The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-30
HEADQUA
MILITARY DIVISION OF TIE MISSOURI,
CurcAco Morch Ok 1914

| HEADQUARTERS
MILITARY DIVISION OF TIE MISSOURI,
CHICAGO, March IS, 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 I met many
years ago on the Columbia river, in Ore
gon, from whom heard the Indian ro-
nance Of a mountain of gold in the Black
Hills, and his explanation Of that extra
ordinary and delusive 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 it's name frem 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
lO7 degrees; on the sonth 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, the
after being the locality in which Gen.
Custer made his reconnaissance last sum-
med, and 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 mountain
oft. Subsequent investigation, however.
proved that the Indian mountain of gold
wos nothing more than formation of
yellow mica, such as may be found in a
number of places in the above described
country. l had scarcely given the story
! thought after this until about three
:!ears ago: when happened to be in New
| York, and it was there brought to nv
recollection by d prominent gentleman
| who asked me where Father Desmet was
to be found, and insisted some one should
&c 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 IN old and exploded
story his ardor cooled, and the excitement
about the mountain Of gold again sub
sided.
1t so happened, however, that the
Black Hills country was embraced in my
military command, and five years ago i:
became apparent to me that 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
rlors 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 a reconnaissance Of dis
covery. Particles of gold by alluvial
wachiuc roor HorDou,c DIAL, ~
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-
scribed by General Custer, arc situated
between the north and south forks of THAT
river; one of which is known as the Billie
Fourche; the other the south fork and
although have the utmost confidence in
the statements Of General Custer and
General Forsyth, of my staff, that gold
was found near Harney's Peak, I may
safely say there has not been any fair
test yet made to determine its existence
in large quantities. There is not terri
tory in the west where gold does not ex-
list, but in many Of them the quantity is
limited to color. which is us much as has
yet been obtained near Harney's Peak.
Geological specimens brought back by the
Gustav expedition are not favorable indi-
cations of the existence of gold in any
great quantity. Still it may be there.
but as the treaty Of 1859, duly ratified,
virtually deeds this portion of the Black
Hills to the Sioux Indians. there IS no al
tentative but to keep out tresspassers.