Sitting Bull

ís Sitting Eiill a West Point gradúate ? This }tie ti"?i l cslied in sober earnest, with tho view of elioitiug formation, there being reasons for believing that this formidable warrior and so-called savage, now occnpying so much of public attention, from tho unquestioned skill and extraordinary courage with which lie has met onr soldiers, is really a gradúate of the military academy. There may be somo foundation for tho reports ás fö his readiüg French and being familiar with the caiïïpaigim of_ the great Napoleon. Gradnates of West Foint, between 1846 and 1850, will reinember a new cadet of both singular and remarkable appearanee, hailing from the western borders of Missouri, who reported for cluty in 1845, 1846 or 1847. Above medium height, apparently between eighteen and twenty years old, heavy-set frame, long bushy hair, growing close to his bro aüd oterhanging his neck and saoulders, iiis fflöe oered with thin patches of white fuiizy beard, the general get-up of this plebe was sttch as to cause tho oíd cadets to hesitate in the heretical jokes usually played off on new cadets. Nicknames are often applied to cadets that they carry with them among their fiieDds into the army, and even to their graves. The thick neck, broad shoulders and long, bushy hair caused the ilaiüe of "Bison" to be applied to the new corner, and it adlier'ed to him over afterward. Tho West Point couise he learned with ease, graduating in the upper third of his class. He had no disposition to be social, kept to himself, talked but little, and was never known to either smile or laugh. During hours of recitatiön he did nöt mingle with his classmates, but was often seen in solitary walks around the plain or scaling the neighboring mountains even to their very summits. He was often out of his quarters after night, eluding successfully the rigilance of sentinels and offleers, visiting the neighboring villages in quest of strong drink, but neVer seen under its influenco until after he had graduttted. This remafkable chafacter passed his graduating eXamJnation oreditably, received his diploma, but, beföre dofflng his cadet gray, visited the village of Buttermilk Falls, below West Point a short distance, got intoxicated and became involved in a broil, in which stones and sticks were used freely. Several of the participants were badly hurt, and the Bison himself much bruised. This conduct was regarded so unbecoming and discreditable that, on the re.commendation of the Academie Board, he was refused a commission in the army. He was heard of three times after leaving the Academy, once at Galveston, Tex. There he had a terrible flght with with some desperadoes, and was forced to leave. He was next seen on one of the California steamfirs. and ffoinc iraoD the western coast he got into an alterca tion with the offleers of the steamer and was placed under guard down in the hold and made to work. The third and last time, as far as we know, he was seen and recognized under the following circumstances : In 1858, about ten years after the Bison had graduated, Lieut. Ives, of the topographical engineer corps, was engaged in making an explotion and survey of the Colorado river, emptying into the Gulf of California. While engaged in this work he would quite often leave his boat in the afternoon and go on shore and bivouac till morning. On one of these occasions a party oí Monave indians camo mto ms camp, and, after talking some time in Spanish, 'the chief said, in English: "Ivos, do y ou know me?" The Lieutenant was startled at hearing his name oalled so distinctly in English by this naked and pain ted-f ace chief; he replied that he did not, and asked the cMef where he had learned to speak English so well. ïhe chief replied: " Never mind that; lout do you know mo, Ives?" ïhe Lieutenant scanned closely the huge painted chief, with feathers in head, rings through bis nose and ears, and again answered the the chief that he did not, and again askèd the chief where he had learned English, and how did it happen that he knew him. The chief replied that he did not wonder at lus not knowmg mm, as his change of nationality had broughi with it a great ohange iu habits, dress and appearance, andthen added : " I am the Bison. We were together at Wesi Poiut. I have, with this little party, been watching you for several days. My band wanted to kill you and your little party, but I told them we had bettei wait, and see, and try and talk ; that we might do better tl'an kill you. I have made them understand that after you have left and gone back trade will spring up, and we can then do better by trading or robbing the boats loaded with goods and supplies o all kinds." The Indians retired anc were seen no more, nor did 1 bivouac on land any more. A year or two before this Capt. Lyon (killed in the late war), of the army, had a. desperate flght with the Indiana on an island in the Colorado river, the Indiana auppoaed to have been oommanded by the Bison. He was successful for yeara in raiding on the settlements and extending as far off as Aiizona. It may'be, and we think it probable, with the settlements extending from west to the east, and froni east to weat, and the Indian area diminishing constantly, that this Indian chief may have gone as far north as the Black Hills, and may be even the veritable Sitting Buil, for to the close observer Sitting Buil has shown as much slrill and judgment as an educated, civilized soldier could have done. It would not be strange if Sitting Buil proves to have have been educated at West Point, and it seoms to us probable that such is the case. A West Point Gbaduate.