New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-18
A COURT OF INVESTIGATION DESIRED
AFFlDAyITS CONCERNING MORMON OVrRAGEs
From Our Specis, Correspondent.

"
day it was the intention the army moved forward
in the direction of Fort Bridger. The night be-
fore, the MOrmons had succeeded in stealing be-
tween four ard FIVE hundred head Of cattle, which
belonged TO the suffers train of the 9TH Infantry
and to the private train of Gilbert q Gerrish.
Both those trains were, therefore, necessarily left
behind. They have enough cattle remaiang be-
tween them to pull one train along short distance
on one day and go back TO fetch up the other on
the next; and their men are numerous enough and
sufficiently well armed to resist any attack that is
likely to be made on them by the Mormons.
On the evening of the 9th, just after we had
reached the camp Major Joseph Taylor, the Nor
mon prisoner against whom writ for high treason
had been issued, succeeded in escaping from four
sentines who had him in charge. As the event
will of course be subjected to military investiga
ton, will forbesr from remarks calculated to CEN
sure any individual, only observing that when Mr..
Fcklin, the Marshal pro tenn of the Territory, COM
mitted the prisoner to military custody he author
lied the employment of certain means for securing
him, which were not adopted by the guard 1t is
of course impossible at present for the judicial Off
GERS to take charge themselves of persons under
civil arrest. The only alternative is 20 commit
them to the care of the military.
On the next day the business of taking afidayits
was resumed by Judge Eckes, and the evidence so
accumulated, justified the issue of a writ against
William Stowell, Taylor's fellOw-priSoner, which
was served on him during the afternoon, charging
him also with high treason. He has acted as Tay-
lor's adjutant, and it was OH his person that the
REASONABLE papers were found to which alluded
in my letter of Nov. 5.
On the 9Th instant, DR.. Hickman was released
from custody by Col. Johnston and sent part way
toward Fort Brdger, under escort. His younger
brother, it will be remembered, was dispatched to
Salt Lake City with letters to Brigham Young, by
Col. Alexander, last month. Various reasons have
been suggested for the release of the doctor. In
the absence of any official information from head
quarters, | would suggest that his liberation was
considered as an equivalent to the release of Mas
Mogo and Mr.. Jesse Jones by the Mormons
George Grant (the brother of the late Jedediah NJ
Grant, waited Mrs. Mogo officially, in Salt Lake
City, about Oct. co. and informed her that in ease
she should be sent to her husband, it would be ex.
pected that DR.. Hickman should be given up.
On the 9th rumOr reached camp that the doctor
had failed "tO make connection, or in other words,
that after his Escort had left him he had been
siDated by mOuntaineer whose name was private
ymentioned. 1t is certain that the mule on which
the doctor rode into camp in October and rode out
in November, belonged to part of q herd which was
stolen from this same mOunt2lneer last year; but
utterly dscredit the rumOr of the assassination. If
il is confirmed, there is no doubt that the perpe-
traitor of the act will be treated according to his
deserts, like a murderer.
The Utah Indians who accompanied DR.. Hurt to
cur camp last month"; all returned home yesterday,
except FIVE, who will remain with US through the
Winter. Before they left they were presented with
blaI kets, caps, shoes, pipes, few shot guns and
rifles and some powder and lead. Those who
main have begun to make themselves useful to the
command by driving up oxen and mules which have
struggled from the lne Of march.
The scenes presented along the road and in the
camp by the dead and dying cattle, are truly pta-
bic. Last night, while | was thawiDg my hands at
fire of cracking willow twigs, one poor old OK
staggered through the brush and passed between
NE and Lieut.. L., directly into the blaze, in which
it stCod until the hair was burned from its fore legs
and the flesh was scorched then it retreateda yard
or two, and fell and died. The next morning saw
soldier comfortably seated on It's head, between
the horns, smoking his pipe while he warmed his
f. ct at the embers. On the same morning when
left my tent at rcree, for little walk in the brac
ing air before breakfast, two oxen were standing
stI'y few feet from the door. The only sign of
life which they exhibited when beat them TO move
them along was a slight motion OF the mead.
When our tents were struck at noon, and we moved
to our present camp, one Of them remained mmoye'
able in the same position. That nighttime thermom-
eter had indicated 10? below zero. On the AFTER
noon march l counted repeatedly five, and once
seven ozen, mules and horses lying dead from cold
or starvation, within the space of one hundred yards
They had dropped dead in their tracks.
There has been s1ch prOdigious loss OF stock by
theft, cold ard hunger, that since Nov. we nave
not ad anced, on the average, two miles da!'
is necessary to employ all the cattle on oae ia! l"
haul along one-half of the trains, and OH 'he next
to send them baci to bring up The REMAINDER Mo't
oftba artillery horses are dead, and thsT places are
supplied by mules
Bat in addition to the delay which such loss d
stock has rendered inevitable, the march of the
army ba. been seriously retarded by the ineicierey
Of the employees Of Messrs. Russell aud WaddeI,
who have charge of the supply trains. Among the
number sore are undoubtedly MormOns, and are
clad to clog the progress Of the troops in any posi-
bic WAY. others have been constantly drunk over
night, AID have devoted the morning to getting
sober not bitchng up their cattle before neon; and