The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1874-07-25
General Custar's Exploring Expedition
to the Mysterious Black Hills.
From the Chicago Inter. Ocean, July 0.


Bismarck is perhaps the hveliest town
west of Duluth. Only year old, it claims
population of 1900 people, a newspaper,
hells, and kindred pernicious resorts. 1t
derives its importance more especially from
the neighborliness of Fort Lincoln, and is
the source of all supplies that cannot be had
in suffers store. The river, which is very
wide and rapid at this point, is crossed by
q rotten ferryboat, and the steep, muddy
banks of the Missouri receive the passengers.
The barracks occupy fifty acres or more,
and are new, neat, and convenient. The
grounds are laid out in delightful drives,
and in the center wide park is left for a
parade. The garrison are very proud of
their quarters, and are working hard to
beautify the place, by setting out shade
trees, grading the drives, and adding tasty
touches here and there. The officers quar-
ters are in neat cottages fronting the parade,
and as Inanysof them have their wives at
the post, the society is quite large and
cultivated. General George A. Custar, the
cavalry hero, is in charge of the post.
THE BLACK HILLS EXPEDITION.
General Custar win command, General
Forsythe and Captain Calhoun having the
charge Of the wings. Lieutenant Wallace
will command the scouts, and Lieutenant
Chance the artillery, which consists of a
battery Of Gatlin guns. The train consists
of about $50 supply wagons, ambulances,
etc, under charge of Captain Smith, acting
Quartermaster. The remainder of the party
consist of Lieutenant Colonel Fred. Grant;
Colonel Ludlow, Chief Engineer of the de-
partment, with W. Ell. Wood, Assistant,
and squad of engineers: Prof. Winchell,
State Geologist of Minnesota, and an
assistant; Professor Winchell, of Yale Col
lege, and an assistant; mineralogists and
botanists; Huntington & Co., photographers
st. Paul, and representatives of the New
York Tribune and Inter Ocean. The prep
| arations are complete, the battalion is in
camp couple of miles south Of the post,
and on Tuesday, the 25th inst, start will
be made. The route of the expedition is
marked as nearly rs possible on annexed
map, which is copy of one made in 1851
by General W. F. Reynolds, of the Engineer
Corps, after his explorations of the Yellow
| stone and Little Missouri rivers.
Fort LINCOLN, d. T., July 3.-The Black
Hills Expedition left here Yesterday morning
under command of Gen. George A. Custar,
General Forsytlie and General NJ. s. Tilson
commanding the wings. The column con-
sists of ten companies of the Seventh
Indian scouts under command Of the famous
Bloody Knife, and a battery of Gatlin guns.
The train consists of $50 wagons and carries
supplies for sixty days. The party will
probably be gone until the 1st Of October,
making thorough exploration of the
legendary regions Of the Black Hills and
establishing site for the building of fort
and trading post there. tits probable that
| a strong resistance will be made by the
Indians, as startling rumors are constantly
| arriving at this place of the gathering of
| the different Sioux tribes under Setting
Bull about seventy miles to the south. An
| Indian missionary came to this post few
days since with the information that the
Indians intended to contest every foot of
| the march, and he begged General Custar
to give up the expedition to save bloodshed.
The treaty with the Sioux reserves the
| right to the United States to pass through
and explore all the contested territory, and
| General Custar is prepared to enforce that
right. A severe conflict may be expected
before many days.