The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-03-04
News Trona the UfilIi Expea tIon

News Frem the Utilh Expeat tion.
Mr.. Denver set out from Camp Scott,
near Fort BFidger, on the hrst Of January.
The troops, he says, were impatient for the
Commencement si hostiIitiss. and were ca.
/ ger to be led aaaiusl Salt Lake City. They
were, as may bs supposed from this, In good
health and spiriis. The latest published
despatch from Col. JohnrtOn was dated the
l4;h of December, and q messenger was
despatched from the camp on the 18th or
! 18th OF the same month.
As soon 90 the weather modcr-ted Col.
Johnston intended setting out for the city
OF the Mormons, with the troops und r his
command. IL the reintorcenieEts should
not have arrived before the time appointed
he will proceed At once without them. He
is, II appears, we'll posted as to the movs-
ments Of the Mormons, and has been in.
for.ned OF their Preparations for hostililies
in the epring. They seem determined to
resist him to the utmost, and ore said to re-
gard every one with sus picion who is consid.
cred at all favorable TO the conduct Of the
United States Government. They are also
very strict in the enforcement Of their mu.
nicipal regulations. ..g....
The mails outward bound were progress.
ing very we'll. and tho Indians who had been
met on the route were disposed to be friend
ly. Governor Cumming was engaged in
the performance Of his official duties, or
that portion Of them which he was able TO
performs. ="
Tho road, or line OF march from Fort
Bridger to Salt Lake City. and over which
the United States troops have to pass before
they reach the capital of the Saints, pos.
sesses so much interest at this special time,
as TO cntitle il to a description. The die.
lance between the two points 10 one hundred
and thirteen miles. As Colonel Johnston
intends taking up his march when the
weather moderates, the ground will be so!t
and miry from the melGing Of the snow aud
the early spring rains.
From Fort Bridser to Bear River, the
distance is about forty miles, the road gen.
erslly running through an open country,
where little or no opposition can be made
by on enemy, There are some very steep
hills to descend and ascend, particularly the
Shaking Aspen Hill, the dividing ridge be,
tween the waters Of the Gulf Of California
and the Great Salt Lake Basin, which has
a greater elevation than the South Pass
AT B ar river the difficulties Of the march
will commence. This river at that season
Of the year will be swollen from bank to
bank, and can only be crossed by boats or by
being bridsed, As the current is very rap.
id and timber scarce, it will be dficult to
, throw a bridge across, and boats will have
, to be built, as those now there will no doubt
be destroyed by the Mormons. The Nor.
mons, if 30 disposed, cannot oppose the pas
sage, as the opposite bank can be swept by
| our field batteries from this side. The riv.
er, where the road crosses it, 10 about seven.
,y.hje yards wide. Beyond the river the
road continues to run through an open but
broken county for about ten miles where
8 it strikes the head Of Echo Canon. From
this point to Sit Lake City, distance oi
some fifty miles, the road runs through q
: continuous series Of canons and over two
Y mountains, and along this part Of the roac
o will come the tug Of war.
EchJ Canon is twenty miles in leg,h, ant
: d. sccnds gradually until it opens on Weber
r river. This CanJn--and the same can bt
said OF all the others through which tn,
road rurs--is noihihE more than deep IA
q vine, with sloping sides covered with yer
II dure 10 tn, ir submits. The great difficult!
, will be to get the wagons over the road; 70
no doubt it vii! be cut up and filled in witt
;, rocks, SO as TO be almost impossible. Th
IL r"vines are narrow end can easily be OBJ
Re s:ructcd, which distractions will have to b.
re m wed, as til re is no other place for IT,
road to run. After getting through Ech
n Canon. the next obstacle 10 the Weber riv
10 er-a stream somewhat smaller than Bea
!. river, but pr senti0g the same difficulties il
crossin'. Frem the Weber to the SUNNI
= o. the Big Mountain-a distance of fiftee
10 or twenty miles-the road runs four can
a ons, from three to FIVE miles in length, an,
D. susceptible of the sams distractions as il
Echo Canon.
From the top Of the Big Mountain is OBJ
N tained the fret peep of the Holy Land. |
>, 10 the Holy Mount of the Mormon.
From the summit Of the Big Mountair
~ the road pitches down into one Of the moa
d. difficult ravines ON the route. The hill i
,. 90 steep that all The wheels Of q wago
+, mnst be locked to descend in anything lk
:. safety. Twelve miles further 10 the Littl
Mountrin, and il is eight more to the CITY,
Alter descending the Little Mountain yo
, strike into Emigration Canon, which come
= oHt in Salt LsA valley, just in the rear o
Salt Lake City. As you debouch from tn
mouth of the Canon, you fud yourself on
!, table land running along the base Of tb
. mountains, and about four miles in width.
Crossing this table land, which is abou
two hundred feet above the level OF tn,
9 valley, you Hnd tho city stretched out q
8 your fecL Its position is very badly eho
I sen, in a military point Of view, for it i
, completely commanded by the table. land il
: it's rear, but we'll selected in other respects
for it it is so stu ted that one Of the mean
= tain streams throws Il watevs through evsry
E street, which enables the inhabitants to ir
rigate their gardcns-the only process BY
which the land Of that region can be cult
yated. The streets are broad, and OF right
angles with esch other; each bHilding 10
contains one and , quarter acres, which al
low large gardens, from which 10 obtaine
an abundant supply of vegetables for .h
entire city.-H. Louis Republican.
3 Napoleon III.