Beaver on the 3d of June, the work of the survey was soon begun and a permanent camp was established on French Creek, near the stockade erected by the miners during the previous winter. In order to pursue the work more rapidly and thoroughly, a division of the party was made as follows: Mr. Jenney with a corps of assistants assumed more particularly the investigations of the mineral resources of the country, prospecting the gold deposits, etc., while the remainder of the party, Mr. Newton, Dr. McGillicuddy and Captain Tuttle, continued the topographical and more complete geological study of the hills.

"As the work of the survey progressed northward, the main body of the escort of troops was transferred from one base of supplies to another, so as to keep up with the course of the explorations. In this manner with scarcely a day's remission from work, the survey continued until the entire area of the Black Hills between the forks of the Cheyenne had been mapped and its geology and mineral resources determined as fully as the rapid progress would permit.

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Having passed over the entire country and accomplished the object of the expedition, the various parties assembled on the Cheyenne at the mouth of Rapid creek, and began the march homeward, reaching Ft. Laramie, via White river, and the agencies of Spotted Tail and Red Cloud, on the 14th of October, after an absence of four months and twenty days.

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Having disbanded the expedition at Cheyenne, the officers of the survey returned East and assembled in Washington early in November to complete their report. While in the field the various discoveries of the presence of gold in the different districts were announced to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs at Washington and a preliminary report by Mr. Jenney on the mineral resurces of the hills, accompanied by a small preliminary map by Dr. McGillicuddy, was published in the annual report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1875. The completed observations of the mineral resources, climate, etc., possessing immediate and

particular interest, were by resolution of the Senate called for in advance of the final report, and, with a preliminary map, were published in the spring of 1876."

OTHER PIONEERS.

Early in the spring of 1875 a party, among which were Wade Porter, William Coslett, Thomas Mannahan, Robert Kenyon, Richard Wickham, H. F. Hough, James O'Neil, Alfred Gay (after whom Gayville was named), John Berdeau and another French half-breed, the last two acting as guides, started from Spotted Tail Agency and went directly to French creek, reaching the Witcher and Gordon stockade the latter part of April. They prospected the abandoned shafts of the stockade party and found very good diggings.

In the beginning of May, Raymond, a United States scout, leading a squad of cavalry soldiers from Spotted Tail Agency, arrived at the camp, bearing instructions to remove the miners from the Hills. Seven of them were captured, together with all the provisions; but the other seven men who were prospecting for quartz escaped. The captured ones were taken to the agency and discharged. Those remaining in the Hills, including Porter, prospected and hunted on French creek, Spring and Castle creek, until about July 1st, when Colonel Dodge's command, with which were Professors Jenney and Newton, arrived on French creek via the stockade. Their scouts assured the miners that they would not be molested, and a considerable trade was carried on between the parties and the miners, exchanging gold dust for provisions, tobacco, etc. After the arrival of Colonel Dodge's command the miners prospected considerably in company with Professor Jenney, continuing until August the 10th. The Professor gives an account of his meeting with the miners in his report to the Government, and he says:

"When I reached French creek, June 16th, 1875, about fifteen men were found camped four miles above the stockade, where they had been at work for several weeks, and

had staked off claims, built small dams, and were digging ditches preparatory to commencing sluicing on the bars along the banks of the stream. These miners were very enthusiastic in regard to the mineral wealth of the gulch; they were reporting from 5 to 27 cents to the pan from the gravel, and made the most extravagant statements as to the yield which would be obtained as soon as they commenced working with sluices. But they were working under unfavorable circumstances; the water-supply was very small, not exceeding fifty miners inches, with every indication that it would soon fail entirely and the grade of the valley was so small that it was difficult to get a good head of water for sluicing. On testing, by washing, the pay-gravel from the different prospecting holes already opened, with a pan, and weighing the gold obtained, it was found that the usual yield along the stream was from four to eight colors to the pan (about one-tenth to a one-fifth of a cent) and in favorite and somewhat limited localities, from half a cent to as high as one and a half cents were obtained from the gravel from off the bed-rock. The gravel-bars were rich enough in gold to pay if extensively worked under more favorable circumstances, but too poor to yield a remunerative return for the labor employed except in a few limited deposits of gravel near the extreme head of the stream." The next day the following dispatch was sent by a courier to Fort Laramie and telegraphed to Washington :—

"CAMP ON FRENCH CREEK, NEAR HARNEY PEAK, June 17, 1875.

"To Hon. E. P. Smith, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C:

I have discovered gold in small quantities on the north bend of Castle creek, in terraces of bars and quartz-gravel. Arrived here yesterday. About fifteen miners have located claims on the creek above here; and have commenced working. Gold is found from Castle creek southwardly to French creek at this point. The region has not been fully explored, but

the yield of gold thus far has been quite small and the richness of the gravel-bars are greatly exaggerated. The prospect at present is not such as to warrant extensive operation in mining.

"WALTER P. JENNY, E. M.,

"Geologist Exploration of the Black Hills."

General Crook, who had received instructions from the Government, called the miners together and informed them on the 10th of August, that he had orders to take them all out, but if they would go voluntarily by the 15th they could do so. Most of them complied, but a considerable number were so far away that they did not hear of the order for some days. All of the company to which Porter belonged went out, except himself, he was mining on Castle creek north of Custer. When he heard of the arrangement he came in and left with a party for Fort Laramie on the 19th, accompanied by a United States escort and wagon train.

Porter remained at Laramie for ten days, during which one Mallory reported three ounce diggings on Iron Creek, in the northern Hills. A party consisting of thirtyone men, led by Mallory, and having a pack train of 130 animals, was soon organized and started for the new diggings. Porter accompanied it. They arrived on the ground in October and found good prospects, but water for sluicing purposes was scarce. A portion of the party remained on Iron and Beaver creeks, but Porter and six others, not being satisfied, concluded to go back to the washings on Castle creek. Several weeks later two of the party, who had been hunting on Slate creek, were found by a squad of cavalrymen who tried to get them to tell where their camp was; but the men refused for several days, until finding there was nothing to be gained by holding out, they finally gave them the information and the cavalry succeeded in capturing the whole outfit and taking them prisoners to Custer City, then occupied by Major Pollock with several companies of troops.

The Major confined the prisoners in a "bull pen "bull pen" under guard for several days, when they were sent to Cheyenne for trial before the United States Commissioner. This was a second offense and Major Pollock threatened to have them punished severely; but the Commissioner, after holding them for several days, concluded that he had no authority to punish them and they were set at liberty and all their property taken by the military restored to them. The party returned to Laramie, where four of them, including Porter, purchased horses and supplies and again started out for the Hills. To avoid the troops they took a circuitous route west of the Hills and went to Sand and Bear creeks, in the north west, where they prospected for several weeks, when Porter and Oscar Clyne determined to visit Castle creek once more. On Spearfish creek they struck a miner's trail, and following it up they reached Deadwood Gulch, at Gayville, about the middle of December. Here they found a party of twelve miners, among whom were William Gay, William Lardner, Hilan Hulan, Frank Bryant and his party, and others who had been there for several weeks.

CHAPTER VIII.

GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF THE BLACK HILLS.

The following most interesting remarks on the geological structure of the Black Hills were kindly furnished the author by Mr. Henry Newton, the accomplished assistant geologist of Col. Dodge's expedition, who devoted to the subject a whole summer of close study and labor so patient and so indefatigable, that it would be hardly too much to say that there is scarcely a rock in the whole length and breadth of the " Hills," which does not bear the mark of his hammer:

"The rocks forming the Black Hills consist of three