Samuel Miles
Portrait by Gilbert Stuart
46th Mayor of Philadelphia
In office 1790–1791
Preceded by	Samuel Powel
Succeeded by	John Barclay

Catherine Wister Miles, portrait by Gilbert Stuart

Samuel Miles (March 11, 1739 – December 29, 1805) was an American military officer and politician, as well as an influential businessman and politician, active in Pennsylvania before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War.

Military career

Born in Whitemarsh in what now is Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Miles was the son of James Miles and Hannah Pugh.

He enlisted in Bethlehem at the age of 16 (serving from October 1755 through February 1756) in Isaac Wayne's company that was part of the Pennsylvania militia during the French and Indian War. The company had been formed with the intent for "Col. Dr.” Benjamin Franklin to command. However, Franklin decided against filling that role and was succeeded by Col. William Clapham.

Miles became a lieutenant at age 19 and was put in charge of the small garrison in Shippensburg. He was named a captain shortly before he turned 20. He was wounded in the Battle of Fort Ligonier in today's Westmoreland County. Shortly afterward, he was appointed commander of the garrison there. He was discharged but then reenlisted in Thomas Lloyd's company as a sergeant and was promoted to captain-lieutenant for the expedition to Fort Duquesne. He accepted a commission as captain in 1760 and commanded troops on Presque Isle(now Erie, Pennsylvania).

After the war, he went into business as a wine merchant and married Catherine Wister,^[1] daughter of John Wister of Grumblethorpe, 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 Miles raised a militia company. When the war began in earnest, he was made colonel of the Pennsylvania State Rifle Regiment,^[2] a state unit later adopted into the Continental Army. Before the Battle of Long Island, he received a letter from General George Washington seeking his assistance. That letter now is kept in the National Archives.] As a senior commander on Washington's staff he took part in that battle and 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, Miles had been promoted to brigadier general 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,^[3] 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.^[4]

After the war

In 1789, Miles was admitted as an honorary member of the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati.^[5]

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 of Philadelphia from 1790 to 1791. He was reelected as mayor, but declined the office. He was elected trustee for the University of Pennsylvania, resigning in 1793. He also was a member of American Philosophical Society, elected in 1768, and was very active in the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia.^[6][7]

As a businessman, in 1783 he operated an early sugar refinery with Colonel Jacob Morgan at 77 Vine Street in Philadelphia.^[8] 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.^[9]

Miles also is noted as being the first faithless elector, when he was pledged to vote for Federalist presidential candidate John Adams, but instead cast his vote for Republican candidate Thomas Jefferson. 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.

Ironworks creations, results

Samuel Miles started the ironworks at Centre Furnace in State College in 1791 as a joint venture with James Dunlap and John Patton. He also built the ironworks at Harmony Forge and the town of Milesburg soon grew, populated by the iron workers drawn to the ore-rich land on the banks of Spring and Bald Eagle creeks. At that time, this valley contained the source of what often was regarded as some of the purest iron ore in the world. Brothers Joseph and James Miles carried on the iron works business until 1825 when Joseph Green became a partner. The Harmony Forge iron works continued until 1898.

Founding of Milesburg, PA

From the Milesburg (PA) Museum & Historical Society:

Col. Samuel Miles purchased the land that would become Milesburg in 1792 and a year later his brother Richard Miles mapped out the town of Milesborough. Milesborough was officially established in Mifflin County (Centre County was not formed until 1800) on March 13, 1797.

In 1827, the spelling was changed to Milesburgh, and in 1843, was granted borough status. It wasn't until September 20, 1893, that the borough was granted the Milesburg name we know today.

Family makeup

On February 16, 1761, in the First Church of Philadelphia, Miles married Catherine Wister (1742–1797), who was born in Philadelphia to John Caspar Wister and Catharine Rubenkam. They became the parents of 10 children, three of whom died in childhood: Hannah (1764-1845), Samuel (1767-1767), Abigail (1768-1823), James (1770-1797), Catherine (1771-1771), Sarah (1772-1775), Mary (1775-1835), John W. (Joseph 1780–1841), and Charles (1783-1814).

His later years

As a new member of the Democratic-Republican party, Miles ran for Congress twice (1798) but lost to political newcomer Robert Waln, a Federalist, (1765–1836).

Miles's portrait, painted by the noted American artist Gilbert Stuart, hangs in the Washington, D.C. National Gallery of Art. The portrait of his wife, Catherine Wister Miles, that may possibly have been completed by Gilbert Stuart. It now hanging is at Grumblethorpe, the home of her father, John Wister, in Germantown, Philadelphia. Another portrait of Samuel Miles, completed by Charles Willson Peale, hangs in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Miles died on December 29, 1805, in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, and was interred at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia.^[10]

References

External links

• Biography at the University of Pennsylvania
• 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.