Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1858-02-20
Col. Cooks March TO Join the Utah
hrmy-TerribIe SnNefipgs.

general OF the Utah army, oil MS hlarch
from the Missouri to the valley Of the Salt
Lake, is full Of matter of curious interest.
He started in command Of six companies
second dragons, from Fort Leavenworth,
on l7lh September, and his journal ends
with lis arrival ut Fort Bridger on the
9th Of November, He says:
The regiment had been hastily fecdlled |
from service in the field and allowed three |
or four days only By my then command
ing officer to prepare for match of eleven
hundred miles, over an uninhabitcd and
mountain wilderness. In that time the six
companies Of the regiment who were to
compose the expedition were organized;
one hundred and ten transfers necessarily
made from and to other companies horses
to be condemned and many to be obtained;
the companies paid, and about fifty dcser-
tions occurred the commanders Of isur OF
them changed.
| marched them on the 18th. Then it
was to be proved that three or four more
days we're to be lost in waiting for the
quartormastcr's department to supply the
absolutely Necessary transportation. On
the 18th, lot 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 and age, and requi-
ring several hours to b ,rness a team. On
the morning of the 10Th twenty-seven team
sters were wanting, and men were furnish
! IaI ,,tk pf tbn buSinpag md
without outfits. Half allowance, or six
pounds day of corn for horses and mules
was the largest item of transportation;
three or four laundresses, with their chill
dren, we're with each company.
The regular journal of each days march
ia given, how it raned, and how the mules
died, and the men complained. On Oc-
tober 9TH he arrived at Fort Kearney; on
the 18th crossed tic south Platte-ther.
mometer was OF 10, and the river full Of
ice.
1t was discretionary with Col. Cook to
winter at Fort Laramie or to pass on to
Salt Lake. He preferred the latter course,
On November 4th his command was at
Sweet Water Pass, in the Rocky noun
tains next day they gained Devils gate.
On the 9th we found tho ground once
more white, and the snow falling, but
then very moderately. marched as usu-
al. On four mile hill the north. wind
and drifting snow became severe the air
seemed turned to frozen fog; nothing could
be seen; we were struggling in freezing
cloud. The lofty wall at "Three Cross
= ings' was happy relief, but the guide;
Il who had lately passed there, was relentless
If in pronouncing that there was no grass ;
e the idoa of finding and feeding upon gras;
S in thatiwintery storm, under the deep snow
J. WAS hard to entertain, but as he promised
n grass and other shelter two miles further
l. we marched Oh, crossing twice more the
d rocky stream half checked with snow and
e ice finally he lod Us behind a great gran.
l. ite rock, but all too small for the promised
a shelter, only part Of the regiment could
= huddle there, in the deep snow; while, The
h long night through, the storm continued
,e and in fearful eddics above, before, behind
ID drove the falling and drifting snow. Thus
is exposed, for the hope of grass, the pool
1T animals were driven with great devotion
by the men once more across the stream
and three-quarters of mile beyond, 10 the
e base Of granite ridge, but which almos
C faced the storm; there the famished mules
re crying pteously, did not seek to cot, bu
y desperately gathered in a mass, and som'
/. horses, escaping the guard, went back t.
n tAs ford, where the lofty precipice frs
v gave US so pleasant relief and shelter.
h. The morning light had nothing cheering
Y, to reveal, the air still filled with driver
,e snow--the animals soon came driven il
t. and mingled in confusion with men, wen
s. crunching the snow in the confined ant
i. wretched camp, tramping all things in thei
way. 1t was not time to dwell on tn
m fact that from that mountain desert thor,
r was no retreat nor any shelter near, but
S. time for action. But Tor six hours tn
N frost or frozen fog fell thickly like snow
C. and again we marched on US in clond.-
IN The deop snow drifts itnpedod US mucl
d, and in crossing Sweet Water the ice brok
in the middle. Marching ten miles only
e, got better camp, and herded the horse
,p on the hills: it was different road, whcr
S. few days before the bodies of the frozo
p- men were found,
lg On the 9th the thermometer stood A
ue 'e deg, below tho freezing point The sno
So was deep; twcnty-throe mules gave ou
and five wagons were abandoned.
1t, Nine trooper horses were left freezin
te and dying on the road, and number (
'h soldiers and teamstors had been frostbttel
1t was a desperate cold night; the the
mometers were broken, but by compariso
ist must have marked rs degrees below zer
d. A bottle of sherry wine frozc in trun
n n Having lost about fifty mules in thir
ny hours, the morning of the l lth. on the r
up port Of the quartermaster, | felt bound
's' leave wagon in the bushes, filed vii
re seventy-iour extra saddles and brides al
es some sabres,
" " Next day the corn gave out the null