The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-03-12
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An Iasersssing Letter frem Ut.n.

!,
a. inssrsssiag Letter from Utah.
The New orlsans Piesyups has correspondent
accompanying the Utah expedition, who writes
sxeeedingly entertaining letters. The following
will be pernsed With much interest.
CAMp ScorT, UrAH JAN g. 1s5s
Vn tue Svtn nifs the drano jury found q true
bill for treason, against Brigham Young ana 9TH.
or ringleaders Of the Mormon rebellion I sand
you copy OF the indictment, which will he of in
terest at least to your large cireis Of readers in
the iesai profession. One of the persous indicted
Wm. sfoweil, 10 now q prisoner in cur camp, aud
was yesterday arragned In open court, in the pre-
sence OF Gov. Cummings Col johnson, and largo
concourse OF spectators He pleaded net guilty
OF course. His trial has been postponed until the
next term Of court.
Something more than two months ae,,. urivafe
feldman, OF Company y, 10th Infantry, vas Ia
ken prisoner By q party of Mormons while he
was pessing from one of our camps TO another not
mere q than Two OF three miles distant. Private
Feldman yesterday made his appearance in orr
camp again, having been recently released by
Brigham Young and sent to Col. Johns with a
communication, the precise nature OF which has
not yet trsnspired. have it from very good al
thority. however, that brother brigham gives Col
j. formal notice to quit these diggings by the sth
of May, and warns him fairly, that In casa he
should fail to do 30, be may expect the (Nauvoo)
Legion OF Destroying Angels to be after him about
thai time with sharp stick OF course, we shall
strike our tents, aud leave Immediately, If not
sooner. e@
Private Feldman, of whom have before spoken,
relates very interesting narrative. At the time
of his being spirited away by the Mormon angels,
he was doing duty as acting hospital steward. and
IL was necessary for him to pass frequently frnm
Col. Aiexander's to Capt. Marcy's camp, which
we're tive or three miles apart. On the day refer
red to he started, in broad daylight, with rifle
and bsyonet to defend himself in of necessity,
and while about midway between the two camps,
was set upon suddenly by three mounted men,
lie blazed away at once with his rifle but without
doing execution but resorting TO the bay onet, at
once killed OF the horses of his assailants am,
wounded another. At this juncture the Mormon
party was reinforced by three mere me aud Field.
man was tarit,ted and overpowei ed IIs was at
once hurried of to Salt Lake City and on the road
the most strenuous efforts were made to elicit in-
formation from him by his captors, but he obsti-
nateiy refused to speak. After he had been taken
to salt Lake City, an attempt WAS made to set him
to work on a farm in the vicinity, but he very un-
cereDonously broke the hoe that was placed in
his hands and resolutely refused to work. lie was
then placed in close confinement, with sentinel
over him at all times. Catching one of them
asleep, however, at an opportune nement he made
MS escape aud had succeeded in crossing the wsh.
satcn mountains, (here called the Big Mountains1
on foot, when he was overtaken and reeaptured.
Not to be discouraged by failure he deter
mined TO try 1t again, and one night very sudden
| y no kaocsed the sentry over him down with
chair, took possession of bis revolver, and Of a
horse he had noticed in neighboring lot, and
| started of at a rapid pace for our camp. On the
road be managed TO swop horses Two or three
times, always OF course when the owners were not
about, and had actually got to within thirty NIL
of our camp when he was overhauled by apout
thirty well mounted and we'll armed men who
kept up a running fire on him for considerable
distance, (some OF their balls passing through his
hat and cluthes) but did not succeed in recaptur-
ing him until they had shot and killed his horse
under him. lie is quite al intelligent man, and
officers who know him we'll, lay that entire conf
dence may be placed in any statement he makes
He represents the temper of the Mormons as
very beligerent, and says that they speak of fight.
ing as in the spring, As matter OF urse. As 10
their numbers, he says he saw himself at one
tme,as mapy.as ten thousand men in or body q, ,s
| the place where he was confined. They passed by
TOURS, and feldman says he counted them, and
cannot therefore, be mistaken as TO their nuners
As to their character for efficiency, &C., no thinks
10 is very poor, as the numbers made up by
crowding into the ranks every thing that wore
breeches, including very young boys and very old
men.
They are armed after q very promiscuous style
some with muskets some with Mississippi rifles,
some with shot guns. About one half of the
mounted men have Colts revolvers, the others
armed with muskets, rifles and shot guns. Field
man has seen service in the Russian army before
he entered ours, and having seen many kinds Of
troops and being cool and intelligent fellow,
think his estimate of the character of the Mormon
forces entitieatsto some consideration. He says he
thinks they have about three thousand men who
would fight very WE'LL aud make very Efficient sol
d9rs, but that the of this description not
organized into a select corps by themselves, but
are mixed up smoug the promiseuOus rabble before
referred TO. lie says there are numbers of the
Mormon people who are much dissatisfied with
the course of their leaders aud the present state
of affairs, and who have no disposition TO fight at
all have no doubt, myself that as as the
army is in q position to afford them prompt and
efficient support and protection, . very consider
able portion of the population will be found in,
opposition to Brigham Young and his associ-
ates.
Night before last Mormon Elder Thompson by
name, was made prisoner in our camp. 1t is sup
posed he came in as a spy. His antecedents are
bad, and he is known to be one of Brighams
most desperate and seryiceable tools.
suppose our friends in the States have lhvished
good deal of sympathy on the army Of Utah, and
have thought that our sufferings here In midwin-
ter must be almost unendurabis. Could you have
been with us during the holiday week you would
have thought that, like certain character in one
OF Dickens novels we deserve great credit for be-
ing jolly under difficulties. On Christmas night
the non-commissioned officers of the 5th infantry
gave a ball, which went of in fine style: aud on
New Years eve the commissioned officers Of the
10th gave n similar entertainment, which was re-
ally one of the most elegant, bang-up affairs i'm
aginable
The ballroom was composed of a number OF
large hospital tents, pitched together, and thrown
into oue aud was decorated in the most tasteful
and appropriate style. Adjoining it, a sup
per-room; Ia which table was set, which would
have done credit TO the ST Charles. The band OF
the 10th dseoursed most excellent music, and
the old year danced out, and the new year Ia,
merrily as though we had not been here under
canvass, in nid-winter, ON the top Of the Rocky
Mountains.
The non-commissioned officers of the 10th have.
furthermore, recently organized themselves into q
Thespiau ASSOCIATION, under the style Of the Camp
Scott Dramatic Association aud the theatrical sea
will open in about ten days, with the "RecruIf
ing Officer" Our fellows are as ready fJr fun as
they are for a fight. Wee Ia jois.
"why, soldier. why ehcud We be melancholy, boys
Whose trade it is"
You know the rest. II.