Nelson Appleton Miles (1839 – 1925)

Nelson Miles was born in Westminster, Massachusetts on the family farm. He became an American military general and fought in the American Civil War, the American Indians Wars, and the Spanish-American War. Miles was promoted to Brigadier-General in the Regular Army in December 1880, and assigned to command the Department of Columbia between 1881 and 1885.¹⁾ He decided that Alaska was undiscovered territory and applied for an appropriation from Congress of $68,000 to explore the territory. A bill was introduced but never passed. In 1877, the Army troops were withdrawn from Alaska. On the third of April 1883 Miles sent one of his aides-de-camp, Lt. Schwatka, with Ass. Surgeon Wilson, Topographical Ass. Homan, and three enlisted men to explore the Alaskan interior.²⁾ Schwatka named Miles Canyon, near present day Whitehorse, for Nelson Miles.

Miles was the last Commanding General of the United States (1895 – 1903) before the office was abolished.³⁾