The infantry, however, passed upon the present occasion without the smallest difficulty.  The cavalry also passed without any accident by going a few at a time, and each man leading his horse.  When the artillery came up, doubts were entertained of the possibility of getting it over.  The general had placed himself on an eminence, to see his army file to the opposite side of the river.  A consultation was held upon the practicability of passing the guns.  Captain Miller volunteered to conduct the first gun.  The limber was taken off, and drag ropes were fastened to the washers, to prevent the gun from descending too rapidly.  The trail, carried foremost, was held up by two gunners, but, notwithstanding every precaution, the bridge swung from side to side, and the carriage acquired so much velocity, that the gunners who held up the trail, assisted by captain Miller, lost their equilibrium, and the gun upset.  The carriage, becoming entangled in the thong balustrade, was prevented from falling into the river, but the platform of the bridge acquired an inclination almost perpendicular, and all upon it were obliged to cling to whatever they could catch hold of to save themselves from being precipitated into the torrent, which rolled and foamed sixty feet below.  For some little time none dared go to the relief of the party thus suspended, because it was supposed that the bridge would snap asunder, and it was expected that in a few moments all would drop into the abyss beneath.  As nothing material gave way, the alarm on shore subsided, and two or three men ventured on the bridge to give assistance.  The gun was dismounted with great difficulty, the carriage dismantled, and conveyed piecemeal to the opposite shore.  The rest of the artillery then made a detour, and crossed at a ford four or five leagues lower down the river.

Miller soon became advanced to the rank of brevet-major:  in November, 1818, he joined Lord Cochrane, who took the command of the naval forces of Chile, and was accompanied by major Miller, as commander of the marines, in nearly all his expeditions.  Lord Cochrane failing in his first attack on Callao, resolved to fit out fire-ships, and a laboratory was accordingly formed under the superintendance of major Miller.  Here our gallant adventurer was nearly destroyed by an accidental explosion; and in an attack shortly afterwards at Pisco, he was desperately wounded, so that his life was for seventeen days despaired of.

In the capture of Valdivia, one of the bravest exploits of modern warfare, Miller acted a distinguished part, and narrowly escaped destruction, a ball passing through his hat, and grazing the crown of his head.  The narrative of this glorious scene is unfortunately too long for transference to our columns, and the omission of any of the details would interfere with its glowing interest.