The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-11-18
The Rebellion Of the Mormons~--
Brigham Yeung's Hostile Attitude
.a--Progrcss or the United states
. Troops. ss'+ ..a@l8


the governssent trains hxve bser received at Mash
ingtsu fhey say thst the yorrnons have opened
the Dali oy burning theee srppiy trains-.wo on
. uIsen rvsr a'fa one on the Big Sanfythe central
IL all Of seventy eight wsgons
s. 1hfre was council among the officers and II
was determined, sfter hearing the ohfnfuns Of all
tae snidc< IN relation to the country to q, around
~ soia springs, here the road fJrks for tfreeo,
aaa nis and enters the salt Lake Valley
brpngh an extensive valley where tho ,,,,pr !. iii
NOT De an impeachment This determination the
express man says. was approved of by CaI. john
sun, spo t"id hin TO say to everybody sthat he a.
tenaed to winter in the valley or not at all,
me Mormons are ceugregsted in large mn n,bars
sycn on this side of the mountain b,,r,,insr ~ :
grass, and are determined Ii Seems to prsvs;i, ths
entrance OF The traops into the valley anv hnw =
dnfy are regularly cnroile,i In rhousan,ss aud II
M ~ yennson tnters the valley he can act only on
the defensive with his handful Of men. y = -
q The following is letter from the sp.e,a, cor.
respondent Of the New York Tribune; ~.
~ y CAss. 2e0 miles from Fort Lar.mie,) .
October l3, 1857. "A as
Inc Two nearest supply trains were but a fev
miles distant from Green river ON the east h.,,t
I.s ana ABOUT % miles frem Gel Alexander's camp
Ine next on the road had advanced about "a n,ilss
west from Pacific Springs, which rise at a shor,
Instance beyond the south Pass About IL o'e,ock
se nlght, these three trains we're ssrprissd and
seizen oy parties of Mormons their contents exam
med anti what WAS worth pillarjop Was stolen
aud the remsinder DESTROYED bv fre Fart, trs;r
consisted oil 70 wagons, and belonged to the ann
Der sent ont by Nessrs- Russell 4 Wadd.lI Of Is
venwotth City. contractors for the Transportation
of stores to the army and far the sunniv ~ -,
cattle. The tean,ssers nads no resist ts,ca a., =
we're unharmed. These Mormon bands are un1nr
stood TO be under the command of .BiI" iiick
man although IL is ru.nored that reher c. Ki,nbail
ATTENDS them. They are all we'll mounted ant
ined, each man heing provided with California.
horse. and with riffs and from me 10 three Re.
Foisers Hickman IL supposed tohav, directed the
pr"eeeang near Paeific spripg, while man named
Leeksmth commanded near Green river H's
immediately upnu the receipt of the news O,
hia attack Col Alexander sent Capt Marcy of IN.
5fh Infantry. with five companies back to (,een
river lie srrivef however only in 6 asor 10 a, ke
charge o. the cattle Of the trains which the Nor
mons had left with the Prlife request that the
tronps w0uld f'tten them ,ver Winter whom tb-,
would be III 4 coDdti \ :nr Mormon eating in
thr srrlng another OF ,neir jue1 q esprit va. \
remark TO the the teanisters that tiey had only
ourhed ths wagons this tiule, but would be i,kttt
TO burn the wagoners nrxtn Col. Alexander alec
ssnt dispatches to Brevet Col Smith, from whose
camp Tam writing, and Captain Marcy seut hy
smother messenger circular letter to the trains
on the road advising them. for the sake of safety
u place themselves under Cal smiths protection
ooth eXpressinen we're Intercepted by the Nor
mons, but as nothing saspici; US was fonni on
their persens and it did not sppaar on what er
rands they were bound, they weie releastd The
one fem Cob Alexander. perceiy,ng that it wa.
impossible to avoid arrest destroyed the dispatch
IS TO Col Smith. according to his ipstructions suo
We are ignY:at Of their contents The other
brought Capt. Marcys circular safely thrcugh in
the ta, If his moccasin. -,
We know. however iu thu absence Of the official
aisi atches, that Cap al s'gy has reloined Col.
AleAander, and that the engs|e frrce bas moved In
the north along Bear river towards Soda SPRINGS
where 1t will probably await the arrival of the re-
naming supply traius, the suffers trains of the
ath ANU idih Infantry and of Col. Smiths ba.tal
n ran Far
pear by glance at the map. to q person uaar.
qnsinted With the conformation of the country and
me Character Of the climate. The direct road
SIT Lake City, passing Fort Bridltr Msdicin
;ntte and lhe Needles, which Cot. Alexander liz 1.
