The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-18

Miles was raised to the position OF brig
adler general. Later on he was given COM
mand of the irst division OF the Second
Corps and after the esta biishmeDt OF peace
he was commissioned a major general OF
volunteers, besides having gained the
brevet OF brigadier and major-general in
the regular army as well as that of major
general OF volunteers in the ina cam
paign. At his time. moreover, he was
made colonel of the 4Oth Infantry,
while the 'smsdals Of honor" ''specfic
mention of services" aud so ON through
a long list OF honors SPACE fails to give
room for enumeration.
The second phase OF General Miles
military history deals with Indian war
fare. In this line General Miles has won
for himself unprecedented success, The
watchword of his campaign has been:
"1he animal does not live that can stand
being hunted without cessation" And
in this spirit of determination ana per-
severance he has tracked the hostile In
dians ielentlessly TO their lairs in the
Western mountains and deserts and given
them no rest till they have yielded and
gone peacefully back 10 their allotted res
ervations. In Kansas, in Colorado. on
the Yellowstone and at Cedar Creek,
among the Wolf mountains, north TO the
very line between Canada and the United
States and south even on TO Mexican
soil, these ~tireless campaigns, six in all,
were carried on. The results have been
not entirely militery successes on the
part of Gen. Miles troops, but the per-
manent subduing OF the tribes and the
securing of vast tracts in the great West
to safety and civilization.
Within very recent years the "Messiah'
outbreak among the Sioux in 1890 end
the Chicago riots in 1894 have occupied
General Miles, attention. Tho former
was successfully checked without bring
ing upon the Western settlers the horrors
OF Indian warfare; and the latter was SO
skiilfully handled that the rioters had
their attention directed in so many di-
r~ections that almost before they knew il,
the broken tracks were repaired and
trains were running OH them as usual.
In instances like these where by shrewd
moves he has been able TO prevent ex-
cessive b~loodshed, General Miles takes
quite as much pride as in the daring and
bloody record OF his division IN the Civil
War, the division sin which more men
were killed and wounded than in any
other division Of the Union army, east
or west.n
AS a soldier General Miles great char
acteristic seems to be that Of untiring en-
ergy, incessant activity. As one of his
comrades said of him ''Other men let up
once in q while, but he kept at il al
ways" His record in the Civil War Is
nrietiy that of one who never waits to be
told how TO do a thing, bat does it. He
has the rare gift Of seeing at a glance just
what are the vantage points in a battle
field and then of seiZing upon them. 1t
is this gift of what is called "the geogra-
phical eye" that has served the soldier
in his diverse camrnigns. And it Is this
natural gift, well developed by practical
use, thRthas placed Nelson A.. Miles, q
soldier without a West Point course ne-
hind him, in the position formerly held
only by graduates of the military
academy.
IL is as a soldier rather than as q private
citizen that General Miles presents him
self TO our thought. Sci in his home and
among his friends we ind him quite as
interesting. Mrs. Miles is the daughter
Of Judge Charles Sherman and niece of
General W. L. and Senator Sherman. 1t
would seem that the lines of military
skill and craftsmanship ought surely to
converge in the rising generation of the
descendants of the old Welsh preacher,
teacher and fighter.
1t is n pleasant picture TO carry with,
one THAT of the stalwart major general
OF our army mounted on his favorite
steed-the bicycle-with his sen and
daughter on either side, and his pet dogs
barking impatiently for the start, as tue
morning spin is in prospect. In his "
household and among his ac~quaintances
Major-Genersl Miles wears the name of
friend in its quieter home and social sig
nifcance as faithfully ss in its wioer
meaning he has borne it with relation
TO his country, in whose service his 10y
atty has won for him true and
gratitude as a soldier and patriot.