The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-30
BISON M'LEAN.
How the White Chief of the NavajOs
Received His Name.

To the Editor of the Globe.
The story about Bison Mclean in the
issue of the l 0 b e of the 2Sth is substan-
TALLY correct except to the following: He
was not called Bison by Mcclellan, but re-
ceived that sobriquet from the fact of be-
ing from Missouri, just citizens of Wis
consin and Michigan are called Badgers and
Wolverines, the people of Missouri are called
Bisons.
Thomas Mckinney Mclean entered West
Point in 1874 and should have graduated in
1913. He was by no means a dull student
for in a class of about sixty he stood about
seventeenth. l roomed with him for one year
and know that it was not necessary for him
to be assisted in his studies by any one.
HIS examination in 1S4S was eminently salts
factory and had it not been for the following
circumstances he would have graduated and
been assigned to the artillery. He had much
of the animal in his makeup, and to crafty
purely animal instincts he would take any
risk whatever. Before the diplomas were
made out he wandered off one night after
taps His absence was discovered and on the
following day in accounting for his absence
from his room he told deliberate falsehood.
This was known to a number of his class,
who reported it to the academic board. A
diploma was refused and he was declared
deficient in conduct. There was no mystery
in regard to his disappearance. Every two
months during the period a cadet is at West
Point certain stoppage is made on account
given to the cadet when he graduates or
leaves the academy. The equipment fund
amounts TO about 500. check for this
amount was given Bison; he got it cashed
and his departure from West Point was
known to every one. He returned to his
friends in Missouri, but being of a restless,
rowing disposition he left home without any
particular object in view. In his rambles
he fell in with party of Navajos and con-
eluded to remain with them. His superior
intelligence, his great success as a hunter
soon won the confidence and esteem of the
tribe and he was elevated to the exalted
position of chief. His first effort was to bring
them to understand that their tactics were
faulty and that they must submit to disci-
pine. If they would agree to obey him he
would make them good cavalry as that of
the regular army, etc. firing of the life he
left the NavajOs and wandered to Mexico.
where he was killed about 1858 by the hus-
band of woman with whom his intimacy
was believed to be unwarranted.
Bison has been unduly prominent since he
left West Point. An idea prevailed during
the war that under an assumed name he was
distinguished general in the Confederate
army. Again he was supposed to be among
the Sioux, and no less a parsonage than the
leader of the Indians in the Custer massacre
known as Sitting Bull. Of course he was
neither, for he met his death before the War
ed about his meeting with Ives is substan-
TALLY correct. His life was checkered one
lie belonged TO a good family. His uncle for
whom he was named-Thomas Mckinney
was prominent in the war Of Texas against
Mexico. But the disgraceful conduct that
caused his expulsion from West Point seemed
to have destroyed all that was good in his
character, and to get away from the society
OF those he had known, he sought seclusion
within the tribe of Navajos, and thus was
what might have been a useful life forever
Wrecked R. W. Johnson,