abandoned, is possibly by this time in,pessibie to
wagons or artillery ON account of the weather
The season. which has been uucpln nttnly favorable
up to the beginning Of October, has resumed f,s
natural severity Ice has formed in our buckets
every morning but oue since VIC left Fort Laramie
The northern slopes of the mountains are com
pieteiy whlteped With covering which will not
melt till 1883. and even the southern slopes are
poHdered scanrily with snow. of witch there va. u
all on Saturday night that chilled our road on
sunday aud Monday and has mudTii-d it to-day
The Murm"Ds have probably burned the grass
along tia n ite ruie and obstrueted the defiles
which IL aboupds. in such manner that on v
artillery could clear them. But if tie army c, T.
ceptrates at soda Springs it will have befnre it 4
roed along valley open. IL is said even at mid
winter, direct to Salt Lake City. -.e-,.7.f 5s.j
The direct route from California to the States,
crosses the Wshsatch Mountains far to the north.
of Salt Lake city and continues almost due east TO
its june ion with the main road to That CITY whi
pa,-es tort Bridger. and then runs on through til.
-outh Pass, dividing, however, near Hams Fork
into three branches. which cross the Green River
and Unite beyond Big SANDY. From one or the
other Of the branches. a road lea, q NJ ate Ore
g9G. toward toTt Hall passing Soda springs frem
which, at the Springs, there is eut off into rcad
direct from Fort Hall to salt Lake City. 1t is over
these latter roaas and the cut off that Cot Alex
tnder's march viii .be directed. 'e' fs' ie-
The Aornons who intercepted the pxpressnIen
told them that they bad force of 100 men scatter
ed ai,sag through the M untains far east az The
Devil 8 @ ,te, through which the Sweetwarer flows
a5oat 2p0 niles from Fort Laramie. and near
which is disnantled MJrnson mail station ct q
fire from some of whose logs we warmed our feet
not week ago. Rut this must be a gruss xagge.
ratien. Neither of the parties which burned the
trains exceeded l0u in number. and 10 is 6ificult
to conceive how fUree of even that strength
could have gained the rear Of the army unail-
served. 1t is a fact however. that ever since the
hormons settled on Salt Lake they have been a.
sidiuous in collecting information concerning the
Of the country, ana many Of their
l-sd, rs understand II as Thoroughly as the most
{ experienced I11ntain guide. he enploymen mt Of
great part OF their young nen in berdiag cattle,
has made them acquainted with every little stream
and kdnyoa, and Injured them TO the saddle. II l.
these young men, and these alniost solely. who
constitute the element of the Mormon military
force from which there is danger to be apprrhend-
ed. They possess the ability if they have the Will
10 carry on annoying qtterrtitd warfare, swe ping
down from mountain passes upon single travellers
and unprotected trains.
am unable to make an estimate Of the amount
If destroyed by them in their foray of 0cro-
Der s. The original amount Intended for the Utah
expedition eight months supply for 2 d
men, and each train was assigned proportion OF
all the articles 20 be transported, including even
,EdnaDce stores. Whether different arrangements
were made when il was thought necessary TO ieavs
the 81 Dragons with GOV. Walker Ia Kansas, am
adt aware. At any rate, il is the general inpre.
sion that the loss of so great quantity of prosit
iJns tho ~ wagons must have contained would
q uscessitate movement toward salt Lake Valley
were u such movement on other accounts a
cuii<equ Ic- of their destruction. he will
forbid tie tcan-mission of y further supplies
tr ps from The Fast than a'c now FAR already on
C. way, l
ignorant as we are of what may have occurred
there during the last forty days, il is imposs;b :
fr us 10 fix the responsibility for the delay 50 at
cprately as yourselves, upon those on whom 1t
eiongs: btt some one u certainly TO tiame fnr the
fact that of the $50 men originally destined 10
the ey pcdtion hardly 1t1d arc now available and
ior the other fact that of all tho newly appointed
territorial officials. only one. TO my knowledge
Chief Justice fthols,l is anywhere near bis post
Of duty. Mr.. Morrel, the Postmaster Of salt Lake
tit. wi Q was appo MED y Pre- dsnt Fierce iasi
mall, is also an exception. lie is eneamped near
the south- Pass, and will place his wagons under
Col. Smiths protection to morrow. t-.
The following is an extract ffetn private let's,
dated Fort Laramie Oct. %, 1857:
An express from, the army on flaws Fork, report
that brigham fnrag informed (3, Aieyander, b,
srprsss, at he mwd p1t hirar , further into the ter
ystory Cct Johnson Is collecting tina trains all to
gsthsr at the South Pass, TO escort them In. The
ID Dragons will be he re tomorrow.
A dispatch dated st. louis the l5,h, saysl
Chief Engineer Magraw's wagon rad train ar
ri sed en- ronte az Washington Territory, aud havs
zone into winter quarters They corroborate tn,
renorted destruction Of government train by tht
sorn,onss In consequence OF the new discoveries
by the recent explorations the military have al al
A ned the old route and are approaching Salt LAX,
by the open plains Of the Bear ana Maiade rivers
Yyuus dlsclaiIns all knowledge or participation IL
the distraction OF the supply trains.
A,,err-rvs IN FTn. The irish napcrr rAntair