The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-04-09
THE NEW Ell DORADO.
What Sheridan Knows AbOut tie
Black Hills.

Hills country. 1t sets forth what ha
been done and what the government
proposes 10 do in the matter, and imme
diately concerns all who contemplate go
ing into that country for gold.
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY Dr.
VISION OF THE Missouri,
CH1oAeo, MARCH %, 1876.
General w. I. Sherman, Headquarters o
the Army, st. Louis, Missouri.
General-In reply to your question
''What do you know of the Black Hills9'
I respectfully submit the following re
marks:
My first knowledge of the Black Hill,
was derived from an interview with the
late Father Desmit, noted Catholic
missionary whom met many years age
on the Columbia River in Oregon, from
whom heard an Indian romance of {
mountain of gold in the Black Hills, anC
his explanation Of that extraordinary anC
delusive story. To Indians, explorer
and frontiersmen the Black Hills coun
try is much more extensive than tha-
particular locality brought to notice Oh
the public by the recent explorations oi
General Custar, and gets its name from
the black, scrubby character of the tim
ber which grows ON the sides and tops
of the mountains and hills. It compi-
ses the whole of the country bounded
on the east by longitude 102, on the
south by the Sweetwater and Laramie
Rivers, on the west by the Big Horn
and Wind Rivers, and 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
a.Black Hills"
For instance, ''Black Hills of Lara
mie, !" 'sBlack Hills of Powder River, 4"
and Black Hills of Cheyenne River, the
latter being the locality in which Gen
eral Custar made his reconnaissance last
summer, and about which there is SO
much speculation at the present time,
and within the bonds of which, it is
supposed by large number of people,
is to be found in the Father Desmet
mountains of gold. Father Desmet's
story was that while living with the
Sioux Indians, he was shown by them
nuggets of, gold which theyinformedh him
had been obtained at different points in
the Black Hills, supposed to be from
the beds of the Big Horn, Rosebud and
Powder rivers, and from the branches of
the Tongue river, and on his represent
ing that such yellow metal was of the
greatest value, they told him they knew
where there was a mountain of it. Sub
sequent investigation, however, proved
that the Indian mountain was nothing
more than formation of yellow mica,
such as may be found in number OF
places in the above described country.
/ had scarcely given the story a thought
after this until about three years ago,
when l happenedto be inNew York, and
it was there brought to my recollection
by prominent gentleman, who asked
me where Father Desmet was to be
found, and insisted that 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 1 had
informed him that it was an old and ex-
ploded story his ardor cooled, and the
excitement about the Mountain Of
Gold" again subsided.
II SO happened, however, that the
Black Hills country was embraced in my
military command, and two years ag,
il became apparent to me that a militar,
post in the Black Hills of the Cheyenne
wonld soon become necessary for thu
proper protection of the settlements O
Nebraska from the raids of Sioux war
riors, who always, before they com
menced depredating on the frontier
secured a safe place for their familie
and villages in the locality mentioned
Believing that these Indians would neve
mako war on our settlements as long a
we could cover their falniliesandvillage
IN this remote locality abounding il
game and all that goes to make Indial
life comfortable, and with this purell
military object in view, the order wa
given for the Custar reconnaissance.
The discovery Of particles of gold b,
alluvial washing near Harney's Peak, oi
the Eastern slope Of the Black Hills o
Cheyenne, followed, and brought to tn,
surface Father Desmet's story for til,
third time. The Black Hills Of Chey
enne, described by General custar, ar
situated between the north and soutl
forks Of that riyer, one Of which is know
as the BelIefouehe, and the other know
as the south fork, and although I hav
the utmost confidence in the statemen
81 General Castar and General Forsyth
% ny staif. that gold was found nea
.Hansyis Peak, 4 Inay safely say ther
AA not been any fair test yet made Il
delalnins is existenee in large quantities
3hero is no territory in the West wher