Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-21
From the Plains.

Mr.. Lander, who is connected as chief engineer
with MagraW's Wagon Road Survey, passed thro'
this city bis way 70 Washington on Saturday
last
This gentleman has performed, since the 18th
dav OF June last, the unprecedented feat of riding
400 miles, much of the distance is unexplored
mountain passes and all in rough field service, with
out tent, or ordinary baggage, in the short space
OF Tour and half mo tbs, including eighteen camp
days.
The Mormons having burned I'll the grass on the
southern wintering grounds. the Wagon Road ex-
petition hos selected camp on Wind river II
ia surrounded bv herd- of Buffalo and Elk, with
which, in event Of failure Of other means of subs -
lance, the train NAV be supplied
T. F. Fickln, OF the assistant engineers Of
the advance party, who had distinguished himself
! in deteched service. had heen detained nv Nr
| Lander, at the request of superintendent Nagraw
to purchase fnur and OF or provisions for the
train. In performing this duty, he was surrounded
| near Green river, nv sixty wPll-armed mounted
| Normons. Fl gave them evssive answers az to
the nature of his business, and at length al
! lowed to depart. He rode at once to the COM
mand of Col Alexander, mary miles distant, and
| informed that gentleman of the advance of the
mounted armed men, and of the Tumors that i've
hundred hal crossed Green river going in TIE
direction Of unprotected Government trains, but
| before any escort Sent three TT iins, en-
tracing s"ventv-six wagons were reached and
completely destroyed BY the p rtV of sixty men
/
provisions, the Eastern mountsineers disposed
to hOli "Ttices OF subsistence at high price Flour
thirty dollars a hun'red at Pl ,tte Bridge. one
hundred and twenty-five mil.s bevond Fort L 'ra-
mic, and rising; and general belief prevailed in
the country that hostes we're comm need. The
military forces in bish spirits, and though
travelling with every prospect of enduring great
har1ships, enthusiastic to a man, and prepared for
the worst.
The explorations Of the advance party of the
Wagon Roid Exp, dtion had proved of great s-r-
vice to the commanI The entire region betwe n
the Salt L Ike and Snake river, the South Pas and
| Thousand Spring Valley, connecting the work of
Stanbury AMI Fremont, and hitherto UNEMPLOYED,
had been surveyed and mapped, sixteen mountain
passes examined all the tributaries of the upper
Green river defined to their sources, the great
Wahsatach chain found to consist of sixteen dis
| tnct ranges. Numerous supplies OF grass, wood,
and water had bren discovered and various wagon
routes two of which avoid the Grand Desert of the
Sandy and one seven vs. shorter travel in a dis
lance of FIVE hundred miles than any previously
known. These may be mentioned some of the
results of the explorations The military force had
therefore abandoned the old line of approach, and
were advancing upon the valley of the lake by the
open plains of the stern descent of the Bear and
Malade rivers.
When Mr. L. informed Gov Cummings of the
cOmmencem" ut of Mormon Disturbances by the de-
structiOn OF Gov trains, being the first TO
bring this Int Iii 1enca, Gov @ quietly remarked,
'HeI al nv friends sir, that st d to obev in-
structinns and to go into Salt Lake City, and am
going"
Brigham Young had already disclained any par
tcipation or knowledge of the overt act of nuru.
ing the supply trains, and the best judges OF the
Mormon character believe that the leaders of this
singular society will continue to end to blind
The ey,s of the General Gov, rnmeut and put of
the day of stand up fight to the last moment
| On the other hand, old mOuntaneers are predict
ing the most disastrous consequences if the troop
are lot able TO fight their into the city. The
grtss burned, the forage wed nigh eaten up, wi
ser scttin in with several deep SHOWS, much Of the
command far in the rear, and great range OF
mOuI tans shutting il out from the northern win
terug grounds, ali give weig ht to the sup
position that the exp dtOn will not he successful
one. Cache Valley, which is an open, W. Il grass
ed plain, in which several Mormon farms, and
over which roam great of cattle aud horses,
the property of the Church, will soon, however, e
within striking distance of the command st
Louis h,telligeHcer.