The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-08-16
COLONEL LEE
AT Ell CARNEY
Gallant cOnduct Of the Oregon.
ianS' British Spy"
Carried Wounded From the Field on
his Shoulders aud Led a Charge
Up the Bloody Hill.

Colonel Arthur Lee. the English
army officer who incurred the ire o
the oregOnian by his harmless lnspee
tion OF the foruncations at the mouth
OF the Columbia the other day. is /
noted character In American mnltar,
affairs, He is the same Lee who. a,
the English military attaehe with
Skaters army, took such prominent
part IN the operations before Santiago
de Cuba. The criticisms OF the ore.
gonian on his formal visit to TT. stev.
ems the other day have put this truly
noble man In bad light before the
readers OF the Pacific Northwest. and
the other papers OF this region should
make Il point to clear up this mis-.
apprehension by publishing the record
OF his conduct and relation to the
American army. which is now showing
him every mark OF esteem and dis.
tlnctiou that It can.
Colonel Lee Is OF the same fghting
stock that the American Lees are
FROM Light Horse Harry Lee. Robert
+. Lee, and FitEhugh Lee being OF his
American cousins. and they were en-
dowed with no more Of the "scraping"
spirit that Colonel Arthur has. II our
stronsholds and military secrets are
TO be revealed to any foreigner. none
better fitted for the trust could be
found the world over than this manly
English soldier. He Is almost an
American anyway, He went through
the baptism OF fire with Skaters men
before FL Caney, and his daring brav-
cry there won him the undying re-
spect and honor OF every true Ameri-
can soldier and made him q place in
American history for all time TO come.
About the best account OF that battle
ever published was his contribution to
Scribn4r's Magazine, under the title
The Regular at ~ Caney." In that
account II will be remembered he in
variably referred 20 the United States
soldiers as "our boys" and "our men,"
with naivite that thoroughly told
how strong were his feelings In the
American cause. He also spoke incl
dentally OF assisting" the wounded
when they We're brought TO the rear
where he was stationed. but every
American officer knows he too modestiy
refrained from telling the whole truth.
Eye witnesses say that Colonel Lee
not only worked busIly with the
wounded men when brought into the
partial shelter OF the famous "sunken
road" where the danger was stlll so
great that numbers OF them were mer-
cifully put out OF their misery by stray
bullets during the whole time. but he
did more-he went out openly on the
most exposed slopes and carried on
his own slender shoulders many OF the
severely wounded to the rear. Some OF
this was told At the time by newspaper
correspondents. but there is one thrill
ling incident In his conduct that day
which has never before been told in
print.
Just before the last final charge was
made up the hill to the "old stone
church." a company commander In the
Twelfth infantry was shot down. AS
the stricken officer was making in
effectual efforts to rise and lead the
charge. then In fun sway. young Cap
tain Lee (he was only a captain then.)
sprang from his shelter and ran 10
the plare Of the wounded American
and went up the hill ahead Of his men.
just as though he had taken the oath
to defend the stars and stripes That
he momentarily forgot the neutrality
OF his position and the seriousness OF
his offense is evident, but that should
make every American think the more
Of him. But It is doubtful. even II he
had realized the propriteties OF his po-
sltion, that he would have acted any
differently In the emergency. He is
too mich Of Lee.
After the battle, he got to thinking
Of his act, It is said, and went around
among the newspaper correspondents
who had witnessed his charge, begging
them to say nothing about 1t in their
accounts, for fear It would get him into
trouble With his government. But II
Is evident his government heard of
the affair even II 1t was not brought
to It's official attention, for immedi-
ately after the war was over Captain
Lee was promoted to a colonelcy and
made a permanent fixture In British
American diplomatic circles. This
shows what his government thought
Of his valor, and as he couldn't receive
any recognition from his American al
lies, why there was nothing left to do
but to promote him in the British
army. II is no wonder American
army officers think a good deal Of
Colonel Lee, nor that the war depart
ment feels called upon to show him
special distinction when he sees ft
TO visit American army posts and
forts.