History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 157

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198

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Without entering into details regarding the manner of working, or of meide ', in the history of the expedition, how on reaching the hills 1 found miners prospecting en Fren } Creek; how, after a month's work, gold was found in paying quantities on Strberard Ryjod erceks ; how the miners poured by hundreds into the hills, and accompanying me, base ine great assistance in prospecting the country ; 1 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 hills that may be designated as Harney's Peak gekl fell is almost wholly in Dakota, and extends about fifty miles north and south, with navera. roulth et nearly twenty miles, covering an area of not less than Soo square miles. The valy Me gold deposits, however, are found in the valleys of the streams which drain that irca, the gold being derived from the disintegration of the quartz ledges which are very minter us in the rocks of that region. The most extensive and valuable deposits of auriferis gravel discovered during the past season were in the valleys of Spring and Rapal creeks and their tributaries, where in almost every case the gravel bars are very advantages usly situdel hir working, and many natural circumstances contribute materially in the p nia le extractite of the gold they contain.

Timber of suitable size and quantity for the construction of thumes and sli ces : at ant. The water supply is in most localities ample, and the fall of the stre is ourrtl great to enable the water to be readily carried above the level of even il mare chalel bars and deposited gravel.

While as yet there have been discovered in the Black Hills no d posite f grayel ins ficiently rich in gold to be profitably worked in the primitive manner w him yet there are many bars in the Harney's Peak field, especially apn S ra. In of Castle and Rapid creeks, and the valleys of thee mointajo trt 1 fully worked by gangs of miners, with sluices will sichdd a Cool r tun ter ! ployed and the moderate capital required to be inve tel. But hithe cell . 0's season in prospecting the numerous segregated quert. veins in this ress undoubtedly contain gold. I have procured abundant samples Is test n thr ,

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The Bear Lodge gold field, situated in the extreme northwestern portion of the hills, is wholly in Wyoming and entirely separated from the Harney Peak region. It does not exceed fifty square miles in area; the gold deposits are small compared with those on Rapid Creek, and are remarkable for the absence of quartz in the gravel, the gold being derived from the disintegration of feldspar porphyry carrying irregular masses of iron and manganese ores. It is difficult to determine the agricultural resources or climate of the Black Hills by the observation of a single season, especially as I could gain but little information respecting the severity of the winters or the prevalence of early and late frosts. The Black Ilills rise like an island from an ocean of grass covered and treeless plains, watered by occasional and scanty supplies of rains, and the winds in passing over these plains gather some moisture. which they part with as rain, and being chilled by contact with the colder and more elevated region of the central portion of the Hills. The result of this is the prevalence of frequent though not heavy rainfalls, giving to the hills a most peculiar climate. There is scarcely a day from May to August without one or two showers, yet owing to the dryness of the atmosphere the climate is found to be very healthy. During the past season, after August Ist, very little rain was expected or experienced, and some of the smaller streams contained water only in pools. That this is a remarkable rainfall in a region where the average fall does not exceed ten inches for the whole year does not appear, but I can only judge by observation on the growth of plants and trees.

The abundance of trees and the coarseness of their grain, as well as the growth of plants on the dry hillsides exposed to both sun and wind, tend to show that the season which } witnessed was by no means a very anomalous one, though the amount of rain may have been somewhat greater than usual. The area of land suitable for cultivation, from the moun- tainous character of the region, is limited as compared with the vast area embraced in the hills, but the soil along the streams and in most of the valleys is deep and fertile, and will be sufficient for the requirements of the population which the hills will support as a stock raising community. I should, from the observation I have had the opportunity to make, judge that at least one-twentieth of the 3,000 square miles embraced in the Black Hills may be fairly described as arable lands, and that near these lands lying near the streams and continuing through the hilly country, are large tracts of land forming the surface of the hillsides which, while not arable, will afford fine grazing, largely enhancing the lands to which they are contiguous. Among the rock areas of the Harney's Peak range and in the northern portion of the hills, there are regions where the grasses are comparatively wanting, but generally throughout the whole area of the hills a luxuriant growth of the finest grasses is to be found, even covering the ground under the shade of the pine trees upon the elevated divides upon the streams. The abundance and fine quality of the grasses and the shelter afforded to stock by the densely timbered slopes and deep valleys will make it a region well adapted to stock raising purposes.

