Year: 1875

nary statements respecting the mineral and agrcul-
tural resources Of the Black Hills Dakota and the
work donelunder my direction during the past summer
In exploring and mapping that portion Of the Territory
have the honor 10 make the following report, In
you, under date OF March n, fitted out the exped-
tion at Cheyenne, Wyoming, and proceeded TO Fort
Laramie, where was joined by escort Of six COM
under command OF Colonel r l. Dodge My party
consisted Of Henry Newton Assistant Geologst v. II.
McGillycaddy, M. B. Topographer; Captain H. ?. Tut
tie, Astronomer, and W. FL Root Head Miner, assisted
by number OF prospectors, laborers and practical
piners


seached the southern base Of the Black Hills June 3,
after march Of about 1876 miles, and camped upon the
east fork OF Beaver Creek when the work OF expor-
ing the Hills Immediately entered into and contn
ued increasingly until the return of tho expedition TO
Fort Laramie, october Is, nearly five months The
Black Hills of DAKOTA located between the two forks
of the Cheyenne River and occupy included
between the 103d and 105th merdans OF longitude and
the forty third and ortynfth parallels OF lattude they
extend about 100 miles in norherly direction with
breadth Of from forty TO sixty miles The 104th merd
Ian, which is the boundary between Wyoming and Da-
kota passes through the central portion Of the Hills
leaving the greater in the Territory of Dakota


without entering into details regarding the manner
OF working or OF the incidents in the history OF the ex
pedtion-how, on reaching the Hills found miners
prospecting on French Greek; how, after q months
work gold was found in paying quantities on Spring
and Rapid creeks how the miners poured by hundreds
into the Hills, and, accompanying me- gave me great
assistance in prospecting the country Will briefly
state such results Of the work as Will tend TO throw
light on the probable future value Of the region


That portion of the Black Hills which may be desg-
mated as Harney's Peak gold acd Is almost wholly IN
Dakota and extends about fifty miles north and SOUTH
with an average breadth of nearly twenty miles,
ing ,an area OF not less than 800 square miles. The
valuable gold deposits however, are found in the val.
lAys of the streams which drain that area the gold
being derived from the dsintegration Of the quartz
edgcs, which are very numerous in the rocks OF that


The most extensive and valuable deposits OF aurfer-
GUS gravel discovered during the past in
the valleys of Spring and Rapid Creeks and their
Npthn in lntnu IN
gravel bars very advanageously situated for work
ing, and many natural circumstances contribute
materially TO the profitable extracting of the gold
which they contain Timber of suitable size and
quantity for tho construction of fumes and suices Is
aDundant the water supply In most localities ample
and the fall Of the streams sufficiently great to enable
the water bc readily carried above the level of
the elevated bars and deposits of gravel


While yet there have been discovered in the Black
be prohtaby worked in the primitive manner with pan
or rocket yet there are many bars in the Harncy's
Peak field, especially upon Spring Creek, the forks OF
Castle and Rapid creeks and the valleys OF those
tain streams, which, when skilfuly worked by gangs
of miners with sluices will yield good return for the
labor employed and the moderate capital required to
be invested But little could be done in single season
in prospecting the numerous segregated quartz veins
of this region, some of which undoubtedly contain
gold. have procured abundant samples for testing
their value by assay.


The Bear Lodge gold field, situated on the extreme
northwestern portion OF the Hills is wholly in Wyom-
ing, and entirely separated from the Harney Peak
region. 1t does notexceed fifty square miles in area





Rapid Creek and remarkable for the absence of
quartz in the sgrave the gold being derived from tho
disntegraton of feldspa porphyry carrying irregular
masses of iron and manganese


II is difficult TO determine the agricultural resources
climate Of the Black Hills by the observations of
single season. especially as could gain but little In
formation respecting the severity the
prevalence Of early and late frosts The Black Hills
rise like island from an ocean OF grass covered and
treeless plains, watered by occasional and scanty
supplies OF rain and the winds in passing over
these plains gather some moisture which they part
with being chilled by contact with the colder
AMI elevated region OF the central portions Of the
hills The result OF this Is the prevalence OF frequent
though not heavy rain falls giving TO the hills most
peculiar climate There scarcely day from May to
August without two Showers yet, owing TO the
dryness Of the atmosphere, the climate found to
be very healthy During the past season, after August
l. very little rain was experienced, and some OF the
smaller contained water only in pools. That
this remarkable rain fall In region where the aver
not the exhibition OF peculiarly wet season, is,
only judge by observation on the growth OF the
plants and trees. The abundance of trees and the
coarseness of their grain well as the growth of
plants dry hilsides exposed TO both and wind,
tend to show that the which witnessed was by
means very anomalous one, though the amount OF
rain may have been somewhat greater than usual.


The OF land suitable for cultivation Is from the
mountainous character of the region limited
pared the embraced in the hills, but the
soil along the streams and in most of the valleys is
deep and fertile and will be suiciept for the require
ments oil the population which the hills will support
o stock raising community. should judge from the
observations which had the opportunity 10 make that
at least one.twentieth Of the 1900 square miles en-
braced in the Black Hills may be fairly described as
arabic land and that among these lands lying the
and continuous through the hilly country are
large OF land forming the slopes OF the hsdes
which while not arabe will afford fine grazing, thus
largely enhancing the value OF lands to which they
contiguous.


and In the northern portion of the hills there
gions whore the grasses are comparatively wanting;
but generally throughout the whole @ area o Of the hills
Is to be found, even covering the ground
under the shade of the pine trees upon
the elevated divides between the streams The abun-
and hno quality OF egrasses and the shelter
afforded to stock by the densey tmbered slopes and
deep valleys will make It region vol adapted 70 stock


The timber of the hills is variety OF pine known as
yellow heavy pine The grain OF the wood is straight
rather coarse, splitting readily and where the trees
have escaped the action OF fires and violent gales good
straight logs tree from knots and from forty sixty
feet IN length and from twelve to twentyfour inches in
diameter can be obtained in abundance Spruce good
quality Is found among the canyons in the Interior and
white birch, oak and elm, OF medium size, among the
hills the eastern slope.


The throughout the hills Is excellent in quality,
mostly derived from springs among the limestone or
the granite or the schstose rock; only in localities
among the foot hills is II contaminated by alkaL


There was evidence found that the Indians evor
lived in the hills visited them, except in the
springto cut lodge poles occasionally stop and hunt
deer among tho foot hills while passing from the
agencies TO the Upper Missouri The only ad-
vanced for the Of their not living in the hills is
the prevalence Of severe thunder storms and the fre
quency OF trees being struck by lightning


In regard to the work done by the survey I may
state that the whole between the forks of the
Cheyenne River, as we'll the course of both these
streams, has been carefully mapped by the topog-
rapher, v. hcGilycuddy. who has also located the
position OF the important peaks IN the hills and mapped
the course Of the different mountain ranges and
streams In TINS work he has been assisted by the
tronomcr Captain II. p Tuttle, who has wherever
practicable, determined the latitude and longitude Of
moro important points. The scientific geology of the
hills has been most carefully and thoroughIv worked
up by tho gcologist Mr. Henry Newton, while to my
Va allAtsM 80 -
prospecting for gold and determining tho mineral re-
sources of the country


In conclusion would beg to submit for your cons,d
the following plan, subject however TO uure
addition, for ana report Of the work accomplished by
the expedition.


In addition TO the small map which accompanies
this report Dr. McGlycuddy, the topographer, pro.
poses for the final report three maps, complete
and accuratenamely trail map OF the routes trav-
elled by the expedition through and returning from
the hills two larger maps Of the Black Hills one en-
hachare for general distribution, and one In contour
for illustrating In colors the occupied by the
different geological formations and showing the posi-
tion OF the gold fields