Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-11-21
A summary Of tho Mormon News.
From the NJ " Fribuno Nov -


A summary Of tho Mormon News.
From the N. Y. Tribune, Nov. 10.
Though the War Department at
Washington hesitatcs, as the telegraph
informs us, to receive as authentic the
news Of the destruction of part of the
Utah army provision trains by the NOR
mons, there remains no longer any room
for doubt upon the subject. We pub
Iish to-day a letter from our special
Utah correspondent, containing the full
particulars, and no doubt by this time
the War Department is in doubt of
dispatches on the same subject, for
warded by Col. Smith, by the same
express which bought our letter. We
also print an extract from the Leaven-
worth Times containing some particu-
lars Of the attack, as forwarded by con-
tractors to whom the wagons belong
ed. The date of the attack was the
9Th Of October, about midnight, and
the place that part Of the road inter-
venlng between the Big Sandy and the
Green River, about half way from the
South Pass to these two points is about
hundred and thirty miles, near fifty
of which, in the neighborhood of the
Big Sandy, is a complete desert.
At the time of the attack, the van of
the expedition under Col. Alexander,
now the Commandcr-in-C Chief, which
was marching upon Fort Bridger, was
encamped on Hams Fork, about thirty
miles in advance, while the rear of the
expedition under Col. Smith had not
yet reached the South Pass. The num-
Der Of wagons destroyed is stated at
seventy-five or seventy-eight all of
which were burnt with their contents
except five, which were given up to the
teamsters, with sufficient rations to en-
able them to reach Fort Laramie. No
personal injury was offered to any one,
the assailants disclaimed any intention
to shed blood unless some of the Saints
should first te killed. As to the num-
Der of the assailants and their hackers,
we have no very definite information.
The attack was made by two distinct
parties, one of the trains being some
miles behind the other two. Neither
OF these parties, according to the infor-
nation obtained by our correspondent
exceeded hundred men. The sugges-
ton that Heber Kimball was with them
is not probable, as he is doubtless bet
ter at preaching than at fighting. The
particulars of the attack were. howev-
er, imperfectly known in Col. Smiths
camp, whence our letter was written.-
A messenger had arrived who had been
the bearer of dispatches from Col. Al
exander to Col. Smith but as he had
fallen into the hands of the Mormons
on the way, he had obeycd his orders
by destroying his dispatches. What
was known in Col. Smiths camp ap-
pears to have been derived from the
verbal statements Of this messenger.
and from a circular letter dispatched
by Capt. Marcy to the trains on the
road, advising them to place themselves
under Col. Smiths protection.
The entire force Of fighting men in
the expedition does not probably ex-
coed ten or eleven hundred. It in
cludes the entire Tenth regiment of In
tantry, eight companies of the Fifth In
fantry, detachment Of the Fourth Ar
t!llery, with six light pieces, and about
sixty men, and an ordinance train with
heavy pieces, Of about the same
strength. The teamsters and other Ia
borer. attached to the expedition might
swell the entire fore to sixteen hundred
OF more, but these last would have
their hands full in taking care Of their
cattle. From tho South Pass to Fort
Bridger, is, as we have stated, a humid
red and thirty-one miles, of which
more than third part is perfect des.
ert and the whole difficult country
with very little grass. What little
there is, the same parties of Mormons
employed in intercepting the trains will
z
doubtless Get on FIRE and DESTROY.
From Fort Bridger to Salt Lake ity.
the direct road across the mountains il
one hundred and thirteen miles, but
this il . very difficult route, with MANY
narrow passea liable to be blocked m
with snow, hardly practicable 90 late in
the season at any rate, and still less so
with the prospect of active resistance
on the part of the Mormons. There
Is another road, following the Valley of
the Bear River north to Soda Spring..
where the Oregon road forks of. and |
then turning south by the same valley
and the eastern shore Of the Great Salt |
Lake. This route nearly doubles the
Instance, but it is much more practica-
be- and, should the expedition advance
INTO the valley, II will probably be BY
his road. The gssat difficulty in The
ldsenee = W sabutnaonee IN a6fAlo
: ~ teestiea tzainA Il