The timber of the hills is a variety of pine known as yellow or 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, free from knots, and from forty to sixty feet in length and from twelve to twenty-four inches in diameter, can be obtained in abund- ance. Spruce of good quality is found among the canons of the interior, and white birch, oak and elm. of medium size, among the hills on the eastern slope.

The water throughout the hills is excellent in quality, inostly derived from springs among the limestone or the granitic or schistose rocks. Only in localities among the foot- hills is it contaminated by alkali.

There was no evidence found that the Indians ever lived in the hills or ever visited them, except in the spring to cut lodge poles or occasionally stop and hunt deer among the foothills while passing from the agencies to the upper Missouri. The only reason advanced for the cause of their not living in the hills is the prevalence of severe thunder storms, and the frequency of trees being struck by lightning.

WALTER P. JENNEY, Geologist.

Professor Jenney's expedition was the last of the efforts made by the Gov- ernment to explore the hills country. And the removal of the large body of prospectors who were found there by General Crook in 1875 was the final effort of the Government to prevent emigration to the mining regions. These important events occurred in 1875. and the following winter and early spring of 1876 wit- nessed the going in of many thousands of whites, unmolested, save by small bands of Indians who were incited to pillage and kill, not to deter the emigration so much as to possess themselves of the emigrant's animals, and other property. The opportunity afforded could hardly have been more inviting from the Indian . viewpoint. The army was disposed to keep its hands off on the ground that the whites emigrating were trespassers, deliberately so, and had been forewarned that they must protect themselves. This turbulent and sanguinary condition prevailed until the treaty was approved in February, 1877. Soon thereafter

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we find a small force of troops stationed there to protect the surveying crews operating for the Government.

There is nothing in Jenney's report to show that he reached the Whitewood region in which Deadwood and Lead are located, though he was gradually work- ing up to that region when he turned off to the west and went into Bear Lodge District, Wyoming. The first mention the writer has been able to find of Dead- wood and vicinity is about mid-winter, 1875-76. We learn that miners are work- ing in the gulch with good success, and have started a town about this time called Whitewood at or near the mouth of Whitewood Creek. It would appear that the advance guard of the miners who were with or following Jenney going north, broke away from him at the Little Rapid when the professor turned west, and set out northerly twenty-five or thirty miles, when they struck into the Whitewood district, where they found gold in great abundance. Pearson's statement supports this view, which is herein given. Here we get the first Deadwood news about the 20th of February, 1876, but it appears to be quite well authenticated that placer mines were being worked in the Deadwood Creek in the late fall of 1875. Mr. J. B. Pearson, a Dakotan, claimed to have been the pioneer who discovered gold on Deadwood Creek, and the man who named the creek and the district.

Mrs. J. B. Pearson, of Yankton, received a letter from her husband, who had been in the Black Hills since the summer of 1875. Ile sent a most encouraging account of his discoveries in the hills, and sent a sample of gold to give emphasis to his claim. He reports that he was located on Deadwood Creek, a stream discovered and named by himself, and afterwards found to be one of the richest gold bearing streams of the hills, and partially surrounded by the most extensive and valuable quartz mines in the country. Pearson had operated there since the fall before, and states that he can take out from $25 10 $30 a day. Mr. Pearson had been a resident of Yankton for some time before going to the hills in 1875.

