The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-06-24
Disguised Gold Hunters.

The Kansas City Ne,cs of the 11th says
A queer looking craft came down the
Missouri River last evening from the
north. 1t was neither a fat-boat nor a
raft, but rather a cross between the two.
1t was formed of cottonwood logs, Sc
curely pinned together, and braced cross
wise with an upper floor of young sap
lings; around the outside of this raft,
parapet of hewed logs had been built
about three feet high. In the center was a
cabin in which the bedding of the pas
sengers was slowed. At each endand up
on each side were long sweeps or oars,
mounted upon pivots, each long enough
to require strong man TO manage them.
1t rounded to for the night and was visited
and boarded by one of our reporters. n
party of seven men were found on board.
This party consisted of Captain Il. b.
Wilkinson, of Nashville Henry Joyce, of
the same place; Thos. Brayton, Cairo;
Theodore Edgarton, st. Louis; Charles
L. Howard. Brunswick, Mo-; James M.
Afferty, and Patrick o. Halloran, of AL
ton, Ill. Howard was suffering from
shot in the shoulder received at the hands
ofa roaming band of Sioux, while out
hunting on the Cheyenne River. The en-
tire party were Black Hill gold seekers re-
turning from their ill-omened adventure.
This party formed portion of an eXpe-
ditiOn organized in Fort Randall IN March
last. They went out in squads of two and
three, and rendeZvOused about fifty miles
west of the Missouri River, and in the lat
ter part of April started out with a party
of sixty men and nine wagons, bound for
Harney's Peak. They met with no
troubles, and saw neither Indians or
soldiers until they reached the
Beaver Falls of Cheyenne River. Here they
halted few days to rest and prospect.
On the third day after stopping, Indians
were seen in the vicinity, and at early
dawn of May 7th their entire herd was
stampeded and run off. Scouts were sent
back for assistance, but they were never
heard of again, and it is supposed that
they must have been captured or killed by
the Sioux, who seemed to be lowering
about them at all times.
The expedition disbanded, after waiting
few days, without hope or expectation
of relief. Captain Wilkinson, with six
men, started out on foot for Fort Randall.
They met with war party of Sioux about
thirty miles from the main camp of the
expedition, and after slight skirmish
with them, in which Howard received
wound in his side, they were allowed to
proceed. After tiresOme and fatiguing
JOuTHcy vi elgllI OdyS Iley sLTuCh uccp
water on the Cheyenne River, where it
was decided to build raft and float down
to the Missouri.
The adventurers reached Sioux City in
safety, and having little money, and be-
ing unable to pay their fare to st. Louis,
they resolved TO make the journey down
the river with the 'June rise" Their
raft was strengthened and improved and
a stock of provisions laid in, and they start
ed. They have made the trip thus far
without accident, and expect to make st.
Louis before another week has elapsed.
Captain Wilkinson is of the opinion that
the Indians will not allow the whites to
go into the Black Hills this year, and that
every expedition starting out to cross the
''bad lands'' will be bushwhacked all the
way, and finally destroyed. He has no
faith in the stories told of the fabulous
wealth to be found in the Black Hills, and
denounces the gold fever as one of the
greatest humbugs of the age.