General Nelson Miles' Officer's Vest
date: label: associated date
content: 1851 - 1902
label: associated date
content: 1851
name: label: associated person; user
content: Miles, Nelson Appleton
notes: label: Description
content: Although best known as a major player in the Indian Wars, and later the Spanish-American War, Nelson Miles also served with distinction during the Civil War. He was a self-taught soldier who was commissioned Captain in the 22nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment; by 1864, he had risen to the rank of Brigadier General. He participated in most of the major battles involving the Army of the Potomac, with the exception of Gettysburg.
label: Description
content: At the Battle of Chancellorsville, 1-4 May 1863, while serving as Colonel in the 81st New York Infantry, Miles was shot in the abdomen. This was the vest he was wearing at the time he was injured; a small hole at the bottom, with staining around the edges, allows one to envision the severity of the wound caused by a minie ball. The Battle of Chancellorsville, which pitted the Army of the Potomac against the Army of Northern Virginia, ended with a Confederate victory that was not without huge cost: General Stonewall Jackson was accidentally shot by his own men, and was to die of complications from the wound several days later.
label: Description
content: Nelson Miles was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions at Chencellorsville. His citation reads: "Distinguished gallantry while holding with his command an advanced position against repeated assaults by a strong force of the enemy; was severely wounded." His Medal of Honor can also be found in the collections of the National Museum of American History.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Sherman Miles and Mrs. Samuel Reber
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.35126
label: catalog number
content: 35126
label: accession number
content: 87946
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Vest
label: Other Terms
content: Vest; Man; Army; General Staff; Officer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: dark blue (front color)
label: Physical Description
content: dark brown (rear color)
label: Physical Description
content: cotton twill (rear material)
label: Physical Description
content: gold (buttons material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 22 in x 13 in; 55.88 cm x 33.02 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall (padded): 22 in x 13 in x 2 in; 55.88 cm x 33.02 cm x 5.08 cm