Mr. Z. Swearingen was sent out from Yankton to the Black Hills quite secretly early in the month of April, 1875. He was employed by a company to make the trip, for the purpose of gaining reliable information concerning the gold deposits with the view of establishing business enterprises in connection with the hills country in case the prospects of a permanent goll camp would justify it. He was a man of high character, perfectly trustworthy, and an experienced gold miner, having served an apprenticeship in California and Colorado. He went out with the J. B. Pearson party, chewhere referred to, but he was the only one of the party entrusted with this mission. His instruc tions were to return as early as practicable after he felt satisfied that he had made an adequate investigation to justify either a favorable or unfavorable opin- ion. He reached Custer in about ten days and from the first day met with suc cess in his prospecting that surpassed his expectations which had been formed from his career in the gulches of California and Colorado. He spent six weeks at various "diggings" and in prospecting on a half dozen creeks, and returned to Yankton about the middle of June, brim full of enthusiasm. He brought back specimens of placer gold that he had taken out with the pan, and a sack of quartz specimens bearing gold, and unhesitatingly gave it as his opinion that the Black ITills was the richest mineral region he was ever in.

Freight and passenger carrying lines from the Missouri River to the Black Hills grew out of the favorable reports made by Swearingen, who without un necessary delay arranged his affairs and returned to Unster's Gulch, where le took a prominent part and a successful one in the development of that section the French Creek diggings and the founding of Custer City.

THE ALLISON TREATY COMMISSION

The Indians realized that the whites were determined to have the members and their leaders, counselled and abetted or prompted by the white

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them, had concluded to let it go ( with every show of reluctance they were capable of assuming, or with a view of "making the best of a bad bargain," but with- out war or hostile opposition ), and to demand an enormous price for the prop- erty in cash, which because of their imperfect knowledge of values, they ex- pected to receive, for many of them were under the impression that the hills were largely composed of gold and when the white men owned it, with their superior knowledge regarding mining, they would literally shovel nuggets from the earth.

The visit of the Sioux to Washington in 1875 had apprised them that the Government contemplated their removal to the Indian Territory, and they were advised to consider it; it also revealed a willingness on the part of the Indians to treat for a cession of the Black Hills country. Their general conduct, how- ever, was unlike that habitually displayed by the Indians when visiting Wash- ington ; they were disposed to be arrogant, and paid little attention to proprieties in their behavior. They appeared to feel that they were masters of an important situation in which they held the whites and the Government at their command. It was suspected that some of the interpreters used their positions unfaith- fully and to the prejudice of the Government in explaining to the Indians the attitude of the Great Father. The Indians were sent home to think over the propositions made them, and to consult their people, and were informed that a commission would visit them later in the summer empowered to make a treaty.

Without undue delay the President next appointed a treaty commission, com- posed of eminent men, worthily noted for their ability as statesmen and law- makers, but with two or three exceptions, wholly without experience in Indian affairs or with Indians, and only one of them, Hinman, thoroughly qualified for this mission, which was one of the most important that had ever confronted the United States in its Indian intercourse. The gentlemen selected for this inis- sion were three United States senators, namely: Allison, of Iowa; Howe, of Wisconsin ; and Morrill, of Maine; ex-Representative Comingo, of Missouri; Rev. S. D. Hinman, of Dakota; Gen. Alfred H. Terry, U. S. A .; and Bishop Haven, Georgia, who were authorized to go into the Sioux country in Dakota, and make a treaty for the cession of the Black Hills region. Two companies of cavalry accompanied the commission which selected the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies in Dakota as the chief council grounds. After settling a few im- portant preliminaries regarding the place for holding the grand council, a point on Shadron Creek was selected as affording the best accommodations and like- wise being best suited to entertain the 15,000 Indians who had been summoned to the council ; or rather who had put in an appearance for about twenty-five thou- sand had been summoned, including all the Sioux belonging to the nation who had an interest in the Black Hills country. The grand council opened on Sat- urday, September 18, 1875. Representing the Government as commissioners and employees of the commission were United States Senators Howe and Alli- son, as before named, but there appears to have been a change in the personnel of the body since it was first named, the others at the council being Delegate Jefferson P. Kidder, Dakota; Rev. S. D. Hinman, Santee: Hon. A. Comingo, M. C., Independence, Mo. ; Hon. W. A. Ashley, Beatrice, Neb. ; H. W. Bingham, United States agent, Cheyenne Agency ; G. P. Beauvais, St. Louis, Mo .; J. S. Collins, Omaha. Accompanying as secretaries and stenographers were Evan T. Howe, Wisconsin ; J. F. Allison, Dubuque, Ia. ; Albert Swan, Fort Dodge, Ia .; and James R. Porter, Omaha. General Terry was also present as a com- missioner, and in command of the military forces. A report had been current that the Indians-5,000 hostile warriors from the north who were among the visitors and bitterly opposed to any treaty of cession, intended to kill a commis- sioner, and there was some anxiety felt not only by the whites present but also by Red Cloud, Spotted Tail and numerous other friendly chiefs who knew the disposition and recklessness of the northern crowd, and through their spies were kept informed of the intentions of the unfriendly element. There was cause

