September 27th, 2020

James Morrow Walsh was one of the original officers of the North-West Mounted Police. He was soon assigned as superintendent of a post in Cypress Hills, naming it Fort Walsh. It was here that he had his first chance encounter with Lakota led by Sitting Bull, narrowly avoiding bloodshed after the braves mistook a blue jacket he was wearing as the uniform of an American Army Officer. After Sitting Bull fled to Canada following the Battle of Little Bighorn, Walsh established a strong friendship with the powerful Sioux leader. Walsh's abundant charisma not only helped to win over Sitting Bull, but also the public. The media was fascinated by the man who was said to have 'tamed' the renowned Sioux chief, calling him 'Sitting Bull's Boss.' Of course in reality, Walsh was not simply his boss, but a friend who respected him.

But the government became annoyed with Walsh's failure to convince Sitting Bull to leave Canada, feeling that he’d become too close to the Sioux chief and had become too involved in his own celebrity as Sitting Bull's first Caucasian friend to do the job they’d asked of him. Walsh was thus transferred to another post. He would go on to become the first commissioner of the Yukon.

This is research for my upcoming novel on the life of Sam Steele.