, 1876-09-16
Isuli n West Pointer.
An Army Officers Story Of the
Uncapapa Chief.

armv officers here all sorts of discussions
about Sitting Bull, the great leader of
thc Sioux. There are many questions as
- his identity. No sketch that has pur.
ported to he 4 history ot him has awuk
"ncd the interest that has been created
by IN army officer writing to the BaIti.
more G,tzctte OF to-day. In his sketch
rhis officer claims that Sitting Bull is Il
renegade graduate Of West Point. Upon
this point he says: IS Sitting Bull
West Point graduate this question is
asked in sober earnest with u view of
rIiciting information, there being reasons
tor believing that this formidable war.
rior and so-calIed savage now occupying
50 much OF the public attention from the
unqrestioned skill and extraordinary
courage with which he has met our SOL
,Iicrs is really n graduate Ut the military
.cadcmy There may be some founda-
ton for the reports MS to his reading
French and beng familiar with the cam
paigns OF the great Napoleon. Gradu
ates from West Point between lS45 and
1850 will remember new cadet OF both
singularand remarkable appearance, hail
ing from the western borders OF the Mis-
souri,, who reported for duty in 1S45,
1916 or 1877. lie WAS above medium
height, apparently between IS and 20
years old, heavy set frame, long buShy
hair growing close to his brow and over
hanging his neck and shoulders, and his
face covered with thin patches Of white
irlzzy beard, The general get-up of this
''plebc" was such as to cause old clpcts
TO hesitate in their practal jokes usually
played oil on new cadets. Nicknamcs
are often applied to cadets that they
carry with them among their friends into
the army and even to their graves. This
fellows thick neck, broad shoulders and
long bushy hair caused the name OF
I" BISON"
To be applied to the new conner, and it
adhered to him ever aftcrward The
West Point course he learned with ease,
graduating third in his class. He had
no disposition to he social, kept to him
self, talked but little, and was never
known to either smile or laugh. Dur
ing the hours of recreation he did not
ningle with his classmates, but was Oft
en- seen in solitary walks around the
plain or scaling the neighboring mount
aims to their very submits. He was often
out of his quarters after night, eluding
successfully the vigilance OF the centinels
and officers and visiting neighboring
villages in quest of strong drink, but
was never seen under its iufuece until
he had graduated. This remarkable
character passed his graduating examina-
tion creditably, received his diploma,
but before dofting the cadet gray visited
the village of Buttcrmilk Falls, below
West Point short distance, got intoxi-
Gated and became involved in q broil, in
which stones and sticks were used freely.
Several Of the participants were badly
hurt and "Bison" himself much bruised
This conduct WAS regarded as so unbe-
coming and discreditablc that on the
recommendation Of the academic board be
was refused commission in tho army.
lie was heard of three times after leaving
the academy at Galveston, Texas. There
he had n terrible fight with some desper'
ADDE'S and was forced to leave. He was
ue1t seen on one Of the California steamers
going upon the western coast. He got
into au alteration with the officers of
the steamer and was placed under guard
down in the hold and made to work.
The third and last time, rs far rs know,
he was seen and recognized under the
following circumstances In 1868, about
ten years after bison" had graduated,
Lieutenant Ives OF the Typographical en-
giueer corps was engaged in making an
exploration and survey of the Colorado
river, emptyiug into the Gulfof Calitor'
MIA. While engaged in this work he
would quite often leave his boat in the
afternoon and go on the shore and biv-
ouac till morning. On one of these oc-
Casions party OF Mohave Indians came
into his camp, and after talking sometime