The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-02-13
Gen. Fla :.cc Fighting indians Gil GIG
Ground.

1t IS an interesting col 1cidcnce that
the first call upon General Fitzhugh
Lee, since he assumed command of
the department Of the Missouri, should
be for the suppression of an Indian
uprising on the Indian Territory bor-
der, exactly the same strip of country
where, about forty years ago, the gen.
eral engaged in his first active battle
as an officer in the United States army
says Washington correspondent Of
The Richmond Times.
General Lee was shot by Indians
and severely wourdcd during the en-
gagemcnt.
In 1883 General Lee was second
lieutenant Of cavalry and under Major
VanDorn, who, in after years, became
o general in the Confederate army,
took part in the Commanchc war in
Northern Texas and the western mart
of the Indian Territory.
Fifty years ago campaigning in the
territory was different affair. Hen
rietta, now at junction Of two rail
roads, did not exist. The nearest out
post of civilization was Fort Sill and
Fort Gibson, to the northeast. This
territory, now in the department of
Missouri, was then in the department
Texas. Under Major Van Dorm The
cavalry started out to chastise the
Commanches, who had been commit
ing depredations in that territory.
They marched over the present site of
Henrietta, crossed the Red river, and
pitched their tents on the south side
OF the Wichita mountains, west Of
Fort Sill. Here they met the Indians,
and in the fight which followed killed
over fifty of them.
In that engagement General Lee
was wounded with an arrow, which
passed between the ribs on his right
side and penetrated his lungs. He
was carried 200 miles on a mule litter,
and gaday nearly caused his death.
The general entertains lively remem-
brance of that trip over the plains.
A mule litter was one Of the insti-
tutions of the old army, and was used
as auxiliary to the ambulance. It
possessed the merit Of being easily
made and was fairly effective. To
make it., two poles were cut about six
teen feet long. Between the poles,
placed three or four feet apart, Stats
were nailed as in ladder, leaving four
feet at each end of the poles bare.
Anger holes were boared in the top of
the poles and saplings were bent in
the form of wagsn bows, reaching
from one pole to the other. Over
this tent canvas was thrown to afford
the wounded man shelter. On top of
the Stats was placed mattress COM
posed Of blankets. At the end of the
poles, where the stats were left off,
straps were attached which were desi-
gned to be suspended across the back
) of mule. The man was placed upon
the litter with his feet forward and
his head below the canvass, directly
under the head Of the rear mule.
When General Lee was being carried
from he fight in one of these litters
the htrse'f flies were bad, and one of
them had persistcntly bothered the
surgeons horse. Finally it lighted
on the rear litter-mule and the doctor
struck at it with his whip. The mule
jumped backward, while the forward
mule walked on. The result was thu
the head of the litter fell to the ground
This scared the forward mule and it
ran away, dragging the litter several
hundred yards across the prairie, un-
til the troopers could capture it. In
ternal hemorrhage was induced by the
fall, and when the surgeon got to Gen
eral Lee he thought his chance for re-
covcry slim. But he got we'll and as
sound as dollar.
1t was right over the same ground
that he made his last campaign on the
soil of the United States, as ON office,
in the United States army. y.-Atlanto
Journal.