Custer’s 1874 Trail

George Armstrong Custer was, any way you look at it, a colorful character. In 1874, despite and in violation of the terms of the Laramie Treaty of 1868, the War Department determined to send an Expedition into the Black Hills to ascertain if gold in commercial quantity was to be found there. Custer was designated to lead and with ten troops of the 7th Cavalry; two companies of Infantry, a band, a group of notable scientists, scouts and a train of 110, six mule team wagons, entered the Hills south of Crooks Tower, proceeded to French Creek and the Harney Peak area, found gold and started back to Ft. Abraham Lincoln, their home station and point of initial departure.

Going north nearly to Custer Peak they hit the Box Elder and followed it down past the present Nemo to a defile about 5 miles southwest of this point where they regained the higher ground and had on August 14, 1874, reached this point. From here they went into Elk Creek Valley and from it up to Bear Butte.

Their wagon train left its mark on the terrain as you can note. The Expedition was one of the causes of the Indian Wars of 1876 wherein Custer and 225 others lost their lives.