The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1859-09-10
An Overland Jousaey..The Utah Army.
From the N. Y. Tribune.


CAMP FLOYD, Utah, July q.
Camp Floyd, 40 miles south Of Salt Lake
City, is located on the west side OF dry
valley, perhaps ten miles wide by thirty /
miles long, separated by hills from Lake
Utah, some fifteen to twenty miles distant |
in the northeast. This valley would be
fertile we're it not doomed to stcrllity by |
drouth. A small stream takes rise IN
copious springs at the foot Of the western
hills just north of the camp, but is soon
drank up by the thirsty plain. Water |
in this stream, and wood Glow ccdar) on
the adjacent hills, probably dictated the
selection of this site for camp though
believe desire if not secret compact
to locate the troops as far as possible from
the Mormon settlements, had an lnfiu-
encc in the premises. No Mormons live
in this valley or within sight oft; though
all tho roads leading from Salt Lake City,
as we'll as from Provo, aud the other set
Elements around Lake Utah, arc within
days march aud may be said to be com
mauded by the camp. The soil is easily
pulverized when dry, aud keeps the en-
tire area envelopcd during the SUMMER
in dense cloud Of dust, visible for miles
in every direction. saw it when eight
miles away as ! came down from Salt
Lake City yesterday
The Camp is formed of low and neat
adobe houses, generally small | pre-.
sume there FIRE three or four hundred OF
them-enough, at all events, to make
three or four Kansas cities. "Frogtown
is satellite, or suburb, whence grog and
other luxu-ies (including execrab'c whis.
XIV at about SO per gallon) are dispensed
! to thirsty soldiers who have not already
drank up more tEan their pay amounts to.
The valley is covered with Sagebush
/ and Greasewood, as usual; but the Camp
has been freed from these, and is mainly
level asa house floor The adobes We're
made on the spot by Mexicans, the boards
COR roofs, finishing off, &c, supplied by
Brigham Young aud his sonin law, from
the only canon opening into Salt Lake
Valley which abounds in timber yellow
Pine, | bclieve) fit for saving. The Ter
ritorial Legislature-(which is another
name for "the Church ')-granted this
CaNoH W DIiSuahi, Who iAho WIZ 80"
mills therein at a clear profit of 500 or
80 per day His prof, on the lumber
supplied to the camp was probably over
$50, 900 The price was $40 per thousand
feet. President Young assured me with
evident self, placency, that he did not
need and would not accept dollar OF sal
ary from 'the Church he considered
himself able to make all the money he
needed by business, as he had made the
$3.50. 600 worth of property he already
possesses With a Legislature ever ready
to grant him such perquistes as this lum-
Der canon-(and believe the best wood
canon leading into Salt Lake Velley is
held by him under similar free grant,
should think h mi ght. The total cos,
of this post 10 the Government was about
, 100000
The army in Utah has numbered $500
, men--I believe its present strength il
but about 3 900. 1t is mainly concentrc
= ted in this camp, though some small de
Q tachments are engaged in survey or open
ing roads, guarding herds, &c, in differ
- parts Of the Territory. | believe this Il
still the largest regular force ever concen
trated upon the soil Of our eoutry in tim
of peace. II consists of the 9th, It!
and 10th regiments of Infantry,a battalion
= of Light Artillery, and two or three com
companies of Dragons. | met, betwec
y Brdger and Hams Fork, considerabi
force of Dragons going down.
= Let us briefly consider the history An
!. position of this little Army.
h In the former half Of 1857, it was cor
If centrated in Kansas late in that ye"i
h the several regiments composing it wcr
put in march toward the Rocky Mour
a tains. The Mormons full soon learne
4, that it was to be launched against then
and at once prepared to give it war;
, reception; the Army had no iaformatio
+ on the subject, save general report. ID
"A tanned 10 Kansas to give effect to Go
"a Walkers electionecring quackerles,
- was at length sent on it's way at seasc
"a too late to allow it to reach Salt Lat
70 before Winter. No commander was SCI
-, with it; Gen. Henry was announce
as its chief, but has not even yet Joint
: it. Il was thus dispatched Cd lor
y and difficult expedition, in detachment
"A without a chief, without orders, witho'
g. any clear idea of its object or destinatio
Entering Utah thus as no Army, but
y a number of separate, struggling detatc
> mcnts, neither Of which was ordered
ID protect the Supply Trains which follow
ho one or two marches behind them, tht
~ had the modification to learn, about t
"A the lst Of October, that those Supp
Trains. without even an armed corpora
to guard in their vicinity, had been snfpr
70 ed and burnt by a Mormon band, "
ho thus in effect made war on the Unit
States. Indignantly, but still witho
l. definite orders the Army struggled on
Brldscr, ll3 miles from Salt Lake, viii
;, the Mormous abandoned on its approac
;. Bridgcr is many thousand feet above
sea level, and the grennd was here
e~ buried in snow that its gaunt amin
died by hundreds, and the residue W.
he unable to drag the baggage over the J
lay ers aud steep mountains which still Sc
rated il from Salt Lake. So the re
ln- mcnts hated, built hnts to shelter the
lay selves from the winters inelemency,
IN lived through the snowy seoson as Il
ed, might on half allowance of their lie
ose grsy animals, without salt
Spring at length came; the day, \
the and ampatiently waited for, when I
could advance, arrived they had b
nol- promised warm reception in the mar
ch- dehles of Echo Canon by Lieut.. 6
ell Wells and his Mormon host, aud they
.aih gerly courted that reception. If Z
Wells were able, as boasted, to send Il
tor. =. tho ,;,ht al,out thew would have u,