The following story of Peter Miller and Michael Whitman was written by Hiram E. Steinmetz based on an interview of Mary Hahn, a member of the Seventh Day Baptists (known today as the Cloister) at Ephrata. It was published in the 1901-02 Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society; v. 6,
no. 3 & 4. The story has been told repeatedly as a beautiful example of the power of forgiveness. However, there is very little proof of truth for some of it and it becomes more questionable as it grows.
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The Story
Peter Miller was a minister in the
German Reformed Church in his early
life. "He was born in the district of
Sautern, in the Palatinate (Chur-Pfalz)
in 1709. He came to America as a
minister of this church in 1730." He
preached at various points. He served
as pastor of Bethany Reformed Church,
near Ephrata, and doubtless others in
this section.
He withdrew from the German Reformed Church and joined the Seven Day Baptists at Ephrata. He moved to their settlement and became their pastor. He resided there during the American Revolutionary War. He was a man who had an extensive acquaintance and was widely known. He enjoyed the personal acquaintance of General Washington, who visited Ephrata and the Cloister during the war.
He withdrew from the German Reformed Church and joined the Seven Day Baptists at Ephrata. He moved to their settlement and became their pastor. He resided there during the American Revolutionary War. He was a man who had an extensive acquaintance and was widely known. He enjoyed the personal acquaintance of General Washington, who visited Ephrata and the Cloister during the war.
Peter Miller was a talented and
highly-educated man. At the request
of Thomas Jefferson he translated the
Declaration of Independence into seven
foreign languages, and helped in this
way to explain to the world the reason
for the American Revolution.
Michael Witman [Whitman] also resided at
Ephrata. He was a deacon in the German Reformed Church; the withdrawal
of Peter Miller from the church greatly
incensed Witman, who now secured an
unenviable notoriety for his abuse of
Miller and the Seven Day Baptists; on
one occasion he struck Miller in the
face, and on another occasion he spit
in his face. Miller endured it all with
Christian fortitude. He never spoke
a cross word to or against Witman for
his shameful conduct.
Witman kept one of the two hotels
which were then in Ephrata, about a
mile from the Cloister or Seven Day
Baptist settlement. It was located on
the site where the Eagle Hotel, in Ephrata borough, now stands. The other
was the house lately purchased by Mr.
T. A. Willson, and remodeled by him
located, on West Main street.
There were possibly ten houses in
the present limits of Ephrata borough
at that time. On a winter evening two
men came to the hotel of Witman for
supper and shelter for the night. He
was ignorant of the character of his
guests, but was outspoken in his views
in regard to the war, and spoke freely
in favor of the British. "He was a
Tory. He had been to Gen. Howard
and offered his services." However,
these two men were American spies.
Witman entered the dining room,
where the men were partaking of their
evening meal. He sat on the window
sill. He began to express his opinion.
After proceeding at some length the men sprang up and said we have to
arrest you for treason to the American cause, or words to that effect.
Witman escaped through the window,
and, most singular, indeed, fled to the
Seven Day Baptist settlement and hid
in the Brothers' House, upstairs, behind a chimney, and remained there
until the next night. This house was
not locked, but kept open day and
night, a fact possibly known to Witman. He then escaped to Zion's Hill,
where he remained until, famished from
cold and hunger, he surrendered. He
was taken to General Washington. He
was tried for treason, found guilty and
sentenced to be hung.
As before stated, Peter Miller was
personally acquainted with General
Washington. Whether he was in communication with General Washington
in reference to this matter is not
known. However, after the death
sentence was passed, Peter Miller arose
early in the morning, took his cane and
set out on foot, through the snow, to
visit General Washington at Valley
Forge, to intercede for the life of Witman.
He was told that his prayer for his
friend could not be granted. "My
friend!" exclaimed Miller. "I have not
a worse enemy living than that man."
"What!" rejoined Washington. "You
have walked sixty miles to save the
life of your enemy? That, In my judgment, puts the matter in a different
light. I will grant you his pardon."
The pardon was written, signed by
General Washington and handed to
Miller, who at once set out for West
Chester, fifteen miles distant, where the
execution was to take place on the afternoon of the same day.
He arrived just as Witman was being
carried to the scaffold, who, seeing
Miller in the crowd, remarked: "There
is old Peter Miller. He has walked all
the way from Ephrata to have his revenge gratified to-day seeing me hung."
