Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1859-09-23
From the N. Y. Tribune.
IN OVERLAND JOURNEY.
OAnp ELorD, grtah, July q, 1855.
The Array in Utah.

OAAP eLOgD, Gtatis Caty Il, &0o0-
Camp Floyd, 40 miles south Of Salt lake
City, is located on the west side Of dry valley,
I perhaps ten miles wide By thirty miles long,
separated by high hills from Lake Utah, some
fifteen to twenty miles distant on the north east.
This valley would be fertile were it not doomed
/ to sterility by drouih. Il small stream takes
It's rise IN eopous springs at the foot Of The wee-
tern bills just north OF the camp, bat is sooa
drank up by the thirsty plain Water il this
/ stream, and wood (loW cedar, on the adjacent
hills, probably dictated the selection Of this site
! for camp, though believe a desire Il not a
secret compact to locate the troops Is far as pos
slble from the Mormon settlements, had an IN
| fpence in tho premises. No Mormons live ia
this valley or within sight of it; though all the
roads leading from Salt Lake City, as well as
| from Provo, and the ether settlements around
Lake Utah, are within day march and may
be said to be commanded by the camp. The
soil is easily pulverized when dry, aud keeps
the entire area enyeloped during Summer IN a
dense cloud Of dust, visible for miles in every
direction. / saw it when eight miles away as i
came down from Salt Lake City yesterday.
The Camp is formed of low and neat adobe
| housess sgeneraliy small presume there are
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 luxuries (incladine exeoFablc whisky
at about SO per gallob) are dispensed to thirs-
/ ty soldiers who have not already drank up more
| than their pay amounts to. The valley is Gov
| cred with Sagebush and Greasewood. as usual;
but the Camp has been freed from these and is
| mainly level as a hopse-ioor. Fho adobes were
made on the spot by Mexicans, the boards for
roofs, finishing of, &C., supplied by Brigham
Young and bis scn-in-law, from the oulq canon
opening into Salt Lake Valley which abounds
in timber yellow Pine, believe,) fit for saw
ing. The Territorial Legislature-lwh is
another name for 'the Church )-geauted tais
canon to Brigham, who runs three saw mills
| there in at a clear profit of @f0o or 50 psr day
! His profit on the lumber supplied to the Camp
was probably over $685. The price was
$40 per thousand feet. President Young as
sured me, with evident sclf-eomplacoaoy, that
| he did not need and would not accept a dollar
of salary from sthe Churoh"--he considered
| himself able to make all the money he needed
| by business, as he had made the S250,00G worth
of property he already possesses. With Leg
islature ever ready to grant him such perqui-
| sites as this lumber capon--(and / believe the
/ best Wood canon leading into Salt Lake Valgcg
/ Is held bY him under . similar free grant)--i
should think he might. The total cost Of this
| post to the Government was abeut 100000
| The Army in Utah has numbered $500 men
| II believe It's present strength IS but about
| 5000. 1t is mainly concentrated in This camp,
| though some SMALL detaehmeuts are engaged il
surveying or opening roads, guarding herds,
| &c., IN different parts OF The Territory. I be-
ieve this is still the largest regular force ever
concentrated upon the soil Of our country IN
time of peace. 1t consists of the 5tl, 7th and
! 10th regiments of Infantry, battalion Of Light
Artillery, and Two or three companies Of Dra-
goons. met, between Bridger aud Hams
Fork, considerable force Of Dragons going
down.
Let US briefly consider the history and posi-
| tiou of this little Army.
| In the former half Of 1857, it was concen-
| trated in Kansas; late in that wear, the sever
al regiments composing it were put In march
toward the Rocky Mountains. The Mormops
full soon learned that j; vas to be launched
against them, aad at once prepared to give
it warm reception; the Army had no Inform
alton on the subject, save general repurt.--
Detained in Kansas to gige eifeot 70 Gov.
Walkers electloneeriug quackeries, it was at
length sent on IFS way at season too late to
| allow it TO reach Salt Lake before winter. No
commander was sent with it; Gen. Harney was
announced as It's chief, but has not vet ever
joined it. 1t vas thus dispatched on L long
and difficult expedition, iu detacbmoats, With
out chief. without oSders, without any clear
idea Of It's object or destination. Enter
ing Utah thus as no army, but as namber oe
separate, struggling detatchmenis, neither Of
which was ordered TO protect tho supply trains
| which followed one or two InarcAes behind
| them, they had the modification to learn, about
the lst Of October, ,ithat those supply trains,
without even an armed corporaPs guard in
their vicinity, had been surprised aud burnt by
a Mormon band, who thus in effect made war
on the United States. Indignantly, but still
without leader and without definite orders,
the army struggled on to Bridger, 113 miles
from Salt Lake, which the Mormons abandon
ed on its approach. