The weekly clarion., 1875-04-07
The Original Indian Story Of ''the Noun
tain Of GOId.''
Fnbuias Traditions Gathered by
the KsIe Father De Smef.
Intentions OF the Government and the Mil
itary Concerning Intruders.
History Of Ihe Black Hills.

interesting letter concerning the Biacl
Hills country. 1t sets forth what ha
been done and what the government pro
poses to do in the matter, and immediate
1y concerns all who contemplate goiny
4 into that country for gold;
H'DQ'R's. Mn DIv. OF THE Mo.
CHICAGO, March %, 1875.
To r. T. Sherman, Headquarters of tn
|. Army, St. Louis, No.
GENERAL: In reply TO your question
"What do you know of the Black hills %
[ respectfully submit the following re-
marks:
Ny first knowledge of the Black hills
was derived from an interview with the
late Father De Smet, the noted Catholic
missionary, whom | met many years ago
on the Columbia river in Oregon, and
/ from whom | heard the Indian romance
of mountains Of gold in the Black hills, :"
| and his explanation of that extraordinary
/ and delusive story to Indians, frontiers
men and explorers. The Black hills
I country is much more extensive than
that particular locality brought to the
noticeof the public by recent explorations
OF Gen. Custer, and gets its name from
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 102 degrees, on the South
by the S,weetwater and Laramie rivers,
on the west by the Big Horn and Wind
rivers, and on the north by the Yellow
stone river. This is really the country
- L., I, Inf N 1
are several localities called Black hills.
For instance, the Black hills of Laramie,
Black hills of Powder river and the Black
hills of the Cheyenne river, the latter
being the locality in which Gen. Custer
made his reconnaissance last summer and
about which there is SO much speculation
at the present time and within the bounds
of which it is supposed by large num-
Der of people is to be found gold.
Father De Smets mountain of gold
story was learned 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 beds
of the Bighorn, Rosebud and Powder
rivers and from branches of the Tongue
river, and on his representing that such
| yellow metal was OF great value they
| told him that they knew where there was
mountain of it. Subsequent investi-
CATION, however, proved that the Indian
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 described country. l had scarcely
given the story thought after this until
/ IL. IL YtrlNn / hnp
to be in New York and it was there
brought to my recollection by promi-
nent 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 excite
ment about the mountain of gold again
subsided.
1t so happened, however, that the
Black hill country was embraced In my
military command and two years ago
it became apparent to me that military
post in the Black hills of Cheyenne would
soon become necessary for the proper pro-
lection of settlements in Nebraska from
raids of Sioux warriors, who before they
commenced depredations on the frontier,
secured safe place for their families and
villages in the locality mentioned, believ-
ing these Indians would never make war
on our settlement as long as we could
threaten their families and villages In
this remote locality, abounding in game
and all that 90 to make Indian life COM
r IL tl,1 tor
object in view, an order was given for the
Custer reconnaissance. The party found
gold by washing near Harvey's peak, on
the eastern slope of the Black hills of
Cheyenne, and this brought to the sur
face the Father De Smet story for the
third time.
The Black hills of Cheyenne, described
bv Gen Custer, are situated between the
north and south forks of that river, one
of which is known as Belle Fourcae, and
the other South Bark and although L
have the utmost confidence in the state
ment of Gen. Custer and Gen. Forysthe
of my staff, that gold was found near Har-
news Peak, may safely say there has not
been any fair test yet made to determine
its eXistencein large quantities. There IS
not a 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 vet been obtained near HarneY's
| Peak Geological specimens brought by
the Custer expedition are not favorable
| indications of the existence of gold IN
great quantity Still it may be there.
But as the treaty of 1869, duly ratified,
virtually deeds this portion of the Black
/ fn hn Tr,HI "a
alternative but to keep out tresspassers.
| But to go back to the Father De Smet
| information 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 Ft. Stambaugh in the Upper Wind
river country, where mining has failed
| for want of water for alluvial washing,
and from hostilities of the Indians; and
/ / have good reason to believe, In fact it Is
| quite certain, that gold exists in the Owl
Greek mountains and the Lower Wind
river, and In the head waters of the
Powder river and the Rosebud, all the
! localities being under general meaning In
the Black hills and out side the Sherman,
Augur and Terry treaty of 1869, except
so far as to the privilege to hunt game.
1t has been my intention to communicate
much information this coming summer
to the government on the above described
country, and as the Indians have no
absolute right to the soil here, there may
be but little difficulty In Distinguishing
their hunting privileges. | purpose, il
you do not object, to open up the Yellow