For his service during the  Civil War, Capt John S McMillin should be publicly recognized and saluted.  He and his steamer, the str Silver Wave, were involved in many firsts of the Civil War.

(1)  On Christmas Eve in 1860,Pittsburgh citizens prevented the str Silver Wave from transporting artillery from the arsenal in Pittsburgh to New Orleans.  Arguably the first act of war months before the Ft Sumpter shelling.

(2)  Transported the first volunteer troops from Pittsburgh to Louisville on 18 Oct 1861 .

(3)  First packet (non-ironclad) to successfully  pass the Vicksburg batteries on 16 Apr 1863.

Capt .John S McMillin served te Union, summer and winter, beginning to end.

805 Grandview Ave Pittsburgh (Fran Nash 26 Dec 2019)

Capt John S McMillin was born in Georgetown on 23 Jul 1817.  His sister Sarah married George Nash, my great-great grandfather.  So Capt JS McMillin is my 2nd great grand uncle.  His parents are buried in the Georgetown Cemetery.

Capt  JS McMillin moved from Georgetown to Pittsburgh in 1853 to the corner of Bigham St and Grandview Ave.  No postal address was given for the home of Capt McMillin.  The image of the home attached is at the corner of Bigham and Grandview Ave today.  There is no residence opposite nor space for one.

If this home is truly the McMillin residence, its current postal address is 805 Grandview Ave according to Google Maps.  It sits between the LeMont restaurant (famous for its NFL highlights view of Pittsburgh) and St Mary of the Mount Church.  Not sure if that home is the original McMillin residence because it does not fit my image of a home built in 1850.  Zillow valued the property at $271K and provided no date of build or history.  More serious research required.

Post-Christmas family dinner was booked at the Monterey Bay Fish Grotto on Grandview Ave.  Walked to dinner from the Duquesne Incline. No city has a grander location.  Sadly, no window table.  The walk-by the McMillin property added to the almost-perfect evening.

Pittsburgh from Grandview Ave 26 Dec 2019 (Fran Nash Collection)

Copyright © 2019  Francis W Nash  All Rights Reserved

No part of this website may be reproduced without permission in writing from the author.