The New Student's Reference Work/Miles, Nelson A.

GEN. NELSON A. MILES

Miles, Nelson A., an American general, was born at Westminster, Mass., Aug. 8, 1839. At the outbreak of the Civil War he entered the 22d Massachusetts volunteers as lieutenant. He distinguished himself at Fair Oaks, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Malvern Hill, Spottsylvania, Richmond and many other battles. He won promotion until he became a major-general and was placed in command of a division. When the volunteer army was disbanded in September, 1866, he was commissioned colonel of the 40th United States infantry. He was made brigadier-general in 1880 and major-general in 1890. After the close of the Civil War General Miles earned fame as an Indian fighter. He conquered the hostile Sioux in Montana, and drove Sitting Bull, their leader, into Canada in 1876 after the massacre of General Custer and his force. In 1886 he compelled the Apache chiefs, Geronimo and Natchez, to surrender. In 1890, during the ghost-dance outbreak among the Sioux, General Miles forced a surrender in January, 1891, at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. On the retirement of General Schofield in 1895 General Miles succeeded him and was in command of the United States army during the Spanish-American War. He has published Personal Recollections and Military Europe. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general in 1901, and retired in 1904.