New-York tribune., 1874-06-24
BLACK HILLS EXPEDITION


Fort ABRAHAM LINCOLN, ID. T., June H.
When the Yellowstone Expedition started from Fort hice
last Summer, OF the pleasant but unauthorized
dreams hch survey of the map created was that nav
ing penetrated to OF Montana, might pe pos
sibe to return starting point by way OF tue bcA
Hills But the desire was only dream. The plan was
not compre he aided the official order, and seograpc
ally there too much latitude IN the way IL "o".u
have required detour many miles The jaded condi-
ton OF our horses mules and the nsuhcency OF ior
age aud supplies the thing entirely out OF the dues
ton And so the primitive wdness OF the Black Hills
suffered 10 intrusion by the white man. What was hot
done last wear because 10 did not come WITHIN the ocai
and practical scope OF tho Yellowstone Expedoh IL u
be done THIS year. not merely in an incidental way but
by an expedition thoroughly organized aud equipped
for the purpose.
MILITARY ORGANIZATION.
The expeditioD or reconnaIssance It is officially
termed. Is to be essentially military one-mitary In
composition but peaceful in intent Jas 10 DO III con-
mand Of Gen. G. Gorge A. Caster, whose wcEknown ana
important exploits during the war, ana more especS
his subsequent and no less successful career on he
Pians-in which he has been made familiar with every
phase and exigency of frontier life, and with every pos
sIble attitude hostile, peaceful diplomatic that an
Indian can assumeare guarantees for his conducting
such a reconnaissance a successful issue The general
composition and objects OF this expedition are succncty
stated in the order creating 1t.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF DAhOTA,
ST. PAUL, MINI. June 8, 1874.
Special orders No. III: In pursuance OF nstrnctions
from Hcadquarers OF the Military DIVISION ot ,no
Missouri expedition Will be orglnzed at or aDra
ham Lincoln, ID. t. for the purpose or accommodating
the from that post to Bear butte IN tne iaoS @
Hills and exploring the country south southeast ana
OF that point. The expedition VIII conslst vi
the six companies OF she 9Th Cavalry now az
Fort Abraham Lincoln the four companies ESQ Si ts SAM
regiment now Fort Rice. Company l, 20th infantry,
from Forts Abraham Lincoln ana Rice the commander
OF the expedition shall select. -,.
q. A. Custer Of the 7th Cavalry Is assigned
To tue command. ,,, ,,.oo,,
The expedition will start from Fort Abraham Lincoln
rs after the 20 h instant as may oe pracscoae
Custer will proceed By such route as no may
find most desirable 10 Bear Butte or some otues
point near the Belle Fourche and thence WI" PISn
hs explorations IN such direction or directions as Ia ms
Judgment viii enable him TO obtain the most lnorhdtlon
sble routes OF communication through IT,
Lieut. Col Custer Will return to Fort Abraham Lincoin
within so days from the time OF his departure RON IT,
should, however any unforeseen opstaces romuei ,t
necessary advisable for hun to return from any Pont
OF his contemplated inaich even before Tue Dee
che IL reached, he ID authorized 10 DO So -. -.
Capt. william Ludlow, Caief Engineer OF the Depart @
men will report to Caser as NV III, Cy
Assistant and tnree enlisted men from 'he IaH'noer
as Chief olarermaster of the Department will fur
nisu such uumDer OF wagons and anbulances as WIN
those now at Forts Abraham Lincoln ana hce VIII po
While the expedon s ia process OF organization and
1T shall have commenced its miren, Leu. I Io G
Custer is placed IN command of Fort Hice as wen as
OF own post c r,
command
EDw SMITH, o. ID. GREENE.
CAPT Istn Inf, A. ID. C. Asst. Adj. Gen.
THE FoRCE-TIIE sTAFF-sCIENTIFIC AIMS
The forces thus designated Will be numerically as fol-
lows: 600 cavalry 100 infantry, 100 civilian empoyes'
and upwards OF 50 scouts. There will be section OF
Calling guns, and train or $50 wagons. Gen. custer
Will be accompanied by Bloody Knife, who, with
clemmo. poted the Yellowstone Expedition last year.
and Bears Ears who is said to know more about the
Black Hills than any available Indian on the river.
Gem Clusters staff will be composed OF the following
officers: Acting Assistant James Cal
houn First Lieutenant 7th Cavalry; Qlartermaster and
Commssary, A. E. smith. First Lieutenant 7th Cavalry;
Cnief Medical Officer, Assistant Surgeon j. W. Williams
U. s. Al Engineer officer, Capt. William Ludlow, En'
gineer Corps u S. A.; Acting Aids, Leut-Col Fred d.
Grant A. ID. c., and Major George A Forsyth, A. A.
d. c. to the Lieutenant General
Gen Custer will endeavor to make as thorough a
scientific survey possible AMI to this end Is TO nave
the company Of George Bird Grnne. an assistant OF
Prof Marsh Yale who, aided by Mr. L. H. North, VIII
secure as large collection of fossils the opportunity
Affords and will make report on the geology or the
country 1t Is TO be regretted that mineraogy botany
aud ZOOLOGY not Do specially represented In the
Scientific Corps photographer, however, happily ac-
companies the expedition and will bring to the outside
world the first authentic representation OF this unknown
region.
The expedition this year will be less unweldy than the
one of last year. which contained twice many soldiers
and REQUIRED @ much larger wagon train The object
OF that expedition determine the feasibility OF
railroad route from the Missouri River to the Yellow
stone and beyond. Tho survey was paramount and
could not delayed to satisfy our curiosity about the
adjacent country. The present expedition has entire
freedom Gen. Custer Will proceed as directly as pos
sibe to the Black HILLS which are on an air line about
2lo miles distant, on a marching line about $50. Once
there he can go and where he pleases The march
to the Hills will occupy some fifteen days. Allowing the
same time for the return whole month Will be left to
spend In the heart OF the Black Hills. The infantry
will De sufficient guard the train. The cavalry, after
having established rendezvous, can move wherever
the country seems to invite.
THE COUNTRY TO BE EXPLORED.
II the reader will take recent map OF the United
States and find the point where the OF Wyoming
Dakota and Montana touch each other, and will there
notice the great swarm of centipedes by which map
makers are wont to indicate hills he will know about
much OF the Black Hills the best geographer at pres
ent can tell him. For the chief thing known about them
is that they are there In 1859. an expedition going
west from the Missouri River skired this range Of hills
and Indicated Bear Butte and some Of the streams which
find their sources the interior. But only much Of
the country was seen as might be Of a walled city
by moving outside under Q portion OF the wall and
noting few Of the domes and steepes from distance.
or vast area 10 the interior Of the Black Hills have
no positive knowledge.
The truth is the Black Hills have long been the
OF large bodies Of hostile Sioux who have
been and still jealous of the approach and interfer
euce Of the white Yet tho reports of this region
which have now and then brought to the agencies
by friendly Indians been such as to stimulate In
terest to the utmost.
From these reports the country believed to DO rich
In minerals game and beautiful In aspect would
long before this have been invaded by the white
had not treaty with the Sioux still In force conceded 1t
az part Of the Sioux Reservation and had not the
Indians willingly assisted the Government In enforcing
the treaty The present expedition however entirely
To Ia ipfa had