The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-24
The Black Hills.
GEN. CLUSTERS EXPEDITION.

New YORK, May %.
Gen. Custer, who is in this city, stated
that his expedition to the Black Hills will
probably leave Fort Lincoln about July /,
and If miners are going into the hills in us
large numbers as represented by the west
ern papers, it will probably take the whole
summer, or until the arrangements are COM
pleted with the Indians for ceding the
reservation back to the government, to
drive out and keep out these intruders
This" he said, 1--WE are determined to
do first. If there is any time left before
the season closes, the main body of the ex-
petition will be sent to the Big Horn coun-
try, between the Yellowstone river and the
Black Hills which was meyer explored.
Gen. Sheridan proposes to send steamer
up the Yellowstone river as far as practi-
cable for determining to what point that
stream is navigable, after which the steamer
will be sent out after the Custer expedi-
ton. This steamer was to leave Fort Lin
coin Friday, and it will take about three
weeks to make the trip.
''1n regard to the occupation of Wyom.
ing Territory west of the Indian reserva-
ton, my idea is that the government does
not intend to prevent citizens from travel
ing over public lands, provided they COM
nit no trespass in the way of destroying
timber or otherwise, as they have always
been considered part of the public highway.
The government requires, however, that
the terms of treaties with the Indians shall
be observed. What order may have been
issued TO the troops since / left have no
means of knowing. When left the only
order was TO keep parties out of the Black
Hills.
"The west line of the Sioux reservation
runs directly through the Black hills, and
that part of the Black hills which lies west
of this line comes under the classification
of public lands, and is not subject 10 the
restrictions of that portion covered by the
Sioux reservation. 1t has been stated that
the country west of the Black hills forms
a part of the reservation, but this is mis-
take, as the treaty only gives the Indians
the privilege of visiting this country for
hunting, but it has not been set apart as a
home for them.
'Of one thing, however, all can rest
assured-that is, the determination of the
government to keep all intruders out of
the Sioux reservation until such time as an
arrangement is made by which the Indians
shall relinquish their title to the land
The military force accompanying the
expedition will consist of about nine COM
panies of the Seventh cavalry, battalion
of infantry, and probably few Gattling
guns, besides a detachment of Indian
scouts. There will also be a corps of sci
entihc men appointed by government.
BLACK HILLS COLONIZATION.
WASHINGTON, May %.
Governor Pennington of Dakota contra
diets various misrepres entations and exag-
geratons concerning some informal re-
marks made by him at an informal confer
ence recently held in the office of the Com
missioner of Indian Affairs. What he di |
say was, there could be no doubt of the ex-
stence of gold in the Black Hills, but
whether in large or small quantities was
yet to be determined. He does not believe
in the fabulous reports started by interest
ed and designing persons. Many people
wanted to go there and examine for them
selves and they would be satisfied with
nothing less than the opening up of the
country, so they might go lawfully, and
the people whom he represented respect
fully petitioned the government authorities
to extinguish the Indian title at the earliest
practicable moment and provide ample
right of way in order that all who desired
to enter the Black Hills might do so. He
considers all lawless invaders of Indian
reservations as wicked and wrong, and
that many of those who were going there
in defiance of the law and against orders,
and the protests of the government, were
desperate characters who would not hest
tate at the commission of any crime. The
delegation now here from the Black Hills
are manfesting disposition to follow out
their own ideas in several respects. To-
day number of them left the hotel as
signed them by the Indian commission and
took up quarters in house of their own
selecting. This circumstance and Others
which are noticeable lead to apprehensions
that an arrangement with them to yield up
their dominion in the Black Hills will be
effected with more difficulty than was ex-
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