The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-04-01
A MOUNTAIN OF MICA.
ALL NOT GOLD THAT GLITTERS.
BLACK HILLS.

BLACK HILLS.
SHERIDAN ON THE sITUATIoN-wHAT HE
KNOWS OF THE GROUNDS so MUCH COW
ETED-8IIGHTY INTERESTING READING.
CHICAGO, Ills, March 26.-Lieut.-Gen.
Sheridan has written the following highly
interesting letter concerning the Black Hills
country. IL sets forth what has been done
and what the government proposes to do in
the matter, and Immediately concerns all
who contemplate going into that country for
gold:
HEADo'Rs MILITARY DIV. OF THE MISSOURI,
CHICAGO, March %, 1875.
Gen. W. t. sherman, Headquarters Of the Army,
St Louis. Mo.
GENERAL: In reply to your question
what do you know of the Black Hills? re-
specially submit the following remarks:
My first knowledge of the Black Hills
was derived from an interview with the late
Father DeSmet, the noted Catholic mission
airy, whom / met many years ago on the
Columbia river, in Oregon, from whom /
heard an Indian romance of the mountains
of gold in the Black Hills, ard his explain
alton of that extraordinary and dslusive
story of Indians, frontiersmen and explorers
The Black Hills country is much more ex-
tensive than that particular locality brought
to the notice of the public by recent xplor-
atoms of Gen. Custer, and gets its name
from the black, scrubby character
of the timber which grows on
the sides and tops of the mountains and
hills. 1t comprises the whole of the country
bounded on the east by longitude 102 de-
grees, on the south by the Sweetwater and
Laramie rivers, on the west by Big Horn
and Wind rivers, and on the north by the
Yellowstone river. This Is really the coun-
try of BLACK Hills, but embraced in il are
several localities called Black Hills, for in
stance, Black Hills of Laramie, Black Hills
of Powder river, and Black Hills OF Chey-
enne river, the latter being in
the locality where Gen. Custer
made his reconnaissance last sum-
mer, and about which there is SO much
speculation at the present time, and within.
the bounds of which it IS supposed by a
large number of people
GOLD is TO BE FOUND.
Father DeSmet main' aims that he was told
the gold story 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, supposed to be from the beds of Big
Horn, Rose Bud and Powder rivers, and
from the branches of Tongue river, and on
his representing that such yellow metal was
of great value they told him they knew
where there was amountain Oft. Subsequent
investigation, however, proved that the
Indian mountain OF sold was nothing more
than a formation of yellow mica, such as
may be found in number Of places in and
above the described country. had scarcely
given the story a thought after this until
about three years ago, when j happened to
be in New York, and it was there brought to
my recollection by prominent gentleman,
who asked noe where Father De Smet was to
bs found, ana insisted that some one should
be sent at oncs to get from him the secret OF
the gold mountain, which would pay the
no a
him that it was
THE OLD AND EXPLODED STORY
his ardor cooled, and the excitement about
the. mountain of gold again subsidized. 1t
so happened, however, that the Black
Hills country was embraced in my military
command, and two years ago it became APP
parent to me that military post in the
Black Hills ofthe Cheyenne would soon be-
come necessary for the proper protection of
of the settlements in Nebraska from raids
OF the Sioux warriors, who always, before
they commenced depredations on the from
tier, secured safe place for their families
and villages in the locality mentioned. Be-
lieving 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 comfortable, and with this purely mill
IaTY ODleCb In Nl6W, Inc OIO6l was gwen
for Clusters reconnaissance. The discovery
of particles of gold, by washing
near Harney's Peak, on the eastern
slope of the Black Hills of Cheyenne
folio we'd, and brought to the surface Father
DeSmet's story for the third time. The
Black Hills of Cheyenne, described by Gen.
Custer, are situated between the north and
south forks of that river, one OF which is
known as Belle Fourche, the other the
South Bank, and although 1 have the ut
most confidence in the statements of Gen.
Custer and Gen. Forsythe, OF my staff, that
gold was found near Harney's Peak, L may
safely say there has not been sDy fair test
made to determine the existence Of gold ia
large quantities. There is not territory in
the West where gold does not exist, but In
many of them the quantity is limited to the
color, which is as much as has yet been OBJ
tanned at Harney's Peak. Geological speci
mems brought back by the Custer expedi-
ton are
NOT FAVORABLE INDICATIONS
of the existence of gold in great quantities,
still it may be there, but es the treaty OF
1869, duly ratified, virtually deeds this
portion of the Black Hills to the Sioux In
dams, there is no alternative but to keep
out trespassers. But to go back to the
Father DeSmet information, there is not
much doubt of the correctness of his state
ment that gold exists in large quantities in
the Black Hills. but much farther west than
the Black Hills OF Cheyenne. / have seen
nuggets from Big Horn and Tongue rivers,
ana many specimens from near TT. Siam
baugh 10 the upperWind river country, where
mining has failed for want of water for allu-
vial washing, and from the bostilities of the
Indians, and have good reason to believe,
in fact it is qGiie certain, that gold exists in
the Owl Creek Mountains in the
lower Wind river and i'm the head waters Of
Powder river and the Rosebud, ALI the locali-
ties being under general meaning,
ia the Black Hills and outside the Sherman,
Augur and Terry treaty of 1869, except so
far as privilege to hunt game. 1t has been
my intention to communicate much inform >