The Washington times., 1925-05-19

| America demanded that he be called
to active duty and sent to Siberia
| when the world war broke out. 1t
| almost broke his heart when the
/ War Department refused his re.
quest.
Nelson A. Miles died as he had
| lived, to the notes Of an army
bCgle. When death occurred at the
circus last Friday. the bugler had
| just played.
With the passing of General
| Miles there passes the last of GU,
| lie utenant generals, and one OF the
last of the 'old army
The father of the writer served
in the Fifth u. 8. Infantry under
Nelson A. Miles when that regi'
ment was in the West tanning the
Indians.
| Last week General Miles and the
writer sat in the Army and Navy
Club, where the general made his
he adquarters, recalling incidents OF
the early frontier days.
It is believed that this was the
lest interview granted by General
Miles.
HOnOred for Bravery.
Entering into his military career
IL the midst Of the great civil war,
General Miles won promotion on
the field, of battle to the grade of
| major general at the age of twenty.
five years. He was also awarded
the Congressional medal of honor
for his bravery in that war.
On August 8, 1889, son was
born to Daniel Miles and his wife
IL: their home in New England.
A
Miles.
Daniel Miles, the father. was a
descendant Of the Reverend John
Myles, or Miles, a Welsh clergy.
man, who had not only been a
soldier OF the cross, but also a
soldier OF approved valor and con.
duct in the early Indian wars.
The ancestral home Of the fam
lily was strongly constructed and
when the King Phillip war broke
out, in 1875, it was fortified and
became known as "Myles Garrison. u
There the colonial forces gathered
at the first outbreak OF hostilities,
and the preacher became foremost
In the defense of the settlement,
Ancestors in Revolution.
The paternal grandfather and
great-grandfather Of General Mel
son A. Miles were soldiers in the
revolutionary war.
The mother OF this soldier was
a descendant OF William Curtis, who
arrived in Boston in 1882 on the
Lyon.
Nelson A Miles, in company with
several other young men of Massa-
chusetts, received military training
from the hands of an old French
colonel by the name of Salignac.
This officer was q most thorough
soldier in his method Of instruction,
and the corps OF students gradually
increased to more than 1000.
When the civil war broke out,
Miles deserted commercial life for
that OF the soldier.
He at once started out to raise a
company Of volunteers, supported
by several Of the leading citizens
of the Roxbury district Of Boston.
Makes Good Promises.
These town fathers pledged them
selves to raise funds, which was to
be divided between the men volun.
teering and their families.
1t was not done and Miles paid
out more than $1,000 of his own
money and $4,000 that he borrowed
in order to make good the promises.
After the company was formed,
Miles was selected as the captain
by the governor Of the State, who
later changed his mind, under poIitl-
cal pressure, and demanded that he
Miles, give up the commission as
captain and accept one as first lieu
tenant
AS it was war, Miles acceded to
the demands of the governor and
accepted the lower commission,
He therefore began his military
career as a captain Of volunteers,
reduced to the grade Of first lieu
tenant, Of the Twenty second Regi-
ment of Massachusetts, Volunteers.
Vice President Was Colonel.
This regiment was organized and
commanded by that sterling Ameri-
can, Colonel Henry Wilson, who
later served as a Vice President OF
this country.
On May 81, 1862, on the recon-
mendation of that distinguished sol.
der, Francis A. Barlow, Miles was
appointed lieutenant colonel Of the
Sixty-first New York Volunteers
and on September 80 of the same
year he was made colonel.
On May 10. 1864, he was made
a brigadier general and on August
rs he was breveted major general
at the age Of twenty-five years.
In the fiercely contested battle OF
Charlottesville. Miles was serious
ly wounded and was forced to
leave the field. Before he was able
to return to his own command he
organized a brigade Of the Volun,
teers that had been recruited in
Pennsylvania, to aid in checking
the invasion by General Robert E.
Lee Of that State.
Later he returned to the Second
Army Corps and in February, 1865,
he was in command of that corps.
Civil War Incidents
An amusing incident, one that
shows the Observation-Disclosures Of the
soldier, was recalled by General
Miles.
On the day of the engagement at
Sailor Creek, Miles division
marched in line Of battle for more
than sixteen miles.
In the distance could De seen the
large wagon train which the Con
federate forces were trying to pro-
tect and the Union forces deter
mined to capture.
Just as the sun was setting in
the West, the final rout Of the
enemy and the capture Of this en-.
tire train, numbering more than
200 wagons and thousands Of pris-
oners, was effected. Then took
place the scene OF mirth and
revelry.