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for anxiety where so numerous a body of Indians were assembled, all fairly well armed. The friendly Indians, however, outnumbered the hostiles more than two to one, and were as safe as the sokliers in case of trouble on this occa- sion. The various tribes, even the peaceable ones, were divided in sentiment regarding a sale of the gold region, but the canvass that had been had, revealed that a large majority were willing to make a treaty of cession provided the sale price could be satisfactorily divided among the tribes. These questions per- plexed the commissioners, who had not reached an agreement as to the best course to pursue in their negotiations ; but as a preliminary proposition Com- missioner Allison opened the council with a tentative proposition to the Sioux to lease the Black Hills and pay an annual rental therefor. Ile also stated that the Government would buy the territory and asked the Indians to put a price on it. He stated that the object in leasing would be, in case the yield of goldl would not justify the payment of a large sum of money, the contract could be cancelled and the land restored to the Indians.

This proposition was received by the chiefs with manifestations of disap- pointment, and the chiefs requested that several days be given them to consider : but the commissioners rejoined that they should meet at to o'clock the next day and would then expect an answer.

No formal answer from the chiefs was attempted the following day : there was, however, a very emphatic disapproval, not only of the proposition sub- mitted, but also of any agreement for the sale of the hills, which came from the large number of Indians scattered around the council grounds ; an of position of such alarming nature that not only the military were placed by General Terry in readiness for trouble, but Spotted Tail and Red Cloud undertook to array the well disposed of their own people in such a manner as to resist any attack of the hostile element who, it was understood, were bent on the massacre of the entire commission. It is claimed that Chief Young-Man-Afraid-of-His-Horses took his rifle on his arm at this time and appeared before the hostiles and declared that the first Indian who raised his band to create trouble would die in his track. After the apprehensions of trouble had in a measure subsided, the Indians, on the 26th, submitted a proposition at the formal council. The Indian proposition was made by Red Cloud, who had selected Red Dog, of the Cheyennes, as his spokesman, who opened the council, and was followed by Spotted Tail for the Brules, and Little Bear for the Cheyennes; Spotted Bear also spoke for the Cheyennes.

Red Dog said :

The Great Father picked you wise men to make a treaty with the Indians. You came here with troops several days ago and this troubled our people. At the young men and head chiefs have reached the conclusion that the great difficulty being experienced was in getting proper interpretation. I want one of our own people to write down all that is saud find he thereupon grasped a half-breed boy from the crowd of spectators and seated him at a table ). And then proceeded: Six generations of Indians have been fed by the finvernment and our people now want a guarantee of food and clothing for seven generations more, and then the Indians will be ready to make a treaty. We want pay for the gold already taken out of the Black Hills, and want to sell only such portion of the hills as gold has been discovered in. and for relinquishing my right therein I want a light wagon, a span of horses, sit work cattle, one gun and ammunition for each head of a family ; and also that in inture when the annuity goods come we want to be furnished a duplicate bill of them, so that some of our own people can examine it. When all these things are d ne we will then think about what you have to say to us.

