The representative., 1900-05-17
STORY OF THE OLD Army
WEST POINT CADET WHO nFcAMn
cAIEF or FsaR NAvAJOs. u


There 10 = story in the old Army that In
become sort Of sacred possession. like II
old songs and customs. vague and OF un
certain origin. It ID one that you vii
near II you happen into . group Of ofacer
| now past or approaching the retiring age
the somnolent effect CT tobacco will turl
tne drift OF day dreams In its direction
tie fs In attendance. The tale eoncern
one :Rison.' Mclean 5.
Mclean was sent to the military acad
emy at West Point from Southwest Missour
II The class he joined has become fam
GUS ION the names CT several Of its mem
Defs. The name Bison was given hin
6y George B. Mcclellan because Of Nc
Leans long black hair and it's immensl
sa@e Inc Missourian was a poor studen
IN Ms classes and that he managed to sta]
at the academy for three years at all wa
On account OF his superiority In riding and
nad trained him in firearms and no cade
/ at the Point could equal his records or
| the target range. He was not a pepula,
man. Tor. tn addition to being dull, he hal
suiien temperament and momenta OF
uagovefnanle agt.s n, passion. One cold. bitter
exception this was the last time any of laa
classmates saw Bison Mclean. His skates
were missing and SO search was made fol
MN IN the river. His family saw thai
search was made for him in New York. The
DOCKS OF the academy recorded him miss
ing. and he was forgotten soon in the nren.
afatlons for the war with Mexico :
The war was fought and ended The
zoe OF emigration to the West following
the opening Of the new territory and the
discovery OF gold in California made new
duties fer the army. It was necessary
for emigrants to travel in great Wagon
trains for their mutual protection and the
nussars were busy lending them their aid
OF avenging their wrongs. Garrisons were
placed at Santa Fe and at several points
IN the Southwest to keep the Indians off
the trails passing through Wilson Mound
gap. Gen. w. S. Harvey was in command
OF these forces and had such men as Kit
carson in his employ as scouts. Mai Sum-
ner. arterward a major general and the
ratner OF Col. S. S. Sumner. new military
attacne In London. was Gen. Harvey's right
nand man. Early in the SOS he was sent
on a scout with three troops of dragons
through the Datil and Tularosa ranges,
Wnlle he was mounting a rise in the Datils
tne dragoons came suddenly on q band of
500 Navao Indians. The American troops
prepared TO night. but the Indians halted
and raised their hands. with the open palm
OF peace They explained that they were
after the Apaches with whom they were
tnen enjoying one OF their predatory wars
Then remarkable thing happened The
chler rode out from the band, and fac
command.
braves formed in troops OF about 100 each
and marched past as IL at parade The
amazement OF Maj. Sumner seemed to please
the chief, for he gave another command
the Indians turned sharply, changed from
iine into column and then back into line
Another sharp order and they advanced in
line by the entire command.
Where in thunder did you get all this ?"
cried Maj. Sumner.
+. We've four times this many drilled
braves. the chief replied, and, dropping a
little venom, well use them, too. perhaps,
nave great war chief who has taught us
these things
He raised his hand as a signal and the
Indians moved over the hill and disappearAd,s
MAJ. sumner made an Official report, of
the incident. He did not forget to tell ia
addition to the foregoing. that the Nayajos
ne had seen were armed with American
rl1es and lances of Mexican manufacture
jefferson Davis was then secretary OF war
He had seen enough of the Southwest in
his experiences In the Mexican war to know
how extraordinary It was that Indians
should adopt q civilized method Of warfare
He ordered report in detail and called
Tor as complete an investigation as possi-
Die under the circumstances. There was
little more learned further than this. that
the drill resembled that OF the American
dragons and was not at all like the Mexi-
war chief. though one Of Kit Carson's
scouts declared that he had. The chief
was not Mexican, he said, and was a
Navajo most certainly. He was tall,
handsome Indian Of remarkable physique
and rode like a dragoon and not like an
Indian. Nothing more than these few facts
could Secretary Davis gather.
1t was nearly 10 years later that Joseph
c. Ives was sent at the head Of an expe-
dition to survey the Colorado river. A
troop of dragons was detailed as the guard
for his party. Ives had been at West Point
and had been transferred to the Topographic |
cal survey. While up in the mountains to !
the east of where now the town of Green |
River is the Indian guides became uneasy |
and reported that they were spied upon |
by some redskin scouts to whom they could
not approach close enough to learn their !
tribe. Guards were more carefully placed. i
One morning the relief Of one of the outer
pickets found the man shot through the !
heart by an arrow.
Several nights after a new camp was
pitched. corporal came to Ives tent.
There's an Indian chief on the guard
Inc and he's asked to see you.''
You should go to your commanding Of
1cer, corporal" Ives replied. I'm not in
:harge Of the escort"
mo. but the Indian asked for you. sir.
md by name"
''Well that's strange-how the devil does
le know me? Bring him up, but II he has
my others with him keep them out OF
amp
A few minutes later the corporal returned
With the chief, who was a marvellous figure
or even Navajo. He was very tall and
traight and muscled like an athlete. A J.
'uide was called to act as interpreter.
Il guess we don't need that fellow the
hief remarked as the guide came up
The officers, had gathered at Ives tent
nd their mouths fell open in amazement
8 they heard him speak. for his English
vas pure and without flaw OF accent. The
navajo sat down on a camp stool in a self
ossessed way and looked the group OF men
yer quietly.
Have you any spare tobacco, Iyes?" he
sked.
The tobacco was found for him and an
rderly was dispatched to an ofncer's tent :
Or the bottle that, because of the inacces-
(bility OF civilization. had been nursed =
ovingly and held for extraordinary occa-
lon.
How does it come, Ives. you're not
earring the uniform? You didn't fall down
the Point, did your" II
Great Scott, what do you know about |
,e Point?" cried the astonished Ives. -
But the chief only smiled and went on
llking about the Point and the men who =.
ere there Is years before His familiar ,
y with the army ended there, for he asked
ungri1y about these few men and how !
ley had done in the Mexican war. He ,
as surprised to learn how well their for ,
ines had prcspered. For two hours the ;
1icers stared at this great brown Indian
Id searched their memories in vain efforts I
place him. ]s
''You may be pleased to learn that it ! /
Id been arranged to kill your party oc ! s
hvpf I Acriv vod vnss