Nelson A. Miles was born in Westminster, MA on August 8, 1839 to Daniel and Mary Curtis Miles. While his father was an ordinary farmer, his family had long and distinguished roots in New England. His mother's family settled in the MA Bay Colony in 1632, and his father's family included men who fought at Valley Forge and Yorktown. The Miles family also included several clergymen, including "fighting parson" John Myles whose parsonage doubled as a garrison during King Philip's War. Miles later attributed his interest in soldiering to tales told around the fireplace "of fighting and campaigning, of devotion to country, and of sacrifices made in the cause of patriotism." To learn more about Miles' childhood, see "Mid-Century Massachusetts," the first chapter of Miles' autobiography.
Miles attended the public elementary school, and then the local private school (Westminster Academy), receiving the equivalent of a high school education. He left Westminster at age sixteen to work as a clerk in a crockery store in Boston.
Created by students at Oakmont Regional High School as part of the Miles Project. Last updated in March of 2005.