▁were ▁discussed . ▁In ▁some ▁cases , ▁individual ▁military ▁officers ▁attempted ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁mass ▁sla ugh ter ▁of ▁these ▁buff alo . ▁William ▁F . ▁" B uff alo ▁Bill " ▁C ody , ▁among ▁others , ▁spoke ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁protect ing ▁the ▁b ison ▁because ▁he ▁saw ▁that ▁the ▁pressure ▁on ▁the ▁species ▁was ▁too ▁great . ▁Yet ▁these ▁propos als ▁were ▁disc ou rag ed ▁since ▁it ▁was ▁recognized ▁that ▁the ▁Pla ins ▁Indians , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁tribes ▁often ▁at ▁war ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁dep ended ▁on ▁b ison ▁for ▁their ▁way ▁of ▁life . ▁( Other ▁buff alo ▁hunting ▁tribes ▁cannot ▁tell ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁fight ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁namely ▁tribes ▁like ▁the ▁Ass in ib o ine , ▁the ▁H id ats a , ▁the ▁Gros ▁V entre , ▁the ▁Pon ca ▁and ▁the ▁O ma ha ). ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁President ▁U ly ss es ▁S . ▁Grant ▁" po cket ▁v eto ed " ▁a ▁Federal ▁bill ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁dw ind ling ▁b ison ▁her ds , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 ▁General ▁Philip ▁Sher idan ▁ple aded ▁to ▁a ▁joint ▁session ▁of ▁Congress ▁to ▁sla ugh ter ▁the ▁her ds , ▁to ▁dep rive ▁the ▁Indians ▁of ▁their ▁source ▁of ▁food . ▁By ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁the ▁American ▁B ison ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁ext inction . ▁ ▁Sub sequ ent ▁sett lers ▁har v ested ▁b ison ▁b ones