Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-04-02

luear Fort 6tA0baugh. 10 the upper vino
river country. where mining has failed
from want OF water for &lllvial washing
and from the bostilities Of Indiana. and
have good reason to believe. IN fact, that
it d quite certain that gold exists In the
|Owl Creek mountains, in the lower Wind
river country. and on the head waters OF
Powder rlver and Rosebud; oil these To-
|calities being under the general meaning
lin the Black Hill, and outside OF the Sher-
Imam, Augur and Terry treaty Of 1883, ex-
lcept 90 far:as the privilege 70 hunt game
Il has been my intention to communi-
cate much information this coming sum-
mer to the Government on the above de-
Iscs1bed country. and - the Indians have
lno right to the soil there may be but little
Idif8culty IN extin guishing their hunting
privileges propose, If you do not OBJ
Iiect, to open the Yellowstone river by
lending Gen. Geo. A. Forsythe and Col.
Grant, Of my staff, up the Yellowstone to
1.-The mouth of the Big Horn river - soon
les the ice breaks up. which will give the
Lowest tide OF, water, having already se
|cured steamboat TO- make this exp'ora-
ton. If Gen. Forsyth is successful. ! will
send Gen. Custer with . command from
For, lincoln across to the mouth Of Pow
der rlver; thence up Oh the south bank o.
the Yellowstone to the crossing of Pow
der river. Tongue river and Rosebud. and
on to thu mouth Of the Big Horn. This
country Is rs yet entirely unexplored, and
the expedition may develop very valua-
bic auriferous section and make the Father
De Smet story to some extent true. But
am Of the belief that the mountain OF
mica has not changed to gold.
I will also send an expedition down
Wind river through the Owl Creek noun
tains from Fort Stambaugh. via Fort
Brown, to the mouth of the Big Horn,
and will bring it back through the parks
shout the headwaters of Powder river
visited by Capt. Mills and his command
last summer. These parks are for beauty
fully equal to those 90 graphically desert
bed bv Gen: Custer a. existing in the Black
Hills of the Cheyenne. l may also say
from my own knowledge that the valleys
of the Big and Little Poppagie, Little
Wind river and the main Wind river, can
be excelled in beauty and fertility,
while the student of nature will find
there the most extraordinary upheavals
Of earth crust probably to be found on
this continent. l am of the opinion
that this country is gold bearing but of
its abundance there can only be coDject-
lre. -.
At present I feel quite confident of our
ability to prevent the intended trespass ON
he rights of the Indians, and the cavalry
md infantry in the department of Dakota
ire being moved at the present time TO the
most available points. to carry out my
direction of September Sd of last year
We're it not for these precautions on the
oart of the Government, there might be a
'epetition of the California Gold Beach
md Gold Lake humbugs, with still great
r suffering, as many of the persons now
ray to 60 to the Black Hills never think
# how they are to exist after they {
Jet there, or how they could return in
:ase Of a failure. If they will only wait
or further information from the Govern
nent, which now seems deslrOus of making
to meet these new interests,
here will be no one more willing than
myself to aid in ascertaining their value.
Is far as troops are concerned. ! will
'romise activity in the present emergency ,
nd conscientious performance Of duty.
should the points from which the miners 8
tart be so remote As to make it impossible ,
Dr. out scanty force to watch them, we can
>s.ry -AA~-t~r-vr trrec gsps I'm tho D,nck II
Hills and effectually exclude trespassers.
Very respectfully. +,
r. H. SHERIDAN,
Lieut.. Gen. Commanding. Ii