The New York herald., 1877-10-06
General Sheridan's Report Of His
Recent Reconnaissance.
CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY VISITED
Pleasant Meanderings Over Deer Ranges and
by Trout Streams.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW POSTS
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.

mtted 70 asnlngton MS report OF inc
by him las. June and July through the Big Horn and
Yellowsione valleys. This communication, which Is
addressed General Townsend. Adjutant General Of
the Army, Will be found perusal to be OF much
value TO the prospective cmigrant and to the public
generally. The country traverscd by General sheri-
dans party OF which hitherto but little has been
known
The reports forwarded TO Washington for tho iutor
nation Of the General Of the Army also include the
itineracy Typographical sketch oil the tran, and
country adjacent TO H. made by Colonel ID. B Sacket,
the Inspector General Of the division also u botanical
report by Assistant Surgeon julius H. Pstzki well
as report by Lieutenant W. L. Carpenter, OF the
Ninth infantry, on tho geology and natural history OF
the section passed by General shoridaus party
rnK RgPoRr
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF rHEl
MISSOURI, CHICAGO, sept 28, 1877. I
Brfgadsr General f. ID. TOWNSEND, Aujuiant General
OF the Army, Washn.tonS Ct
SIR-The necessity which caused tho establishment
OF the military posts In tho Yellowstone aud
Big Horn valleys IN The heart oi the hostile Sioux
country made IL incumbent on me 10 collect sucn
Knowledge OF that section as would enable
me TO determine 70 some extent It's character,
the bearing oi the posts upon Y and
obtained by personal visit the posts recon-
no,ssance, embracing AZ large scope OF the country
my mind TO 20 from Chicago by rail TO Green River
station, on the Union Pacnc Road thence BY stage,
VIA Camp s.amoaugh, wyoming. across the wina
River, near tho agency OF tho Shoshones;
from Camp Brown. with a proper escort, 10
junction with the main Ind River thorce down the
Big Horn formed by their junction 10 tho base
OF tne Owl Creek mountains; then turning cast by
Bridger and Sioux Pass make my way 10 Painted
Rock River which skirts tho western base Of the Big
Horn mountains, and ls enormously put down the
reached q point which would enable me 10 cross the
Big Horn mountains on tho Tongue River trail,
and aher reaching the EASTERN base OF the
mountains to proceed down the Little Horn River 10
Post No 2, located at It's mouth from thence by
steamer to Post No. !, ut the mouth OF Tongue
Northern Pacific Railroad back via ST. Paul 10 Chi.
cago. The country embraced IN this circuit covered
nearly the whole OF the great Big Horn and Ycllow-
stone valleys and 10 the country that occupied by
the hostile Indians during tho previous summer.
The necessary escort having been ordered NJ Camp
Dauisa' ' sy Colonel B. B. saoss,, Inspector SsnsIa
Lieutenant Colonel James w. Forsyth Military Sec.
Yetary and Major George A. Forsyth, Acting Adede-
Camp Of my .Iun; Lieutenant w. L. Carpenter, Ninth
infantry and two citizen friends; Colonel d. w. Wech
and Colonel H w. Farrar.a AT Omaha was Joined BY
General Crook, commanding tho Department Of tho
Platte. und on arrival at Camp Brown June 80. by
Lieutenants Schuyler and Bourke, General CROOKS
aidos-de camp.
Everything being Ia readiness ~ Camp Brown we
started carly ON the morning OF July And ON July
reached the western base o. me oWl Creek Noun.
tho valleys of the Little ana Big 70 Pc Agie und
Bever Greek were found 10 have good soil nt Tor tue
cultivation OF grass In large amount Of great variety
and confined 10 the valleys Of tho streams
but extending the broken country Tar cast as
tie Rutlesnako Hills The country from tho Junction
Of the md rivers The base Owl Greek range
was found 70 be broken saSc brush, bad land section
usas for cultivation, and without grass sufficient
quantity for grazing purposeR
On July we continued our march, passing the Owl
Creek range OF MOUNTAINS the Bridger and Sioux
pass, reacning tho headquarters Of Painted Rock
River, and July IL arrived at the base Of the Big
Horn Mountains, on the Tongue River trail
.s.. BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.
