The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27

Oxford gave him n degree in 1903. The Gem
erals Rreat-grandfather, Daniel Miles, and the
~latter's son, Joab, were both soldiers of the
Revolution, taking part in the first battle of
Lexington and the last at Yorktown. and camp
ing at Valley Forge. Daniel not only ser red In
the field. but put all his property into CONT
mental money. and go lost it. It will be seen
that Gen. Miles came of patriotic and soldierly
stock, and when Gen. Hancock described him
as "a born soldier" there was a two-fold rea-
son for tho phrase. His father, however.
Daniel, the son of Joab, was a quiet Worcester
county farmer. His mother. Mary Curtis,
was a descendant of William Curtis, who
arrived In Boston on the ship Lyon In 1889.
Nelson Appleton Miles was born in West
minister, Mass, near Wachusett Noun
tain, about fifty miles from Boston. The
youngest OF four children, he was a stalwart
lad. fond of outdoor sports, and able to ride
and MANAGE a horse at the age of six. He
was taught in the district school and the local
academy. In 1855. at the age Of 10, like
many another country lad, he went TO Boston.
and there he served as clerk or salesman in n
store. The opening of the civil war found him
SO engaged, and he prepared for It's coming by
takinglcssons in drill from a French officer
named S~alignac, who taught hundreds and
even thousands of young men.
He began his military career by devoting a
thousand dollars, which his father had given
him. TO the expenses OF recruiting a company.
and borrowed from a wealthy relative 50. 500
more. for which he gave his note. A COM
pany was thus raised for the Twenty-second
Massachusetts Regiment. of which he was
chosen and commissioner Captain. but after
ward the Governor insisted that on account of
his youth he should give up that CON mission
and accept one instead as n First Lieutenant.
The young officer demurred. but at length
yielded, feeling that he mast not give up serv-
ing his country in order to engage in a contest
with the Governor of his State. The decision
was wise and fortunate st a trying moment
q ader the temptation TO resist what was keenly
felt to be an injustice.
One of the hundreds of illustrations with
which the publishers have crowded his book
shows Lieut.. Miles as a tall. graceful figure.
with a frank. resolute face. He was promptly
detailed on Towards stan. in the Peninsula.
and ut once won official praise for great gal
lantry and effective service. A specially valu-
able and skilful effort at Savagc's Station in
leading reenforcements to Col. Barlow's regI-
meLt, the Sixty-f-st New York. when hard
pressed. was followed by his commission as
Lieutenant-C Colonel OF that same regiment by
Gov. Morgan on Barlow's grateful rccommea-
dation. 1t was n most unusual and signif-
SthII o tuub " taho u 9OullR lLlCulcHhlIl TOlH
another State and raise him TO n m 80
high. Barlow's promotion made Miles Col
onel of tho regiment at n little over twenty
three years of age. and thence he passed to
the command of a brigade. and finally to MAT
of the First Division of the renowned Second
Corps, whose aggregate in killed and wounded
exceeded that of any other division In the Union
my. Miles himself was four times wound
ed. and twice SO as barely TO escape death. At
FREDERICKSBURG he was shot in the throat. the
AGAR remaining tn this day. and at Chancellors-
vile. through tho groin and hip bone, this
wound at first appearing to be mortal. Gen.
Miles. It may be added, reached the full rank
of Major.General of volunteers, and the same
brevet rank in the regular army. while in the
latter. after the war. he was appointed to tho
very high command OF Colonel of the Fortie,h
Infantry. being then 1t is said, with n single OK
caption. the youngest Colonel in the army.
Gen. Miles passes more rapidly than could DO
wished over this part of his career, aad indeed
has next to nothing to say of the many ire
mendous engagements In which he bore 80
honorable q part. However, he does mention.
as n scene bathing description, the final as
sault from Petersburg to Appomattox. saying
that perhaps any enc who Inns seen a tornado
carrying ships resistlessly before II may form
some idea of tho manner in which "a hun
dred thousand men. In practically one %continu-
pus line with reserves, swept over fortified
lions. capturing many forts and two great
~citiee.' In these operations, Oh ono occasion,
Miles's division marched over sixteen miles in
line. fighting nj every ridge. a coinical Incl
dent followed tho capture OF the Confederate
wagon train. loaded with tho assets of the
Confederate Treasury. Somehow the humor
of the thing seems to have p, rmitted the de-
1poilinR Of this last by the troops, and "a Monte
Carlo was suddenly improvised in the midst of
The bivouac. Such prcpo-ierous gambling was
probably never before witnessed. Ten thou
sand dollars was tho usual 'ante;' often TWEEN
~ thousand to come in;' Ia raise of nifty
thousand to one hundred thousand was not un-
usual, and frequently from one million TO two
mill IONS of dollars were In the pool"
ried Mary. dauehter of Judge Charles Sher-
man. and niece of Gen. w. r.. and Senator
John. sherman. Routine garrison life occu-
pied him for a few years. but in 1874, as Col
onel of the Fifth Infantry, lie began his eXtraor-
binary series OF indian campaigns a nd VIC
tories. Tine first or these was the overthrow
OF the Cheyennes,. ArapahOeS, Kiowas, and
report declared to he THE most successful of
any Indian campaign In the country since the
settlement by The whites" This was a sum-
mer ard winter campaign over n vast area,
including tho desolate borders OF the Staked
Plains, first In Intense aeat and then In the
bitterest cold. The results weTseuch that these
Indians have never again beelf N the warpath.
Daign against the Sioux. who had massacred