The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-04-08

courtesy and impsrtiality with which they had
presided the Senate adjourned sine die.
The Black HilIs-Letter From Gen
Sheridan.
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE
Missouri, CHICAGO, March, Is, 1875. I
Gen. ". = SHERMAN, Headquarters Of the Army,
Genersl-1n reply to your question: "What
do you knOWsof the Black Hills?' respect
fully submit the following remarks:
My first knowledge of the Black Hills was
derived from interviews with the late Father
de Smet, noted Catholic missionary, whom
l met many years ago on the Columbia River,
In Oregon, from whom heard the Indian 70.
nance of a mountain of gold in the Black
Hills, and his explanation of that extraor-
binary and delusive story.
To Indians, frontiersmen and explorers the
Black Hills country is much more extensive
than that particular locality brought to the
notice of the public by the recent xplorations
Of Gen. Custer, and gets its name from tic
black, scrubby character of the timber which
grows on the sides and tops of the mountains
and hills. It comprises the whole of the
country bounded on the east by longitude
los deg, on the south by the sweetwater and
Big Horn and Wind Rivers, and on
the north by the Yellowstone River. This is
really the country of the Black Hills; but en-
| braced in it are several localities called
"Black Hills" For instance, the "Black
Hills of the Laramie" the "Black Hills of
Powder River" and the "Black Hills Of the
Shyenne River" the latter being the locality
| In which Gen. Custer made his reconnois-
| sance last summer, and about which there is
SO much speculation at the present time, and
within the bounds of which it is supposed by
q large number of people is to be found the
Father dc Smet mountain of gold.
Father de Smet's story was that, while
by them nuggets Of gold, which they informed
him had been obtained at different points
in the Black Hills, supposed to be from the
beds Of the Big Horn, Rosebud and Powder
Rivers, and from branches of the Tongue
River; and on his representing that such
yellow metal was Of the greatest value, they
told him they knew where there was a
mountain Of it. Subsequent investigation,
however, proved that the Indian noun
tain Of gold was nothing more than
q formation of yellow mica, such
as may be found in number of places in the
above described country.
after tS until three years aso WIEN
happened to be in New York, and it was
| there brought to my recollection by a PROM
inent 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
| excitement about the mountain of gold''
| again subsidized.
Itso happened, however, that the Black Hills
| country was embraced in my military COM
mand, and two years ago it became apparent
to me that q military post in the Black Hills
| 0f the Shvanno vvoy,1d hoo
for the proper protection of the settlements in
Nebraska from the raids of Sioux warriors,
who always before they commenced depredat.
ing the frontier secured safe place for their
families and villages in the locality mentioned.
Believing that these Indians would never
make war on our settlements 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 Custer reconnois-
sance.
The discovery of particles of gold by
alluvial washing near Harncy's Peak, on the
enne, followed and brought to the surface the
Father de Smet story for the third time.
The Black Hills Of the Shyenne, described
by Gen. Custer, are situated between the
north and south forks of that river, one of
| which is known as the Belle Fourche the
USnei VIC oouIu EoEhi anu alCnOuSn 1 nave
| the utmost confidence in the statement of
Gen. Custer and Gen. Forsyth, of my staff,
that gold was found near Harpcy's Peak,
may safely say that there has not been any
fair test yet made to determine its existence
! in 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 'coior," which is
| as much as has yet been obtained near Har-
| ney's Peak. The geological specimens
| brought back by the Custer expedition are
not favorable indications of the existence of
gold in any great quantity. 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 go back to the Father dc Smet infor-
| nation, there is not much doubt of the cor
| rectncss of his statement that gold exists in
large quantities in the Black Hills, but much
further west than the Black Hills of the Shy
enne; have seen nuggets from the Big Horn
near Fort Stambaugh, in the Upper Wind
River country, where mining has failed for
| want of water for alluvial washing and from
hOstilitics OF the Indians; and have good
reason to believe-in fact, it is quite Ger
| tain-that gold exists in the Owl Creek
Mountains, in the Lower Wind River and
In the headwaters of the Powder River
and the Rosebud, all these localities
being under the general meaning in the
Black Hills, and outside of the Sherman,
Augur and Terry treaty of 1863, except SO far as
the privilege to hunt game. 1thas been my in
tentlon 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, there may
be but little difficulty in extinguishing their
| hunting privileges.
lpurpose, If you do not object, to open up
the Yellowstone River by sending Gen. Geo.
A. Forsyth and Col Grant, of my staff, up
the Yellowstone to the mouth of the Big
Horn as soon as the ice breaks, which will give
| the lowest tide of water, having already &C.
cured steamboat to make this exploration.
If Gen. Forsythis successful will send Gen.
Custer, with . command from Fort Lincoln,
across the mouth of Powder River, thence up
the south bank Of the Yellowstone,
crossing Powder River, Tongue River, Rose
| bud, and ON to the mouth of the Big Horn.
This countryis as yet entirely unexplored,
and the expedition may develop a very valua-
BILE auriferous section, and make the Father
de Smet story to some extent true, but sm
Of the belief that the mountain Of mica has
not changed to gold.
will also send an expedition down Wind
River, through the Owl Creek Mountains,
mouth Of the Big Horn, and will bring it
back throug h the parks about the head wa
ters Of Powder River visited by Capt. Mills and
his command last summer. These parks are
for beauty fully equal to those described SO
graphically by Gen. Custer IS existing in the
Black Hills Of the Shyenne. Imay also say from
my own knowledge that the valleys Of the
Big and Little Po-po-agie, Little Wind River,
and Main Wind River can scarcely be ex.
cellcd in beauty and fertility. while the stu
dent Of nature will find there the most ex-
traordinary upheavals of the earth's crust
probably to be found ON this continent l am
81 the opinion that this country is gold bear
Ing, but Of Its abundance there can only be
. conjecture at present
1feel quite confident Of our ability to pre-
vent the intended trespass on the rights of the
Indians, and cavalry and infantry in the de-
partment Of the Dakota are being moved at
the present time to the most available points,
to carry out my directions Of Sept Of last
year. Were It not for these precautions on
the part Of the Government there might be q
repetition Of the California Gold Beach and
Gold Lake humbugs, with still greater
suffering, rs many Of the persons now crazy
to go to the Black Hills never think of how