The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-06

remember I used to 20 to the library and
read the Southern papers. and I could see,
I thought. that war was sure to come. I
remained in this military school. and when
Il did come I was to . certain extent ready
TOR It."
How did you happen TO get into the
army? You organized a company. did you
noty"
EYES," was the reply. 81 raised a COM
pany. / took all the money I had saved
and borrowed more for the purpose OF or
ganizing and recruiting it. After 1t was
complete I was chosen captain. / had re-
ceived my commission. and was about ready
to so to the field. when Governor Andrew
wrote me. asking me to return the commits
sion. as he did not think so young a man
Is myself ought 20 be in command OF a
company. L was at this time twenty-one.
I sent my commission back. and he sent me
hat OF a first lieutenant instead"
That must have seemed very hard"
/. said T..
EYES," was the reply. but I had to ac-
cept II. I could not fight the Governor OF
Massachusetts. ! wanted 10 go to the army.
and I obeyed. 1t was not long. however,
before Colonel Barlow. OF the Sixty-hrst
New York Volunteers, asked me IL I did
W VAIL 10 join HIS lcSiuicuts dliA th4Ohbh
the Governor OF New York he made me his
lieutenant colonel. Then he was promoted.
and ! became colonel OF that New York
regiment 1t Is rather curious that, though
I went into the army from Massachusetts,.
nearly all Of my work during the civil war
was with New York soldiers rather than
with those OF my own State. Later on I
was In OF a division made OF New
Vork DornovIvonfo and Ohio raOfnnonfa
and at near the close OF the war I had
nina OF the Second Army Corps. in
which there were thirty-two New York
regiments. At this time I was twenty-five.
/ was a major general. and was wearing
the same Uniform that I wear to-day. I
have. In fact, the same yellow sash and the
same sword"
You were at the battle OF Appomattox.
General Did you see Lees surrender to
Grantz'
mo. I did not" replied General Miles. II
was at the front. in command of my troops,
and though General Lees preliminary cor
respondents in regard to the surrender
passed through my lines. / did not see the
actual surrender. General Lee came up to
our lines. expecting to meet General Grant
there"
GRANT n LINCOLN.
You must have seen much OF Grant at
this time. General. How did he impress
your"
Eyes. I saw him every day. I was struck
most by his intense ea~rnestness. lie SEEM
ed to have only one thought. and that was
to succeed. He fought every battle as
though that was to be his last one. He did
not appear to DE troubled at all as to the
future. He wanted to succeed at the time,
and he was ready to risk everything for
success"
How about President L5ncoln?"
He came frequently tosthe army, espe-
cially after q defeat. He had a fetherly in
nuence on the soldiers. They all admired
and loved him."
The conversation here turned to the Gen.
erars experience at Fortress Monroe. where
General Miles had command at the time
that Jefferson Davis was confined. and then
came back to the battles of the war. Gen.
Miles had just finished answering some
questions a to the terrible fight at Chan
cellorsville. where he was severely wound
ed. when I asked:
General, I wonder how a soldier feels
when he comes under the fire of battle for
the first time. You were only twenty -one
at the time OF your first fight. Do you re-
member how you felt when the bullets be-
sarf TO whistle around you? Were you not
afraid?'
mo. I can't say that I was afraid" re-
piled General Miles. IT think soldiers al
ways feel e~xhilarated when they are about
to go into battle. The struggle calls forth
al that Is ~ them. Every faculty is ex-
erted to - full, every nerve is stretched
to its utn =. 1 know Of no greater pleas
urc nor more inspiring moment for the sol
der than when ne first faces his enemy and
makes the charge which Is to win or lose a
battle The excitement Of victory is also
great. and on the other hand, there is
nothing so depressing as the knowledge
that you are losing ground and may be de-
feafed.
You have ssen wounded several times,
Central. How does 1t feel to be shot?'
That depends upon where the ball strikes
you" replied General Miles. IF II passes
through the heshy part of the body without
hitting the bone 1t is a half mile away be-
fore you realize that you are shot. II it
meets with resistance however, you get the
full force of the bullet. and 1t strikes you
like a stedge hammer. I was once shot in
the necl The ball cut along the side Of
m -tE-cSt. under my ear, and passed on.
At Shancellorsville a ball struck my waist
belt plate. and then. DETECTING. vent off
into my body. The blow paralyzed me. 1
could not move for weeks from my waist
downward. and every one thought 1 would
die. 1 was taken home TO Massachusetts,,
md after a few days / surprised the doctor
by moving my right foot. They took this
for a sign that the ball was in the oppo-
site side OF my body. and probed for 1t. lay
Ing the bone OF my hip bare. They found
the bone broken. and took out nine pieces.
uleavips one. which they failed to find. They
nc The bullet several inches further down
thar these pieces OF broken bone. At an
Other time I was wounded in the shoulder
sword up to my shoulder when the bullet
struck the edge Of the blade n was cut
IN two. one half of the bullet flying on and
the other half going into my shoulder. al
another time I was wounded in the foot.
the ball striking a Mexican spur that / was
wearing and goies off into my foot. BY the
way, / think L have the spur" Here the
General opened a drawer in his desk and
pulled out a big Mexican spur which was
broken on one side. The break was caused
by the bullet striking the spur.
GENERAL MILES AND POLITICS.
It Is not generally known that General
Miles had a good chance to enter political
life at the time the war closed. The truth
Is that he was offered the nomination for
Congress by one OF the Massachusetts dis