Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-27

Statement Of the Soldier TaAea prlsoD-
or by the M2rmens.

Statement Of the Soldier TaEea priscD-
er by the nIorE,ens.
! The following il the narrative Of Henry
| Feldman, Of Company I, 10th Regiment,
| Z. S. Infantry, who was taken prisoner by
the Mormons on the 30th Of October last
It is highly Interesting:
left the camp Of the 10th Infantry on
the Both Of October, 1857, for the parpose
Of going to an adjoining camp Of detach-
ment Of the 10th Infantry, and seeing some
friends. On my way to that place | vas
suddenly surprised by three men % Eorse-
back, who wanted me to stop and deliver up
my arms Immediately, q had my rife and
side arms along with me.) Not having the
least intention to part with my arms, de-
| fenced myself the best way ! could, and
wounded the first horse which approached
Inc, SO as to dismou1t the lorseman; ran
my bayonet into tie breast Of the second
horse and broke it, and likewise brought The
rider to the ground. In the meantime there
came three other horsemen, whom | did not
notice before, and seeing their friends al
ready dlsmounted aEd their horses killed, at
least one Of them came to their assistance,
when they we're joined by the third man Of
the first party. These four men On horse
!, back now tried to catch NE with the lariet
but 70 rtunately their lariots did not catch;
and while was turning towards them, The
other two dismounted men threw their Ia
ricts from different sides, which brought ne
to tie ground and then they took away my
arms They then took me to Fort Bridger
After having one days rest in that Fort,
they escorted me on the second day through
the cannons to Great Salt Lake City
On my arrival at that place | was imme-
diately brought to prison, With { regular
guard Of two men always around me. | was
not brought before any authorities in tie
city, nor had | any communication With any
one in relation to the intention or strength
Of the United States troops in the Terri
tory.
After having been fourteen days confined,
I contrived to escape, and being at the dis
lance Of thirty miles from Salt Lake City
was caught, brought back, and confined to
prison From here had another opportu-
p;ty to escape again in about FIVE netsSs.- -
While two Of my guards were asleep, |
knocked the third one down, took a revoly-
er, and a horse / found III the yard, and gal
Hoped off as fast as co8ia ] changed hor
ses twice on the road, and on the second
day, being in about 20 to 80 miles Of the
camp Of the United States troops, noticed
that | was followed by about thirty horse
men-who, Us soon as they were near e.
nough, fred at me necessarily, killed my
horse at last, and coming up to me took me
prisoner, and brought me back to the Great
Salt Lake City again.
was conducted to prison and Aept there
till the 18th Of December, when I was re-
leased and brought with an armed escort,
consisting Of four men, till on Bear River,
from thcre to find my own way to camp
During my last confinement found out
and heard many things, which in my belief
are of some Importance. the most Of these
things having been preached in church by
Brigham Young and his adhercnts.
j. The Mormons say: That no regular troops
would aot as We dc, that the whole United
States force here is nothing but mob, and
that all of us, before spring opens will be
starved to death on account of net having
sufficient provisions along with us. That
the officers keep the soldiers in total ignor-
ance about their sadness and sorrow, and
persuade them to consider and treat the
Morinons not particle better than they
would murder and robber bands.
That per .forGe they (the Mormous) can
bring an. army into the field amounting to
20 600 men Gall between Is and 80 years
Of age, and as party among them (Which
calls itself half Mormon) says, it would on
" require about 6,00O regular troops or
fighting men to defeat the whole Of the Nor
mon force. They are very badly equipped,
and the firearms il their possession are in
the same bad condition; they have other old
condemned United States rifles, muskets--
percussion and fiat lock --or Mississippi RI
fes and revolgess. They have 20 cartridge
at all. Every Mormon carries q powder
horn, and bullets. They have got six Or
eight old brass pieces (cannon) and some
iron. Their calibre | don't know anything
about. never saw, them.
They are organizing q corps Of some two
thousand so-called regular troops, half horse
and half foot; the cavalry armed with rifles
and revolvers, and the footmen with mus
kets. This force they intend to station as
soon as the road to Salt Lake opens, be-
tween the camp and the United States
troops, and Great Salt Lake City, in the
mountains.
They are informed Of all that occurs in
our camp, and Of all the movements Of the
| United States troops in. Utah Territory
They sent companies out from Great Salt
Lake City along the road to New Mexico,
to stampede the animals and destroy the
government property under the charge OF
Capt. Marcy aid they have likewise sent
out parties between Salt Lake City ana
Loramie, for the same purpose.
J They receive regular mails and are In
constant communication with the States and
ralifornia, and that they are in league with
| the Cheyenne Indians, in Kansas Territory
and all other Indian tribes, North, South
and West, in Utah Territory. That any
Mormon can pass through any of the In
dian districts unmoiested, bu4 the ether peo-
pie will be killed surely,
There was party Of six men coming
from California with the intention Of passin 9
through Salt Like City and visiting the
camp~of the United States troops. They
were not allowed to pass through the city,
u Fl