River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-04-02
HEADQUARTERS
MILITARY DIVISION OF TIE MISSOURI, )
CHICAGO. March o5. 1874


MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI,
CHICAGO, March 25, 1874
General w. T. Sherman, Headquarters of the
Army, ST, Louis:
GENERAL In reply to your question,
What do you know Of the Black Hills, >"
| respectfully submit the following re.
marks. My first knowledge of the
Black Hills was derived from interviews
with the late Father Desmet, a noted
Catholic missionary whom | met many
years ago on the Columbia river, in Ore
gon, from whom | heard the Indian TO.
nance of mountain of gold in the Black
Hills, and his explanation Of that extra
ordinary and delusiye story to the In.
dams, frontiersmen and explorers.
The Black Hills country is much more
extensive than that particular locality
brought to the notice Of the public by the
recent explorations Of General Custer,
and gets its name frem the black, scrubby
character Of the timber which Crews on
the sides and tops of the mountains and
hills. 1t comprises the whole of the
country bounded on the east by longitude
l07 degrees; on the south by the Sweet.
water and Laramie rivers on the west by
Big Horn and Wind rivers; on the north
by the Yellowstone river. This is really
the country of the Black Hills, but EN-
braced in it are several localities called
Black Hills, for instance; Black Hills of
Laramie Black Hills Of Powder river,
and Black Hills of Cheyenne river, che.
after being the locality in which Gen.
Custer made his reconnaissance last sum
med, ana about which there is SO much
speculation at the present time, and with.
in the bounds of which it is supposed by a
large number Of people is to be found
Father Desmet's mountain Of gold.
Father Desmet's story was that while
living with the Sioux Indians he was
shown by them nuggets of gold, which
they informed him had been obtained at
different points in the Black Hills. sup
posed to be from the beds of the Big
Horn, Rose Bud and Powder rivers, and
from the branches of Tongue river, and
on his representing that such yellow metal
was of the greatest value, they told him
they knew where there was a mountain
oft. Subsequent investigation, however,
proved that the Indian mountain Of gold
wos nothing more than a formation of
yellow mica, such as may be found in
number of places in the above described
country. ] had scarcely given the story
thought after this until about three
ears ago, when ! happened to be in New
York, and 1t was there brought to my
recollection by u prominent gentleman
who asked me where Father Desmet was
to be found, and insisted some one should
be sent at once to get from him the secret
of the gold mountain, which would pay
the national debt, etc. After [ had in.
formed him it was an old and exploded
story his ardor cooled, and the excitement
about the mountain of gold again SUBJ
sided.
Ii so happened, however, that the
Black Hills country was embraced in my
military command, aud five years ago X
became apparent to me that a military
post IN the Black Hills of the Cheyenne
would soon become necessary for the
proper protection Of the settlements in
Nebraska from the raids of Sioux war
riors who always, before they commenced
depredating on the frontier, secured safe
places for their families and villages in
the locality mentioned. Believing that
these Indians would never make war on
our settlements as long as we could
threaten their families and villages in
this remote locality, Astounding in game
and all that goes to make Indian life COM
Portable. and with this purely military
object in view, an order was given for
Custer to make reconnaissance OF dis
covery. Particles of gold by alluvial
washing near Harney's Peak, on the
western slope Of the Black Hills of the
Cheyenne followed, and brought to the
surface Father Desmet's story for the
third time.
The Black Hills Of the Sheyenne, de.
scrlbed by General Custer, are situated
between the north and south forks orthat
river one Of which is known as the Billie
Fourche; the other the south fork and
although have the utmost confidence in
the sta ,ements Of General Custer and
Genera Forsyth, Of my staff, that gold
was found near llarney's Peak, | NAV
safely say there has not been any fair
test yet made 70 determine its existence
in large quantities. There is not a terri.
tory in the west where gold does not ex.
ist, but in many Of them the quantity is
limited TO color, which is as much as has
yet been obtained near Harney's Peak.
Geological specimens brought back by the
CuStar expedition are not favorable indi.
cations Of the existence Of gold in any
great quantity. Still it may be there.
tut as the treaty Of 1859, Gully ratified.
virtually deeds this portion Of the Black
Hills to the Sioux Indians. there is no al.
tentative but to keep out tresspassers.
But to 60 hack 10 Father Desmit's
information. There is not much doubt
Of the correctness Of his statement; that
gold exists in large quantities in the
Black Hills, bat much further west than
the Black Hills Of the Sher.
enue. | have seen nuggets
from Big Horn and Tongue riv.
ers, and many specimens from near Fort