New Ulm review., 1900-07-25
An Authentic Report Of the Engagement
in which Capt. Steinhauser was
Wounded and Lieut.. Miller
Z Lost His Life.

Lost His Life.
The following letters we're received in.
Winona Wednesday from First Iieuten-
ant Allen Blaker of that city They
give particulars of the death of Clarence
Miller, who was shot on May %. The,
first letter of the lieutenant to his father
gives the most realistic idea Of the situa
ton of the soldiers in the Philippines,
and the great danger to which they are
subjected. ztrS
10 make the matter palmer, it should
be stated that Company B of the Forty
fifth infantry, of which Mr.. Blaker is
first lieutenant, is stationed at the town
lof Daet, doing garrison duty at that
point. The officers of the company were
appointed to the various Official posi-
tions to represent the government, which
explains the number of offices which
Lieut.. Blaker holds. The d1sablelnent
of Capt. Steinhauser, places Lieut.. Blaker
in full command of the province in
which they are stationed, position of
great responsibility, and no sinecure.
The letters follow:
Dear Father: This is really the first
time ever dreaded to write to you, but
| certainly do dislike it now for the rea-
son that l must tell you of the death of
poor Miller who was killed at Labo, this
province, May %. He had gone there
with patrolof twenty -one men COM
manded by Capt. Steinhauser. They
went into the town and stayed two days
and when on their. return trip were am
pushed by large force Of insurgents
and Miller and Corporal johnson killed
! and nine other men wounded. They shot
him three times before he gave up but
the fourth shot was too much for him.
They shot from behind, the ball entering
the small of his back and came out
about the center of his stomach, making
a frightful wound. He died almost I'M
tmediately but before he died the hospit-
al corps man came to him and wanted to
dress his wounds but he would not al.
allow 1t, saying that he was going Ito die
anyway and for the steward TO put in,
his time on some of the men who were
not so badly hit. They had pretty hard
lighting for about half ar hour longer,
when the natives decided that they had
enough and left, whereupon the we'll men
decided to get the wounded back across
the river and into The church as being
the best way out of the prldicament.
They managed to ford the river with
the wounded and got them into the
church where the steward dressed their
wounds and made them as comfortable
as possible. There being ten men wound
ed they had to leave Miller and johnson
where they fell. -. 49,. .,...
I had been down to the. port all that
day but returned to Daet early the next
morning. About the time. I got to town
there was report came in<tllat the cap
tain had had a fight and that there were
three men killed, but no one could tell
me where he was. So despatched some
trusty natives to the different towns to
find out if possible. They all returned
without any news. One did not get
back until about in the afternoon. He
was the man I had sent to Labo. He told
me that the insurgents stopped him on
the road about five miles this side Of
Labo. and tried to capture him but he
turned his horse around and managed to
run away from them. 4. III III
I left at once with thirty men for that
town, got within about three miles Of it
and made up my it would be best to
camp there until just before daylight.
then go in and bring the men out. We:
had not been asleep more than half
hour when one of the sentinels halted a
couple Of men who were sneaking up
the road toward camp. Upon investiga-
ton found it to be . native guide who
was with the captain and Artifcer JOS.
q. Nolen. They had gotten outsof the.
church after dark, swan the river and
made their way all right until halted by
the sentinel. He reported the facts to
be as I have stated and that the captain
was also shot through both legs and un-s
der the left arm. He also stated that
there we're at least sixty men with rifles,
between 800 and 80 bolo men on our.
side Of the river. Realizing that if 4