ers, maddened by pain, had
strayed away from the column, and perished before the return of the
guides, who, together with the Indians, took charge of long files of the
poor sightless soldiers, clinging to each other with agonized and
desperate grasp. During their dreary march by a rugged mountain path,
several fell down precipices, and were never heard of more. General Miller
suffered only fifteen hours from the _surumpi_, but the complaint
usually continues two days. Out of three thousand men, General Cordova
lost above a hundred. The regiment most affected was the _voltigeros_
(formerly Numancia), which had marched by land from Caracas, a distance of
upwards of two thousand leagues.

General Miller's share in the triumph of Junin was witnessed by Bolivar,
in August, 1824; and at the victory of Ayacucho, which terminated the war
in Peru, general Miller was foremost in the thickest of the fight.

We are now drawing near to the close of our outline of the general's
brilliant career. At the conclusion of the war in 1825, he was appointed
prefect of the department of Potosi, with a population of 300,000 souls.
He was going on prosperously in his labours of peace, in improving the
condition of the natives, who had for three centuries been writhing under
the most infamous oppression, when his health required that he should
visit Europe. In October, 1825, he resigned his honourable office, and
obtained leave of absence to return to his native country, bringing with
him an unsolicited testimonial from Bolivar, of his heroism in the
campaign of 1824. General Miller is now in England, and in circles where
his merit is known, he is received with the highest respect.

In our hasty sketch, we have glanced at only a few of the difficulties
with which General Miller was beset in his several enterprises in the
cause of South American independence. His career, though extending but to
seven years, is one of unparalleled interest, as well to the general
reader, as to the more calculating observer of the rise and progress of
infant liberty. His exploits have none of the daring or bravado of mere
adventures, but they are examples of sterling courage which have few
parallels in the annals of modern warfare. On his quitting Potosi for
England, it is mentioned that he was overwhelmed with testimonials of
popular affection. _We_ live in too advanced a state of refinement to
appreciate the ecstasy which his labours in the great and glorious ca