I am doing genealogy research on my family who are from Greeneville, TN. I have run into a problem trying to verify (or even establish) Civil War service for my GGF Martin Van Buren Miller, born in Greeneville Dec. 24th 1838, died in Tulsa, OK Jul 8th 1914.

I don't have any family history that says he served; he was 24 years old in 1862, so I am trying to prove or disprove that he served. Also, given the divided nature of loyalties in Eastern Tennessee, I am told that he might have been Confederate or Union.

Part of my problem is the varying form of his name: I've seen it as "M.V.B.", "Van", "Van Buren", "Vanburen", "Martin", and "Martin V.". That, and the common last name of "Miller" have about sunk my efforts at finding what he did in the Civil War years. Could he have sat on the sidelines?

I found a "M.V.B. Miller" who lived in Claiborne Cnty, and was in the 64th VA (?!). Not my GGF, I don't believe. Also, a "Martin V. Miller" in the Federal 9th TN Cavalry, but he seems to have been in Union Cnty in 1890, and therefore I am eliminating him, as my Miller's lived in Greeneville and Greene County right up until they moved to Oklahoma around 1907.

If anyone can shed any light on this gentleman, I would be forever in your debt.