Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-09
IrrAII AEEAIkS.

O
| was then in state of open rebellion, aud cost,
what it might, the character Of the Govern
ment required that thisrebellion should be sup
pressed and the Mormons compelled to yield
| obedience to the Constitution and the laws. In
order to accomplish this object, as | Informed
YOU in nv last annual message, appointed a
new Governor instead of Brigham Young, and
| other Federal officers to take the place Of those
who, consulting their personal safety, had found
it necessary to withdraw from the Territory.
To protect these civil officers, andto aid them,
| as a posse c0miLatMS, in the execution OF the
laws in case of need, ordered atletachment OF
the army to accompany them to Utah lne
necessity for adopting these measures is now
| demonstrated -gs.5 s s...r d. ...
On the 10th of September 1857, Governor
Young issued his proclamation in the style .of
| Independent sovereign announcing his purpose
to resist by force of arms the entry OF the Uni
ted States troops into our own Territory OF
Utah. BY this he required all the forces IN
the Territory to !" hold themselves in readiness
to march at a moments notice to repel any and
! all such INVASION" and established martial law
! from its date throughout the Territory. These
| proved to be idle threats. Forts Brldger aud
Supply were vacated and burnt down by the
| Mormons to deprive our troops OF shelter
after their long and fatiguing march. Orders
were issued by Daniel II. Wells, styling him
self " Lieutenant General, NauvoO Legion" to
stampede the animals of the United States
troops On their marcn to set fire to their
trains to burn the grass and the whole country
before them and on their tlankS, to keep them
from sleeping by night surprises, and to block
ade the road by telling trees and destroying the
fords of rivers, &c, &c. ......
These orders were promptly and efectuaIly
obeyed. On the 4th of October, 1887, the
Mormons captured and burned on Green river
three of our supply trains, consisting Ct seven
ty-fve wagons loaded with provisions and tents
for the army, and drove away several hundred
animals This diminished the supply of pro
visions so materially that Gen. Johnston was
obliged to reduce the ration, and even with
this precauton there was only sufficient left TO
subsist the troops until the lst of June.
The Secretary of War employed all his en-
erges to forward them the necessary supplies,
and to muster and send such a military force
to Utah as wOuld render resistance on the part
of the Mormons hopeless and thus terminate
the war without the effusion of blood. In his
efforts he was efficiently sustained by Congress.
They granted appropriations sufficient to cover
the deficiency thus necessarily created, and al
so provided for raising two regiments of volun-
teers, " for the purpose Of quelling disturban-
ces in the territory of Utah, for the protection
of supply and cnligrant trains, and the sup
preston Of Indian hostilities on the frontier"
Uapnily, there was no occasion to call these
regiments into service If there had been,
should have felt serious embarrassment in Sc
| Il, thn ,nnr Of
brave and patriotic citizens anxious to serve
their country in this distant and apparently
dangerous expedition. Thus it has been, and
thus may it ever be
The whole wisdom and economy Of sending
sufficient reinfOrcementS to L tab are establish
ed not only by the event, but in the opinion of
those who, from their position and opportuni-
ties, are the most capable Of forming a correct
Judgment Gen. Johnston, the commander of
the forces, in addressing the Secretary of War
from Fort Bridger, under date Oct. Is, 1851,
expresses the opinion that "unleSS large force
is sent here. from the nature of the country, a
protracted war on their the Mormons) part
is inevitable" THIS he considers necessary, to
terminate the war speedily aud more ecOnom-
ically than if attempted by insufficient means >
In the meantime it was my az Xious desire
that the Mormons Seould yield obedience to
the Constitution and the laws, without render
ing it necessary to resort to military force To
aid in accomplishing this object, deemed it
advisable in April last to dispatch two distin-
guished citizens of the United States, MeSSrS
Powell and NcColloch, to Utah. They bore
with them proclamation addressed by myself
to the inhabitants of Utah, dated on the 9th
day of that month, warning them of their true
condition, and how hopeless it was on their
port to persist in rebellion against the United
States that they must expect no further lenity
but look to be vigorously dealt with according
to their deserts The instructions to these
agents, as well as a copy Of the proclamation,
and their reports are herewith submitted 1t
will be seen by their report OF the 3rd of July
last, that they have fully confirmed the opin-
lou expressed by Gen. Johnston in the previous
October as to the necessity of sending rein
forcementS to Utah. In this they state they
" are firmly impressed with the belief that the
presence Of the army here and the large addi-
tional force that has been ordered to this Ter
ritory, were the chief inducements that caused
the Mormons to abandon the idea of resisting
the authority of the United States A less de
cisive policy would probably have resulted in
a long, bloody and expensive war"
These gentlemen conducted themselves to my
entire satisfaction, and rendered useful services
in executing the humane intentions of the Gov
ernmeut
IL also affords me great satisfaction to state
that Governor Cumming has performed his du-
ty in an able and conciliatory manner, and
with the happiest effect. | cannot, in this con-
nection, refrain from mentioning the valuable
services of Col Thomas L. Kane, who from
motives of pure beneyolence, and without any
official character or pecuniary compensation,
visited Utah during the last inclement winter.
for the purpose of contributing to the pacifca