Andrew G. Miller (Pennsylvania politician)

Andrew G. Miller was born on a farm along the Yellow Breeches Creek in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County to Abraham and Elizabeth Miller. Worked at a Fulling mill along the Conodoguinet Creek in West Pennsboro Township and lived in West Hill operating a general store and hotel. He married Eleanor Umberger Miller in 1835 and had three children, his eldest, his son, William Edward Miller served as a state senator and received the medal of honor during the civil war.[1]

Miller was elected a delegate to the Democratic Party in 1835 representing Adams County. That year he served as the secretary to a Democratic Convention in Gettysburg, at which, the convention denounced the Second Bank of the United States for threatening the fundamental rights of men and creating a so-called "Bank Aristocracy" that was usurping political power, engaging in corrupt exchanges, and funneling money into political campaigns and also denouncing Freemasonry as supporters of the Bank.[2]

As a delegate to the 1835 Democratic Gubernatorial convention where he was a prominent "Mule" or supporter of Henry A. P. Muhlenberg, signing a letter denouncing the "Wolves", or supporters of incumbent Governor George Wolf. The Democratic Convention in Harrisburg deadlocked, with 52 Mules and 41 Wolves, and was adjourned, with another convention to be held in Lewisburg. However, the Wolves, and a single Mule that switched sides, held a rump convention in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court where they nominated Wolf 42-0. The Mules would go on to host their own rump convention in Lewisburg nominating Muhlenberg 51-0. The split in the Democratic party allowed Joseph Ritner of the Anti-Masonic Party to win with 46.9% of the vote.[3][4]

Andrew moved to Newville and worked as a blacksmith, suffering an injury that resulted in the amputation of his arm. Afterwards he founded the Farmers and Mechanics Bank of Shippensburg, working there from 1856 to 1876. Concurrently, he was elected to a single term to the Pennsylvania State Senate as a Democrat for the newly redistricted 18th district from 1869 to 1871. During his tenure he secured passage of funds to found the Shippensburg State Normal School. He was defeated in the Democratic primaries.[1]