Centre County Library & Historical Museum - Autobiography of Colonel Samuel Miles

Handwritten title page of autobiography added by Francis Potts Green, the great grandson of Samuel Miles

Samuel Miles joined the Pennsylvania Militia in 1755 at the age of sixteen years in order to protect settlers from Indians. He spent most of 1756 building forts on the frontier of Northampton County in the province of Pennsylvania.

As Captain Lieutenant of a company, Samuel Miles faced a mutiny due to lack of pay for their service in the march to Fort Loudon in 1758. One man refused to march. They fought. He with his sword and the other man with his musket. Samuel Miles notes that his 'passion was raised to that degree, that I did not recollect what passed afterwards, untill [sic] I found myself beating him with my fist, as he lay upon the ground'. The man appeared dead for a while but ultimately came to and survived. Samuel Miles had pierced his breast with his sword. According to Samuel Miles 'this settled the business perfectly with the other men, who proceeded on their march without further disturbance'. Samuel Miles was wounded in the foot by a spent ball while at Fort Ligonier in 1758. Samuel Miles left Fort Ligonier on March 7, 1759 for Fort Pitt.

In 1760, Samuel Miles and his militia company made their way to Fort Presque Isle on Lake Erie and returned to Fort Pitt in Dec. 1760 via a partially frozen Allegheny River. From Dec. 1760 - Jan. 1761, Samuel Miles returned to Philadelphia with his company and discharged them. Samuel Miles got married on Feb. 16, 1761 and started a business dealing in rum and wine and dry goods. In 1766 he was elected as a warden of Philadelphia and then in 1769 as a commissioner for the city and county of Philadelphia.

In 1776, Samuel Miles marched 150 of his men to the Delaware River to view the river battle between American row galleys and the British ships (Roebuck and her companion). He was also ordered to send some men to suppress insurrections in Sussex County, Delaware and Monmouth County, New Jersey. All his men were ordered to Amboy (Perth Amboy, NJ) to form the 'Flying Camp'. However since he and other Pennsylvania units had no vote in the election of General Daniel Roberdeau, they refused to serve under his command and were not part of the Flying Camp.

Samuel Miles provides a detailed explanation of his actions on the day of Aug. 27, 1776 with respect to the British Army movements.

Samuel Miles continues his detailed explanation of his actions on Aug. 27, 1776 that ultimately lead to his capture. Samuel Miles was a British prisoner for 21 months until he was exchanged in April 1778. While he was appointed Brigadier General by the Pennsylvania Council of Safety in Dec. 1776 he was not able to accept this rank given the conditions of his release. So Samuel Miles retired to his farm but in 1779 was nominated and approved to be the Deputy Quartermaster of the State of Pennsylvania for which he served until 1782 after which he retired again. However in 1783 he was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Errors & Appeals, and in 1784 he was elected as a member of the Council of Censors for the city of Philadelphia.

Samuel Miles was elected to be an elector for Pennsylvania under the Federalist Party banner for the presidential election in 1796. John Adams (Federalist) and Thomas Jefferson (Democrat) were running. Samuel Miles against the wishes of his party selected Thomas Jefferson because in his mind the Jefferson administration 'would prove most likely to settle the difference with france [France]'.

Portrait of Samuel Miles (1739 - 1805) created most likely from the painting by Gilbert Stuart (circa 1800) but portraying a younger version of him in the 1770's during the time of the American Revolution. Colonel Samuel Miles was the commander of the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment until his capture in August 1776.