Samuel Miles (March 11, 1740 – December 29, 1805) was an American

military officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, ...

, as well as an influential businessman and politician, active in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

before, during, and after the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

Military career

Born in what is now

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Montgomery County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the List of counties in Pennsylvania, third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the List of the most populous cou ...

, Miles was the son of James Miles and Hannah Pugh. Miles enlisted in Isaac Wayne's company, part of the Pennsylvania

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

. He was wounded at the

Battle of Fort Ligonier A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...

, and later commanded the garrison at that fort. He was discharged and then reenlisted in Thomas Lloyd's company as a sergeant and was promoted to captain-lieutenant for the expedition to

Fort Duquesne Fort Duquesne (, ; originally called ''Fort Du Quesne'') was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. It was later taken over by the British, and later the Americans, and developed a ...

. He accepted a commission as captain in 1760 and commanded troops on Presque Isle, now

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 ...

. After the war, he went into business as a wine merchant and married Catherine Wister, daughter of John Wister of

Grumblethorpe Grumblethorpe, in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the home of the Wister family, who lived there for over 160 years. It was built in 1744 as a summer residence, but it became the family's year-round residence in 1793. It is a museum ...

, Philadelphia. He also entered politics, and was elected to the House of Assembly in 1772. He was an early advocate for American independence. In the early days of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

Miles raised a militia company. When the war began in earnest, he was made

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

of the

Pennsylvania State Rifle Regiment The 13th Pennsylvania Regiment, also known as The Pennsylvania State Rifle Regiment and Miles's Regiment, was raised March 6, 1776, as a state militia regiment and later for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action duri ...

, a state unit later adopted into the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

. As a senior commander on the staff of General George Washington, he took part in the

Battle of Long Island The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 27, 1776, at the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn, New Yor ...

, but was captured by the British while commanding a holding action that allowed Washington and the bulk of his outnumbered troops to escape. Miles was released as part of a prisoner exchange in April 1778 that included British Lt. Col. Sir Archibald Campbell. While a prisoner, he had been promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...

of Pennsylvania troops. As part of his release, he had pledged not to again take up arms, but that did not disqualify him from command and administrative efforts against the British. He became quartermaster for the State of Pennsylvania, serving under Timothy Pickering. In the summer of 1781 General Washington counted on General Miles to secure boat transport for the army as it made its way south from New York to Yorktown.

After the war

In 1789, Miles was admitted as an honorary member of the Pennsylvania

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

. His post-war life included a distinguished career as a politician and public servant. He was made judge of the Appeals Court, served as an alderman and

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

from 1790 to 1791. He was reelected as mayor, but declined the office. He was elected trustee for the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

, resigning in 1793. He also was a member of

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

, elected in 1768, and was very active in the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia. The town of

Milesburg, Pennsylvania Milesburg is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,123 at the 2010 census. History Milesburg, as well as nearby Miles Township, was named a ...

, was laid out by him and is named after him. As a businessman, in 1783 he operated an early sugar refinery with Colonel Jacob Morgan at 77 Vine Street in Philadelphia. Joining with financier Robert Morris, he helped underwrite the voyage of the ship '' Empress of China'' – the first American vessel to visit the Chinese mainland. In 1791, with John Patton, he co-founded of Centre Furnace in State College, Pennsylvania. Miles also is noted as being the first faithless elector, when he was pledged to vote for

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

presidential candidate

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

, but instead cast his vote for Republican candidate

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

. This was the first contested election in USA and an angry voter wrote to the Gazette of the United States, "What! Do I chuse Samuel Miles to determine for me whether John Adams or Thomas Jefferson shall be President? No! I chuse him to act, not to think!" Miles cast his other presidential vote as pledged for

Thomas Pinckney Thomas Pinckney (October 23, 1750November 2, 1828) was an early American statesman, diplomat, and soldier in both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, achieving the rank of major general. He served as Governor of South Carolina an ...

. As a new member of the Democratic-Republican party, he ran for Congress twice (1798) but lost to political newcomer Federalist Robert Waln (1765–1836). Miles's portrait, painted by the noted American artist

Gilbert Stuart Gilbert Charles Stuart ( Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter from Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best-known work is an unfinished portrait of George Washi ...

, is housed in the Washington, D.C.

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of ch ...

. The portrait of his wife, Catherine Wister Miles, may possibly have been completed by Gilbert Stuart. It is now hanging at

, the home of her father, John Wister, in

Germantown, Philadelphia Germantown ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Deitscheschteddel'') is an area in Northwest Philadelphia. Founded by German, Quaker, and Mennonite families in 1683 as an independent borough, it was absorbed into Philadelphia in 1854. The area, which is a ...

. Another portrait of Samuel Miles, completed by

Charles Willson Peale Charles Willson Peale (April 15, 1741 – February 22, 1827) was an American Painting, painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolu ...

, hangs is in the

Philadelphia Museum of Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin ...

. Miles died on December 29, 1805, in Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania, and was likely interred at Mount Moriah Cemetery in

.Known Revolutionary War Veterans
/ref>

References

External links

Autobiographical sketch
Samuel Miles ran twice for Congress as a new member of the Democrat-Republican. He was defeated both times by political newcomer Robert Waln (1765–1836). The prominent issue in the congressional campaign was Federalist President Adams' support of the Alien and Sedition Act. {{DEFAULTSORT:Miles, Samuel Burials at Mount Moriah Cemetery (Philadelphia) Members of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly Mayors of Philadelphia Philadelphia City Council members Pennsylvania state court judges Pennsylvania militiamen in the American Revolution American Revolutionary War prisoners of war held by Great Britain Faithless electors People of Pennsylvania in the French and Indian War 1740 births 1805 deaths People from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Federalists Pennsylvania Democratic-Republicans American city founders