Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-11
GEN. NILES CAREER
His Claims to the Honor of q Higher
Rank.
His Public Services as Set Forth by n
Congregational Committee
His War Record.


affairs Of the House upon the joint reso-
luton providing for the revival of the
grade of lieutenant general OF the army,
which was presented by Representative
Hull, contains great deal of interesting
Information about the rank, and is es-
pecially complimentary to Gen. Nelson
A. Miles. in whose interests The measure
was introduced Alter reciting the different
occasions upon which the grade has been
revived. and the notable men whose serv-
ices have been recognized IN this manner.
who were Gen. Scott, Gen. Grant, Gen.
Sherman, Gen. Sheridan and Gen. Scho-
field. the report continues as follows:
1T will thus be seen that the army since
1919 has been almost continuously COM
manded by either lieutenant generals or
full generals and it should be noted that
the bill presented now will not increase
the number of general officers, and there
by 1t is a saving to the government over
the one which passed a year ago of $500
year. The resolution appears to have
and spontaneous demand. more especially
Of the various organizations composed Of
men more or less closely identified with the
volunteer army of the late war.
Were the career of General Miles not
familiar to the public, it might lie well to
enter into a more extended review of the
account OF his services contained in the Off
clal reports OF the great war. Fortunately
1t is not necessary in his case to follow pre-
cedents of that kind, If such there be- The
diflculty Is not to find details with which
t 10 swell the report to respectable proper
tons, but rather to reduce the statement
within the compass of a report of moderate
length.
Record without n blot.
"Copious as is the official record of his
services to his country, there is not upon it
a single blot, not a line which will not bear
the closest scrutiny. Others have SO con-
Quoted enterprises committed to their
charge as to elicit a declaration from their
superiors that they had accomplished all
that was expected of them. 1t is not on
record that General Miles ever fell short
or that expectation, but he often SO far sur
passed II rs to call forth expressions of I'M
stlhted praise. His strong patriotism was
shown by the prGmptnass with which he en-
listed as soldier in the service of the ma
ton at the beginning Of the late war and
spent his fortune in raising troops for that
service.
Though mere boy. fresh from the count
ing mouse, TO which he had come from the
farm, his enterprise and zeal placed him
second In command of a COMPANY and from
that position he rose rapidly by successive
promotions for conspicuous gallantry and
distinguished generals hip, to the commend
OF the largest division Of the Army of the
Potomac. and even for a time to the com
mand of an army CORPS
Each step OF his promotion from lieu
tenant to the rank of major general of
a
the part or his superior officers who per
sonally witnessed his deeds of yaIor en- the
neld Among them were such distiD ruished
generals ,, as SUMNER, Church, Mcclellan,
f1ancock, Meade and Grant Among tho
great civilians whose attention vas ar
tracted to his deeds WAS Governor Morgan
ana also Governor Seymour CT New York
VINO urged his promotion, and amonp b;s
commissions were those bearing the sr o.,
OF Governor Morgan of New York ard Ahra-
ham Lincoln. 'i
More Than Military Chfcf,atn.
He was engaged in every battle of the
al my OF the Potomac with one exception.
ana tnen was absent only ON account of
serious wounds received in battle. He was
four times wounded, thrice very badly and
once was borne from the field supposed TO
be MORALLY wounded
The war being ended and the period of
reconstruction having arrived, he was given
command that was one of the most i'm
portant in the south: command recurring
the most delicate and judicious administra.
ton He commanded in the department of
North Carolina, and with such skin end
prudence that his administration received
universal commenda ton.
FOLLOWING these four years of admins
tratlon. his services in the great west have
been such as identified him with the mar
Vicious transformation of that vast araa
from the wilderness to Civilization His
numerous campaigns against various tribes
OF hostile Indians have been in every in
StdAce eIllinently successful and followed by
permanent peace. He has done much out
side his military services to open 10 ciyiIi-
cation the vast sections of the western nor
ton of the United States. He won the con-
fdence of white settlers and Indians alike
and both respect his sincerity of purpose as
Wen as his generalship. He is also some
thlng more than a military chieftain''
In closing the report, says:
IhlS movement to confer the grade of
lieutenant general upon General Miles
comes from the people, as voiced by the
resolutions of civic and military organiza-
tons throughout the country and very
generally by the public press and is a rec
ignition of his distinguished services in
the great volunteer army and of his emf
nent and valuable services on the frontier
OF the western states and territories For
TINS latter service he has already received
the thanks of the legislatures of North
Dakota, Montana, Kansas, New Mexico
and Arizona. He has been assigned by
President Cleveland to the departments of
the Missouri and Arizona, the division of
the Pacific, department of the east and
the army of the United States: thus. dur
ing the last sixteen years. he has been in
command of all the important military de-
partments and divisions of the United
States. Your committee deem the rank of
lieutenant general the most appropriate
title for the general commanding the army
In nation of this magnitude. the army
now numbering 25.O0 men, and which in
case of war, by filing up the companies
and regiments, would more than double
that number
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.