The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-22
new HEAD OF The ARMY.
Gen. Nelson A. Miles Likely to Become Com
manding General
RiseHtherto
Popular Hero-He CIerked "a CrOckery store.

GIFTED,
regiment, the POD. was IN a dilemma. He
uld not want to degrade a captain APP
pointed BY the governor Of his state, yet
ne wanted 10 give Miles the promotion
ne deserved. SO he went to o. c. How
ara then colonel OF a regiment at Wash
ington, and asked him L ne didn't want
another man on his stan. Yes, II you
nave a good man. said Howard. Miles
was sent over 10 him, and was detailed
to conduct drill. He did it so admirably
as 70 excite the establishment of the col
onel who frankly said to him, Young
man, you have done well. / don't under
stand how you can be so well qualified
without any experience"
Miles took the praise modestly, and
told him there was a certain evolution of
companies on the field about which he
would like his opinion. After Miles ex-
planned his point Col. Howard decided It.
Miles then went out and brought in a
book on military tactics and submitted
an authority to the contrary. Col. How
ard at once acknowledged his mistake
and said to Miles, II am glad to have a
man who can correct me-"
The next day Senator Wilson went to
Col. Howard and asked, III the new man
suited"
IF YOU have got any more extra cap
talns ike that you can send them over. 1
can use regiment OF Them" was the an
swer.
The position on Towards STAFF was ali
that young Miles needed as q vantage
disastrous. The enemy had surrounded a
part of Col Towards troops, and every
stan officer was wounded. Miles was
shot In the foot. But when a retreat was
ordered he rode up to Howard.
II you VIII give me division" he SAID,
Il viii drive the cOnfederates out of the
on
Take your choice" was the answer.
and Miles went forward with an AK bril-
gade, followed by several companies of
troops. The enemy, who swarmed in the
timber, We're driven back from their am
bush. The young staff officer led back IN
triumph the union men who were about
TO be made prisoners.
The next engagement that Howard's
troops went into did not result so fortu-
nately for Miles. II was q fierce conflict
and he was in the thickest of 1t. He was
shot from his horse. When he had been
taken to the hospital the doctor examined
his wound, which was in the abdomen,
and said ne could not live. The bullet
had buried itself so deeply and in so vital
a part that II could not be located or
P65SPe S f9T Gd 6q Miles hes RiuGy ns is ed
taken home to recover. The attendants
granted what they thought was a dying
mans request. He was placed upon a
stretcher and put aboard a train for Bos-
ton. His ever faithful Uncle George Cur
| It's met him at the station, had him trans
ferred to a, train for Westminster and
| accompanied him as far as Fitehburg
\ He there engaged the best surgeon Of the
4 place to attend the stricken soldier at the
| homestead, five miles west Of the city
The case seemed hopeless at first, but
| in a few days the doctor located the bull
| let and extracted IL.
AS soon as he could move about he be-
! came restless. THE confeds did me up
| pretty we'll" he said, land / want to pay
/ them back" he was weak and used
crutches, but he went to Philadelphia,
and asked for the command OF a COM
| pary: They told him he was not sufficient
! ly recovered for service; but as he insist
ed on doing something they gave him
companies OF recruits to drill.
! hostile 1nnTOaphF0 Get
/ tysburg, and II was apparent that a great
conflict was imminent, Miles renewed his
/ application for a commission to go TO
| the front, but was refused. Finally he
| went to the officer in command and de-
/ manded "Give me my command or my
/ discharge" He was too valuable a man
| to Discharge at that critical time. so a
| commission was given him, although he
was not physically fit for fighting. He
went into the battle of Gettysburg and
was wounded again. 1t Is matter OF MIS-
| tory how he distinguished himself there.
The army authorities then sent to the
governor Of Massachusetts 70. have him
| promoted to a colonelcy. Gov. Andrew
i chung to his old prejudice and refused.
/ Meanwhile New York and Maine had
both applied for Miles. He accepted the
/ offer of q New York regiment, so Massa-
| chrusetts lost the glory Of his brilliant
career throughout the rest of the war.
He was made brigadier general for
/ distinguished services during the battles
\ Of the Old Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court
! House and Charlottesville.
/ At the close of the war in October, 1860,
/ he was breveted major general of the
/ United States Volunteers, and was mus
/ tered out of service Sept 1, 1866
! Instead Of returning to business pursuits
as did the vast army Of civilian sol
diers. Gen. Miles then chose the army as
/ offering a profession for life. Within a
week he had entered the regular army as
/ colonel Of the Forteth Infantry. Promo
| tions came slowly, but surely. He rose
/ to brigadier general Dec Is, 1880, and
/ finally in April, 1890, he attained the rank
/ Of major general.
/ Since the war Gen. Miles has won lau-
/ rels in the only field open 10 an ambitious
| soldier-as an Indian fighter. He has
| fought successful battles with the fiercest
/ of the tribes, from the Bannocks in the
north to the Apaches In the south.
| Wherever he has been Stationed in Mon
! tana, Oregon, California, Arizona, he has
/ commanded the admiration of the white
/ settlers and the fear and respect Of the
| red tribes. During the Chicago riots and
| strike Of 1894 his judieious generalship
| was shown in unfolding the authority OF
| the government without unnecessary
/ blodshed and his action was commended
1 throughout the nation. He now enjoys
! the pleasantest berth in the armys service,
/ being stationed at Governors Island, New
| York. Herbert Haywood.