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DEATH OF T. W. MILLER °97.
He Fell at San Juan—Some Descrip-
tions From His Diary of His
Experiences with the
Rough Riders.
Theodore Westwood Miller, of th
Class of Ninety-Seven, a member of
Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, died at
Siboney, July 8th, 1898, from the effects
of wounds received during the assault
on San Juan hill on July Ist.
Mr. Miller was born at Akron,
Ohio, January 30, 1875. He prepared
for College at St. Paul’s School, Con-
cord, N. H., where he rowed on the Hal-
cyon crew and played on one of the
football teams. He entered Yale with
the Class of Ninety-Seven,where his in-
terest in athletics was kept up through-
out his College course. In Freshman
year he rowed number two on the Class
crew, and played substitute tackle on
the Class football team, while the next
year he was one of the substitutes on
the University Crew. In Junior and
Senior year he acted as Captain of the
Ninety-Seven Crew. Athletics alone
did not claim his attention, as he was
active in all branches of College life.
He was a member of the College Choir
for three years, and in Senior year led
the Apollo Glee Club. Mr. Miller
devoted considerable time to the Y. M.
C. A. work, serving on several com-
mittees and in Senior year acting as
Superintendent of the Bethany Sunday
School. In the Fall of 1896, he was
sent to Princeton as one of Yale’s
representatives at the Sesquicentennial
celebration. He was a member of
Kappa Psi, Delta Kappa Epsilon and
of Wolf’s Head. During several Sum-
mer vacations Mr. Miller had charge
of the rowing department at Chau-
tauqua, and assisted in some of the
other branches of its work, being
closely connected with the institution
through his father, Mr. Lewis Miller,
the founder. At the close of Junior
year he went abroad to Henley with the
Yale Crew, and acted as the correspond-
ent of the Associated Press there.
After graduation Mr. Miller entered
the New York Law School, and was
studying in New York at the time the
war broke out. He felt at first that it
was his duty to go, and delayed only
until the 28th of May, when he left to
join the Rough Riders at San Antonio.
The Regiment left Texas just before
his arrival, so he went on and joined
thm in New Orleans. ‘Se secured
the necessary equipment at Tampa,
and was included in the first expedition
to Santiago, being assigned to Troop
D. The Rough Riders, as is known,
were among the first troops to land on
Cuban soil. Mr.
part in all the work done by his regi-
ment, and received his wound in the
shoulder at the front on the first of
July in one of the charges at San Juan
nil,
He was at first taken to a field
hospital, an” *he-.30 the hospital at
Siboney, where he" was cared for by
Dr. (Monea) Lesser, the head of the
Red Cross Society in America, and by
his wife, who had volunteered as a nurse.
While he had all the care and attention
which could be given under the circum-
stances, he was unable to rally from the
wound which he had received in his
shoulder, and died there on July 8th.
His brother, John V. Miller, also a
member of Ninety-Seven and Assis-
tant Engineer on the Vulcan, arrived
off Santiago on the oth and sent the
first word to his friends. Efforts were
20. 1898. .
Price Ten Cents.
NEW HAVEN, CONN., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER
Miller took actual
made at once to have the remains sent
home, and he succeeded in gaining the
necessary permission. Some delay was
caused by the quarantine at Siboney,
and it was not until Monday, August
1sth, that the “Grande Duchess’ with
Mr. Miller’s body on board reached
Montauk. Here John Miller was again
quarantined until August 2oth, and then
the body was taken at once to Akron,
Ohio, and the funeral was held at 2
Pp. M. on August 23d, Bishop Vincent
conducting the services. The burial
was private, but the services at the
grave were in charge of the G. A. R.
The pall-bearers were E. S. Harkness,
William Darrach, J. P. Lineaweaver,
C. R. Hemenway, J. R. Judd and B.
Kohler, all classmates with the excep-
THEODORE WESTWOOD MILLER, ’Q7.
KILLED AT SAN JUAN, JULY I.
tion of the latter, a graduate of Ninety.
