New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-18


the stolen horse, may be applicable to any crti'
csms that may be made on this campaign; but IL IS
fact and ought TO be understood and established,
tina. had the Quartermaster's Department PROVIDED
nrop.r supplies Of corn, in view OF the contngen-
cies Of the campaign, or had Col. Alexander prose-
cuted his movement toward Soda Springs, the
Headquarters of the Army would now have been IN
Salt Lake City.
Between Fort Laramie and Fort Bridges dis
lance Of 400 miles-the only dePots OF gram were
at the Platte Bridge and the bridge overthe Sweet
water. and neither contained corn enough to supply
regiment Of dragons with a weeks forage. The
terrible loss of animals which the army has suffered
ia Justly ehargeable on those officers Of the Quar-
termasters Department who were Entrusted with
the provision and disposition ofthe supplies They
seem TO have entirely ignored the possibility OF the
Mormon community rising in arms. The public to
be- sure had the right to doubt that possibility but
il was criminal neglect FOR those to leave 1t out OF
view whose duty it was, and who were PROVIDED
with sufficient funds to guard against every contin-
csncv II il impossible for me TO write on this
subject without feeling for Of all the pitlaoe spec
,acles of other than human distress have ever
witnessed. none can compare with those WHICH
wsre of daily occurrence during the march to THIS
ro;nt from Fort Laramie. When the wolves ana
ravens and buzzards have finished their feast ana
the snow has melted in the Spring, the road VIII DC
| literally walled with skeletons.
At Fort Bridger two BoaMs Of Survey are now
| in session: one, whose members are Capt. Go'e
| and Lieut.. Murray of the 10th, and Lieut. Archer
| of the 9TH infantry, on the commissary ana SUD
sstence stores of the expeditions; the other, whose
members are Capt. Bee and Lieut. Hill OF the lV'n
| infantry. and Lieut. Howard of the 18th artillery
on the supplies of clothing and camp and garrison
eouipage. which il is the peculiar province oil the
Ouartermaster's Department to provide n''
results have been obtained by the Board first men,
,;orad do not know, but one of the developments
made bv the second Board, is that among the
| Ouartermaster's stores there are found only l4o
pars Of shoes and 600 pairs of stockings TO supply
two regiments of infantry and several companies oi
| volunteers throughout the Winter, while there are
more than a coo check-stocks and 3OOo bed
sacks. articles for which there is not the sngh'es'
| use.
| Iwrote 10 Won on November 4, that the damage
done to the supplies of the army by the destruction
of the three trains on Oct. So had been Oyeresi-
| mated. | was assured by what should be cOmpe-
tent authority, that such was the case; and STU
believe that we can subsst through the Winter
without extraordinary suffering, unless develop
ments are made in spect to the subsistence sup
plies as alarming those which are likely to appear
1 tba I'm atar'a sfnrps Rut the
following order, issued to day, from Headquarters,
indicates how pressing is the necessity OF forcing
supply. trains through from the States in the early
Spring: and since its publication there have bee
frequent predictions that the army will be reduced
| to half rations before the month OF April:
| "HEaDQuARTERs OF THE ARMY OF UTAH,
| CAMP ScoTT L. T., Nov. -, 1891.
| GENERAL ORDERS No. 10.
|. The raiOns of meat and -four will consist OF two
pounds OF beef three-quarters of pound OF bacon
| the latter issued in seven days,) and thirteen
ounces of -four. Tie component parts of the ration
will be hsuable follows beans three times IN ten
| days. rice five times in ten days; desslcated yeget
| ables twice in ten days; vinegar, candles and soap
once in two days moasses twice, and dried peaches
in fifteen days-one gallon of the former and ten
pounds of the latter to hundred raons. Ne issue
or sales will be made to whatever authorized
by regulations, orders, or by the commander of this
army TO receive subsistence, other than IN the above
anu III tue VI Onc W Gown P'i-
| son entitled to an issue or purchase.
H. The sale by suttlers, and all other persons, OF
ardent vnous and malt liquors, is prohibited within
| the limits of this command.
| IF. J. PORTER Asst Acting Adjutsnt' General"
The amount of reduction effected by this order
may be calculated by the statement of the proper
daily quantity in bulk of single ration, which is:
pork 70 ounces; beef one pound, 4 ounces; -four
pound, ounces; beans "a gis; rice pound,
6 ounces; coffee sc ounces; sugar pound, %
OUNCES; vinegar 80 gills; candles "a ounces; soap
GA ounces; salt l6 gls and by the fact that it cuts
off all the extra ratons allowed to officers by the
| regulations.
| With regard TO the prosecution Of the movement
toward Soda Springs, Col. Alexander arrived at
Green River with his regiment On Sept %. The
same night forced march of nearly 80 miles was
made across to Hams Fork, where it was antici-
pated that an attack would be made by the
MoTmons upon the supply trains, which were
guarded only BY detachment Of twenty men under
Lieut. Deshler. The 9Th Infantry and the artillery
batteries came up few days afterward, and Col.
Alexander by virtue Of his superior rank, assumed
command Of the entire force. In this assumption
he was justified by circumstances and sustained by
every officer under his command. BY the act he
| rendered himself responsible for the haps and
mishaps of the army, until he was relieved from
that responsibility by the arrival Of Col. Johnston
Within fortnight the movement up Hams
Fork toward the broad beaten road, which leads to
Fort Hall past Soda Springs, was determined upon.
The proclamation of Brigham Young was received
also, which confirmed the fact, if confirmation was