Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1874-09-10
The Black Hills.

In different parts of the country WI
hear of companies organizing to 81
into the Black Hills, in search of the
treasures said to be found there II
abundance, as reported by Genera
Custar, 1t has been known fol
wears to residents OF Montana ano
other territories neighboring, thai
large auriferous deposits existed II
that region, but the miners were
never able to work their claims, fol
the reason that the Indians would
insist on cropping their hair, neither
will thew submit tamely now, ever
though the Government failed tt
take action in the matter. Lieut.
General Sheridan has issued an or.
der to his subordinates to burn the
wagon trains, etc., and disable any
expedition found going into the
country without permission. The
mines are situated on what is known
as the Sioux Reservation, and it is
the duty ofthe Government to pre-
vent encroachment. A dispatch
from Washington City, dated the
Sth, saws that since the declaration
of General Sheridan that no one
would be allowed to visit the Black
Hills without authority from the In
terror Department., meaning its au-
thorized agents, that Department has
been in receipt of a large number OF
letters asking permission to go there.
Acting Secretary of the Interior
Cowan has written in reply to Gov
ernor Pennington of Dakota, which
is furnished for publication as re-
ply to all similar communications,
in which he cites the provisions OF
the treaty of April, 1868, with. the
Sioux, by which the Black Hills
country was guaranteed to them, and
the boundaries of which are as fol-
lows: Commencing on the east bank
of the Missouri River where the
ty-sixth parallel of north latitude
strikes the same; thence along low
water mark down said river bank to
a point opposite where the northern
line OF the State of Nebraska strikes
the river; thence west across said
river and along the northern line of
Nebraska TO the one hundred and
fourth degree of longitude west
from Greenwich thence north on
the meridian to a point where the
forty-sixth parallel OF north latitude
intercepts the same; thence due east
along said parallel to the place OF
beginning; and in addition thereto
all existing reservations on the east
bank of said river. From this ter
ritory the Government is pledged to
keep all persons except authorized
agents and employees of the Gov
eminent. The Secretary says the
only power to alter this provision is
that which made the treaty, and
then it must be done with the con-
sent of the Indians. What is known
of the late exploring expedition OF
General Custar was merely mill
tary reconnaissance of the country
for the purpose of ascertaining the
best location if in future it should
become necessary to establish there
a military post. On the 22d of June
last, in letters to the Department,
the Secretary wrote on this subject
as follows: alt is well known to
the Department that at various times
settlers in the adjacent country have
contemplated explorations to the
Black Hills, and the Department
has uniformly discountenanced such
movements, but it has now almost
become a military necessity that ac-
curate knowledge should be pos
sessed by the army as to this portion
of our territory, and for that pur-
pose only is the present expedition
undertaken. The question of open
ing up this country to settlement
rests with Congress, and until action
has been taken by that body, this
Department has no discretion in the
matter, but is required, and will en-
deavor to prevent, any violation OF
any provisions of the treaty before
mentioned for the reasons herein set
forth. All applications for permits
sion to visit the Black Hills country
will be denied"