R. S. Brewster and A. F. Judd were
present at the burial.
By the death of Theodore Miller
Yale has lost one of her best and
noblest sons. He was admired and
respected highly by all in his Class at
College for the quiet earnestness of his
life and devotion to duty. His loss
is felt most deeply, for all who knew
him loved him.
Shortly after the news of his death
was published in the papers, a meet-
ing of Ninety-Seven was called at the
Yale Club in New York. A temporary
committee consisting of W. Darrach,
J. S. Wheelwright, C. R. Hemenway
and W. L. Goodwin was appointed to
write and express sympathy informally
to the family in behalf of the Class, and
to notify them that in the Fall, when
larger numbers of the Class were
gathered in the city after the Summer
vacation, suitable action looking toward
erecting some memorial on the Cam-
pus, or founding some
in his name, would be taken.
The three letters which follow were
written from the hospital at Siboney,
and need little explanation. The letter
from Theodore Miller to his mother,—
his last letter—-was evidently dictated.
The Rementine referred to is probably
Frederick Remington, the artist. A
‘magnificent tribute to the qualities of
the dead soldier is paid in the letter of
David V. McClure to Mr. Miller’s
father:
DR. LESSER TO MR. LEWIS MILLER.
SIBONEY, Cusa, July 7th, 1808.
Mr.. Miller:—In behalf of your son
I write to you. He wishes me to write
to you and tell you about his wound.
He will be all right I think. He is shot
in the left shoulder and the ball came
out the right one. We will bring him
to New York as soon as possible. His
wound is a bad one, but with his nerve
and his strong will he will come out
all right. :
fought together.
fast at °
scholarship —
THEODORE MILLER TO HIS MOTHER.
je eo A rather narrow: ¢s-
‘cape but feel sure I will pull through
aH ight. “Leddy Burke and:.-Mr,
Rementine have done all that was
possible in getting extra things. Mr.
Whitney offered to write you but Mr. —
McClure had offered before, so he did
SO.
things, for Doctor Lesur, who is here
just now, who is at the head of the Red
Cross of America, said I would come
out all (right?) soon. _He said he was
going to write to you himself. They
are doing everything that they can for
me. I remain your most loving son
and will be with you soon; goodbye.
DAVID MCCLURE TO MR. MILLER.
Mr. Miller:—Allow me to write these
few lines; I formed your son’s acquaint-
ance some time ago when he joined our
regiment. Allow me to say he is one
of the most noble and brave boys I
ever met. We. slept together and
You have one of the
most noble boys. He was shot on a
charge we made and did not fall out
till it was over with. He never flinched
from the Spaniard’s fire. I think of
your son asa brother. We have formed
a friendship that cannot be broken. I
love him for being so brave and loyal
to his country. I will close for this
time with all regrets of the one so
brave. I remain with him until he is
sent home. :
Very respectfully,
Davin. McCLuRE.
I live at Oklahoma City, O. T.
Ta OS
Mr. Miller’s Diary.
The WEEKLY has been allowed to
pick passages from Mr. Miller’s own
diary of his very eventful month. It
was put together purely for a personal
record and most hurriedly composed.
Mr. Miller himself had no opportunity
to see it after it was sent from camp.
The suggestion is hazarded that Yale
men will not regret that it is so purely
informal and spontaneous in expression.
Below are the extracts:
On Thursday, May 26th, Richard
came to New York, and asked Bill
Jud? Rgl].Datragh and me to break-
Holland House with him.
lis was the day after the second call
for troops; and as I had decided to
wait only that long, which gave me
time to complete my year at Law
School, I needed only this call to make
me go. Richard suggested, at break-
fast, my joining the Rough Riders, so
we telegraphed to Dade Goodrich.
