The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-08-13
THE RETIREMENT OF GEN. MILES.

Saturday, Aug. 8, Lleut.-Gen. Nelson A.
Miles was placed upon the retired list of
the army by the following curly formal
| order:
washington, Aug s. 1908.
'The retirement from active service by
the President. Aug. :. 1903. of Lieut.-Gen.
Nelson A. Miles. United States Army. by
operation of law. under the provisions of
the act of Congress, approved June 30.
1889. is announced. Lieut. Miles
will proceed to his home. The travel en-
joined is necessary for the public service.
by order of Secretary of War.
II. G.. CORBIN,
Acknowledgement, Major-General. {. S.
A."
There was much establishment and in
dicnation expressed that the man who had
rendered such long and conspicuous serv-
ice to his country should be allowed to go
into his well-earned retreat without sin
gle word of commentator for the gallant.
faithful and distinguished services which
he had rendered it throughout the A. years
that he had worn its uniform.
1t does not seem as if the estranged re-
lationS between the Lieutenant-General
and the officials around the Secretary ot
War can excuse this at all. Whatever
may be the personal feeling of the various
gentlemen, including possibly the Presi-
dent and the Secretary. the fact remains
that Lieut.-Gen. Miles was of the finest
type of the officers who have added glory
to the American Army. He had seen and
participated with great distinction in more
downright hard fighting than any other
commanding officer III the world. Miless
experience in the glorious old Second Corps
from May 81, 1862, when he rose from a
Captaincy to the command of fighting
regiment, on through Charlottesville and
Gettysburg and that most fearful of all
fighting. the Wilderness, Spotsylvania and
the Siege of Petersburg, from which he
emerged a Major-General. dwarfed into
littleness all the war!ike experiences Of the
present CommanderS-in-C Chief of the Eng
liSh, German, French. Italian or Austrian
armies. BY repeated trials in the fiery
furnace of battle he outranked them all.
National pride. and worthy of comment
when he was at last relegated to the real
by the operation of the law.
Whatever difficulties he may have been
having of late years, there is no stain OF
personal dishonor upon them. They We're
at most hot differences of opinion and the
clash of personal ambitions, and afforded
no basis for ignoring what he was and did
many years ago.
1t is also to be remembered that he is
the last Commander-in-Ch Chief of the Army
who held general rank during the war,
and this should have been taken into CON
sideration The course of the Administra-
ton is more marked from the fiattering
orders which have accompanied the retire
ment of Gen. Miles's predecessors.
Gen. Miles's last official act was to is
sue a general order in which he returned
his appreciation and thanks to the officers
and soldiers with whom he served during
the war of the rebellion and since, and
and courage. His order concluded with
the following pertinent and timely para
graphs:
''The events of recent years have placed
upon the army a new obligation and an
opportunity for u broader exemplification
Of its country's principles. The United
States army is now brought into daily
communication with millions of people to
whom its individual members of every
grade are the opponents of American civ
iliZation. A serious duty and a great hon
or are now presented to every officer and
soldier, namely, to exemplify to those
with whom he comes in contact our cOun-
try's principles of equal and exact justice,
immunity from violence. equality before
the law, and the peaceful use and posses
sion of his OWN.
Marked changes Mt different times have
occurred in the strength and organization
of the army, resulting from diverse infu-
ences, and various experiments have been
tried. Time has rectiied errors in the
past, and will do so in the future. The
aforementioned has faith that under
all circumstances the army will maintain
its high character, and that its future will
be rs honorable and glorious as has been
its history in the past. His earnest solici
tude and best wishes will ever follow the
fortunes of the army"