THE WHITE CHIEF OF THE NAVAJOES
Military Academy cadet a Navajo Indian chief

The White Chief of the Navajoes

"Bison" McLean was sent to the Military academy at West Point from southwest Missouri. The class he joined has become famous for the names of several of its members. The name "Bison" was given him by George B. McClellan because of McLean's long black hair and immense size. The Missourian was a poor student in his classes, and that he managed to stay at the academy for three years at all was on account of his superiority in riding and drill work. His life in the southeast had trained him in firearms, and no cadet at the Point could equal his records on the target range. He was not a popular man, for, in addition to being dull, he had a sullen temperament and moments of ungovernable passion. One cold, bitter winter night he disappeared. With once exception, this was the last time any of his classmates saw "Bison" McLean. His skates were missing, and so a search was made for him in the river. His family saw that a search was made for him in New York. The books of the academy recorded him missing, and he was forgotten soon in the preparations for the war with Mexico. The war was fought and ended. The tide of emigration to the west following the opening of the new territory and the discovery of gold in California made new duties for the army. It was necessary for emigrants to travel in great wagon trains for their mutual protection, and the hussars were busy lending them their aid or 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 Magon Mount gap. General W. S. Harney was in command of these forces and had such men as Kit Carson in his employ as scouts. Major Sumner, afterward a major general, was General Harney's right hand man. Early in the fifties he was sent on a scout with three troops of dragoons through the Datil and Tularosa ranges. While he was mounting a rise in the Datils the gragoons came suddenly on a band of 800 Navajo Indians. The American troops prepared to fight, but the Indians halted and raised their hands with the open palm of piece. They explained that they were after Apaches, with whom they were then enjoying one of their predatory wars. Then a remarkable thing happened. The chief rode out from the band and, facing them, gave a sharp command. The braves formed in troops of about 100 each and marched past as if at parade. The amazement of Major Sumner seemed to please the chief, for he gave another command. The Indians turned sharply, changed from line 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 Major Sumner. "We've four times this many drilled braves," the chief replied, and, dropping a little venom, "we'll use them, too, perhaps when it comes to fighting the whites. We have a great war chief who has taught us these things." He raised his hand as a signal, and the Indians moved over the hill and disappeared. Major Sumner made an official report of the incident. He did not forget to tell, in addition to the foregoing, that the Navajoes he had seen were armed with American rifles and lances of Mexican manufacture. Jefferson Davis was then secretary of war. He had seen enough of the southwest in his experices in the Mexican war to know hoe extraordinary it was that Indians should adopt a civilized method of warfare. He ordered a report in detail and called for as complete an investigation as possible under the circumstances. There was little more learned further than this -- that the drill resembled that of the American dragoons and was not at all like the Mexican tactics. No white man had seen the war chief, though one of Kit Carson's scouts declared that he had. The chief was not a Mexican, he said, and was a Navajo most certainly. He was a 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. It was nearly ten years later that Joseph C. Ives was sent at the head of an expedition to survery the Colorado river. A troop of dragoons was detailed as the guard for his party. Ives had been at West Point and had been transferred to the topographical 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 upn by some redskin scouts, to whom they could not approach close enough to learn their tribe. Guards were more carefully placed. One morning the relief of one of the outer pickets found the man shot through the heart by an arrow. "There's an Indian chief on the guard line, and he's asked to see you." "You should go to your commanding officer, corporal," Ives replied. "I'm not in charge of the escort." "No; but the Indian asked for you, sir, and by name." "Well, that's strange. How does he know me? Bring him up. But if he has any others with him keep them out of camp." A few minutes later the corporal returned with the chief; who was a marvelous figure for even a Navajo. He was very tall and straight and muscled like an athlete. A guide was called to act as interpreter. "I guess we don't need that fellow," the remarked as the guide came up. The officers had gathered at Ives' tent, and their mouths fell open in amazement as they heard him speak, for his English was pure and without a flaw of accent. The Navajo sat down on a camp stool in a self possessed way and looked the group of men over quietly. "Have you any spare tobacco, Ives?" he asked. The tobacco was found for him, and an orderly was dispatched to an officer's tent for the bottle that, because of the inaccessibility to civilization, had been nursed lovingly and held for extraordinary occasion. "How does it come, Ives, you're not wearing the uniform? You didn't fall down at the Point, did you?" "Great Scott, what do you know about the Point?" cried the astonished Ives. But the chief only smiled and went on talking about the Point and the men who were there 15 years before. He familiarity with the army ended there, for he asked hungrily about these few men and how they had done in the Mexican war. He was surprised to learn how well their fortunes had prospered. For two hours the officers stared at this great brown Indian and searched their memories in vain efforts to place him. "You may be pleased to learn that it had been arranged to kill your party off, Ives, but I recognized you yesterday while you were prowling around the hills, and we'll declare the killing off for old times' sake. I've enough braves within a mile of you to ride you all down in an hour," the Navajo said as he rose to go. "But who in thunder are you?" Ives cried. "You seem to know me, but I can't for the life of me recall you." "Don't you remember McLean, who was in your class at West Point?" the chief asked. "What, 'Bison' McLean -- who was drowned?" "Yes, I'm 'Bison.'" There is no record of any other instance of magnanimity on the part of "Bison" McLean. Only an occasional trapper, with the exception of Indians, saw him after that. His history thenceforth is as mysterious as that which had connected itself with him when he was only the great Navajo chief. How he left the Point and joined the Indians and why no one knows to this day. The retreat of Chief Joseph and his Nez Perces from New Mexico to the lava fields in the war of 1877, one of the most remarkable in all military history for its strategy, is credited by army officers to the generalship of "Bison" McLean. It is not doubted that he is now dead, but when and where did he die? No one knows and probably never will. From Kansas City Star, 1900 The Navajo code talkers The Long Walk of the Navajo Word of Honor of the Navajo Navajo Indians at the marketplace in New Mexico Kit Carson's Expedition against the Navajo Navajo Outrages in New Mexico and Utah Navajo War against White Settlers Proof that Navajos Came from Alaska Navajos in Arms Navajos Outlawed Navajos in their new reservation Navajo Indians starving because of drought Retaliation campaign against the Apache Rights of the Navajo Woman The White Chief of the Navajoes