The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-10
STORY OF A WHITE CHIEF.
GIBSON" M'LEAN, a WEST POINT
CADET, WHO RULED NAVAJ0Es.

and Drilled the Redskins-Had
Party of United states Troops Sur
rounded, But spared Them.
From the New York sun.
Bison" Mclean was one of the most
remarkable cadets of the class of '46 at
West Point, if one of the dullest. The
name Bison Was bestowed on him by
no less a personaee than George b. Nc
clellan. Mclean was a fellow of tremen-
dous frame, and had long, bushy hair,
as was the mode upon the ranch oper-
ated by his father in Southwest Missouri
on the Choetaw line. Mcclellan remark
ed when he saw the Missourian that he
looked like a bison. and from that time
he was called "Bison" Mclean.
Mclean wars slow in his studies, espe-
cially in mathematics, but was well up In
drill and tactics and a splendid horseman.
He worried along in his class for three
years, with the help of one or two stu
dents who were his only friends, and
then one evening not long before the end
of his course suddenly disappeared. II
was night of bitter cold. The boy was
fond of skating, and it was thought that
he might have passed the guards for the
might have been drowned. This theory
was strengthened by the fact that his
skates were missing. But there were 9TH
er circumstances which led to the belief
that he had simply run away. The sutler
admitted that he had cashed a check
for 500 for the young fellow a few days
before. The parents were questioned, but
they had no knowledge of him and wrote
to the academy in an agony of grief about
him His mo tn orb
employed Matsel then chief of detectives
on the case, but not a clew TO the where
abouts of the young man could be found
The Incident passed, poor Bison" was
duly regretted, and as time went on he
was almost forgotten.
An American officer Amazed.
when the Mexican war was ended"
continued the officer who tod the story,
travel to the new empire increased amaz-
ingly. Indian rights We're encroached upon
and the acts were resented 1t seemed at
one time that there would be a serious
Indian war Strong garrisons of the two
Dragon regiments were kept near at hand
and with Kit Carson's mountain men to
aid thenL peace was maintained Mean
time some things they saw made the old
dragon officers very uneasy For in
stance, once when Mai. Sumner was out
on scout with three troops of his regt-
ment he met an immense band of Navajo
warriors, They showed no disposition to
be hostile They were out looking for
Apaches, they said. The chief in com
mand gave Mai. Sumner a parade and
march past as a compliment. and that
experienced veteran had much material
for thought when he saw those Indians
formed in troops of about 100 each. all
well mounted and armed with excellent
American guns two troops having Next
can-made lances. His surprise deepened
into amazement when at the word of COM
mand the regiment 0he Indians were
about 500 strong), at carefully kept dis
tances. changed from line into column and
back again into line. the performance end
ing with an advance into line by the en-
tire command that could not have been
excelled by any of the three mounted regi-
ments Then in the United States service
When and how did you learn all
this?" asked Mai. Sumner of the chief as
the latter rode up to the army officers
to watch his men pass in review. why,
have been on the plains all my life and
/ never have seen any such drill and dis
cipline among Indians
1.-THE strong face of the great chief and
warrior softened. He was fiattered we
have four times as many men as you see
here who can march like the white SOL
diers,' he said. We have a great war
chief who has taught us these things.
If it is good for the white men to march
like this it. viii be good for the Indian If
he was to fight the Mexican or The Amer
lean again. and the chief gave the word
and his command, breaking into two col
umns, moved away in different directions.
The Government Interested.
Jefferson. Davis of Mississippi was Sec
rotary of War. The incident he had wit
messed made such a deep impression on
Mai Sumner that he thought the secre-
tary should know it. Mr. Davis was deep
Nv interested. He was an old dragon
officer himself, and directed officers to re-
port all the facts obtainable TO the war de-
partment and 10 ascertain especially who
had drilled the Navajoes into such state
of efficiency. The reports received were
to the same effect The drill was that of
the dragon regiments, and not Mexican
All the reports agreed that the NavaJoss
had a great war chief. Kit Carson saw
him. at a little distance. to be sure. He
said he was certainly am Indian, and there
is not an officer in the service who can
handle squadron better than he can, and
then a curious thing is that he rides like
a soldier No officer ever talked with the |
mighty war thief, though several saw
him. He was superb figure, they agreed, !
and he certainly did ride like dragon, |
and there all che facts that were tangible |
ended. slu8
In the late SOS Joseph c. Ives OF the |
Typographical Engineer Corps was max !
ing a survey of the Colorado from where |
it heads, through Arizona and New Mex !
ico to where It empties into the Pacific. |
Away IN on the head waters of the Colo |
RADIO IL became evident to the Cocopah, |
Apache and Maricopa guides Ives had with |
him that Indians of some tribe were |
watching their movements very keenly. |
Two nights after this discovery, when |
the outer guard was to be relieved, II |
was found that he had been shot through |
the heart with an arrow, This was alarm |
ing, but did not indicate hostilities for |
the mans gun, Colts revolving rife, |
was missing and he might have been kill |
ed for that. very valuable article at |
that time and place. II was deemed pru |
dent TO double the outer guards and put |
two men on post instead of one
A Strange Visitor.
about an hour before midnight the next |