The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-22

n III.
this month from the position Of general
commanding the army of the United States
is expected to lead to the appointment
of Gen. Nelson A. Miles to hu the va
cancy. Gen. Miles is the senior major
general of the army. It is the prerogative
of the chief executive TO appoint any
major general, but custom has made It
almost a law to promote the senior officer
Of that rank.
Gen. Miles will be the first soldier to
hold this high position who enlisted as
a volunteer, heretofore It has been held
in unbroken succession by West Point
graduates.
From the fact that Nelson a. Miles
entered the ranks as a citizen soldier at
the beginning of the civil war. his career
has all the more popular interest. He
was a clerk in Boston store at the time
having come to the Hub in his 18th year
from his native place, Westminster. in
Worcester county, Massachusetts
In one of the most rugged parts of the
Wachusett mountain region is the house
where he was born in 1910. as well as the
one to where he was taken home to die
when dangerously wounded in one Of the
early battles of the war. The old white
schoOl-house on a rocky hillside surround
all the children are familiar with the
story of the great general who cOnned
his lessons there. He got his taste for bat
tie young, when in the winter evenings
he would listen to his uncle's wonderful
indian stories, which had a peculiar
charm for his boyish ears. lie never wear
led of hearing of the time when the In
dams infested the Wachusett region and
of their raids upon the settlers. one Incl
dent related made deep impression upon
him. IL was of an old settler who lived
by giving them shelter and food and salt
enough to cure their wild meat IN the tall.
The savages never molested this man in
any of their raids, and they brought MIN
all the game he wanted. 1t may have been
these early talks with his uncle that eSclt-
ed in him a sympathetic interest in the
red men and caused him in after years,
when he was an Indian fighter, to deal
mercifully with them. While he was sta
toned in Arizona and white people We're
dissatisfied because he did not make a
wholesale slaughter of the Apaches, he
said, 1.-The United States troops are sol
diers, not butchers
The same uncles tales of the Revolu-
tionary war had an even greater fascina-
ton for him, particularly the story OF
how Washington crossed the Delaware
and PrescOtts exploits 81 Bunker hAl.
serted itself, and he went TO ms uncle
and said: Il don't want TO work on the
farm / want toI go to Boston"
THAT is the best thing you can DO,
said his ambitious relative. Your Un-
cles George and Nelson will find you some
thing to do when you get there. Fol
lowing this suggestion, young Miles start
ed upon his journey dressed in green
Jacket, short trousers and a green tar
paulin hat made of straw and covered
with cloth. He was a laughable spectacle
of raw country lad when he arrived IN
Boston. His uncles, VINO were men OF
means, at once fitted him out with more
conventional costume.
His uncle George Curtis, father of ths
present mayor OF Boston, found him a
place in John CollamOre's large crockery
store on Washington atreet. His pay
was very small, and his uncle Nelson
Curtis, for whom he was named, took him
into his family to live at West RoXbury,
and gave him his board. But young Miles
was too Independent to consent to such an
arrangement. so he hired a room IN
Boston, and as his earrings would not
admit of his going to a boarding house,
he took his food to his room and boarded
Al first he acted as errand boy and
made himself generally useful, but ne
was no long time in gaining the confidence
of his employer by faithfulness and hon
esty. Eventually he did all Mr. Cola
mores financial business at the bank. HIS
employer was a merchant OF the old
school, uncompromising and OF sterling
character, and when he found traits so
like his own In young Miles ne set greaI
store by the boy" as the generals uncle
expresses 1t.
While performing the duties at his
store through the day he was going tc
tended short terms at the district
school at home. A few OF the older mem
bers of the crockery trade IN Boston
to-day remember Nelson A. Miles as a
bright, fresh looking, stalwart young
man, and a capable clerk. Some stories
are still current about him. one is that
shortly after he entered the store, and
had caused a great smash-up of crock
cry he surveyed the havoc with such
GOODNESS that Mr. Callamore said, That
boy could see men ,snOt around MIN on
a battlefield and not get excited. After
he had gone to the war Mr.. CoIamore
expressed the opinion that II Nelson
Miles could kill confederates as We'll as
he could break crockery ne would make
But the soldiers instinct which his
employer had unconselously discovered
developed as soon as the war broke out,
and fired him with desire TO enlist;
He spoke to Mr.. Collamofe about 1t and
They expressed their Willingness, pro-
vided he would take military instruc-
ton His employer paid Tor SIX
months course at Ihl lty sc4 ISng
ton at the beginning or the war. hls
uncle, George Curtis, further nelped MN
by recruiting company 81 lv0 men en-. LOT
bonus to the men. This company was
organized in Bacon's nah on ~ asnlng-
ton street, a building which stni STANDS
in the busy mercantile part OF the NIX
bury district.
There were two older men who aspired
to the Offices Of the captain ana Afst lleu-
tenant of the new company; but though
Miles was but q he was so Tar superior
to the older aspirants that under mihtay
regulations he was elected captain.
Governor Andrew, however, looked up
on his as "a mere boy" and sent him a
commission as second lieutenant. When
Miles received 1t he went to his uncle and
asked him what he should do. Take II
and go to the front. We don't want any
trouble or delay at this point; but keep
your United States army commission In
your pocket" was his judicious relative
advice.
The regiment proceeded to Washington,
and went into camp just outside Of the
city When the regiment was drawn up
to receive the first months wages, the
paymaster called for Captain Niles Of
company. He was told there was no
such officer, but there was second lieu
tenant of that name. Miles was called
up, answered to the full name on the army
register as captain, and the officer in
charge asked how It was that he was act
ing in a subordinate capacity. Miles made
an explanation. you are captain" said
the officer, "get your pay and take COM
mand of your company.
Then trouble arose among the officers
of the regiment because there were two
captains to one company. senator Henry
Wilson of Massachusetts, the famous
Natick Shoemaker who had raised the