ownership which will command observance by the hostile

tribes.

"Even if, under the authority of reservation Indians, occupation of the Black Hills should become possible, settlements there could only be protected by force and the presence of a considerable military power. Hostile incursions would not be unfrequent nor an occasional massacre unlikely, and these are conditions unfavorable to a rapid and permanent increase of population. The Indians have no country further west to which they can migrate and only the Saskatschewan country north of the United States boundary and which is still the range of the buffalo, offers them a possible home. It is probable that the best use to be made of the Black Hills for the next fifty years would be as the permanent reservation of the Sioux, where they could be taught occupations of a pastoral character, which of all semi-civilized means of subsistence would be most easy and natural for them and result in relieving the United States Government of the burden of their support.

"Very respectfully, your obedient servant, WILLIAM LUDlow,

Captain of Engineers and

Chief of Engineer Department.

The Assistant Adjutant-General,
Department of Dakota."

CHAPTER VI.

GOLD IN THE BLACK HILLS.

On the 3d of August, General Custer made a report to the Adjutant-General, Department of Dakota, St. Paul, Minn., in which he says:

"It will be understood, that within the limits of the Black Hills we were almost constantly marching, never

halting at any one point for a longer period than one day, except once and that was near Harney's Peak, where we remained five days, most of the command, however, being employed in operations during the halt. Enough, however, was determined to establish the fact, that gold is distributed throughout the extensive area within the Black Hills. Gold was obtained in numerous localities in what are termed gulches. No discoveries, so far as I am aware, were made of gold deposits in quartz, although there is every reason to believe, that a more extended and thorough search would have discovered it. No large nuggets were found; the examination, however, showed that a very even, if not a very rich, distribution of gold is to be found throughout the entire valleys. In other words the "prospecting showed that while the miner may not in one panful of earth find nuggets of large size or deposits of astonishing richness, to be followed by days and weeks of unrewarded labor, he may reasonably expect in certain localities to realize from every panful of earth a handsome return for his labor. While I am satisfied that gold in satisfactory quantities can be obtained in the Black Hills, yet the hasty examination we were forced to make, did not enable us to determine in any satisfactory degree the richness or extent of the gold deposits in that region. Seeking for gold was not one of the objects of this expedition, consequently we were illy prepared to institute or successfully prosecute a search after it even after we became aware of its existence in the country."

On the 15th of the same month General Custer made another report still more replete than the previous one, of which it was confirmatory. It read as follows:

"HEADQUARTERS, BLACK HILL ENCAMPMENT, BEAR BUTTE, D. T., August 15, 1874. "To Assistant-General, Department of Dakota, St. Paul, Minn.:

66

My last dispatch was written on the 2d and 3d inst.

and sent from the south fork of the Cheyenne, from a point on the latter nearest to Fort Laramie.

"On the morning of the 4th inst. I began my return march to our main camp, near Harney's Peak, arriving there by a different route on the 6th.

"On the morning of the 7th, the expedition began its march northward, Bear Butte being our next objective point. We advanced without serious obstacle until within ten or twelve miles of Bear Butte, when we found our further progress barred by a range of impassable hills. We attempted to effect a passage through some one of the many valleys whose water-courses ran directly through the Hills in the desired direction, but in every instance we were led into deep, broken canyons, impassable even to horsemen. Through one of these I made my way on foot, and from a high point near its mouth obtained a view of the plains outside. Retracing my steps I placed the command in camp in a fine valley in which it had halted, and devoted the remainder of the day to a further search for a practical route through the Hills.

"The result decided me to follow down a water-course which led me first toward the south and afterward toward the east. This stream proved to be Elk creek, the valley of which, as well as the stream itself, proving at least equal in beauty and extent to any passed through during our march. We camped twice on the stream, and as far as we proceeded down its course we had a most excellent road; but finding that, like nearly all other streams leaving the Hills, its course would take us into a canyon which would be barely made practicable for our wagons, I searched for and discovered a narrow gap in the rocky wall which forms the southern boundary of the valley, and which was conveniently large to allow our wagons to pass through.

"A march of an hour up a gradual ascent and through a pine forest, brought us to a beautiful park containing thousands of acres and from which we obtained a fine view in the distance of our old acquaintance, the plains. Here we pitched our tents for the last time in the Black Hills;

nearly every one being loth to leave a region which had been found so delightful in almost every respect. Behind us the grass and foliage were clothed in green of the freshness of May.

"In front of us as we cast our eyes over the plains below, we saw nothing but a comparatively parched and dried surface, the sunburnt pasturage of which offered a most uninviting prospect both to horse and rider, when remembering the rich abundance we were leaving behind A march of twenty-six miles gradually bearing northward, brought us to the base of Bear Butte, at which point I concluded to remain one day before beginning our return march.

us.

"I propose to return by a different, although perhaps not shorter route adopted in coming to the Hills. I am induced to make this change in order to embrace a large extent of unexplored country within the limits of our exploration, and particularly to enable us to locate as much as possible of that portion of the Little Missouri of which nothing is known. I expect the expedition to reach Fort Lincoln on the 31st of August. The health of the command has been and is most excellent. The expedition entered the Hills from the west side, penetrated through the eastern and most southern ranges, explored the major portions of the interior, and passed out the most eastern ranges which form the boundary of the Black Hills. From the fact that in all our principal marches through the Black Hills we have taken without serious obstacles a heavily laden train of over one hundred wagons, it may be inferred that the Black Hills do not constitute the impenetrable region heretofore represented.

"In entering the Black Hills from any direction, the most serious if not the only obstacles were encountered at once near the outer base. This probably accounts for the mystery which has so long existed regarding the character of the interior. Exploring parties have contented themselves with marching around the exterior base and from the forbidding aspect of the hills as viewed from a distance,

inferred that an advance toward the interior would only encounter increased obstacles.

"In regard to the character of country inclosed by the Black Hills, I can only repeat what I have stated in previous dispatches. No portion of the United States can boast of a richer or better pasturage, purer water, the natural temperature of which in midsummer as it flows from the earth, is but twelve degrees above freezing point, and is of greater advantage generally to the farmer or stock-raiser than are to be found in the Black Hills. Building stone of the best quality is to be found in inexhaustible quantities. Wood for fuel and lumber sufficient

for all times to come.

Rains are frequent, with no evidence in the country of draught or freshets. The season perhaps is too short and the nights too cool for corn, but I believe all other grain could be produced here in wonderful abundance. Wheat would yield particularly large.

"There is no doubt of the existence of various minerals throughout the Hills, as the subject has received particular attention of experts who accompany the expedition and will be reported upon in detail. I will only mention the fact that iron and plumbago have been found and beds of gypsum of apparently inexhaustible extent.

"I referred in former dispatches to the discovery of gold. Subsequent examinations at numerous points confirm and strengthen the fact of the existence of gold in the Black Hills. On some of the water-courses almost every panful of earth produced gold in small yet paying quantities. Our brief halts and rapid marching prevented anything but a very hasty examination of the country in this respect, but in one place and the only one within my knowledge where so great a depth was reached, a hole was dug eight feet deep. The miners report that they found gold among the roots of the grass, and from that point to the lowest point reached, gold was found in paying quantities. It has not required an expert to find gold in the Black Hills, as men without former experience in mining have discovered it at an expense of but little time or labor.