Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-04-02
THE BLACK HILLS.
WHAT GEN. SHERIDAN KNOWS OF
THEM.

The following letter from Gen.
Sheridan will be read with interest
at this time:
HEADQRs MILITARY DIVISION OF THE,
! MISSOURI, CHICAGO. March s5, 1878.
Gen. W. T. 81 rma,., Headquarters IF tho
Army, ST. Louis Mo.
GENERAL:-ln reply to your ques-
ton: "What do you know of the
Black Hills?" l respectfully submit
the following remarks:
My first knowledge of the Black
Hills was derived from interviews
with the late Father De Smet, a noted
Catholic missionary, whom met
many years ago on the Columbia
River, in Oregon, from whom l heard
the Indian romance of Il mountain of
gold in the Black Hills, and his ex-
PLANTATION of that extraordinary and
delusive story.
TO Indians, frontiersmen and cx-
plorers the Black Hills country is
much more extensive than that par
ticular locality brought to the notice
Of the public by the recent explora-
tons of Gen. Gustav, and gets its
name from the black scrubby charac-
ter 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 Ion
gitude 1902 o, 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 Vel
lowstone River. This is really the
country of the Black Hills; but en-
braced in it are several localities call
| ed "Black Hills" For instance, the
s'Black Hills OF the Laramie" the
''Black Hills of the Powder River"
and the "Black Hills of the Shyenne
River" the latter being the locality
in which Gen. Gustav made his re-
connoissance last summer, 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 is to be
found the Father De Smet mountain
Of gold.
Father De Smcts 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, supposed to be from
the beds of the Big Horn, Rosebud
and Powder rivers, and from branch
es of the Tongue River; and on his
representing that such yellow metal
was of the greatest value, they told
him they knew where there was a
mountain of it. Subsequent investi-
CATION, however proved that the In
dian mountain of gold was nothing
more than a formation of yellow
mica, such as may be found in a
number of places in the above des-
cribed country.
l had scarcely given the story a
thought after this, until about three
years ago, when | happened to be in
New York, and it was there brought
to my recollection by prominent
gentleman, who asked me where
Father De Smet 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 | had informed him that it
was an 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 apparent to me that a
military post in the Black Hills OF
the Shyennc would soon become nee
essary for the proper protection OF
the settlements in Nebraska from the
raids of Sioux warriors, who always,
before they commenced depradations
on the frontier, secured a safe place
for their families and villages i'll the
localities mentioned. Believing that
these Indians would never make war
-on our settlements as long as we
could threaten their families and vii
lagos in this remote locality, abound
ing in game and all that goes to make
Indian life comfortable, aud with this
purely military object in view, the
order was given for the Custar recon
noissance.
The discovery of particles of gold
by alluvial washing, near Harney's
Peak, on the eastern slope of the
Black Hills of the Shyenne, followed,
and brought to the surface the
Father De Smet story for the third
time.
The Black Hills of the Shyenne,
described by Gen. Gustav, are stu ted
between the north and south forks of
that river, one Of which is known as
the Belle Fourche, the other the
South Fork; and although l have the
utmost confidence in the statement of
General Custar and General Forsyth,
of my staff, that gold was found near
Harney's Peak, l may safely say there
has not been any fair test yet made
to determine its existence in large
quantities.
There is not a Territory in the
West where gold does not exist, but
in many of them the quantity is linn
tied to the "color," which is as much
rs has yet been obtained near Har-
ney's Peak. The geological speci-
mems brought back by the Gustav
expedition are not favorable indica-
tons of the existence Of gold in any
great quantity. Still, it may be there;
but as the treaty of 1869, duly rati-
fled, virtually deeds this portion of
the Black Hills to the Sioux Indians,
there is no alternative but to keep
out trespassers.
But to go back to the Father De
Smet information, there is not much
doubt of the correctness Of his state
ment that gold exists in large quanti-
ties in the Black Hills, but much fur
Their west than the Black Hills of the
Shyennc. | have seen nuggets from
the Big Horn and Tongue rivers, and
many specimens from near Fort
Stambaugh, in the Upper Wind Riv-
er country, where mining has failed
for want of water for alluvial wash
iur and from hOstilitios of tho Tnd;