Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-01-30
Nc Utah Expedition.

amy bOAt OAt W tAlO SpNCiAhASAkf ~ "a
der to bring Brigham Young to terms, from
the following report of Colonel Cooke, COM
mauder of the I'd Regiment of Deagoons, in
which he details an account of his march
from Fort Leavenworth TO the Black Fort. in
Utah. On the 18th of September he left Mis-
souri,, in command of six companies Of dra-
gooas, and set out upon a march of eleven
hundred miles, over an uninhabited and
mountain Wilderness. Alter speaking of the
ill condition of his troops, he says:
marched them on the l7th My prepare
tions, though hurried, were as nearly COM
plete possible. Then it was to be proved
that three or four more days were to be lost
| in waiting fol the Quartermaster s department
| to supply the absolutely necessary trsnsporta-
| ton. On the 18th, lO7 mules were furnished,
which the same day had arrived from march
of, perhaps, 1000 miles, to and from Bridger's
| Pass above 100 of the others were nearly
worthless from want of age, and requiring
several hours to harness team. On the
morning of the 10Th, twenty-seven teamsters
were wanting, and men were furnished utter
| ly ignorant of the business, and without out
fits | marched late that day, fourteen miles,
and the last of the train reached the camp at
| II NJ. on the next day, the goth, eleven wag-
| on tongues having been broken. On the 2lst,
after hard rain, l marched six miles, which,
J on slippery roads, was as much as such a
train could well accomplish and only that
night nearly. half of one of the companies
whom he had met returning to Fort Leaven
| worth, from a march Of 600 miles, reached my
| camp.
Half allowance, or six pounds per day, of
corn for horses and mules, was the largest
item of transportation; three or four laun-
dresses, with their children, were with each
company.
Col Cooke, on the 9Th of October, reached
Fort Kearney; his rate of marching, after the
2lst of September, averaging twenty one miles
day. He reports-I could not increase the
number of wagons, but exchanged a few
mules; nor could the required amount of
corn be furnished.
. On the 7th, l marched IN the rain, which
had continued since the I'd Of the month.
Up to the l2th-elevea days-the rainy
weather continued, clearing up with thick
ice, but the marches averaged twenty-one
miles. The grass was very scarce and pooE
1t Yves not season and prospect for delays !;
every care was taken to sustain the horses ;
they were led at that time about two hours
day, and grazed spots of grass found i'll
the march, The length of the march was
also accommodated to it, and diligent search
made that night vas encamped on an Isl.
and west of Fallons Bluff. This long rain
made the want Of fuel more severe it rem.
dered useless the now scarce b0iS de cache.
After this, the repeated hard frosts, with
the previous consumption of grass by the
troops, trains, and 10000 emigrant cattle,
almost left us without this all important sup.
7 e, l..... - E -
support of our animals.
Oct. Is. Il crossed the South Platte with
very cold northwest wind. Descended Ash
Hollow and marched mile Or two OH the
North Platte in the vain search for any grass.
These twenty two miles, with the two serious
obstacles overcome, were accomplished by the
whole train in good time this must be at
sributed to the excellent management of that
most efficient officer, First Lieutenant John
Buford, regimental quaItermaster.
After this the horses began to die and neces-
sarily be left on the road On the 18th two
corn trains were passed, which bad lett Fort
Kearney twelve days in advance of the regi-
ment. / renewed my deficient supply-re-
lieying them. A northeastern, with sleet, was
distressingly chilling that evening in camp
on smiths Fork. Next day there was a
snow storm, falling three or four inches,
WhiSit AAlC AOohS NClC eCdlCSiN lOEC6u 10 lace !,
and twenty three mules. all three years old
were relieved from harness, exhausted. -
Bunch grass was sought and found that mig hit
in the hills, several miles from the river.
Private Whitney of Company g, died in
camp. near Chimney Rock, OF lockiaw. He
ives buried on the bluff. with the honors of
war, next morning, at sunrise; the thermom-
eter was at twenty-three degrees, but fierce
| wind made the cold excessive we found ice
| floating in the river.
October 10th, crossed Scott's Bluff by the
old CHE best and shortest) road snow still
nearly covering the ground.
a mail which had been in company for ele-
ven days did not get up the night of the Dist.
On the 22d my camp was four miles below
| Fort Laramie, with scarcely any appearance
of grass, and there was none other for miles.
| had made twenty one miles a day from
Fort Kearney the road being pronounced
worse than ever remembered by number of
old and frequent travellers on it.
The Colonel goes on detailing his hardshps
from Oct. 23d to Nov. 9th, the day of his ar
| rival at Black Fork. We quote sgain:
Nov. 10. The northeast wind continued
fercely, enveopng us in a cloud, which
froze and fell all day. Few could have faced
that wind. The herders left to bring up the
rear, with extra, but nearly all broken down
mules, but could not force them from the
! dead bushes of the little valley and they re-
manned there all day and night, bringing on
the next day the fourth part that had not
frozen. Thirteen mules were marched and
the camp was made four milec from the top of
the Pass. A wagon that day cut partly
| through the ice of branch, and there froze
80 fast that eight mules could not move it,
empty. Nearly all the tent pins were broken
in the last camp; a few of iron were here
substituted. Nine trooper horses were left
freez ng and dying on the road that day, and
a number of soldiers and teamsters had been
J frostbitten. 1t was desperately cold night ;
/ the thermometers were broken, but by com
| parison must have marked twenty. five de-
| grees below zero. A bottle of sherry wine
froze in trunk. Having lost about ifty
mules in thirty six hours, the morning of the
18th, on the report of the Quarter. master, l
felt bound to leave a wagon in the bushes,
filed with seventy -four extra saddles and
| brides and some sabres. Two other wagons,
at the last moment, he was obliged to leave,
but empty. Sharp's carbines were then is.
sued to mounted as well as dsmounted men
The following is the concluding portion Of
the report:
November l9-Marchod, leading through
the mud and snow, as yesterday, fourteen
miles, passing the camp of the Tenth lnfan
try. l encamped several miles above them,
| on Blacks Fork, and about three miles be.
low Fort Bridger.
From there reported in person yesterday,
| and one OF my Companies Joined the army
head quarters, Camp Scott.
have one hundred and forty four horses
| and have lost one hundred and thirty. four