James Miller was born in 1776 in Peterborough, New Hampshire. In 1804 he opened a law office in Greenfield where he practiced for four years. During that time he joined the Hancock Artillery, a branch of the New Hampshire militia.

An efficient and disciplined drill master, young Miller attracted the attention of Brigadier General Benjamin Pierce who appointed him a major in the 4th U.S. Infantry in 1808. Miller left his law practice to join his regiment stationed in Boston.

During the War of 1812 at the Battle of Lundy's Lane near Niagara, New York, Miller was ordered by General Jacob Jennings Brown to storm a battery of seven British cannons positioned on a hilltop. Miller's reply to General Brown, "I'll try, sir," became forever linked with his name.

On the night of the battle that would earn him a promotion to brigadier general, Miller secretly led his regiment of 300 men up the hill. Shrubbery and a rail fence offered protection while Miller planned the attack. With quick action he ordered his men to fire. Miller and his regiment successfully charged and overtook the battery. Miller wrote a letter to his wife, Ruth, describing the battle . . . "We fought hand to hand for some time, so close that the blaze of our guns crossed each other, but we compelled them to abandon their whole artillery, ammunition, wagons, and all...General Brown told me, the moment he saw me, that I had immortalized myself."

In September of 1814, General Miller helped protect Fort Erie from British invasion. For his accomplishments in this fierce battle, he received a gold medal from the United States Congress. The award was presented to him by Daniel Webster at City Hall Park in New York City. Miller was also honored with the gift of a dress sword from the state of New York.

Miller resigned his army commission in 1819 and accepted the appointed position of Governor of the Territory of Arkansas. By 1823 poor health forced him to return home to a farm he had bought in Temple, New Hampshire. A year later, his health restored, he became collector of customs for the ports of Salem and Beverly, Massachusetts, a position he held for 24 years. He retired to his farm where he lived until his death in 1851.