, 1925-05-20
Gen. Nelson Miles 4lsii
I'll Drops Dead at a
Circus Performance

Continued from Page -
Myles. a fighting p~arson,' who,
upon the outbreak of King Phillips
war in 1875, girded on his sword
and led the Colonists against the
Indians. Captain Myles', home was
fortified by the pioneers, and from
there he led many subsequent forays
against the red men.
Daniel Miles and Joab Miles,
great-grandfather and grandfather,
respectively. OF General Nelson A.
Miles, fought in the Revolutionary
war and We're 'in at the death"
when Yorktown fell. His father,
Daniel, also was a fighter.
Young Nelson himself was a
fighter and vanquisher from his
earliest youth. While at school he
was so happy as when lead
ing his comrades against imaginary
Indians. who were always upper
most in the young soldiers mind.
His elder brother. Daniel, who
taught him in school, used thi
military prediction to calm the
boys prankish moments. He was
sore pressed TO discipline Nelson
until he used military terms. Being
kept after school or thrashed had
little effect. but when the teacher
said Nelson. you have disobeyed
the command of your superior of
ficer. and are a prisoner of war
the results We're immediate.
General Miles was born at West
minister, Mass, April s., 1899, and
received an academic education
there and in Boston. In later years
gree of L. l.. D. by Harvard. Brown
and Colgate.
When the Civil war broke out,
many civilians organized units with
their own funds, and later took COM
mand of their townsmen in the
army. When the Roxbury Guards
were recruited, the enthusiastic
citizens of that town promised a
bounty of $40 for each nan who en-
listed. The money was delayed,
however. and when the company
was completed and the funds still
failed to materialize, Miles took the
only $1,000 he had in the world and
by borrowing $4,000 more, paid the
men their bonus. He was never
reimbursed by the forgetful town
council.
Miles passed through the bloody
battle of Antietam unscratched and
Won further commendation. At
Charlottesville he again ELECTED
the praise of Hancock and was
marked for promotion. Some years
later he was awarded the Congress
sional medal of honor, the nations
highest distinction, for distinguished
gallantry at Charlottesville. 1t was
at this battle that he received his
most serious wound, a shot i'll the
abdomen. 1t kept him put of the
battle of Gettysburg; but he re-
covered in time to take part in
Grants campaign against Richmond.
BY some queer coincidence many
years after the war. Miles met the
Confederate soldier who fired the
bullet. The man was only $50 yards
from his target and only the fact
that the bullet struck Miles belt
buckle saved the officer from death.
Il aimed at your heart" the man
said. but 1 think the motion of
your horse carried the ball a little
low. After what has occurred dur
ing these SO years I am glad
missed that shot"
His Indian service began in 1870.
He then embarked on campaigns
which were to bring to a close the
Indian wars which had lasted
through all the history of the coun
try. He won the thanks of the
Legislature of four western states,
and the ranks. in succession, of
Brigadier and Major General in the
regular army.
The name of Miles is woven into
the of the west.
He met. fought and defeated the
~Cheyennes. Comanches and Kiowas,
in the southwest. He chastised and
subjugated the Sioux in the north.
west, driving Sitting Bull out of his
country. He made a forced march
of $50 miles in the winter of 1877,
when the temperature at times
dropped to 40 degrees below zero
> and captured Chief Joseph and his
r Nez Perces. who had long caused
the government trouble.
r CIdLN horse. Lame Deer, spotted
Eagle. Elk Horn. Broad Road. Nat
chez and other Indian chiefs quailed
before his advances. Geronimo and
his bloody Apaches. when chased
and cornered by Miles. refused to
, capitulate unless they could do so
tc Miles personally. He conquered
the last great Indian uprising in
1890. during which Sitting Bull was
shot and the other rebellious In
dams meekly surrendered when they
heard that il was the n.Rir Chiaf