, 1874-07-28
Gen. Custer,s First Official nCport on
Ills Blacl-llills Expedition.
No Indian Hostilities Encountered UP
to Last Advioos.
The Recent Engagement with indians
In Wyoming Territory. il.
Extracts from the Official Report
Of Capt. Dates. ''S

THn BLAuK-HILLs EXPEDITION; |;
Thofo1iowing ia a copy Of . telegram from
Bismarck, d6tod July *. to tho Army Hoatl-
quartere it' tl1ia city, giving Gon. Oustor'a first
onlcasl report OH Ills Blaok-ltille Expedition: =.
PROSPECT yAbLrT. Dakota. 1
Loug. 1o3d. 4dul. Wcst, I,aa. 45a. 2otn. Morrill,
Asst.iant Adata,a General, Department q Dakota,
st. PaWt, Mtln; '.~' II! : -
Sin: This expedition roached this point
Lincoln, 227,f miles. Wo are now ITO miles in
a 1ircct lno from Lincoln, and within miles Of
tho Little Missouri. aud within about IL miles
Of the Montana boundary,--our boarinR from
Fort Lincoln boIng aonth % degrees wess..
Aftor tho Bocondday from Lincoln, womarched
A nEAurlFut COUNTRY. -'~r ',s
The grazing WAS excellent and nbundnnt. Wood
sgllcient Cor .our wants.. and wator In great
abundance avery 10 mi!ea. When NC struck tho
tributaries of Grand River, wo entetod a lcss do
sirablo portion Of tho country, nearly all tho
streana flowing into Grand nivor being moro or
lous improenated with alkali, rendering the
crossings difficult: We found plentiful supply
of grass, wood, and water, however, oven along
this portion Of our route. Upon leaving the
lead-watora Of Grand River, wo ascended the
plateau aoparatlng tho watershed Of tho Little
Missouri from Tint running into the Missouri,
nnd found . country Of surprising
beauty and riehnesa OF Boil The
pnaturage could not DO iiner, timber La Abundant,
md wator both, good ard plentiful. AS an svl-
dcnco Of the character Of tho country. we hnve
marched. sinco leaving Fort Lincoln, on an
average, over, II miles pei aay,-one day making
50 mi!es,-yct our mu'es aud boef-cattle havc
constantly improved in condition, the beef-cattle
It,,rrn In tfr% {rn
NO have marched over. Tho health Of my conf
maud ia something ramarkablo.- not . man
being on tho sick report. Evory one aeotnn not
only in goud health, hut IN excellent spirits, ".
Between tho forks, Of GrAud River No diacoy-,
cred
10 Which tho f1ndans attach great importance.
Tho cayo extends about 400 feet under gsoul,d,
beyond which point 1t was not practicable to Of
ploro it. lta walls and roof are covered with
rudu carvings, aild drawings cut into tho solid
rock. apparently the work Of Indians although
probably by different tribe than either Of those
now roaming in this region Near tho cAvo was
found white lnan's akull apparently perforatod
BY bullet. It had bean expoHod to tho ntlnos~
phere for several yeass, as no white tlen, ex-
copt tloao lelongtng to this expedition, AFRO
known to have PASSED anywhere, re, near tho !oeaA,
contain numerous articles OF Indian equip
mcats, which had boon thrown iuto tho caya by
tic Indians, Us offerings to tho Great Spirit.
have named the cave tud1ow&a Gaze, In honor
Of the engineer officer Of tha expedition
Our march thus far has Ioan made
WITHOUT hoLEsTA1loN ,
upon tho part OF the Indians. We discovered
no signs inacating the recent ,preaencs Of In
McDougal1, Sogopth Cavalry, who mas on the
flank, discovered q small body Of about twenty
Indians watching our movements. The Indians
seaupesed OF ~ soon aa discovered. Yestetdny,
of-xr{Jm lt1nI &In {f0