The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1876-08-25
srrrENG nUII. a WEST POINTER.

Bull, the great leader OF the Sioux
There are many questions as to his
i6 entity. No sketch that has purport-
ed to be history of him has awakened
the interest that has been created by an
army officer writing to the Baltimore
Gazette of to-day. In his sketch this
officer claims that Sitting Bnll is ren-
egade graduate of West Point. Upon
this subject he says:
Is Sitting Bull West Point grad.
uate? This question is asked in sober
earnest with view of elicitiug iniorma-
ton, there being reasons tor believing
that this formidable warrior and social
Ell savage, now occupying SO much of
the public attention from the unqnes-
toned skill and extraordinary courage
with which he has met our soldiers, is
really a graduate OF the military
academy. There may be some tounda-
French and being familiar with tie
campaigns OF the great Napoleon.
! Graduates OF West Point between 1916
and 1850 will remember new cadet IF
both singular and remarkable appear
ance, ltailing from the western borders
of the Missouri, who reported for duty
III 1845, 1916 or 1S47. lie was above
medium hight, apparently between Is
aud 20 years old, heavy set frame, long
| bushy hair growing close to his brow
and overllanglng his neck aud shoul-.
ders, and his face covered with thin
patches of white trIzzy beard. The
general get-up Of this "plebe" was
sach as to cause old cadets To hesitate in
their practical jokes usually p aged off
on new cadets.
Nicknames are often applied to ca
dets that they carry With them among
their friends into the army and even to
their graves. This fellows thick neck,
broad shoulders, and long bnshy hair
caused the name of 8 bison" TO be APP
/ piled to tie new conner, and it adhered
to him ever afterward. he West Point
course lie learned with ease, graduating
/ third III his ella IS. lie had no DISPOSE
tion TO be social, kept 10 himself, talked
but little, and was lever known to
either smile or laugh During the
with his classmates, but was often seen
In solitary walks around the plain or
scaling the ncie ehboring mountains even
to their very SUBMITS. lie was often
out of quarters after night, eluding sue
cessfully the vigilance of the sentinels
and officers, and visiting neighboring
villages in quest of strong drink, but
was never seen under its influence until
lie had graduated. This remarkable
character passed his graduating exam
ination creIitably, received his diploma,
but before dofing the cadet gray visited
the villages OF Buttermilk Falls, below
West Point short distance, got intox-
ieated and became involved in .broil,
III which stones and sticks were used
freely. Several of the participants were
bruised. This Conduct was regarded
as so unbecoming and discreditabIe that
OH the recommendation of the academic
board he was refused commission in
the army. He as heard of three times
after leaving the academy at Galveston.
here lie had terrible fight with
some desperadoes and forced to leave.
! He was next seen on one Of the CALI
tornia steamers going up the western
coast. He got into an alteration with
/ the officers OF the steamer and was placed
under guard down III the hold and made
to work. The third and last time. as
far as | know, he was seen and recog-
nized under the following circumstances !:
In 1868, about ten years after '' Bison
had graduated, Lieutenant Ives, of the
Typographical engineer corps, was engag-
ed III making an exploration and survey
of the Colorado river, emptying into
tie Gulf Of California. While engaged
in this work he would quite often leave
his boat in the afternoon and 60 on the
shore and bivouac till morning. On
one of these occasions party OF AIojave
| Indians came into his camp, aud after
talking some time i'll Spanish the chief
said in English 6 Ives, do you know
| me ?'' The lieutenant was startled at
hearing his name called SO distinctly in
English by this naked and painted
faced chief. lie replied that lie did not,
and asked the chief where he learned to
speak English SO well. The cEief ra-
piled: Never mind that; but do you
know me, Ives 20 The Lieutenant scan
ned closely the huge painted chief, with
feathers IN his head, rings through his
nose and cars, and again answered that
he did not, and again asked the chict
where he learned English and how it
happened that he knew him. The chief
replied that he did not wonder at his
not knowing him, as his change in hab-
its, dress and appearance was remark
| able, and then he added 6 am sBi-
SON. We were together at West Point.
have, with this little party, been
watching yon for several days. My band
wanted TO kill you and your little party,
but told them we had better wait and
see and try and talk; that we might do
Fbetter than kill you. have made
them understand that after you have
gone back, trade will sprillg up and we
can then do better by trading or robb-
ing boats loaded with goods and sup