★ ★  MOH Miles, Nelson A.

Nelson Appleton Miles

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Born: August 8, 1839

Birthplace: Westminster, Massachusetts

Father: Daniel Miles 1799 – 1875
(Buried: Petersham Center Cemetery, Petersham, Massachusetts)​

Mother: Mary Curtis 1802 – 1875
(Buried: Petersham Center Cemetery, Petersham, Massachusetts)​

Wife: Mary Hoyt Sherman 1842 – 1904 (niece of William T. Sherman)
(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

Married: June 30, 1868

Children:

Cecelia Sherman Miles Reber 1869 – 1952​
(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​
Major General Sherman Miles 1882 – 1966​
(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

Occupation before War:

Clerk in Crockery Store in Boston, Massachusetts​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1862: 1st Lt. 22nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment​
1862: Lt. Colonel of 61st New York Infantry Regiment​
1862: Served in the Battle of Antietam, Maryland​
1862 – 1864: Colonel of 61st New York Infantry Regiment​
1862: Served in the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia​
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1863: Wounded in neck and abdomen at Battle of Chancellorsville
1864 – 1865: Brigadier General of Union Army, Volunteers​
1864: Brevetted Major General of Union Army, Volunteers​
1865 – 1866: Major General of Union Army, Volunteers​

Occupation after War:

1866 – 1869: Colonel, United States Army, 40th Infantry Regiment​
1869 – 1880: Colonel, United States Army, 5th Infantry Regiment
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1880 – 1890: Brigadier General in United States Army​
1890 – 1900: Major General in United States Army​
1892: On July 23, Miles became a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his Chancellorsville role​
1895 – 1903: Commanding General of United States Army​
1900 – 1903: Lt. General of United States Army​
1903: Retired from United States army reaching the age of 64​
1904: Unsuccessful Candidate for Democratic Party Nomination​
1904: Withdrew his name from the Prohibition Party Nomination​
1917: Offered his services to President Wilson to Serve in World War I, President Wilson declined​

Died: May 15, 1925

Place of Death: Attending a circus in Washington, D.C.

Cause of Death: Heart Attack

Age at time of Death: 85 years old

Burial Place: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia

Medal of Honor CitationThe President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Colonel Nelson Appleton Miles, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on May 2 & 3, 1863, while serving with 61st New York Infantry, in action at Chancellorsville, Virginia. Colonel Miles exhibited distinguished gallantry while holding with his command an advanced position against repeated assaults by a strong force of the enemy; was severely wounded.

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1917: Offered his services to President Wilson to Serve in World War I President Wilson declined
Did not know this. He would have been 78 at the time. He would have been older than Winfield Scott when he took command of the Union Army in 1861.

From what I read, Miles was an exceptional commander. The fact he rose to division command at 24/25 says a lot.

Nelson Miles was a prominent figure in the Plains Indian Wars, being responsible for forcing the Nez Perce under Cheif Joseph to surrender (after a campaign involving fellow Union generals Oliver Howard, whom Nelson quarralled with for credit for the victory, and John Gibbon). He also commanded US troops against Geronimo's Apaches.

Apparently, in 1903, fearing the army would retire him, he performed a 90 miles horse ride from Fort Sill to Fort Reno, Ohklahoma, covering the first 30 miles in 2 hours and 25 minutes. It is apparently "the longest horseback ride ever made by a commanding general of the [US] army".
 
Not mentioned in this bio is the fact that he was wounded twice prior to his Chancellorsville wounds in the neck and abdomen. He was wounded ay Seven Pines and then again at Fredricksburg.

At the close of the war Miles was in charge of Fortress Monroe and served as "Jefferson Davis' jailer". He has been criticized for harshness but he appears to have been acting upon War Department orders.
 
I confess that I'm one of Teddy Roosevelt's maligned "maudlin fanatics" who thinks Chief Joseph/ Hinmatoowyalaht'quit "Thunder rolling down the mountain" of the Nimiipuu / Nez Perce led one of the more extraordinary retreats--even if ultimately a failure--in the face of General Oliver Otis Howard and Nelson Mile's pacification campaign of 1877...
 
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