was applicable to what is called their permanent reservation, and to all the country west of it to the Yellowstone river, including what is called the Powder river country. The withdrawal of our garrisons from that country, and other facts not necessary to be mentioned here, show that officers of our government so understood it." If we had observed this treaty as faithfully as the Dakotas, we would have had no wars with them from that day till now. The treaty was made as early in 1868, as the Indians could be got together. We find that in a report made by Gen. W. S. Harney (one of the commissioners who made the treaty) Nov. 23, 1868, then in charge of the Sioux Indians, says: "I am perfectly satisfied with the success which has attended the commencement of this work, and can unhesitatingly declare that to secure perpetual peace with the Sioux Indians it is only necessary to fulfill the terms of the treaty made by the Peace Commission." This commission, in their report to the President of the United States, says: "If the lands of the white man are taken, civilization justifies him in resisting the invader. Civilization does more than this it brands him a coward and a slave if he submits to the wrong. Disregarding this and the articles of the treaty which acknowledged the rights of the Dakotas to hunt south of the North Platte for many years, and forbids any of our soldiers going north of it, on the unceded lands, in June, 1869, Gen. Sheridan, in an official order, says: All Indians outside of the well-defined limits of their proper reservations are under the original and exclusive jurisdiction of the military authority, and as a rule will be considered hostile.'"' Treating these Indians as enemies in the unceded territory south and west of the reservation which was solemnly promised not to be invaded, led to some conflicts but not to war. In 1874, General Custer made an expedition to the Black Hills. It was done in plain direct violation of the treaty. The Sioux protested as strongly as they could in words, declaring that its object was stealing their lands. The Indians viewed Custer and his followers as spies who might justly be put to death. But as he was a great military chief, and proclaimed that he came peaceably and would do them no harm unless they began the war, they did not molest him or his followers. CHAPTER V. CUSTER'S EXPEDITION. The expedition under command of Lieut. Col. G. A. Custer was organized in pursuance of special orders No. 117, Headquarters Department of Dakota, June 8, 1874, and had for its purpose the reconnoitering of a route from Fort Abraham Lincoln to Bear Butte, in the Black Hills, and exploring the country south, southeast, and southwest of that point. The expedition consisted of ten companies of cavalry, two of infantry, and a number of Indian scouts, in all about 1,000 men, one guide, interpreters and teamsters. Captain Ludlow was detailed as its engineer officer. The line of reconnoissance (1204 miles in length) commenced July 2, moving southwestwardly toward the bend of Heart river; thence across the north fork of the Cannon Ball; thence across the south fork called also Cedar creek; thence over the Belle Pierres Hills; thence into the valley of the north fork of Grand river; following this valley for a distance, the trail bore to the southwest, across several bends of the south fork of Grand river, to a camp on a small branch of the Little Missouri; from this point, called Prospect Valley, the trail led around the northern extremity of the Short Pine Hills, into the valley of the Little Missouri; thence southeasterly in the direction of Bear Butte; camp was made on a small branch of the Belle Fourche, the valley of which stream was reached at a point 292 miles from Fort Lincoln; thence by Redwater creek, a tributary of the Belle Fourche, into the Black Hills; thence to Inyan Kara creek, after the peak of that name, which was here ascended, and near the source of which exploring parties were sent in various directions; thence camp was made in Castle Valley Creek; thence southeasterly to an unnamed creek, from whence Harney Peak was ascended; from this point reconnoisances were made to the south and southeast, towards the plains, rendezvous being again made in the heart of the Black Hills. On August the 6th camp was broken for the return trip, which followed partly the incoming route, to determine the practicability of a road northward through the Hills; emerging near Bear Butte, Castle Valley and Elkhorn Prairie were retraversed, whence the plains were reached, and a trail reconnoitered over a different route, returning to Fort Lincoln, which point was reached August 30, the sixtieth day of the trip. I subjoin here the full report as far as the same is of assistance to future historians, and I beg the reader's pardon and patience if some things are said in the report which he is already well aware of: HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF DAKOTA. "Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith my report of the reconnoissance of last summer to the Black Hills. Accompanying the report are those of Prof. N. H. Winchell and Mr. George Bird Grinnell, and a summary of the daily instrumental observations with deduced altitudes and the latitude of each camp, distances traveled, etc. Two maps are submitted, one of the whole reconnoissance, the other more in detail of the Black Hills themselves. ORGANIZATION OF THE EXPEDITION. "The expedition was organized in compliance with the following order, the provisions of which were subsequently slightly modified, as far as they related to myself by Special Order No. 127, June 19, which directed me to accompany the expedition and take six instead of three of the enlisted men under my command. SPECIAL ORDER No. 127. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF DAKOTA "1. In pursuance of instructions from Headquarters of the Military Division of the Missouri an expedition will be organized at Fort Abraham Lincoln, D. T., for the purpose of reconnoitering a route from that post to Bear Butte in the Black Hills, and exploring the country south, southeast and southwest of that point. The expedition will consist of the six companies of the Seventh Cavalry, now stationed at Fort Abraham Lincoln, the four companies of the same regiment now at Fort Rice, Company I, Twentieth Infantry, Company G, Seventeenth Infantry and such other Indian scouts from Forts Abraham Lincoln and Rice, as the commander of the expedition shall select. "Lieut.-Col. G. A. Custer of the Seventh Cavalry is assigned to the command. "The expedition will start from Fort Abraham Lincoln as soon after the 20th instant as may be practicable. Lieutenant-Colonel Custer will proceed by such route as he may find most desirable to Bear Butte, or some other point on or near the Belle Fourche, and thence will push the explorations in such direction or directions as in his judgment will enable him to obtain the most information in regard to the character of the country and the possible routes of communication through it. "Lieutenant-Colonel Custer will return to Fort Abraham Lincoln within sixty days from the time of his departure from it. Should, however, any unforeseen obstacles render it necessary or advisable for him to return from any point of his contemplated march, even before the Belle Fourche is reached, he is authorized to do so. Capt. William Ludlow, Chief Engineer of the Department, will report to Lieut. Col. Custer as engineer officer of the expedition. He will be accompanied by his civil assistant and three enlisted men of the Engineer Battalion. 66 By command of "BRIGADIER-GENERAL TERRY. 66 "O. D. GREENE, "Assistant Adjutant-General. GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE COUNTRY. "Some general account of the country about to be explored will be useful to a full understanding of the objects of the expedition, as set forth in this order. "The Black Hills are an outlying portion of the Rocky Mountains covering an area about equal to that of the State of Connecticut, included between the forty-third and forty-fifth parallels of latitude and the one hundred and third and one hundred and fifth meridians of longitude. They lie therefore mostly within the borders of Dakota, but trench also upon those of Wyoming. "On the north, east and south sides they are surrounded by the open prairie and are accessible by a journey of a hundred or more miles from the nearest point, which even frontier civilization has reached. This region had been explored by Lieutenant Warren of the Topographical Engineers in 1855, 1856 and 1857, and by Captain Reynolds of the same corps in 1859 and 1860, and the maps and reports of these officers nearly summed up our knowledge of it, if we except the vague and sometimes highly colored reports of Indians and stray frontiersmen. "The north and south forks of the Big Cheyenne river head nearly together on the west side, thence spreading widely apart, embrace the hills between them, uniting in longitude 102 D. 20 M. to flow eastward and discharge into the Missouri. "The immediate reservation, secured to the various bands of Sioux, now the most numerous and warlike of the northern tribes, by treaty of April 29, 1868, lies between the one hundred and fourth meridian of longitude and the Missouri river. It is bounded on the north by the forty |