The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-08-07
GENERAL
MILES
RETIRES
Long and Honorable
MiIitaryLife Ends
at Midnight
Was Made Lueit. Colonel in
1902 = Married the
Daughter Of General
Sherman


Washington, y. C.. Aug. 7-Th'
,ofnclal life OF a gallant warrior ex
pires nj midnight tonight when. by
reason OF the fact that tomorrow f.
sthe sixty-fourth anniversary Of his
lbirh. Acknowledgement Nelson A
Miles. commanding general OF the
army. will be retired from active ser
VICE.
Totally different from Generals
,Schofeld. Sherman and other Of his
vprcdeceasOrs as head of the United
.3taips army as regards HIS personality
,as well ~ his early training and sub.
-HeQuent military career. Il ls not 20 be
wondered at. perhaps. that General
-Nncs's retirement should evoke con.
Micting comments from press and pub
Sic To find anything like parallel
ecase II is necessary 20 turn back the
pages Of American history to the ca
reer Of General Winfield Scotia man
sof undouhted courage and ability as a
general. popular with HIS friends, but
who. at the same time. made himself
4iisllked In many quarters by his want
of tact, his Oyerboarlng manner toward
MS mbordlnates and his llladvlsed po-
iitical ambitions.
u cannot be disputed that General
Miles has q host Of enemies and that
Nhey occupy high positions In the army
and IN public life. AZ the same time
ne has many friends and defenders
both In aud out OF the service. The
sincere affection with which he Is ~.
Earded by many of those with whom |
mis- ofllcial position has brought him In |
contact has been abundantly manifest |
ed this week IN outward evidences i
among his associates OF regret at his |
departure.
Whatever else may be said II can.
not be denied that II II a splendid rec. |
ord that General Miles leaves upon the |
pages Of the department from which In |
n few hours he takes his final depart |
are. From a hvedolar-a-week clerk |
ship In little drygoods store and
handicapped by the fact that he lacked
. West Point training he has worked
Ms way step hy step. 10 the highest
rink within the gift OF the United
Stntes army.
Nelson A. Miles made his greatest
reputation. probably. as an Indian cam |
palgner The ability 10 make success
fnl warfare on the red man was possl |
Diy Inherited Ills ancestor, the Rev. |
John Mylea, Welsh clergyman Of |
Massachusetts,, wns not only militant |
against the powers OF spiritual evil. |
hlt he took a conspicuous part In the |
cnmpaien against King Philip IN 1875
Born Ia Westminster. Mass. In 1889. |
young Miles was mercantile clerk IN |
Boston before he was twenty.one years |
old. but he had already received an |
academic education. Ii was during |
shat clcrkship period that he first |
Vvinced a deep interest In military |
matters, inspired 10 a large extent |
probably, by the prospect OF a clash |
between the North aud South on the |
slavery question.
Miles began his military career only |
after a controversy with the governor |
of Massachusetts He has had many |
controversies since. some OF which he |
has won but he lost that first one with |
the governor Miles raised a company |
OF troops In 1861 aud expected 20 bA- |
como captain OF it. The governor |
however declared that he was too
young % receive such a hlgh commits.
sion
Miles was afterward commissioned
Northumberland of the Slxty.arst
New York Volunteers. the commission
dating from May 81. 1863 Tie began
% make a reputation Immediately. he
was ensaecd IN the battles of the Pc
nlnsuh campaign before Richmond
aud AZ Antieiam. On the a0th OF Sen.
temher, IN the second year OF the war
he was made colonel of his regiment
nlthourh only twenty-five years old
colonel Miles fought la an the hattles
~ his regiment ln the campaign Of the
Army OF the Potomac with one oXcep
tion, up " the surrender Of lee al An
pomattoN court house, Ho was wound
ed three times Miles full commission
Ns major genral was given him IN lS65
in The following year the war having
ended ht was mustered out Of the vol
unieer service, tie bad already re.
ceived . commission a. colonel IN the
regular army, In command OF the Fur
tieih iniantry Tie was transferred 10
the tigth Infantry March rs, iSGa.
Miles aptitude and ability Tor the
proIesslon OF war had demonstrated