Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1910-08-13

gion, made in 1857 refers to the oc-
currence of gold in those mountains,
and again in 1859-60, Capt. w. F.
+, Reynolds, In a report to Washington
speaks not only Of gold, in the Black
Hills, but also of silver, iron, coal,
and copper. Gen. George A. Custer
in 1874, also reported the general
occurrence Of gold in the Black Hills
The publication Of the reports of
these various military and scientific
observers gave the occurrence Of
gold in the Black Hills widespread
notoriety, but undoubtedly it was
the return to the Hills of number
of General Clusters prospectors in
the winter of 1S74-75, Immediately
following the Custer expedition, that
resulted in starting the famous STAN
pede of 1875. About 25 of the mem
bers Of Clusters party returned to
the Hills at that time. AS the coun-
try was within the Sioux reservation,
the Government was compelled to
take cognizance Of this invasion by
the gold seekers. and a military COM
pany was sent to the Hills form Fort
Laramie, Wyoming, to roundup the
intruders and take them out, which
was done. Notwithstanding all the
efforts of the government to keep
the gold diggers off the reservation,
prospectors continually lodged the
soldiers, and hurried into the forbid
den land. The Sioux were hostile,
and consequently the prospectors be-
tween the soldiers and the Indians,
had hard time. 1t Is related that
one party of eight or ten men went
in with a four-horse wagon and out
fit. One evening they made camp
on French creek. Indications were
excellent for storm, but some OF
the men struck out up the creek to
prospect. A mile or two above
their camp they discovered much to
their surprise, camp Of soldiers,
but fortunately they were not discov-
cred by the latter. The prospectors
hastily returned to their own camp
and gave the alarm. AS quickly as
possible they broke camp and drove
down stream to place where the
slopes were steep and rocky. Here
they hid the ~reater part Of their out
fit, took the wagon apart, and by
great effort moved it up the steep
slope over the rocks where 1t would
make no trail. The horses were led
far enough away from the creek 30
that their neighing might not be
heard by the soldiers, should any
chance to pass that way. At night
fall 1t began to snow, and by morning
there were two or three inches OF
snow on the ground, completely hid
ing the trail made in the canyon the
day previous. They kept watch OF
the soldiers, however, and were much
gratified, in the morning to see them
break camp and soon thereafter ride
quietly down the canyon past the hid
ing place of the prospectors, without
the slightest suspicion that anyone
was within miles Of them. The dan
ger being over, the miners quickly
got their outfit in shape again and
were soon digging for gold, their
diggin tools and rifles being side by
side in the holes with them. When
men were arrested a second or third
time by the soldiers and recognized,
all their belongings were confiscated
and usually burned, and the unfortu-
nate was escoterd with others, to
Fort Laramie, or to some more dis
tant military post where they were
liberated and warned once more not
to return to the reservation.
So insistent were the people of
the Western States that the Govern
ment purchase the Black Hills from
the Indians and throw the coveted
land open to settlement, that it was
finally decided to send another ex-
pedition into the Black Hills region
for the purpose Of making a more
thorough investigation of its mineral
resources than had yet been made
as they were many who stoutly main
tanned that gold did not exist in the
Black Hills in paying quantities.
This expedition was in charge of
Walter p. Jenney, and Henry Newton
was appointed his assistant. The
party proceeded from Cheyenne,
Wyoming, to Fort Laramie, where it
was Joined by military escort, and
later many prospectors in the Hills
materially aided in the exploration
of the new country. This expedition
by its 1abors during the summer and
early fall of 1875, established be-
yond all doubt the existence Of gold
in the beds of many streams of the
Black Hills.