Red Dog then retired. Spotted Tail was the next speaker, and said :

Yesterday when we called on you, you were drunk, and you tried to the wa Hid. over my head today. I breathe the free air of heaven amongst my own people anl can ia talk to you what I did not wish to say yesterday If you want our land we want a line. and insist that the southern boundary of the Indian reservation be change its tl : 1 of the North Platte River. We also want back pay for what has been tak n Black Hills. We will only dispose of that portion of the Black Hill, where.

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I mean we will not dispose of the Big Horn and Powder country, as suggested by the com- missioners, and we do not want any other road through the reservation to the Black Hills except the one the thieves traveled by (meaning General Custer's trail from Bismarck). We don't want roads running through the Black Hills or through the reservation. I will speak about the rights of the half-breeds and squaw men another time.

Little Bear, a chief of one of the tribes from the Cheyenne Agency, was the next speaker. He said :

The Great Father has got a safe full of money and the President protects it; so we have our mountains of gold and we will protect it to get rich out of it. When the white men have a good thing they get rich on it. Our people want to get rich on the Black Hills, and want the back pay for the money taken out of the hills by the whites. The Great Father sent you out to hear what we have to say. I want you to report to him that as long as an Indian lives he wants guarantees to be fed, clothed and annuities distributed right. The Great Father does very little for us now. We want to be helped and taken care of forever. We want our agent and interpreters changed, and we want the privilege of selecting new ones ourselves. We want priests and Catholic teachers, because we have had all we want of other kinds.

Spotted Tail here resumed his speech, which appears to have been broken off before he had completed it ; he said :

We want to retain the agency here on White River and also on the Missouri River (Whetstone) as long as our race exists. If our people move again, they want to get enough money so they can live on the interest forever, and we want good white men with us; want Catholic priests to teach us the white man's ways of reading, plowing, cultivating the soil. and raising stock. We want the white men who marry Indian women to have the privileges of living in the country, and we further want the troops removed from the agencies and put to watching the white invaders and trespassers who are stealing into the Black Hills.

Spotted Bear, a chief from the Cheyenne country, then took the speaker's place, and said :

It looks bad to see the troops around this council ground while we are trying to make a treaty. My tribe want a good deal for the hills, and we don't want the white people to steal them before we sell them. There are a great many bad men on my reservation, and we want Catholic priests to educate our people and make them wise, and we want our Great Father to grant them. We want $70,000,000 for the Black Hills. The whites put their money at interest, and the Indians want to live on the interest of their money. We want to select the white men and half-breeds in our tribe for traders, and have several trading posts. We want duplicate bills of all goods sent to us so that we can examine them. And we want a telegraph operator at the agency so that we can talk with the Great Father quick when there is anything wrong; and we want the soldiers removed from the agency. We also want the Great Father to give every Indian a house, farm, wagon, horses, cattle, and tools.

At the conclusion of this speech the council closed for the day and reassembled the following day for the final session.

A number of speeches were made by the Indians on the reassembling of the council, which consumed the time so that the commissioners concluded to post- pone the presentation of their formal proposition for another day. There were also unpleasant rumors of trouble brewing.

Red Cloud was the most important speaker at next day's council, and seemed to have been authorized to sum up the demands of the Indians. There were 300 chiefs in attendance at this council. Red Cloud said in substance :

I consider the hills more valuable in precious metals than the entire wealth of the United States, and I propose to ask a large sum for them, the principal to he put to interest, and get enough interest to keep the whole Sioux nation. We want President Grant to furnish every year to each head of an Indian family, six yoke of oxen, a wagon. span of horses, harness, a bull, cow, a sow, a boar, sheep and rams, chickens, ducks and geese, and also coffee, tea, sugar, side meat, rice, cracked beans, dried apples, and also a house to live in and the necessary articles to furnish the house. The Government is trying to make a white man out of me and every other Indian, and this is the way to do it. We all want the troops removed from the posts near the agencies, and we want the right of appointing Indian agents. employees and traders. We demand the Catholic missionaries for instructing us. God has given our Indians the Black Hills so that we might all be supported from their

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History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 157

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1198

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198