Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-03-29
.,oxa. Gazette & Virginia Advertiser

usrriage and Death Notices fifty cents. Obitu-
msr,ss will be charged at advertisement rates
for notices over four lines.
ROMANCE OF THE BLACK HILLS.
l;eutenaat General Sheridan has written
tbs following letter concerning the Black Hills
country. Il sets forth what has been done
and what the government proposes to DO IN
the matter, and Immediately concerns all who
contemplate goiog in to that country for gold.
HEADQUARTERS Military Diuision of Missouri,
Chicago, March 25.--Geu. w. L. Sherman,
Headquarters of the Army, St. Louis: Gener'
sl--Iu reply to your question. "What do you
tnow of the Black Hills" [ respectfully
submit the following remarks: My first knowl-
edge of the Black Hills Was derived from an
interview with the late Father Desmet noted
Catholic missionary whom l met many Years
sso ou the Columbus river, 10 Oregon, irom
whom heard an Iudian romance of noun
lain of gold 10 the Black Hills, and his expla-
nation of that extraordinary and deluslve story
of the Indians. frontiersmen and explorers OF
the Black Hills country, is much more exten-
siye than that particular locality brought to the
notice Of the public BY the recent explorations
of Gen. Custer, and gets its name from the
black sclubby character OF the timber which
grows Oh the sides md tops of the mountains
and hills 1t comprises the whole oil the country
bounded on the east by Longitude l02 degrees,
on the south BY the Swectwater and Laramie
rivers, on the west by the Big Horn and Wind
rivers, and on the north by the Yellowstone
river.
This is really the country Of the Black Hills,
but embraced 10 ii are several localities called
Black Hills, for instance, Black Hills of Lara
ME, Black Hills of Powder river and Black
Hills of Cheyenne river, the latter being the
locality iu which General Custer made his re-
connoisance last summer. apd about which
there is so much speculation at the present
time, and within the bounds Of which it is sup
posed by large number OF people IS to be
found Father Desmet's mountain OF gold.
Father Desmets story was that while living
with the Sioux Indians he was shown by them
nuggets of gold, which they Informed him had
been obtaiued at different points IN the Black
Hills. supposed 10 be from the beds OF the
Big Horn, Rosebud aud Powder rivers, and
from branches of the Tongue river, aud on his
rcprcseutiug that such yellow metal was OF
greut value, they told him that they knew where
a mountain Of it was to be found.
Subsequent Investigation. however, proved
the Indian mountain Of gold was nothing more
than formation of yellow mica, such as may
be found in number of places ln the above
described oouulry. bad sbarcely given the
story thought after this unti about three years
aye, when [ happened to be in New York ,and
twas there brought to my recollection by some
prominent gentleman. who asked me where
Father Desmet was to be found, and insisted
that scmc Que should be sent at once to get from
him the secret Of the gold mountain, which
would pay the national debt, &c. After had
informed him that it was an old exploded story
bis ardor cooled and the excitement about the
mountain Of gold again subsided. 1t so hap
pened, however, that the Black Hills country
was embraced 10 my military commission. and
two years ago it became apparaDt to me that
d military post iu the Black Hills OF the Chey-
enue would soon become necessary Tor the
proper protection Of the settlements 10 Ne
braska from the raids Of Sioux warriors who
always before they commenced depredating
on the frontier secured safe place tor Their
families and villages 10 the locality mentioned.
Believing that these Indians would never
make war on our settlements as long as We
could threaten their families aud villages 10
this remote locality. abounding iD game and all
that goes to make lodlan lite comfortable, and
with this purely military object iu view an or.
sance.
The discovery of particles of gold by alluvial
washing near Har0ey's Peak, on the eastern
slope Of the Black Hills of Cheyenne, followed,
and brought to surface Father Desmet's story
for the third time The Black Hills Of Chey.
enne described by General Custer are situated
between the north and south forks OF that
river. one Of which is Known IS Belle Fourche,
the other as tho South Fork, and although l
have the utmost confidence in the statements
Of Gen. Custer and Gen. Forsyth, of my staff,
that gold was tcuod, near Harney's Peak,
may ssfely say there has not been any fair test
ye! made to determine its existence in large
Quantities. There is not Territory 10 the
West where gold does not exist, but 10 many
of them the quantity % limited to the color,
which is as much as has yet been obtained near
Harney's Peak. The geological specimens
brought back by the Custer expedition are not
favorable indications of the existence OF gold IN
great quantities.; still it may be there, but as
the treaty Of 1869, duly ratified, virtually
deeds this portion Of the Black Hills to the
Sioux Indians, there is no alternative but to
keep out trespassers.
But to 60 back to Father Desmet's in.
formation, there is not much doubt Of the
correctness OF his statement that gold exists
in the Black Hills. but much further back
than the Black Hills of the Cheyenues.
| have seen puggets from the Big Horn
and Tongue rivers, aud many specimens from
oear Fort Stambaugh, in the upper Wind River
country, where the mining has failed for want
Of water for alluvial washing, and from the hos
tlity Of the Indians, and have good reason to
believe, in fact it is quite certain, that gold ex-
lists 10 the Owl Greek mountains on the lower
Wind river and on the headwaters of the Pow
der river and the Rosebud All the localities
are under the general meaning in the Black
Hills, and outside Of the Sherman, Auger and
Terry treaty Of 1869, except 80 far as the priv