George B. Miles
George B. Miles was born on February 3, 1836, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, to Nathaniel and Sarah Miles. His father was a farmer who owned $300 of personal property by 1860. He lived in West Vincent, Pennsylvania, until the 1850s, when he and his father moved to Salem, Illinois. By 1860, he was working as a miller.
 
He enlisted in the Union army, and he mustered in as a private in Company K of the 15th Illinois Infantry on May 24, 1861. According to his service records, he was 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with light hair and light eyes. In June 1861, he predicted that the regiment would "soon see actual service I hope so at least for if we are to do any fighting I want to be doing it." The regiment took part in the Battle of Fort Donelson and the siege of Vicksburg. He supported the Emancipation Proclamation, writing "it will do if it does any good toward putting down this Rebellion." He fiercely opposed conscription, however, arguing that "We have got men enough to put down this Rebellion only give us leaders and they will find men to follow." He insisted that there had "been enough of blood-shed on the shrine of Political Ambition...Sooner would I live under the meanest despotism on earth, than to have the Conscription Act enforced." He mustered out on May 24, 1864.
 
He returned to Illinois after leaving the army, and he married Ellen Yontz on November 3, 1864. They had at least six children: Amanda, born around 1867; Martha, born around 1868; Julia, born around 1869; Elfie, born around 1875; June, born around 1877; and Thomas, born around 1880. They moved to Monroe, Iowa, in the late 1860s, and he continued working as a miller. By 1870, he owned $700 of real estate and $150 of personal property. They moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa, in the 1870s. In the early 1900s, he served as post commander of his local Grand Army of the Republic chapter. He died in Council Bluffs from paralysis on March 4, 1909.
3590
DATABASE CONTENT
(3590)Miles, George B.1836-02-031909-03-04
  • Conflict Side: Union
  • Role: Soldier
  • Rank in: Private
  • Rank out: Private
  • Rank highest: Private
  • Gender: Male
  • Race: White

Documents - Records: 70

  • (9996) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 22 January 1861
  • (9997) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother, 21 February 1861
  • (9998) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 10 May 1861
  • (9999) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 12 May 1861
  • (10000) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 27 May 1861
  • (10001) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 17 June 1861
  • (10003) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 28 June 1861
  • (10006) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Nathaniel Miles, 7 July 1861
  • (10009) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 22 July 1861
  • (10013) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 11 August 1861
  • (10014) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 26 August 1861
  • (10015) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 22 September 1861
  • (10016) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 10 November 1861
  • (10018) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, December 1861
  • (10020) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 9 January 1862
  • (10019) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 20 January 1862
  • (10040) [associated with] ~ Lew (?) to Brother, 10 February 1862
  • (10021) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 11 February 1862
  • (10022) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 21 February 1862
  • (10023) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 28 February 1862
  • (10024) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 18 March 1862
  • (10026) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 29 March 1862
  • (10027) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 4 April 1862
  • (10030) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 14 April 1862
  • (10031) [associated with] ~ Owen P. Miles to Edwin Miles, 28 May 1862
  • (10037) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles, 30 May 1862
  • (10038) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 11 June 1862
  • (10097) [associated with] ~ John W. Hancock to Unknown, 22 June 1862
  • (10039) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 29 June 1862
  • (10041) [associated with] ~ Edward D. Townsend to Thomas S. Blair, 30 July 1862
  • (10042) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 19 August 1862
  • (10043) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 24 August 1862
  • (10044) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 31 August 1862
  • (10045) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 5 September 1862
  • (10047) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 8 September 1862
  • (10048) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 10 September 1862
  • (10049) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 17 September 1862
  • (10051) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 24 September 1862
  • (10050) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother, 25 September 1862
  • (10052) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 12 October 1862
  • (10053) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 27 October 1862
  • (10054) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 9 November 1862
  • (10055) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 5 December 1862
  • (10056) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 8 January 1863
  • (10057) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 25 January 1863
  • (10058) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 6 February 1863
  • (10059) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 17 February 1863
  • (10060) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 3 March 1863
  • (10064) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 21 March 1863
  • (10065) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 13 April 1863
  • (10066) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 9 May 1863
  • (10067) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 17 May 1863
  • (10068) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 26 May 1863
  • (10069) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 13 June 1863
  • (10070) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 21 June 1863
  • (10072) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 23 August 1863
  • (10073) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 31 August 1863
  • (10076) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 5 October 1863
  • (10078) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 17 November 1863
  • (10080) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 24 January 1864
  • (10081) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother, 17 March 1864
  • (10083) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 29 June 1864
  • (10085) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 24 July 1864
  • (10094) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles, 27 August 1864
  • (10095) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles, 16 October 1864
  • (10096) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles and Susan E. Miles, 5 December 1864
  • (10082) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Edwin Miles, 3 July 1865
  • (10033) [associated with] ~ Emily (?) to J. S. Slade, 1 July 186X
  • (10046) [writer] ~ George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 5 September 186X
  • (10098) [associated with] ~ Harvey S. Alexander to Ellen R. (Yontz) Miles, 19 March 1909

People - Records: 5

  • (3591) Miles, Edwin is the [sibling of] (3590) Miles, George B.
  • (3592) Miles, Susan E. is the [sibling-in-law of] (3590) Miles, George B.
  • (3595) Miles, Nathaniel is the [parent of] (3590) Miles, George B.
  • (5647) Yontz, Ellen R. is the [wife of] (3590) Miles, George B.
  • (5650) Miles, Owen P. is the [sibling of] (3590) Miles, George B.

Places - Records: 4

  • (2326) [birth] ~ Chester County, Pennsylvania
  • (472) [death] ~ Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa
  • (3769) [residence in 1860] ~ Salem, Carroll County, Illinois
  • (3770) [residence in 1870] ~ Monroe, Butler County, Iowa

Show in Map

Regiments - Records: 1

  • (1318) [enlisted] [K] ~ 15th Illinois Infantry

Groups - Records: 1

  • (6) [member/supporter] ~ Grand Army of the Republic
SOURCES

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1900 United States Federal Censuses, available from Ancestry.com; Databases of Illinois Veterans Index, 1775-1995, available from Ancestry.com; Iowa Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, ca. 1866 – ca. 1950, available from Ancestry.com; The Evening Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, IA), 4 March 1909; George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 17 June 1861, DL1611.006, Nau Collection; George B. Miles to Brother and Sister, 3 March 1863, DL1611.049, Nau Collection