The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-13
ADVENTURES OF A STUDENT.
FROM WEST POINT TO CHIEF OF
AN INDIAN TRIBE.
bison" Mclean Who Became the
Great White Ruler of the NavajOs.

"BisOn" Mclean Who Became the
Great White Ruler of the NavajOs.
From the Philadelphia Times.
Bison" Mclean was one of the most re-
marka bic cadets of the class of '46 at West
Point, if one of the dullest. The name
Bison" was bestowed upon him by no
less a parsonage than George B. Mcclellan.
Mclean was a fellow of tremendous frame
and had long, bushy hair, as was the mode
upon the ranch operated by his father in
Southwest Missouri on the Choctaw line.
Mcclellan remarked when he saw the Mis-
sourian that he looked like a bison and
from that time he was called Bison" Nc
Lean.
Mclean was slow in his studies, es-
pecialy in mathematics, but was well up
I'm drill and tactics, and was a splendid
horseman. He worried along in his class
for three years with the help of one or
two students who We're his only friends,
and then, one evening, not long before the
end of mis- course, suddenly disappeared. It
was night of a bitter cold day. The hoy
was fond of skating, and it was thought
that he might have passed. the guards for
the purpose of INDUCING in that sport, and
might have been drowned. This theory
was strengthened by the fact that his
skates were missing. But there were
other circumstances which led to the be-
lief that he had simply run away
when the Mexican war was ended"
continued the officer, travel to the new
empire increased amazingly. Indian rights
were encroached upon and the acts were
resented. 1t seemed at one time that there
would be a serious Indian war, but through
the excellent judgment and firmness Of
Gen. w. S. Harvey open hostilites were
averted. Strong garrisons of the two dra-
COON regiments We're kept near at hand,
and with Carson's mountain men to aid
them, peace was maintained.
Meantime some things they saw made
the old Dragon officers very uneasy. For
instance, once when Maj. Sumner was out
on a scout with three troops of his regi-
ment he met an immense herd of Navajo
warriors.
No Hostile Disposition.
They showed no disposition to be hos
tile. They were out looking for Apaches,
they said. The chief in command gave
Maj. Sumner a parade and march past,
as a compliment, and mat 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 Mexican made lances
His surprise deepened into amazement
when at the word of command the regi-
ment (the Indians We're ABOUT 500 strong),
at carefully kept distances, changed from
line into column and back again into line
the performance ending with an advance
in line by the entire command that could
not have been excelled by any of the three
mounted regiments then in the United
States service
when and how did you learn all this?"
asked Maj. Sumner of the chief as the
latter rode up to the army officers to
watch his men pass in review. Why, 1
have been on the plains all my life and
l never have seen any such drill and dis
cipline among Indians
THE strong face of the great chief and
warrior softened. He was flattered We
have four times as many men as you see
here who can march like the white SOL
der he said. We have great war
chief who has taught us these things If
it is good for the white men to march like
this, it will be good fcN the Indian If he
was to fight the Mexican or the Ameri-
can again. and the chief gave the word
and his command, breaking into two COL
umns, moved away In different directions
I'm 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
leo, to where it empties into the Pacific
He had with him an assistant and a leu
tenant commanding his guard troop of the
Second Dragons; I think it was Whit
ing's. Away up on the head waters of the
Colorado it became evident to the Cocopah
Apache and Maricopa guides Ives had
with him that Indians of some tribe were
watching their movements very keenIv
Two nights after this discovery, when the
outer guard was to be relieved, it was
found that he had been shot through the
heart with an arrow
Alarming.
This was alarming, but did not indicate
hostilities, for the mans gun. a Coils re-
Volving rifle, was missing and he might
have been killed for that, a very valuable
article at that time and place. 1t was
deemed prudent to double the outer guards
and put two men on post instead of
one. About an hour before midnight the
next evening a gunshot was heard from
the furthest post from camp. A badly
scared man explained that he saw some
thing move. He thought it was a coyote
and meant to speak to his comrade about
it, as he passed him, when he heard the
twang of bow string, and the other man
called out: 1 am shot" and went down.
He was dead when they got to him. shot
through the heart with a heavy war ar
row. The war arrows had steel heads two
inches long, and We're about half an inch
wide. The Indian guides declared that II
was a Navajo arrow
"One night after taps the sergeant of
the guard came into Ives tent much ex
cited.
" There's an Injun chafe beaynt our
lines that wishes 10 spake wild the Lootin
ant, av We phase, sor, said he.
" Why, who did he ask for? said Ives.
" Faith, sor, an that's the curious MARI