New-York tribune., 1874-04-25
THE NORTHWEST.

CIFIC RAILROAD LANDS IN DAKOTA AND MON
TANA-ExCEPTING THE BAD LANDS" THE
COUNTRY RICH IN AGRICULTURAL AND GRAZ
ING IANDs-TTE CLIMATE AT FORT LINCOLN
PLEASANT WINTERS.
Major-Gen. George A. Custer has written letter
to The Minneapolis Tribune giving the result OF his
observations during the past year in Dakota aud
Montana. The letter is dated at Fort Abraham Lin
con d. T., April 9, and is q reply to the letter of
Major-GeD. w. Is. Hazen on the Northern Pacihc
Railroad Lands, printed in TIE TRIBUNE of Feb. Z.
Gen. Custer says he has too high regard for Gen.
Hazen to even insnuate that he would knowingly
publish that which is not strictly founded on truth
Yet heproposes to prove satisfactorily that Gen.
Hazen's statements are rot only not founded on
facts bat are exactly the reverse and written
IN ignorance thereof" The letter fills six of the
large columns of The Minneapolis Tribune but the
principal points are given in the following extracts:
GEN. CUsTERs FACILITIES FOR OBSERVATION.
or ms facilities for observation, Gen. Custer says;
have passed and repasscd mile OF the route
of the Northern Pacific Railroad, beginning at s east
ern terminus the 92d. and extending to the 0Sth
meridian That portion referred TO, lying west OF the
Missouri River and the Musselshe River, have
ridden horseback, having accompanied the
Yellowstone Expedition" last season not only saw
such portons OF the route passed by that eXDedi
tOn might have been seen by any indlVdua accom-
panylng the troops, but scarcely a DAY was spent ~
from i've TO u miles. 80 that believe l am safe in
asserting that no individual connected Win the ler
lowstone Expedition, whether civil or military, saw as
much OF the adjacent country became as familiar
with it myself In writing, therefore, OF tue BET OF
passes, rely upon personal knowledge OF country
which have seen, and with which am familiar, ana
do not base my statements upon such unreliable daa as
the idle and uncertain opinions OF Indian scouts III le
gard to the character OF PGIon m 0 B nndcr ropsd
Grafton. This Is but OF the modes Cen Hizen mas
adopted I'm his letter 10 place the lands OF the Northern
Raj N "A
leads public aud wantonly deprecates the value OF
property In which thousands are interested
CHARACTER OF THE LAND BETWEEN THE MISSOURI
AND YELLOWSTONE RIVERS.
After referring briefly to the meteorological statistics
Indian given by Gen. Hazen Gen. Custer calls
attention TO- the fact that Fort Butord from which Gen.
Hazen's letter written is over 100 miles distant
from the Northern Pacific Railroad lands which are be-
tween the Yellowstone aud Missouri Rivers lie also
adds that engineers had examined tho country sur,
rounding Fort Bufori and pronounced 1t worthless ana
imDracucaDle as "a railroad route.
Quotations made from printed descriptions OF the
Northern Pacific lands to show that the statements
we're made by tue Company with candor and fairness
Gen. Custer then compares the statements so fir as
they apply to the country between tue Missouri anu
tanned last Summer by the Yellowstone Expedlton,
which twice passed over the entire route OF me northern
Pacific Railroad between those two rivers" He con
tnues: - Ind from careful reference 70 my diary
that left Fort Rice IS miles below the point at which
the Northern Pacific Railroad crosses tho Missouri
River, the 10th Of June and began our March Tor thc
Yellowstone The horses and mules accompanying the
expedition numbered upward Of 5000, while IN addition
We had about COO head beef cattle The distance te
is about 235 miles. The daily marches averaged perhaps
IS miles. Ny diary shows mat my command encamped
every night, with single exception where WOOD,
water grass 10 be had Tue horses OF my COM
mand were put out 10 Craze every evening" ther allow
ance consequence being reduced TO less than
One-thlrd The subsisted entirely the
grazing obtained by them after arriving at camp in the
evening, and their condition was good
THE BAD LANDS"
OF the "Mluvaises Terres," " Bad Lands" Gen.
