The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-04-24

spring. $50 ~
Diverse rumors are aAoat in camp con.
corning the attitude Of the Mormons in Salt
Lake. But We have NO reliable information
from that quarter. One Of these rumofi
says that the ,Mormons are all leaving the
city and seeking refuge in the mountains
Another states that they are sending only
1 their women and children to the noun
tains and outside villages for security
while the fighting population are to remain
and prepare to give US q hot and hospitable
reception in the spring. The rumors are
brought by the Indians, who may be inter.
ested in behalf Of the Mormons to circulate
them. cree sore b. az'it. s55ieS2 ~ s.s,
No tidings have reached us from Captain
Marcy, whose return from Tause, New
Mexico, is expected in April, or sooner.
Neither have we heard from the stRangers,' %
under Ficklin, who left more than two
months ago to 20 to the s'Flat Head'' nation
1 for Indian ponies. iIisreturn is also expected
soon. % 81 10 f55aHa e:52 af f"'ss- 1saJ'
The expedition alluded to in my last arti-
Gle, as having gone to reinforce Capt. Marcy
/ has been SO fortunate as to reclaim forty
four battery horses, which were supposed to
have been stolen from the army last fall
Those horses were brought into camp three
days ago by some Utah Indians. On being
questioned where the horses we're found,
these Indians would only reply. eAway of
yonder, away off-many heap of sleeps from
here" 1t is supposed they were reclaimed
somewhere in the Utah Valley. They are in
fine condition. 2sal go - g
Two days ago intelligence came to US that
the body of man was found hanging to a
tree near Smiths Fork. Some dragons
found the body thus suspended, cut it down
and buried it.. s.ars 3s''szf'75 ,g-tsr ss.seis't
Those who found him report that he had
red whiskers and q mark, as If from cut,
on his right cheek. His skull was knocked
in behind This shows that he did not hang
himself. The body had the appearance Of
having been hanging there some months
His eyes were eaten out by the crows, and
his face was SO picked and mangled that
nothing more was observed that would aid
in identifying the individual. There are,
however, strong reasons for believing the
body to be that Of Or. George W. Hickman,
who was released from Col. Alcxander's
camp last fall. DR.. Hickman had red
goatee on his chin, and whiteish mustache.
lie had scar on his right cheek. es's*
d A few days after Dr. Hickman left our
camp it was whispered around among the
mountain men hors, ssthat he lad not boon
able to make the connection" meaning that
he had been cut OF before he could join the
Mormons then at Fort Bridger. DR.. H.
as well as his brother, the notorious ssBill"
Hickman, had much 70 do in the outrages
committed against the resident mountain
men. His clique, headed by ssBiip' Hickman,
had driven them from their homes, had sto-
len their horses and cattle, and had remorse-
lessly appropriated to their own use much
Of their property. 1t was stated as q fact,
that the mule DR.. Hickman rode out Of our
camp when he was released was stolen by
"Bill' H. from one Of our guides, now pres
ent in our camp. - -
1t is thus rendered highly probable that
the dead body is that OF DR.. H., who was
murdered to crafty the malice, which all
the mountaineers bear, not only to the Mor-
mons generally, but particularly to ssBill"
Hickman, the doctor and their clan. Some
think, on the contrary, that it is the body of
some person returning to the States from
our camp or California, who was murdered
for his money. But no matter whose body
it is, every means will be used to ferret out
the perpetrator Of the deed, and bring him
to condign punishment. By the next mail
| ! su"A po 0Ule w sNo you L.oAe P.HL"SaAn.s
concerning this inhuman affair. The body
viii be dissected by a surgeon with view d
identifying it. ,..3 NJ. "a
It was not known until last week that any
thing more could be done by the agents Of
Messrs. Russell & Waddle, contractors to
freight for the army here, or that another
disclosure of the doings Of this firm could
be made which could surprise anybody here.
We all know, and you in the States have
heard, of the ineficiency and Encouragement
of the agents of this firm; but no one could
ever have dreamed that, while freighting for
the general government, and receiving pay
from it, they were also freighting for our
enemies. 1t is even so. j doubt if any
thing else which the future may reveal con-
corning this firm can now astonish any one.
Last week, on examining the wagons that
Mr.. Rupp, their agent, packed at Fl. Bridger,
there were found in m interior wagon one
thousand pounds Of powder. and other mer-
chaDdise, directed to Eldridge, the agent
for the Mormon church, with stFor X. Y"
underneath. ssX. T." means the church Of
Mormon! This powder and this MERIDIAN
disc Russell & Waddle, through their agent,
Mr.. Rupp, cartsd all the way across the
plains for the enemies of the government,
which employed Russell & Waddle to freight
provisions for the army il has sent here y
put down the Mormon rebellion! Whether
Russell 4 Waddle knew that this powder
was coming. and authorized il, am mot
able to say. II they did sanction it, they can
never outlive the disgrace which must Iegit.
imately fail upon them for furnishing pow
der to apeopie who are every hour prepar.
ing and awaiting the time To- sepd their
leaden balls through the hearts Of our loyal
American citiaensl Let us hope the gentle-
men Of the firm knew nothing Of this---that
Iitwss the act OF their skeHt, Mr.. Rapp. We
would gladly believe that Russell & Waddle
would never become q party to any such
transactions. But they must, to some extent,
be responsible for the acts of their principal
agent. However, We think their agent, Mr..
Rupp, would not scrupleto do such thing,
even on his own sole responsibility. He
disappeared from here between two days,
and forfeited his bond Of $500 to appear q
a witness at the next term Of the court, to
be held by Chief Justice Eckles. against
some Mormons who were to be indicted for
treason. This act, of itself, justices the
prevalent opinion here that be was mysteri-
ously leagued in some war with the rebels.
A redeemed Mormon lady, who hiss sought
tho protection Of the army here, told me,
the other day, that Brigham Young threat
ems, in case the President does not 6 back
out " from the position he has taken in his
message, that he will send his g destroying
angels ''on mission OF aincendiarism, to
burn St. Louis, Keokuk, Chicago New York,
and eserethe capitAl of tho United States.
These cities, and many others, are to be
4 fred aimultane0usly, Ard furthermora. hia