Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-02-19

q MAJOR GENERAL NELSON A. MILES, q. g. A.
men have maintained an incessant fusillade
upon the enemy to keep down the fire of
his infantry and to pick of the gunners
of the pieces which look down the road.
Miles men are on the left Of the line, but
without tremor they march right oblique,
with arms at right shoulder the whole
width Of the field. They cross the tele-
graph road just below the fork and come
to q front, the left resting on the road. A
ball strikes Miles in the throat; but, with
his hand against the wound and the blood
streaming out through his fingers, this
prince of fighters dashes back to his chief,
who, close at hand, is watching with a
breaking heart the humiliation of his
splendid corrs, and entreats permission to
lead new charge" Miles wound was q
severe one, but he was ready for the field
again when the army marched to Chancel-
louisville. He was placed in command Of
the corps skirmish line at time when the
Confederates werc making most determin-
ed assaults .,4r
N "Again and again." says General Wal
ker, "did they send out clouds of skirmish-
ers against our rifle pits; again and again
did their regiments come down into the
slashing. Every time they were met by
the steady fire of our men and driven back
to cover. At last, after miraculously es-
Gaping injur-- through nearly four hours
Of constant exposure, the heroic Miles, who
had so long conducted this gallant defense,
was shot through the body and carried
from the field, his bearers passing close by
Hancock, who had watched with delight
his splendid behavior of the morning, and
now, with deepest sorrow, looked down
upon his manly young face, upon which
seemingly the dews of death were already
gathering.
= Fortunately the Charlottesville wound
was not mortal, and Miles was In saddle
again at Gettysburg, but in command of q
brigade. HIS conduct on the skirmis],
line at Charlottesville had been witnessed
BY all the generals Of the corps. So de-
lighted was Hancock at the splendid be-
havior of the line in executing repulse OF
the enemy that he sent staff officer to
compliment the leader. "Tell Colonel
Miles he is worth his weight In gold, said
he. 1t was at that time, too, that the
prophecy was made that Miles would one
day command the armies Of the republic.
But year elapsed before the gallant
volunteer was given the star which West
Point men received Without ever having
led % much as battalion In action. Miles
commanded brigade In the Wilderness,
fighting under Hancock upon the Plank
road, and also led 1t in. Barlow's brilliant
charge upon the Bloody Angle at Spottsyl-
yania. For his gallantry in that bat
tie he was promoted to be brigadier gem
eral Of volunteers. Throughout the cam
paign to-. the James and at Petersburg
Miles was in the thick Of every fight with
the Second corps, and that corps was seem
inQly doomed to the flercest slaughter. he
vas the right hand man Of Hancock, and
Ill the last great battle led by the "su-
perb'' the two Joined personal fortunes
and in desperate attempt to save the day
seemed to court death together. At times
their followers on charge against the ene-
my's superior forces did not exceed good
company In strength, but wherever they
rode with the corps flag flying, the bullets
rained like hail. GEORGE L. KILMER.