Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-04-08

gold in any great quantity. Still it may be
there; but as the treaty of 1869, duly ratified
Virtually deeds this portion of the Black
Hills to the Sioux Indians, there is no alter
native but to keep out trespassers.
But to go back to the Father de Smet infor-
nation, there is not much doubt of the cor
rectness of his statement that gold exists in
large quantities in the Black Hills, but much
further west than the Black Hills of the Shy
enne. L have seen nuggets from the Big
Horn and Tongue Rivers, and many speci-
mems from near Fort Stambaugh, in the Up
per Wind River county, where mining has
failed for want of water for alluvial washing
and from hostilities of the Indians; and l have
good reason to believe-in fact, it is quite
certaln-that gold exists in the Owl Creek
Mountains, in the Lower Wind River and in
the headwaters of the Powder River and the
Rosebud, all these localities being
under the general meaning in the
Black Hills, and outside of the Sherman,
Augur and Terry treaty of 1869, except so
far as the privilege to hunt game. 1t has
been my Intention to communicate much in
formation this coming summer to the Gov
eminent on the above-described country; and
as the Indians have no absolute right to the
soil there may be but little difficulty in ex-
/ tinguishing their hunting privileges.
propose, if you do not object, to open up
| the Yellowstone River by sending Gen Geo.
A. Forsyth and Col. Grant, of my staff, up
the Yellowstone to the mouth of the Big
| Horn as soon as the ice breaks, which will
| give the lowest tide of water, having already
secured steamboat to make this exploration.
| If Gen. Forsyth is successful L will send Gen
| Custer, with a command from Fort Lincoln,
across the mouth of Powder River, thence up
on the south bank of the Yellowstone, cross
| ing Powder River, Tongue River, Rosebud
and on to the mouth of the Big Horn.
This country is as yet entirely uneXplored
and the expedition may develop very valu-
| able auriferous section and make the Father
! de Smet story to some extent true, but am
| of the belief that the mountain of mica has
not changed to gold
| | will also send an expedition down Nlno
| River, through the Owl Creek Mountains
| from Fort Stambaugh, Via Fort Brown, to the
mouth of the Big Horn, and will bring it back
through the parks about the head waters o.
| Powder River visited by Capt Mills and his
| command last summer These parks are fol
| beauty fully equal to those described so graph
ically by Gen. Custer as existing in the Black
Hills of the Shyenne. may also say from
| my own knowledge that the valleys of the
| Big and Little Po-po-agie, Little Wind River
and Main Wind River can scarcely be ex-
celled in beauty and fertility while the student
| of nature will find there the most extraordi-
| nary upheavals of the earth's crust probably
to be found on this continent. L am OF the
| opinion that this country is gold-bearing, but
| OF lGS abundance There can OulE NC d COAJCS1-
ure at present.
| [ feel quite confident of our ability to pre-
vent the intended trespass On the rights of the
| Indians, and cavalry and infantry in the de
partment of the Dakota are being moved at
the present time to the most available points,
to carry out my directions of Sept. of last
| year. Were it not for these precautions on the
| part of the Government there might be rep
| etition of the California Gold Beach and Gold
| Lake humbugs, with a still greater suffer
ing, as many of the persons now crazy to go
| to the Black Hills never think of how they are
! to exist after they get there, or how they
| could return in case of failure.
| If they will only wait for further informa-
| ton from the Government, which now seems
to be DESTROYS of making concessions to meet
these new interests, there will be no one
more willing than myself to aid in ascertain
ing their value; so far as the troops are con
cerned I will promise activity in the present
| emergency and a conscientious performance
of duty.
Should the points from which the miners
start be so remote as to make it impossible
for our scanty force to watch them, we can
occupy the two or three gaps in the Black
Hills and effectlally exclude trespassers. Very
respectfully P. III. SHERIDAN,
Northumberland Commanding.