The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-06-14
MONDAY. JUNE II, 1875.
THE a mus.

Colonel Stanton, Paymuster U. S.
Army, yesterday received a letter
from an officer with the expedition
now escorting Prof. Jenney through
the Black Hills, which letter, 10 good
part, we give herewith.
"HEADoUARTERs BLACK HILLS
EXPEDITION.
CAMP JENNEY, June 4, 1875.
Latitude 43o 45" north, Longitude
IOF
Dear Colonel: AS promised, / pro-
coed to give you an idea OF where we
are, and how we are getting on. You
will have no difficulty in following
Is up, as we have made n trail
through the country, stamped with
the mark OF sixty government wag-
ons, that will last until the everlast-
ing hills are dissolved, and their
material substance covers the plains.
We camped on Rawhide the first
night out, followed Mix's trail a few
miles the second day, then started off
northward on our own hook, and,
with map, compass and the feeble
assistance of our so-cdlled guide, Joe
Merrivale, we made u way MS
direct rs possible for the hills. We
left Laramie, you know, on the 18th.
On the Both we camped on the Chry-
enne River, and on the LIST of June
struck Beaver Creek, near the forks.
We found the water perfectly dam
nable. II was strongly impregnated
with alkali, and had "A saline taste
also. We were 'obleeged' to vacate
tn use regions the next day aud look
for a camp where decent water
abounded, to dissolve u sugar and
amalgamate The corn juice. We
struck 1t yesterday, the 3rd, In the
shape OF a clear, sw%ift-running stream,
coming out of n canyon in the noun
tains. 1t Is n tributary of the ehst
fork of the Beaver. We are in q
notch Of the hills, camped on Il beau
tifui grassy plateau, with cottonwood,
elder and willows 10 shade us. just
back Of US Is a peak over a thousand
feet high, it's summit covered with
red sandstone. There is no gold or
silver anywhere in this vicinity.
That is evident from n look Mt the
rocks and formation. 1t is all sand
stone and gypsum.
: The Indians have not put in an
appearance Mt all yet, and do not
think they will trouble US. but we
are throwing up n couple of small
redoubts on commanding points, so
we can rake the country with u
Gatling and howitZer. After u sup
ply train returns from Fort Laramie,
which will be in fifteen or twenty
days, and after Prof. Jenney has CON
pleted his survey in this vicinity, we
will pull up stakes and establish
another camp further east sor north.
This will probably not occur, how
ever, before the middle of July, ard
we will leave q good trail from
here. E- VII
We have Travelled about 1I0 miles,
but the distance can BE- made much
shorter. Capt. Burt starts back to-
morrow with the train, and expects
to go through to Fort Laramie in
five days. Old Joe took US five or
six miles out of our course, the second
day out, trying to make a short cut
to the Niobrura. We went about
three miles up n dry sand creek, and
then we had to turn round and march
back to Rawhide to get wafer to
camp on. Then, owing TO Joe's mis-
representations and ignorance, we
lost about two days more going
roundabout courses. We consumed
much time, also, making roads and
bridging streams and gullies. We
struck the line of bad cliffs that Mix
had SO much trouble in getting
through, and went over them on an
old Indian trail without difficulty.
We crossed the Old Woman's Fork
of the Cheyenne five times in one
day. Our hunters brought in a Gin
bear, foul elk and three ueer,
the night We camped on the Beaver.
So we know there is game in the
country. An elk. was shot yesterday
near camp.
w hope you will be along early
in July. and see the country yourself,
for, I assure you, it is well worth
seeing. We have named u camp
after the chief ''Bug suffer" and the