[177] John Gale, of New Hampshire, was surgeon in the rifles. He entered the army in 1812, as surgeon's mate in the 23d Infantry. After an honorable discharge in 1815, he was the same year reinstated as surgeon's mate in the 3d Infantry, and in 1818 made surgeon in the rifles. Three years later he became major-surgeon. He died in 1830. Matthew J. Magee was captain of a Pennsylvania company of volunteers during the first two years of the War of 1812-15. In 1814 he was made captain in the 4th Rifles. After being discharged at the close of the war, he was reinstated (1816) as first lieutenant of ordnance with brevet rank as captain. A little later he was made captain, and in 1818 was transferred to the rifles. In 1821 he was transferred to the infantry. His death occurred in 1824.--ED. [178] Ietan, as he was called by the whites, is said to have been the son of Big Horse (Shonga-tonga). The name may have been given him for some exploit against the Ietan (Comanche) tribe. His Indian name (Shamonekusse, Shongmunecuthe) means Prairie Wolf. In 1821-22 Ietan accompanied a deputation of chiefs to the East; the Indians made careful observations of what they saw, after their own fashion, and, it is said, attempted to count the people of New York by means of notched sticks. Among his fellows Ietan was noted for his wit and sagacity, as well as for warlike prowess. His death resulted (April, 1837) from a wound received while pursuing some young braves who had seduced two of his wives.--ED. [179] The Ietan Indians, more commonly known as Comanche, were a branch of the Shoshoni family. Their range was the upper Arkansas, Canadian, and Red rivers. On the Pawnee and Pawnee Loups, see respectively Brackenridge's _Journal_, in our volume vi, note 17, and Bradbury's _Travels_, in our volume v, note 44. The Pawnee nation consisted of four principal tribes: 1. Pawnee proper (Grand Pawnee); 2. Pawnee Republican, who dwelt on the Republican fork of Kansas River; 3. Tapage, on the Platte; 4. Pawnee Loups (Skidi; Pani-mahas). The Omaha and Ponca were closely related tribes of Siouan stock. For their early history and present condition, see our volume v, notes 49, 63. The Sioux (Dakota) were the chief branch of the great family to which they have given their name. The branch was divided into a number of tribes, including the Yankton and Teton, mentioned below in the text. Sketches of the Osage, Sauk and Foxes, and Iowa will be found in our volume v, notes 21, 22.