Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-09-17
The Black Hills-Return OF Custer's
2 4a Ssh a EyupditiOu $3.50 49,
IFcrt Lincoln Cor. Chicago Inter ocean

-. ,., IFert Lincoln Cor. Chicago inter- ocean,
- The Black Hills expedition under
command of Gen. Custer arrived here
this evening at sunset, having been alb
sent about sixty days, and having
travelled nearly 1000 miles. The ex-
ploration of the hills was completed
about the 18th of August, when the
command left Bear Butte at the north
ern range of the hills, travelling north
ward at a remarkably rapid rate. The
march was very hard and exhaustive
y one, but was endured with wonderful
fortitude.
The results of the expedition are even
greater than had been hoped by its pro-
jectors, and the discovery of gold alone
is sufficient to recompense the Govern
ment for the outlay No serious diff
Guilty was experienced from Indians in
terfering, and the command was I'M
usually healthy during the entire recon-
noissance, four men only being lost by
death Everybody was delighted with
the trip, and the results are so salts
factory as to leave no cause for regret.
The gold discoveries have awakened an
interest second only to the great Cali
fornia excitement of 40, and parties on
the frontier are already thinking of
starting out as soon as an expedition
can be formed and equipped Gen.
Custer found on his ARRIVAL home hun
dreds of letters of inquiry from all
parts of the country, and several from
persons of prominence, concerning the
results of the prospecting. The fact
that gold is there, he remarked, is GER
tain as the law of gravity, and the fact
that the discoveries were not carriedto
extent greater than they were was owing
to the brief time allowed the expedI-
ton At dozen or more different
places gold WAS found. At one
place in particular, Clusters Park,
s,t of which L have written, it yielded
in paying quantities from the
= grass roots down. A shaft eight feet
deep was sunk several feet from the bed
of creek, and the excavations PANIED
~ by hundreds OF persons who had no
experience and no tools except what
the ingenuity suggested, and in no
case did the color fsil to appear, and
frequently a generous amount would be
gathered and carried off. Several pans
Welded dust estimated above q dollar.
Practical miners who superiDtended the
work declare that had the bed rock OF
the creek been reached the yield must
have been marvellous, but although the
greater part OF the II ght was spent in
digging, the place had to be left in the
morning for other parties to finish.
Gold bearing quartz was found In per-
feet MOUNTAIN piles, but we had no
means of blasting and whatever the
rocks contained in their bosoms could
not be reached. Several specimens OF
quartz gold, however, were obtained.
Gen. Custer is asked IN the letters re-
ferred to whether the Government will
protect or assist the enhance of parties
to the Black Hills He wishes me to
say that while he has no policy to die
tate to the Government In regard to the
Indian treaties, ne considers that the
time has come when it must be decided
whether the dOg-in- the Manager mode OF
the Indians will be tolerated. In his
report he will express the opinion that
the agricultural and mineral resources
of the Black Hills are unsurpassed in
the United States, and will advise an
immediate decision upon the question
of occupancy. Gen. Forsyth, of Gen.
Sheridan's taft, comedies entirely with
Gen. Custer opinion in regard to the
Indian que sticn; and, as to the gold,
says he has himself seen evidence
enough to convince him that the coun-
try within the Black Hills is as rich
mineraliy as any portion of Montana OF
Colorado