The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-30
THE BLACK HILLS.

I
Sherman in answer to inquiries respectin!
the Black Hills Of D4kotah, about one-half o
which was forwarded here by telegraph anC
published in the BULLETIN Of Sunday, The
, 18th. The entire letter having reached u.
, BY mail, We give the concluding and more
interesting portion as follows:
: Believing that these Indians would never
make war On our settlement 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 comfortable,
and with this purely military object in view,
the order was given for the Custar recon
nossnce. The discovery OF gold, by wash
} ing, near Harvey Peak, on the eastern slope
Of the Black Hills Of the Cheyenne, followed
and brought to the surface Father Dtsmet's
story for the third time.
The Black Hills Of the Cheyenne, described
by General Gustav, are situated between the
north and south forks OF that river, one Of
which is known as the Belle Fourche, the
other as the South Fork. Although l have
the utmost confidence in the statement of
Gen. Custar and Gen. Forsythe, Of my staff,
that gold was found near Harney's Peak, |
may safely say that there has not been any
| fair test yet made to determine its existence
IN large quantities.
There IS no territory in the West where
gold does not exist, but in many of them the
quantity is limited to the color, which is as
much as has yet been obtained near Harney's
Peak. The geological specimens brought by
Custars expedition are not favorable indcl-
tons of the existence Of gold in great guam
tity. Still, it may be there but, as the treaty
of SO, duly ratified virtually deeds this por-
ton of the Black Hills to the Sioux Indians,
there is no alternative but to keep out tres
pasSers.
THE -io,.p field N eYoMINA
But to go back to the Father Desmet in
formation. There is not much doubt OF the
correctness OF his statement that gold exists
in large quantities in the Black Hills, but
much farther west than the Black Hills of the
Cheyenne. | have seen nuggets from the |
Big Horn and Tongue rivers, and many
specimens from near Fort Stambaugh in the |
upper Wind River country, where mining has |
failed for want OF water for alluvial washing |
and from the hOstlltieS OF the Indians and | |
have good reason to belleve-in fact. it is quite |
certain-that gold exists in the Owl Creek |
mountains, in the lower Wind River and in |
the headwaters Of Powder River and the Rose
bud, all the localities being included under
the general meaning in Black Hills, and out
side the Sherman, Augur and Terry treaty Of
1863 except so tar as the privilege to hunt
game is concerned.
PROPOSED MILITARY EXPLORATIONS.
1t has been my intention to communicate
much information this coming summer to the
government on above described country, and
as the Indians have no absolute right to the
soil, there may be but little difficulty in
their hunting privileges L
purpose, if you do not object, to open up the
Yellow Stone river by sending Gen. Geo. A.
Forsythe and Col Grant, of my staff, up the
Yellow Stone to the mouth OF the Big Horn
as soon as the ice breaks, which will give the
lowest tide-1ater, having already secured a
steamboat to make the exploration. If Gen
Forsythe is successful, 1 will send Gen. Gustav
with command from Fort Lincoln across
he mouth OF Powder River. thence I'D On the
south bank of the Yellow Stone, crossing the
Powder River, Tongue River Rosebud and on
Q the mouth of the Big Horn. This country
5 as Yet entirely uneXplored, and the expedi-
ion may develop very valuable auriferous :
ectIon, and make the Father Desmet story to
ONE extent true-but am OF the belief that :
he mountain of mica has not changed to
odd. | will also send an expedition down
he Wind River, through the Owl Creek
fountains, from Fort Stambaugh, via Fort
Grown, TO the mouth Of the Big Horn and
viii bring it back through the Parks about the
eadwaters Of Powder River, visited by Capt
lllls and his command last summer These
arks are, tor beauty, fully equal to those de-
crlbed SO graphically by Gen. Gustav as ex-
sting in the Black Hills of the Cheyenne | !
lay also say, from my own knowledge, that
he valleys of the Big and Little Popogie,
little Wind River and Main Wind River, can
;arcely be exceled in beauty and fertility,
bile the student of nature will find there
he most extraordinary upheavals OF the earth
rust PROBABLY to be found on this continent.
am OF opinion that this country is gold
caring, but of its abundance there can Onlv
e conjectures at present.
ISEiS TO BE KEPT OUT OF THE sIoUX EEsEEyA-
TON.
feel quite confident Of our ability to pre-
,nt intended trespasS on the rights of the
adams, and cavalry and infantry in the de-
lrtment of Dakotah are being moved at the
eSent time to the most available points to
Try ont my directions of September 3 of
st year Were it not for these precautions r
the part OF the government there might be
epetition of the California Gold Beach and
Did Lake humbugs, with stll greater suffer
g, as many Of the persons who are now
azy to 60 to the Black Hills never think
how they are to exist after they get
ere, or how they could return in case Of
lure.
II they will wait for further information n
N the government, which now seems to be a"
,lrous OF making concessions to meet these
" interests, there will be no one more will at
!, than myself to aid in ascertaining their
ne. AS far as the troops are concerned |
promise activity in the present emer-
ICY, and the conscientious performance of 30
ty. Should the points from which miners
TT be 50 remote as to make it impossible
our scanty force to watch them we can
upy the two or three gaps in the Black
Is, and etfectually exclude trespassers
cry respe etfnly
[E DIDN'T CARE. A newly married couple I
u somewhere down the Lansing road, says