The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-22
MILES AND oIsaoN.
Long Race Between the Famous Western
Generals. '".N--a'

| Generals.
Generals Miles and Gibbon have en-
gagged in another race, this time for
| commander-in-rhief of the Loyal Lee
I gion. They began racing In 1851 saw
them start, in Virginia, says j. A Wat
rous, in the Chicago Times-Heraid.
| G1bbon was captain of Battery B.
Fourth United States artillery. 1ust
back from Utah, where he had gone
| with Col. Albert Sidney ohnston to
quell the Mormon rebellion. Miles was
boyish volunteer captain In q Massa-
| chusetts regiment. There was no lock-
| eying. They were neck-and-neck under
the wire. but in May, 1862. Gibbon. at
one bound passed the brigadler's stake,
| leaving the volunteer three ranks IN
the rear, but Indlsmayed. A few weeks
later he spurted, landing a lieutenant
colonel. Four months later he was a
colonel. and soon in command of a br1-
gade, but GIbbon was well in the lead !;
| he had a division. The volunteers OPP
portunity came with General Grants
summer campaign in 1854 He got near
er and nearer to the speeding Gibbon.
1t was "a pretty race, that OF the Bay
State boy and the keystone man. From
the 4th to the goth of May the racers
were in the uhickest of the fights. both
daily winning new laurels; and, as Gen.
Gordon would say, What fighting 1t
was, my countrymenr' There was
1t was "a bright May morning after
two weeks of bloody battles in the
Wilderness, at Laurel Hill and Spott-
sylvania, during which Generals Grant
and Lee had renewed an acquaintance
begun in the Mexican war, when our
brigade newsboy sang out, Here's yer
Washington Cronakdl, New York Her
Id, Baltimer 'Merican and Phfl'delphfa
'Quirer." "All about Grants going ter
fight 1t out on this line II 1t takes all
| - -
der generals" Sherman licking Joe
Johnston" Colonel Miles name was
in the batch. There was a shout I'm
Miles brigade The tired, hungry,
sleepy. overfought boys had read of
their young commanders promotion. 1t
first to send congratulations was Glib
bon.
1t had taken the Massachusetts, vol
unteer a trifie over two years to oyer
haul the regular. That done, he soon
had command equal to Gibbop's-a
division, three thinned, but seasoned,
we'll tested brigades. Now they are
neck and neck again. How they bend
to their work-not to see which shall
win out, but with patriotic determiua-
ton to do their best in bringing peace
TO their distracted country. Were there
better fought divisions in that great
army under, the old commanders eye
than those of Gilbbon and Miles? /
think not. In June Gibbon led again.
For conspicuous gallantry he was given
the double stars of a major general.
But two months later the Boston clerk
was created a major general for the
same reason. The double bars of the
captain, in 1861, have given place to
the double stars of the major general
on the shoulders of these two typical
soldiers-,a soldier of the old army and
soldier fresh from the people. What,
hon HTdI hnps0rz fhQX had
giorfouSly wont When the battles were
all won--when Appamattox came--Gfb-
bon was commanding corps Of the
commissioners to carry into effect the
stipulations for the surrender OF Lees
army. Miles, too, had commanded a
corps, but only temporarily. Both were
three times wounded. 90
The war ended. Gibbon and, Miles /
are given another even start, the forl
mer as colonel of the Thirty-sixth in
fantry and Miles as colonel OF the For
tieth. Miles soon became famous as an
Indian fighter. In 1880 President Hayes
made him a brigadier general OF regu-
lars. That gave him the lead Of Glib
bon, the latter reaching the rank in
1885. The race virtually ended when
Miles was advanced in 80. Some say
he had talked too plainly about meas
ures, men and superiors, and others
that his political leanings kept him
question to crowd the eagle from his
shoulder with a star until Cleveland
assumed the duties of commander-in-
chief. Congressman Bragg of Wiscon-
sin had commanded a regiment In Glib
bons first brigade. General Bragg had
helped along the flank movement
against Tammany in the national DEM
ocratic convention of 1884 by a peppery
bristling speech, in which he said of
Mr. Cleveland, 1--WE love him for the
enemies he has made" Until Postmas-
ter General Villas found time to poison
the president against Bragg, the gen.
eral had a good deal of influence at
headquarters. One day he went over
to the White House and told the presi-
dent what kind of a soldier Gibbon had
been during the war, and requested
that he be made a brigadier general. A
few days later the commission issued,
and he was given a department. In
1891 he was retired-retired year after
Miles had been made a major general,
and four years before he saw the Bay
state boy the senior general and the
head of the army he had served IN for
A years. He liked Miles in the old war
days, and was always glad to see him
move ahead-to see him a successor of
Washington, Scott, Grant, Sherman,
Sheridan. Schofield. But he was ready.
TO try titles with him when the Loyal
Legion congress met at Washington a
few days ago. Miles and Gibbon were
the leading candidates for commanders
in-chief. Again they crossed the wire
neck and neck. but Battery BIS old caps
tain distanced the Massachusetts,
soldier. Gibbon is commander-in-chiefl
of an army of several thousand soldiers
who commanded from companies to-
army corps in the great struggle. II is
a proud position. Is there less honor
in II than there is in General Miles
high station? l am willing to leave the
decision to General Miles.
NJ but Gibbons first brigade hated /
him until the fighting began. He made
regulars of US and compelled US to
wear white canvas leggings. One
morning ne found his horses black legs
in white leggings. Two thousand pairs
of eyes were looking at horse and gem
eral when they met, and 1000 hearts
xrara clad ovar the apCar 30 e.