After leaving our camp the evening OF July the
country passed over changed from sage brush and
ashy soil 10 carpeted with grass and flowers and
~ made our way through the passes grass 10.
creased p uxurance and In area sufficient Tor thou
sands Of cattle TO feed Painted Rock River runs
In It's general direction nearly with along the base
OF the big Horn Mountains where for 100
Big Horn range OF mountains, covered with bunch,
CANA and otncr nutritious grasses and wild flowers.
lhe valley OF Painted Rcck River 10 susceptible OF
cultivation 9hout nearly Its whole lengths Tno
snow peaks OF the Big Horn range visible from the
Sioux Pass all tho way the valley aud elk an e.
lope, deer, mountain sheep, buffalo and trout are
abundant.
ASCENT BIG HORN RAscK
On July Ia commenced the ascent OF the Big
Horn range. passing by several lakes aud over
Shell Creek Reaching tho eastern base OF tho noun
tains on July IL, near the canyon OF Tongue River.
The ascent not difficult, the OF tho gen
era range is say OF II 900 ieot elevation ana from
that to about 5000 iect Is succession OF beau
dotted ID With h iaxes one park On '' the ,s summit, aIa
through which passed IN crossing, was about
twenty miles long, opening out to three four miles
width ut places. The views from these mountains
are exceedingly grand, one especially from near
Castle Coabaugn, looking down the canyon OF Shell
hse H,eSk across So Big horn ysy aE.1 and
the nno mountain ranges around the National
Park 10 the north, and the Wind River ranges,
west and southwest, cannot probably DO exceeded
the globe. Ths bunch, gana aud other nutritious
grasses, supplemented BY innumerabe wild flowers,
added much 10 Tho wonderful beauty OF this region
IN n "a ptv. ~
the Little horn, aud down tho valley OF that
river to Post No =, at Its mouth, arriving
Horn range lrou tho heights the canyon OF
Tongue RIVER Is very fne Looking to tho south along
the base Of the mountains as far AS tho old post OF
Fort Phil Kearney, then east to the Wolf or
Rosebud Mountains. then north TO the Big Horn VAL
ley, gives scenery Of unduIating valleys, watorcd
b. mountain sprng streams, irnged with tim.
Der, the soil being excellent and nillsides
and valleys covered with bunch, buffalo,
gama, blue and otncr grasses, intermixod with wild
owcrs The valley o! tue Little Horn this season
almost = continuous meadow with grass almost
high enough to tie the tops from each across a
horses back.
CHANGE OF ixmAmrAsrs
This was the country OF tho buffalo and hostile
Sioux only last year. There no signs oi eilhcr
now, but IN thor places We found prospecors, omit
grants ana tramps. Tho country east of tho Big
Horn range much better and less broken than thai
ON The side. Tho cattle range here Tor hundreds
oi miles Is superb. The grass Is much bettcr than
In Colorado, Kansas Or Texas the latter part OF
summer, a1d IN the fall the climate dry that the
southern attitudes alternate tbawing freezing Is
injurious to the cattle, and the rain rols tho
grass We found post No. 2, delightfully."- located by
Lieutenant Colonel Buell., who was working as busy as
n beaver erection. Five steamers coming up tho
Big Horn were In sight aud were soon at tho land.
Ing.
After days rest at the post We embarked ono
oi steamers and proceeded down the Big Horn and
yellow stone to post No. !. Al the mouth vi Tongue
K,ver arriving the next day. Tne Big Horn River IL
large, swiit stream and very crooked. The
distance Of the post from It's mouth lorty miles
BY and thirty by land. Tho Ba Horn Valley is
very large and ere, aud about one hundred and nfty
miles long The Yciiowstone, from the mouth VI Tho
Big Horn Is dne, broad river, doted with beautiful
islands, while valley Is broad expanse Of cuya-
Bile land. Some oil these open expanscs were
twenty miles in length by ten In width. Post No
1 Is an open prairie ncar the mouth OF Tongue
River, a nnc location, well selected. This post is
being built under the direction 0f Colonel " H. Niles
OF the Fifth infantry, commanding the DISTRICT which
embraces both posts with headquarters at Tongue
RIVER
On July "a we continued our journey down the
Yellowstone aud Missouri 70 Bismarck, arriving there
July ~, and al Chicago by ratl July 20.
The report s limited and chiefly the purpose OF
submitting to the General o tue army The very cx-
cccnt linorAncy and Typographical sketch OF the trail
aud country adjacent TO IL made by Colonel d. B.
Sacket, the Inspector General OF the dvison. Most