The background of the shield is silver with etched scenes depicting
incidents of the career of General Miles in the states named. The scenes
depicted are of a buffalo hunt, a covered wagon on the trail, wild
horses with Indian tepees in the background, an Army council of war,
General Miles receiving the surrender of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce
Indians, and a peaceful agricultural scene.

The plaque is inscribed as follows:

Presented to General Nelson A. Miles, U.S. Army, by the officers
of the fifth U.S. Infantry. As a token of personal esteem and
their estimate of his distinguished services in which unequaled
successes over savages in war were paralleled by humanity and
justice towards the thousands of Indians whom he took captive and
instructed in the Arts of Civilization.

The plaque, measuring 18-1/2 by 23 inches overall, is marked "Tiffany &
Co., 6565. Makers 2, Sterling Silver, 926-1000 and Other Metals, M."

General Miles was colonel of the 5th Infantry Regiment for so many years
that a modification of his family crest was selected as the crest on the
coat of arms of the regiment. The Miles family crest is an arm in armor
grasping an anchor. Arrows for each Indian campaign in which the
regiment took part are substituted for the anchor in the regimental
crest.[13]

[Illustration: Figure 10.--SILVER SERVICE presented to Mrs. Abraham
Lincoln when she was First Lady. Gift of Mr. Lincoln Isham. In Division
of Political History. (Acc. 216335.6-.13; Smithsonian photo 44851-B.)]

TO MARY TODD LINCOLN

The Museum recently received a silver service (fig. 10) that belonged to
Mary Todd Lincoln. The service consists of a large oval tray, a
hot-water urn on a stand with a burner, coffeepot, teapot, hot-water
pot, cream pitcher, sugar urn, and waste bowl. All the pieces have an
overall repousse floral and strapwork pattern with the monogram "MTL" on
one side and an engraved crest on the other. The crest seems to be an
adaptation of the Todd family crest. The pieces are marked with a lion,
an anchor, and an old English "G," which are the early marks of the
Gorham Silver Company. It is assumed that this silver service was a
presentation gift to Mrs. Lincoln during the time she was First Lady of
the White House, as a letter dated July 19, 1876, from her to her son
Robert Todd Lincoln calls his attention to a silver service in his
possession that was a gift to her from "the Citizens of New York."

[Illu