YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Dominish Miller has a passion for archiving Newberry Township history.
Described as the de facto historian for the area, Miller manages a Facebook group called Preserving the History of Newberrytown.
That passion led her to Paddletown Cemetery, where nearly 30 civil war veterans are buried.
“I’ve never really ventured over to this side of the cemetery until I knew about him,” Miller said.
Including Newberry Township’s only unknown soldier.
“When I realized what happened, that he was hit by a train sometime between 1899 and 1910 and no one could identify him, and then the people of Newberry Township raised money to have him buried here in Paddletown and then raised money for a headstone, then I figured, ‘why not figure out who he is,” Miller said.
The story is comparable to a local legend as records fail to give a name, age, or race to the soldier.
“I would love to put a name,” Miller said.
She rediscovered decades-old articles about the soldier during her research.
However, the paper trail went cold.
“I called the county coroner’s office to see if they would have anything without a name, I even talked to the owner of the cemetery. I talked to Paddletown Church, which is right next door. I went to reddit boards.”
On the headstone is a series of letters, presumably from a tattoo to identify the soldier if he was killed in battle.
Miller speculates the soldier could’ve come from New York and served in the 106th Regiment based on the letters.
“You know I just think that no veteran should ever be forgotten, and he’s definitely not forgotten, he’s here in the cemetery, he’s taken care of, I feel like we’re just holding him until we can get him back to his family.”
Miller has ancestors who fought in the American Civil War, although her lineage goes as far back as the Revolutionary War.
She’s considering exhuming the body for DNA testing, although hopes someone will eventually claim him.
“I want him to have a nice headstone, I want him to have a nice name, maybe be moved to a family plot somewhere,” Miller said.
York County has at least three unknown soldiers with two resting at Prospect Mill Cemetery, according to Miller.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Miller through Facebook or email dominishmiller@gmail.com