Ill 



TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



the forty-first degree of north latitude; thence 

 along said thirty-third degree of longitude to 

 the crest of the Eocky Mountains ; thence north- 

 ward along the said crest of the Eock Moun- 

 tains to its intersection with the forty-fourth 

 degree and thirty minutes of north latitude; 

 thence eastward along said forty-fourth degree 

 thirty minutes to the thirty-fourth degree of 

 longitude ; thence northward along said thirty- 

 fourth degree to the forty-fifth degree north 

 latitude ; thence eastward along said forty-fifth 

 degree to the twenty-seventh degree of longi- 

 tude ; thence south along said twenty-seventh 

 degree to the forty-first degree north latitude ; 

 thence west along said forty-first degree to the 

 place of beginning, shall be, and is hereby, in- 

 corporated temporarily into and made part of 

 the territory of Dakota." 



It is computed, from reliable information, that 

 the entire yield of gold from the mines east of 

 the Cascade range, during the season of 1861, 

 was nearly $5,000,000; and it is calculated that 

 the yield of 1862 and 1863 approximated to 

 $20,000,000. 



This territory embraces within its boundaries 

 the productive mineral regions of Salmon Eiver, 

 Boise, Oro Fino, Beaver Head, Warren's Dig- 

 gings, and numerous other mining localities 

 that have been recently discovered. The prin- 

 cipal towns in Idaho, are Lewiston, the capital, 

 situated at the junction of the Clearwater with 

 Snake Eiver, and from whence is transported 

 in boats, by teams and pack animals, the greater 

 proportion of the supplies used by the mining 

 population scattered throughout the territory. 

 Oro Fino, which lies nearly due south of Lew- 

 iston, Elk City, Florence, Placerville, and Ban- 

 nock City, are also places of considerable im- 

 portance commercially, and contain an average 

 of fifteen hundred inhabitants each. Consider- 

 able trade is also carried on at Forts Boise, 

 Benton, Owen, Lemhi, Hall, and Bonne ville, at 

 some of which troops are stationed for the pro- 

 tection of immigrants and settlers against the 

 depredations of the numerous bands of Indians 

 who roam over that vast scope of country. 



The Oro Fino gold mines were discovered 

 during the summer of 1860, by a prospecting 

 party under command of Captain Pierce. A 

 portion, of this party passed the winter of 1860- 

 '61 in the mines of Oro Fino, and such was the 

 result of their labors that nearly five thousand 

 miners and traders found their way to these 

 mines during that year, and succeeded in estab- 

 lishing the towns of Oro Fino and Elk City. 

 The discovery of rich gold mines in this vicinity 

 naturally excited prospecting parties to extend 

 their researches. Accordingly, in 1861, a party 

 of men under the direction of J. J. Healy, suc- 

 cessfully worked on Salmon Eiver. Other par- 

 ties also worked in the Oro Grand District. In 

 May, 1862, rich gold discoveries were made in 

 what is now known as "Warren's Diggings, to 

 which the rush was so great that the rival 

 towns Eichmond and Washington were at 

 Dr. ce established. 



In the summer of 1862 a party of prospectera, 

 under the command of a miner name Grimes, 

 entered the Boise region in search of gold, but, 

 whilst encamped upon a small creek, they were 

 attacked by Indians, and their leader killed. 

 The locality is now known as Grimes's Cieek, 

 situated midway between Placerville and Ban- 

 nock City. 



INDIAN TERRITORY. This territory comprises 

 the tract of country adjoining Kansas and Ar- 

 kansas, to which the southern Indians have been 

 removed from their former residences within 

 the limits of the old States. The number of 

 these tribes is large, and a general feeling of 

 discontent prevails among them because of tho 

 destitution of their families and the failure of tho 

 Government to send into their country a suffi- 

 cient force to preserve order and protect them 

 against the wholesale plundering, robbing, and 

 thieving to which they have been subjected at 

 the hands of the rebels, and of whites professing 

 to be their friends and loyal to the Government. 

 Probably no portion of the country, of equal 

 extent within the territorial limits, is better 

 adapted to the business of stock-raising than is 

 this country owned by these Indians. Prior to 

 the war they had engaged in this business ex- 

 tensively, and many of them owned herds of 

 cattle numbered by thousands. When the peo- 

 ple were driven forth their stock was neces- 

 sarily left behind without ostensible owners. 

 The Confederates availed themselves of this 

 condition of things to procure immense sxrpplies 

 of beef for their armies. 



MONTANA. This territory was organized un- 

 der an act passed at the last session of Con- 

 gress. Its boundaries are as follows: "Com- 

 mencing at the intersection of the twenty- 

 seventh degree of longitude west from Wash- 

 ington with the forty-fifth degree of north lati- 

 tude; thence due west on said forty-fifth de- 

 gree to its intersection with the thirty-fourth 

 degree of longitude ; thence due south along said 

 thirty-fourth degree to the forty -fourth degree 

 and thirty minutes ; thence due west along said 

 forty-fourth degree and thirty minutes to its in- 

 tersection with the crest of the Eocky Moun- 

 tains ; thence following the crest of the Eocky 

 Mountains northward till its intersection with 

 the Bitter Eoot Mountains ; thence northward 

 along the crest of the Bitter Eoot Mountains to 

 its intersection with the thirty-ninth degree of 

 longitude; thence along said thirty-ninth de- 

 gree northward to the boundary line of the 

 British possessions ; thence eastward along said 

 boundary line to the twenty-seventh degree of 

 longitude ; thence southward along said twenty- 

 seventh degree to the place of beginning." 



The Governor of the territory is Sidney E. 

 Edgerton. The country is rich in gold and 

 silver mines. Virginia City has grown very 

 rapidly, with a mining population attracted by 

 the diggings. The Indians are numerous in the 

 territory, and were troublesome during the 

 year. The great want of the territory is ade- 

 quate machinery to develop its wealth and 



