Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-08-14
SITTING BULL AT WEST POINT.
An Extraordinary story about the
ereRt sioux LendeP--Toe mysterl.
Ous Cadet y no was Called " "BisOn"

0ns cadet n no was Called " "iSisOn''
There has been for some time
among army officers at Washington
all sorts of discussions about Sitting
Bull, the great leader of the Sioux.
There are many questions as to his
identity. No sketch that has pur-
ported to be a history of him has
awakened the interest that has been
created by an army officer writing
to the Baltimore Gazette of Tues
day. In his sketch this officer
claims that Sitting Bull is a rene
gade graduate of West Point. Upon
this point he says: Is Sitting Bull
West Point graduate? This ques-
ton is asked in sober earnest, with
view of eliciting information,
there being reasons for believing
that this formidable warrior and
so-called savage now occupying SO
much of the public attention from
the unquestioned skill and extraor-
dinary courage with which he has
met our soldiers is really graduate
of the military academy. There
may be some foundation for the re-
ports ms to his reading French and
being familiar with the campaigns
of the great Napoleon. Graduates Of
West Point between lS4G and 1850
will remember q new cadet Of both
singular and remarkable appear
ance, hailing from the western bor-
ders of the Missouri, who reported
for duty in 1S45, 1916, or 1S47
He was above medium hight, appa.
rcntly between eighteen and twenty
wears old, heavy-set frame, long
bushy hair growing close to his
brow and overhanging his neck
and shoulders, and his face covered
with thin patches Of white frizzy
beard. The general get-up Of this
"plebe was such as to cause ole
cadets to hesitate in their practica
jokes usually played off on new
cadets. Nicknames are often ap
Piled to cadets that they carry witt
them among their friends. into tht
army and even to their graves
This fellows thick neck, broaC
9 shoulders, and long bushy hal
caused the name of Gibson " to b
applied to the new conner, and !
adhered to him ever afterward
y The West Point course he Learned
with ease, graduating third in hi
class. He had no disposition to b
social, kept to himself, talked bu
I little, and was never known to eithe
smile or laugh, During the hour
of recreation he did not mngl
!. with his classmates, but was oitel
seen in solitary walks around tn
), plain or scaling the neighborlni
:. mountains even to their very sum
t mits. He was often out OF HI
q quarters after night, eludin
e. e. successfully the vigilance Qt tn
ut sentinels and officers, and yl'
rs iting neigh5oring villages /
K quest of strong drink, but VIZ
es never seen under its influence unit
"a he had graduated, This remarks
d bic character passed his graduatin
"a examination creditably, receiyir
n his diploma, but before dofling ii
a. cadet gray visited the village
g. g. Buttermilk Falls, below West Poil
K. 4 short distance, got intoxicatt
and became involved in broil,
which stones and sticks We're usC
!. freely. Several Of the particjpan
lRlS RS were badly hurt and !" Bison . hin
's' self much bruised. This condu
was regarded as SO unbeeomipg 81
20 discreditable that on the recor
mendation Of the academic boa
mt, he was refused a commission in Il
army. He was heard Of thr
50 times after leaving the academy,
Galveston, Texas. There he had
z, terrible fight with some desPerado'
4 . and was forced to leave. lie "
next seen on one of the Caliiorr
steamers going up on the weste
coast. He got into an altercah
with tho officers of the steamer a
was placed under gpqrd down !,
~ the hold and made to work. I
'ur- third and last time, as far as | knC