeably graves. The federal censuses for 1850-60-70-80 show Leroy and "Tryphyna" as white  farmers; the 1860 slave schedule lists 40 slaves in the household, ranging in age from 50 to 2 years, many of them children. These slaves lived in 5 slave houses.
     Leroy Miller and Tryphenia Crawford were married Oct 18, 1838, in Texas. Children listed in the 1860 census were: Theophilus, (born about 1840); Sam, about 1846; Jacob, about 1852; Leroy Jr., about 1855; and James, about 1848. The following note was posted on a family tree site: "Theo Miller was killed during the Civil War, most likely at the Battle of Pea Ridge. Sim Mathews carried his watch and personal belongings through the war to return them to his cousin Tory, Theo's wife." (He was married to Victoria "Tory" Adelaide Mathews; they had a son, Theophilus Jr, born in 1861. Theophilus died in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas while serving in Co. C, 27th Regiment, Texas Cavalry (known as "Whitfield's Legion")
    When I visited this cemetery, I had to hack my way in with a machete, and found only two headstones: LEROY MILLER; born July 11, 1809 -- died Jan 16, 1887  (born in Indian Creek, Bullock County, AL) and TRYPHENIA MILLER; born Dec 28, 1819 -- died Apr 11, 1888  (born in TN)
     In December, 2012, Mr. Paul Ridenour and 3 friends visited this cemetery and found four additional headstones, ancestors of his wife. They cleaned up the burial area, erected a fence around the 4 headstones, and installed signs.
(The name "Doyens" on the headstones should be spelled "Doyen".)  
 Identifiable burials are listed here.

MILLER, Leroy; born July 11, 1809; died Jan 16, 1887. Farmer
MILLER, Tryphenia Crawford; born December 28, 1819; died April 11, 1888. Wife of Leroy
MILLER, Baby Girl; d. 3 wks old, Buried with her father who died in 1875 also. no grave picture
MILLER, Ellinora Catherine McWilliams; b, May 17, 1847; d. Jun 5, 1911. Wife of Samuel
DOYEN, John Randolph; born Feb 26, 1874; died October 4, 1919. Father of Franklin
DOYEN, Franklin; born January 27, 1905; died Dec 21,1908
ADKINS, Tillman O.; born Feb 23, 1833; died 1912. CSA, 6th LA Cavalry
ADKINS, Amanda M. Spangler; 1835-1910. (unmarked grave; wife of Tillman)
CHAPEL, Andrew Jackson Jr.; born Feb 23, 1900; died July 7, 1900. Grandson of Tillman