The record-union., 1898-03-13

usual at midday Tor q snort time 10
Craze our horses. We unsaddled and
turned them lcose, sending out pickets
and videttes TO guard them, under Lieu
tenant Royal. In short time the
horses came dashing into camp (Which
we had taught them to do at our
posts, when driven in from their graz
ing ground each evening", and with
them came 4 picket with a message
from Royal that he had discovered a
band CT ponies grazing ard had dashed
over to them and got between the
ponies ard the Indians. who were en-
camped in brushy ravine about two
miles distant
We hastily saddled up and galloped
over to him AS soon as We got there
Van Dorm rested his Indian guides and
most of the men on the hills surround
ing the rayine. in which we could see
a few Of the lodges and hear the In
dians' war-whaops
| Fits company and mine were dis
mounted and ordered to charge through
the ravine and drive the Indians out
into the open ground beyond Most OF
| the indians sought shelter in q shall
i low creek that ran the length OF the
! canyon with banks about four feat
nigh, from which they showered arrows
IN every direction as we advanced the
! Indians being entirely hidden from
view
AS we reached an opening in the
! woods Fitz, who was a few feet away
on my left, uttered a groan. and tuln-
Ing 10 nm, 1 saw an expression of great
| pam OF his pale face and an arrow
STICKING straight out from his body be-
low his arnpit. On The impulse of the
moment | put my hand against MS
| back ana pulled the arrow out and
threw IL away. Then we placed him.
for the time being, at the foot Of a
large cak tree.
After the fight, which ended in the
Killing or capture of all the Indians.
! the surgeon asked me to go and. if I
| could, Identify the arrow to see wheth-
! er or not the head had been left in the
| Wouni, as he could not determine bv
! MS PROBE. If it was in Lees body his
late was settled. On searching the Vi
entity of the spot where Fitz was
wounded [ found a large number of ar
! rows, some headless and others intact
and for the time that point remained
! undetermined.
| We had left our wagons some IIo
miles away, and to carry him to them
! we lmproVlsed Stretcher by cutting
two poles, across which we stretched
canvas and harnessed a pack mule be-
tween the front shafts and another be-
hlnd. To be polled for that distance
over rough gullies, across streams and
the clustering sands Of the plains. the
sun blazing at times in his face. and
with only warm water from our can
teens TO quench his fever and pain was
| a freary outlook for brave Fitz But
with That cheerful fortitGde which ne
VINO knew the man expected of him.
| he bore 1t without q nurmur
AS the officers cn the weary marcn
| would ride up TO offer assistance and
cheer him up. for all loved him, he
| Would minimize his pain and even joke
| though his blanched face told of the
suff e:i,s he endured. When about half
way, IN reply TO my inquiry as to what
L could do for him, he said:
! My dear fellow, for the last thou
sand miles old Ned Chat was the hind
mule) has nodded and winked at me at
each step. He has shaded my eyes and
kept the flies off my face with his flop
ping ears. and if / live I shall always
remember him in my dreams. But II
you want to do something for me. 10
change ends with the mules Let me
get acquainted with the face Of the
other mule, and let Old Ned have a
change of scenery"
Every one cared for him like a broth
er and shared the delight of seeing hin,
himself once more
An Incident of the civil war which
was told me is characteristic of the
| man. Al West Point Fits roommate
was Tom H, and they loved one an
other as brothers. Both entered the
mounted service. Tom was a proud.
ambitious fellow, and had specially
memorized Dennis Mahan's Outpost
Duty, small textbook of the Acade-
my, IN which We're specially ei. aasized
the rules for cavalry officer-"to be
always alert; TO sleep with his ears and
one eye open never to play cards when
on duty, for he might be called upon to
surrender when taking Up the last
trick: that the cavalry was the eyes
and ears of the army, and that on It's
vigilance the safety Of the army de-
pended This book was the gospel of
Toms military life.
Early in the war Fitz had a com
mand Under Jeb Stuart and Tom had
one of Federal cavalry and was oper-
ating in the same section To capture
Tom, of all men. was most attractive
and tempting to Fitz. He selected one
very dark, stormy night when he
thought his old classmate might seek
shelter in an old farmhouse that one Of
Lees men, familiar with the country.
told him was very near his camp
Taking this man as guide. and a
small portion of his command he elud-
ed the pickets TO avoid any alarm. and
, surrounded the house. Pistol in hand.
FitZ entered q room that was dimly
lighted by smoiderng fire on the
hearth. and there he found his Did
: friend Tom. buried in an old Virginia
feathcrbed and sound asleep while the
rain was beating a most somnolent
: lullaby On the shingled roof In fact
Tom was dead to the world Fitz
: slipped quietly up to the bed. laid his
hand on Toms shoulder and shock him
Get up. Tom. and dress YOURSELF
! he said with assumed severity You
are ny prisoner. 1t is useless 10 give
: any alarm. Come and breakfast with
me, though / can offer you only a
hearty welcome
! When Tom was fully awake and rec
ognized in the dripping form pistol in
hand. standing with smiling face be-
side his bed. his old classmate, ne was