Custer writes Now refer to the exceptional waste
tracts" which ;the railroad company admits are to be
found here. as lin all oiiso great extent or the
entire lying between the Missouri and Yellowstone
Rivers and included in the Company grant there
two Strips OF these exceptional waste Tracts" We en-
cOuntered the first when arrived within about eight
miles of the valley proper OF the ilte Missouri Mvel,
aud then for the first time We saw the famous " Bad
Lands" which Gen iIazen would have ais readers to be-
Northern Pacific Railroad is 10 pass Tns strip OF "bad
lands" being portion OF the exceptional waste tracts
ny. follows the general direction the Little Missouri
River probably ts entire length its average width does
not exceed miles, half being side Of the river
and half the other This strip OF Bad Landscrosses
the Companys route aud graut almost at right angles
In a north and south line. And clearly is this line
marked which divides these Bal Lands" from the ad
dcent country through which they extend, that tue
effect upon the observer Is startling and wonderIul For
upwards OF $50 miles, after leaving the Missouri, We
marched day after day over beautiful ana rolling
country, by route which, under ordinary crcumstan-
ces would DE entirely practicable for adys phaeton
Up the dividing line, which IS as distinctly nar6ed as
tle opening iurrow through a oeauiu. meadow, we
without obstacle where at our very fleet, spread
out lay the wonderful, aWe-usplt1ng Bdu
Lands which, first glance. seemed impossible 10 man
or beast Yet found route for our immense wagon
train to pass through them without scarcely dsplacing
a shOveul OF earth except in repeated crossings OF
waer-cOurse. The Bad Lands" although bounding the
Little Missouri both sides, DO not appropriate the I'M
mediate valley through winch the river runs Du on me
contrary, AS know from personal examination, the
valley itself often expands 10 width OF several miles
either side. rode up and down the valley for many
miles, while hurting and found 1t not only one OF the
best timbcred streams In the West but possessing an
OF rich bottom land covered at that time
with luxIrant growth of the finest pasture and capa
tbe H Gompanys grant, the Bad Lluds' which border
this rich valley OF the Little Missouri ami allow that
their width embraces about IS miles in the direction Of
the surveyed line OF the railroad.
BEYOND THE BAD LANDS"
Continuing his letter, Gen. Custer says; I'VE then
continued our march toward the Yellowstone over
country not quite so level that lying between the two
Mssouris yet sufficiently broken to render 1t un
desirable from that cause. The grazing wood and water
were found ample quantities TO suit purposes until
We encountered the exceptional waste tract the Bad
Lands OF the Yellowstone. and which, in character,
dimensions &C. DO not vary Inuc rom those ing aonG
follow along in the direction of the leowstone River
untl the latter reaches the Missouri at Gen Hazens
post OF duty, at the intersection OK the lO4th meridian
with the iSh parallel and 1t may offer partial explana-
ton, perhaps, OF Cen Hazens statements, to assume
that his personal knowledge OF the country OF which he
writes there being nothing IN his letter 10 te contrary
is confined 10 that portion made upof these BAD Lands
when entirely surround and hem in Fort BuOrd. For
do not presume that Gen Hazen has ever been ten
miles from his post in the direction OF the Northern
Pacnc karOau AZ luc nearest punt VI iaitSl'
Deduct then. this additional strip OF pine lands which,
as far the COmpanys grant Is concerned does not
exceed miles in width and does not Include the
valley proper bottom lands OF the Yellowstone and
all parties will admit that for purposes OF agriculture
or grazngthe Bad Lands Will never be worth penny
an acre. But this does not irreyocably establish the
may not be discovered valuable for other
purposes the contrary, think that great portion
Of the Bad Lands. both Of the Yellowstone and Little
Missouri embraced in the grant, and together only
amounting TO about thirty miles IN width, will be
found OF peculiar value 10 the other portions"
eu Custer that at great many points in the
Bad Lands" OF the Litte Missouri and Yellowstone
exposed veins of coal Loose specimens were
tested by him. and fOund TO admirably te pur-
poses OF fuel lie coal suitable lot sine.lnH OF
manufacturing purposes Leaving the ielioWsIone u.
Pompeys Pillar the Expedition passed 70 the
until IL reached the valley OF the Mnsselshe iNer. Inc
OF Mnssrl,hr clear ana tfanspdlcnt anu