- Published in Winona Daily Republican newspaper on June 21, 1900 archived at
http://www.winona.edu/library/databases/winonanewspaperproject.htm
Clarence E. Miller of this City Meets the Death of a Soldier - A dispatch in the Chicago Record today given the latest casualty list sent by Gen. MacArthur from Manila on June 20. Among the names of those killed is that of Clarence E. Miller, first sergeant, Company B, Forty-fifth Infantry, Labo, Luzon, May 15. This is Mr. Clarence E. Miller of this city, who left here last fall for the Philippines. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. Miller, live in this city and his brother, Mr. William O. Miller, is at present with Company C at Lake City. The news will be received with sadness. Clarence E. Miller, Sgt. Co B, 45 USVI, is buried at Section Span Site 16322, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC
Winona Republican-Herald newspaper published Friday, June 5, 1942
Clarence Miller camp No. 5 of the United Spanish War Veterans, which will be host camp to more than 300 members of the Department of Minnesota, U.S.W.V., and their wives at the department and auxiliary annual conventions to be held jointly in Winona Sunday through Tuesday was organized June 15, 1906 with about 37 members. The camp was named in honor of First Sergeant Clarence E. Miller, a brother of William O. Miller, a camp member, today.
First Sergeant Miller was killed at Labo, Luzon, in the Philippines on May 28, 1900.
Sergeant Miller was in one of the three Minnesota regiments of the National Guard sworn into the regular army after the outbreak of the Spanish-American war. Commanded by Colonel Joseph Robleter, Sergeant Miller's regiment was sworn in as the 12th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. (although it was the first sworn in, 11 Minnesota regiments had served in the Civil War and thus it was called the 12th). That was on May 6, 1898. William O. Miller was also a member of the 12th, serving as bugler.
The regiment was sent to Camp Thomas at Chickamauga Park, Ga., then to Camp Hamilton, Lexington, Ky., but was later mustered out at Camp Mueller, New Ulm, Minn. That was in November 1898.
Clarence Miller, later re-enlisted, however, with the 45th U.S. Volunteers and became first sergeant of Company B. This regiment, along with 25 others, was trained for duty in the Philippines and embarked for Manila. The 45th was stationed at Caloocan, just north of Manila, on a line of defense extending east to the Mariquina river.
North of this line, on the east bank of the river, the towns of Mariquina, San Mateo and Montalban were held by armed insurgents estimated at up to 2,000 in number, and enemy forces were known to be operating in the Morong province to the eastward. A road from Montalban north to Norzagaray and a trail from that point through the mountains into upper Bulacan provided a means of communication between the insurgents of northern and southern Luzon. It was the object of the Americans to break this line and on December 26 a force, including a battalion of the 45th, was sent to drive the rebels from Matalban and to hold the mountain passes, roads and trails between that point and Manila. The expedition was completely successful. A Minnesotan, Private Alex Mattson, lost his life, however.
In February, the 45th sailed from Manila with an expedition under General John C. Bates, who had been given instructions to take possession of eastern Albay and the Camarines provinces. The 45th landed just east of the Bicol river and marching inland a few miles, occupied the town of Neuva Caceres. The insurgents fled to the mountains and towns were occupied with little difficulty but the country was infested with marauding bands of armed insurgents.
In the north, Daet was the center of activities. It was to this point that Company B, commanded by Captain Albert Steinhauser, formerly of the 12th Minnesota, was sent in March 1900. Captain Steinhauser arrived at Labo with 20 men of his company, including Sergeant Miller, on May 26 and found the town in the possession of a band of insurgents.
The Americans made short work of the rebels, but on the return of the detachment two days later it was attacked by a force of about 40 riflemen and over 100 bolomen, who attempted an ambush. Again the enemy was beaten off, but at the cost of three men killed. One of them was Sergeant Miller. Another Minnesotan, Corporal Norwin Johnson, was also killed. Wounded included Captain Steinhauser, Corporal Thorwald Thompson and Private Louise Narveson, all Minnesotans.
The regiment returned to Labo but was pursued and there besieged for three days, until reinforcements drove off the attackers. Among the 54 members of the regiment who lost their lives during this period, nine were Minnesotans.
Clarence Miller was the son of a Civil War veteran, Alfred Miller, and Mary Miller. Two brothers, Victor and James F., served in the World War, while William S. Miller, son of William O. Miller, the brother who was a bugler in the 12th during the Spanish-American war, is a private with Company C, 61st Battalion, Second Platoon, Camp Wolters, Texas, in the present conflict.
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1872 - 1900 (27 years)
