soon after accepted a position on the staff of General Silas Casey who was engaged in organizing troops in Washington, District of Columbia. On November 9, 1861, he was assigned to the staff of General Oliver O. Howard and served that officer, who commanded the first brigade in Richardson's division, Sumner's corps, at Seven Points (Fair Oaks), May 31-June 1, 1862. In this engagement General Howard, finding the 81st Pennsylvania volunteers in pressing need of reinforcement, ordered Captain Miles to lead a detachment to his support, under a heavy fire from the Confederates. Colonel Barlow, 61st New York volunteers, in his report mentioned the exploit of Captain Miles in the engagement, and this resulted in his promotion to lieutenant-colonel of 61st New York volunteers in place of Lieutenant-Colonel Massett, killed in action, and to an assignment to Colonel Barlow's regiment, his commission to date from May 31st, 1862. The 61st New York was with the 64th New York commanded by Colonel Barlow in Caldwell's brigade, in the Maryland campaign, and when Colonel Barlow was wounded at Antietam the command of both regiments devolved on Lieutenant-Colonel Miles and the desperate fighting of the brigade is shown in the official report of forty-four killed and two hundred and sixty-eight wounded in that engagement. He succeeded to the command of the 61st New York on the promotion of Colonel Barlow to be brigadier-general, his commission as colonel dating from September 30, 1862. At Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville he commanded the consolidated 61st and 64th New York regiments in Caldwell's brigade, Hancock's division, Couch's corps, Sumner's grand division, and was slightly wounded at Fredericksburg, where the brigade loss was one hundred and eight killed, seven hundred and twenty-nine wounded and one hundred and fifteen missing. At Chancellorsville, May 31, 1863, he was shot from his horse and the wound was pronounced fatal; he was sent to his home where he was carefully nursed but did not recover until after the battle of Gettysburg had been fought. When he returned to the army, he was still on crutches. He was promoted brigadier-general May 12, 1864; and in the Union army as organized by General Grant for his campaign against Richmond, he was placed in command of the first brigade, Barlow's division, Hancock's corps, Army of the Potomac, under Meade, his old regiment being in his brigade. He fought under General Grant from the Wilderness to the surrender of Lee. In the Petersburg campaign he commanded the
