Works of Art

During the time he was travelling to the West as an artist-correspondent for Harper’s, Remington’s work was noticed by Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles, a capable and very ambitious U.S. Army commander. Miles frequently opened doors for Remington to be an “official artist” on numerous occasions, allowing him easy access to the officers and troops in the field. In return, Remington supported General Miles’ efforts to be noticed in the press and praised for his exploits, whether deserved or not. The culmination of this was the publication in 1896 of the Personal Recollections and Observations of General Nelson A. Miles, a weighty self-serving tome that was designed to help propel Miles to the presidency of the United States. The volume featured a great many illustrations by Remington, including full-page black and white reproductions taken from paintings. Fourteen of these illustrations were printed in rotogravure for a portfolio issued by the book’s publisher, the Werner Company, in 1898.

In May 1877, following the defeat of a hostil Lakota Sioux camp led by a chief named Lame Deer, General Miles and his command found themselves with a large herd of captured horses. Some of them bore the brand of General Custer’s ill-fated Seventh Cavalry. These horses were easily mounted by some of the troops from the Fifth Infantry; the wild Indian ponies were not so easily subdued, and General Miles provided an amusing description of the soldiers’ efforts to put a saddle on them. It usually took three or four men and some wild bucking before this was accomplished. Remington’s depiction shows the men struggling with some of the horses. General Miles added that the Fifth Infantry was eventually entirely equipped with horses in this way, and it was afterwards known as the Eleventh Cavalry.