That night I went to New Haven for
“Slap Day,” and on my return, Friday
morning, found message from Dade
saying that there was a place for me at
once. I lunched with Richard, Mina
and Grace at the Normandie, and then
hustled about telegraphing, writing, pur-
chasing tickets, packing, etc. Finished
at about nine o’clock p.m., and then
with Charlie Hemenway, who accom-
panied me as far as Jersey City, went to
Orange. Rode horseback before and
after breakfast at Mina’s, and left about
eleven for New York to take New
York Central for San Antonio.
Richard and Grace saw me off; and
I met some man on train who said
that Bob Wrenn was to leave for New
Orleans directly that p.m. I tele-
graphed Dade from Poughkeepsie, and.- --
Father and
went on to San Antonio.
Ed. met me in Cleveland, and father”
joined me on my trip. At St. Louis
the Koenig boys, with their father, were
down to meet us; and we took supper
You must not worry about these
and I made my will there. Left St.
Louis after an hour, and took the
Iron Mountain Route for San Awxtonio,
but rumors and papers led us to think
that the Regiment had left San Antonio;
so we telegraphed at Houston, and
received word at Marshall, Texas, that
the Regiment had passed through
Houston en route for Tampa. I had
forty minutes. to wait, so bid farewell
to father, who went to Dallas, Texas.
I exchanged my ticket for San Antonio
for one to New Orleans, with 85 cents
to boot; and after a shave, shampoo
and general refreshing, took the train
for the southern metropolis. My anx-
iety was at its height all night; and it
was a chase for a prize I greatly
coveted.
CATCHING THE REGIMENT.
Arrived at New Orleans at about nine
o’clock, crossed the ferry, and hurried
by a cab to the place where I had
learned the Rough Riders had arrived.
I almost yelled for joy when I saw the
yellow canvas suits, and the soldierly
appearance of many men getting of
and off cars, for I felt sure I had caught
the Rough Riders; for they can’t beat
the locomotive, if they can ride a horse.
I pushed about, feeling greatly out of
place, and appearing much more so, on
account of my civilian garb, looking
for Dade. Ran across Jerry Eward,
whom I scarcely recognized, and he
showed me how to find Goodrich.
Soon ran across him, hurrying about .
on very important mission, I supposed;
but he seemed glad to see me, and looked
up officers and introduced me to Cap-
tain O’Neill and Lieut. Frances. He
finally got permission to have me ex-
amined, and, if satisfactory, to allow me
to join the Regiment en route, to await
formal enlistment at Tampa. I was
examined by Chief Surgeon La Motte
in the smoking department of the
officer’s sleeper; and, after a very easy
examination, my physical condition and
requirements were found satisfactory,
and I went with Dade to the baggage
car, the only place which could be
found for me. He introduced me to
Holt and Wills; and I soon became
acquainted with Burgess, Love and
Sergt. Hunter. The place assigned
me proved to be the Hospital car, and
I was exceedingly lucky to get there,
for the other cars were ordinary day
coaches, and the men slept curled up
on two seats, with two men in each set.
This car of mine was also the Commis-
sary Department for Troop D, so we
managed to get all we wanted to eat—
as far as quantity, at least, went.
MEETING COLLEGE FRIENDS.
We left New Orleans shortly after
noon; and I found travelling in a bag-
gage car in civilian’s clothes, with a
dress suit case and a derby hat, not so
very comfortable; but upon further
acquaintance with the men, and after
throwing off unnecessary clothes, I got
along nicely. The large door in the
car furnished a splendid window for
view and ventilation; so we felt quite
‘fortunate as compared with the men in
day coaches. I soon discovered an old
friend in Troop A, end of car,—Hollis-
ter of Harvard,—and we soon struck up
quite a “joll.” Before we left New
Orleans, Teddy Burke, Bob Wrenn and
Bill Larned appeared on the scene, and
we were all on the anxious seat until
assigned. Teddy Burke knew me
before, so we met in good shape; and.
he introduced me to Wrenn an
Larned. Companions by necessity, we
soon became acquainted, and finally
found that Bob Wrenn was to come
into my car, and Teddy Burke and
Larned went into D Troop car.