These words were scarcely spoken,
when Miller waved the pardon and
commanded them to halt.
We will not picture the scene that
followed. It is said they embraced each
other. They walked home to Ephrata
together and remained firm friends.
We will not attempt to describe the
scene, tender, loving, pathetic, when
Witman entered the home and he was
restored to his family. His life was
spared, but his property was confiscated and sold March 15, 1780, to
Michael Diffenderfer, four tracts. The
circumstances and environments were
such that Witman did not remain long
at Ephrata, but emigrated with his
family somewhere to the West, where is
not known.
Thus the curtain drops as to Witman,
but Miller's noble act lives enshrined
in many of the hearts and minds of the
people of Ephrata, yea, wherever the
narrative is read, being published in
different works. Peter Miller died September 25,
1796, aged eighty-six years and nine
months, and is buried at Ephrata. The hotel property of Michael Witman was sold by Michael Diffenderfer
March 15, 1787. It was purchased by
Col. John Wright. It remained in the family almost a hundred years.
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The facts
1. Peter Miller was the pastor of the Reformed Church in the Tulpehocken area of what is now Berks and Lebanon counties. He went to Ephrata and joined the Seventh Day Baptists in 1735 after Conrad Beissel traveled to the Tulpehocken and preached there. He succeeded Conrad Beissel as leader of the Cloister. He is known to have mastered four languages--German, Latin, (Holland) Dutch, English, and possibly Greek. One twisted version of the story says Peter Miller emigrated to Pennsylvania as a child with his parents. He was a fully educated single adult when he arrived in Philadelphia.
2. The rest of the story until the mention of George Washington could be mostly true but cannot be proven. From there on it becomes increasingly questionable except for the fact that Michael Whitman was an innkeeper and owned four properties in Cocalico Township. At this time, Ephrata was in Cocalico Township.
3. Peter Miller was a friend of Benjamin Franklin and corresponded with him on various matters. There is no proof he was a personal friend of George Washington. Some accounts of this story claim Peter Miller and George Washington went to the same school, which is not true because Peter Miller was educated in a theological seminary in Germany. George Washington ordered the Seventh Day Baptists to care for the sick and wounded after the Battle of Brandywine but there is no record he personally visited the place.
4. There is nothing in colonial records about a
trial for Whitman. There is record of Michael Widman, tavern-owner,
who "absconded to the English from the county of Lancaster." His
entire estate was seized on May 1, 1778, and later sold for the benefit of the
revolution. (Pennsylvania Archives Sixth Series vol. 12, p. 289-97.)
Lancaster County deed Q-433 clearly recites the law regarding the estates of traitors. It states that when Michael Whitman failed to appear for trial on charges of treason he was automatically convicted of High Treason. Therefore, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had the lawful right to claim and sell his estate. He owned four properties which were sold on public auction to Michael Diffenderfer on March 15, 1780. He sold two of the parcels of land to John Wright on March 15, 1787 (Lancaster County deed FF-452).
5. That Peter Miller should arrive the moment the noose was going on Whitman's neck is a great stretch of the imagination. Whitman never appeared for trial and was not sentenced to be hung. The penalty was confiscation of his property. There is no record of a pardon by Washington in Colonial records. A pardon for Michael Witman is recorded in Lancaster County deed book R page 527. It says Michael Witman, innkeeper, was held in the Lancaster County "goal" (jail) and petitioned the Council to "take his case and that of his unhappy family unto our compassionate consideration and to extend mercy and pardon to him." The pardon was granted by Joseph Reed, President, and sealed "with the seal of the State of Philadelphia" on January 21, 1779. The pardon erased criminal charges against Michael Whitman but retained the fines and confiscation of his property for the use of the State.
6. That Peter Miller and Michael Whitman walked home together as friends ties a neat bow on the story but lacks documentation. Mary Hahn never met Peter Miller. She was born 25 years after he died. She may have been told this story by someone in the Cloister. I think either she or the writer made it more exciting by embroidering the story. As Mark Twain said, "I remembered more than I knew."
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Be careful of repeating this story as truth. There is much in it that is questionable and cannot be proven. It has has been retold and
distorted so often it begins to resemble the fables of the cherry tree and
Washington kneeling in the snow to pray at Valley Forge.
All that being said, it is true that the power of love and forgiveness is the way to conquer enemies and turn them into friends. There are many other true stories which can be told to teach that lesson.
Ephrata Cloister
