The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-11-15
THE UTAH EXPEDI RON.
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Additional News from the Wagon Trains.
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MOVEMENTS OF THE TROOPS.
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The Indian Commissioner and Brigham
Young.
DC, &C., &c.
HE UTAH EXPEDI RON.

mitted US to publish the following extract from q
private letter dated Fort Laramie, Oct %, 1857 -:
An express from the army on Haws' fork reports
hat the Mormons have destroyed three government
trains (bumt them up). brigham Yoslng Informed
COL Atsrandsr By express that he must not Advance
further into the territory COL Johnston is collecting
the trains all together at the South Pass TO escort
them in. The "a Dragons will he here tomorrow.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
BALTIMORE, Nov. II, 1857.
Your Washington correspondent in his letter pub
shed in yesterdays HERALD states that in the event
of attack by the Mormons upon the United states
troops composing the expedition to Utah, Col John
ston will have two thousand to fight hs battles
with including two complete battalions of light ar
tillery."
Unless your correspondent has been furnished with
information which has hitherto been excluded from
the public, he has exaggerated the number of that
force by nearly one-half.
According to the latest reliable information, it ap-
peared that the force under the command of COL John
ston, and which has now, in all probability, reached
Fort Bridger unless their passage has been disputed
successfully, consisted of ten companies of the Tenth
infantry and eight companies of the Fifth infantry
numbering in the aggregate not over thousand
men, all told.
In addition TO this was a light battery of the
Fourth artillery, which the general orders of June
80 (No l2) authorized Capt Phelps to extend to
the war complement, but which owing to the man
ner In which the expedition despatched, started
with not over sixty men and six pieces Lastly IL
an ordnance train under command Of Can't. Reno
which probably numbers fifty men.
Here we have a force of about eleven hundred
men, and of these the artillery arm both light and
heavy which your correspondent seems To rely upon
much for their efficiency, utterly unavailable amid
the mountain deiles, even To great extent, upon
the plains, II deeply cogged with snow, which usu-
ally covers the valley of the Great Salt Lake TO the
depth of several feet during the entire winter.
The number Of teansters and other outsiders would
probably swell the aggregate nearly up to your
pondent figures; but it il obvious that these
not be reckoned as part OF the available military
strength of the expedition, they would find work
enough on their hands in taking of their teams
Add to all ths, the want of forage for the animals,
which is already beginning TO be felt, and which may
the snow and the chances Of desertion among the
paign and aured by the temptations which will no
doubt be attractively displayed by Brigham Youngs
spies and emissaries, and you may Judge what are
the chances Of this much talked Of Utah expedition
for sustaining itself during the winter, much less for
making conquest Of the Saints enforcing respect
for the United States officials who 60 under ts escort.
Justice To the gallant men who have been ordered
this needlessly desperate service requires that
the plain unvarnished facts should 20 out 70 tho
country, that in the event Of disRraceful catas
trophe (Which from all Appearances, does not seem
improbable) the public may know with whom 10
settle the account.