Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-01-16
Mermens Preparing to Leave in the
Spring.
PIONEER COMPANIES ALREADY GONE
Capt. Marcy Como to TAOS.
MILD WINTER.

Last evening we received inteli-
gence from the Army at Fort BIidger,
and from the Territory Of Utah, and
proceeded to give the news, which is
of highly interesting character.
The whole of the troops sent out up
on this expedition have been conccntra-
ted, and were at the date of our last
accounts, in winter quarters on Blacks
Fork, about one and quarter miles
above Fort Bridger, with the exception
of Col. Cookies command of dragons
who were posted forty miles distant on
Henry's Fork, where there was some
scant supply Of grass for the horses
Five companies of the infantry were
stationed at old Fort Bridgcr, and
were engaged in rebuilding the works,
for the pOrpose OF protecting the pro-
visions, and to be hereafter occupied
as permanent fort by the United
States. The whole of tho works, it
was anticipated would be completed by
Spring. The locality is an excellent
one for this object. There is an abun-
dance Of wood for fuel, and of water.
The troops were all comfortably sta
toned in tents, with stoves, and the
weather has been, luckily, very mild.
They were in excellent health, and
numbered some twelve or fifteen hun
dred-in addition TO which, it may be
stated that there were above a thous-
and tcamstcrs, and other attaches of an
army.
1t will at once be asked, how under
the circumstances, SO large body of
men can subsist until June next, on
the provisions which has been able to
reach the Fort! 10 this we arc ena-
bled to answer, that while some things
will be wanting, there is suiIicency
Of food to last the command for some
months. Some articles were wanting
but the main one, salt, was on the
way and would be received in time. It
is not to be concealed however, that
every precaution would be necessary
against wastefulness every article of
provisions. When it is stated that
horses and oxen, in the last stages of
dissolution, were killed for provisions,
it can be understood that there was
very great anxiety to make subsistence
60 ~ far - possible. Nearly. two
thirds Of all the animals attached to
the expedition had died.
Awaiting himself however, Of every
possible resort, Col. Johnston had sent
Capt. Marcy, with = command of men
and several mountain pilots, to reach
Taos and Santa Fe, and from thence to
transport supplies for the army, but
We look upon this as forlorn hone,
and not likely to result in giving sue.
cor to the main body of the army,
Now - to the Mormons. We pub
liah below Gov, Cummings letter to
ex-Cov. Young and also bis procIama-
ton on entering the Territory, and de-
claring Utah in . state of rebellion
Our information is that the Mormous.
are already satisfied Of the hopelessness
of their resistance, are preparing to
abandon Salt Lake City early in the
Spring. Pioneer parties have already
gone forward, and it is probable that
Young's threat that the army would
find Great Salt Lake City IN ashes, |
will be verified. They have dctermin
ed, it is said, to emigrate to the Brit
,sh Possessions, but to what portion it |
y not known. All that Gov. Young
has determined upon, it il said that he |
will keep the troops Of the United |
States where they are this winter. Il
i believed that many hundreds of the |
Saints viii b lslt bShind, = abids. ~ !
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