The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-01-21

Inc HW~s ~ Af hfpsd"son nearly al lost
Fr. KxAmsrv. U. r., Dec. %, 1897.
From the ~ Louis RspubnsAn
Having Tor some time past been . reader
Of your paper. observe that you devote q
portion Of your columns 10 news from the
Far West" and m the public are particu-
larly interested IN knowing tho condition OF
our troops cn route for Utah, take the lib.
erty Of giving you tho latest news ] am In
possession Of In regard 10 them.
On the 2Gth November Col. johnson was
at Fort Bridgcr, nj which place he had 81.
tablished his head quarters. Ool Cooke,
with six companies Second Dragons, mr..
rived that morning, having lost many Of his
animals. and the remainder were unfit for
service. From Fort Laramie 10 Salt Lake
there u no grass (the Mormons having burnt
il in advance Of tho irooI@), consequently all
the animals belonging 10 the expedition were
very poor when winter sct In, and II IN re-
ported that they are dying at the rate Of
some one hundred daily. There can bc no
doubt that when spring opens Col johnson
will he ~ much crippled that he will be-
compelled Ia awnit the arrival Of fresh ab
mails and other supplies, bcfnre he viii Do
able TO commence active operations. That
the expedition is failure for this year eau
not be questioned aud when we reflect upon
the matter and see what MI immense amount
oi public property must be lost, ~, well a.
the condition Of the troops, on short rations,
aud living in tents in country where the
snow IL usually very deep during the entire
winter. lin Noveiaber il was two fet dcop
il would seem that your predictions last sum.
ner were well grounded That the Nor
mons intend tc resist there cnn bc no doubt.
NJ they are iortifying the passes that lead
to the city, They have released jesse Jones',
agent Of Majors 4 Russell who was taken
prisoner by them sometime since, and have
sent him 10 Col Johnsons camp In pass.
ing through the ditfrent oanons they blind.
folded him 10 prevent him from obtaining
any knowlcdgs Of their movements. II is
reported that Eill Hickman. who IL onc Of
the Danitcs, and notorious scoundrcl. has
been killed by mountain man namcl Baker.
] am inclned N think il IL his brother who
WAS prisoner IN Colonel Alexander camp,
M report says be was released short time
before.
Mr.. Msgrnw, Of the Wagon Rond Expe-
dition. has volunteered under Col johnson
thosc Of his party who would not do No were
discharged. so this expedition IL broken
up without accomplishing anything, ave
what has bcen done by IS,Ddcr, Chief Eugi-
neer, and his assistants. Mr. Magrsw hav.
ing had some difficulty with his engineers,
they, ~ well az the Disturbing agent, left him
and have gone 10 the States.
A few nights sisco, 4 party Of Cheyenne
Indians attacked some Pawnees, who were
occupying mn old mail house within few
hundred yards Of the post, which occasioDcd
some little exc'tenent in the garrison. The
command promptly turned out, and detach.
ment was sont 10 patrol, but tho night was
~ dark that no Indians could he discovered
Some doubt wn felt. st first. as 10 the fact
Of the Cheyennos having made this attack,
but next morning moccasin tracks. without
doubt Cheyenne) were discovered, which set-
tied the matter. The bold attack upon tho
part Of the CheysDnes was from the follow
ing circumstances, viz: Three Pawnees had
stolen some borsr from the Cbeyenpc~, were
pursued and the animals recovered. In the
encounter the Cheyenoes had one man killed
f.upposei b be Chiei) and another se-
yerely. il not mortally wounded The Paw.
nces escaped without los, and came imme-
diately TO the Fort. where they had been
some days. before this attack was made on
them which WAS. no doubt. known 10 the
Cheycnnes. snd their object was TO surprise
them and get scalp or two 10 revenge for
ths loss u their comrades. An attsck upon
the Post was %. evidently designed BY
them.
We are enjoying delightful weather st
present. and ss the contrast is No great, 10
weather experienced last winter, We do not
fail TO appreciate il. and dsvoutly with for
n. cont lima nc. duriuu the shnle ,r;nta.