Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-11-05
OUR MATTERS WITH UTAH.

OUR MATTERS WITH UTAH.
Great Danger Of Conflict Jetsceea the
Aormons and United States Troops.
The U. s. Utah expedition, which left
sst Summer for the purpose Of compell-
ing BRIaHAM You've and bis horde Of
bigsmists, to submit to the Authority at
Washington, has. at last advice dated 9Th !
Of Sept, reached within 900 miles Of lis
dertination. Many Of the cattle aud mules
belonging to the expedition were giving
out and dying, on account Of the poor feed
along the line Of the road.
The expedition numbers about 1000
men, and is under the command Of Col.
Johnson. A portion of the expedition
were attacked by band Of 200 Indians
between the North and South Platte Riv-
or. a feint was first made by them on
the front Of the train, and whilst the men
were preparing for an attack from this
quarter, the Indians suddenly fell upon
the rear, cutting off FIVE of the wagons,
and killing three of the men. The re,
msindcr of the train was Immediately
"corraded," thus forming a rude fortress.
The Indians in the meantime commenced
plundering the wagons, but the teamsters,
armed with U. s. rifles, carrying Minnie
balls, which formed a part of the loading
Of the train, fred upon them from their
''corral," and after killing one Indian and
wOunding two others, succeeded in putting
the rest to fight. As soon as the Indians
had retreated, four Of the wagons were re-
covered, but the tongue Of one being bro.
ken, it was abandoned. The names Of
the men who were killed are Geo. John.
son, Geo. Nichols and John Burke. The
Indians carried off one case and a half of
United States rifles, and a large quantity
Of ammunition, Fifty head Of cattle were
wounded in the encounter.
Capt. Van Vliet, Assistant Quarter
master U. s. Army. arrived in st. Louis,
direct from the Territory of Utah. He
says that the Mormons are determined not
to allow the United States troops to enter
lSalt Lake Valley, and will use force to
prevent them If necessary, They look
upon the present movement Of the Gov.
ernment as only the renewal ofthe perse-
cutions which they complain ofhaving ell
dured in this State and Illinois, and are
determined to resist it at the outset.
Capt. v passed q week in Great Salt
Lake City. He was treated with much
consideration and invited to partaks of the
hospitalites Of the leading men ofthe city.
Bat on all occasions, and from every quar-
ter. be heard only one expression of opin-
ion--and that was, that they never woull
permit United States troops, or the off.
GERS appointed by the United States Gov
srnment to get foothold in their domin.
ions. In all their public declarations and
in their private conversations, this sent-
ment is boldly avowed they will never
suffer the troops to enter tue city, and if
they do, 1t will be after the town has been
committed to the flames, the Territory
around it laid waste, aud all the inhabi-
tants have fled to the mountains. Their
fanaticism knows no bounds; they believe
Brigham Young to be the appointed agent
of the Lord, and whatever he commands
them to do they will perform with alacri-
ty. They say that they have provisions
sufficient to last them for three or four
years, and that prosecuted as they have
been and are, by the Americans, they will
resist to the last extremity.
These statements being true as they un-
doubtedly are, the Government will have
to make leves of new men, and to dis
patch heavy renforcements to the army
in Utah next Spring.
DR.. BernhSel, Delegate to Congress-
from Utah arrived in company with Cap
tain Van Vliet.
The Washington correspondent of the
n. Y. Tribune says:
"To return to the Utah expedition. II,
as in all probability they will. the Nor
mons resist the expedition, the country is
likely to be shocked with disaster simi
lar to that which befell the British in Aft
.ghanistan some years ago. AS the old
Mohawk Hendrik said: "rhe force sent is
too large for a sacrifice and too small for
an army" Capt. Van Vliet, who had
good opportunities ofobservatiOn, estimates
the Mormon force of men that can be bro't
into the field at 5000 or 5000. The
United States force now on its way to u
tab is, l think, less than 1000. AS rein.
forcements cannot be sent till next sum.
mer. in case of collision, the advantage
of numbers is thus largely with the Nor
mons. Brigham Young is doubtless fully
aware that he must ultimately submit to
the United States in spite of the natural
strength of his position among the noun
tains and his present superiority of num-
bers TO the force now on its way against
him. But we may be sure that he will
prefer to make terms with arms in his
hands l.ather than submit passively to an
authority utterly destructive OF his power,
bis rank, and a. he holds dear. If he is
to be destroyed politically he will natural
lv conclude tha. he had best fall with
eclat, with the distinction Ct a martyr and
hero, in which case he and his dynasty
will have in the future all the advantage
which sect never fails to derive from per-
secution."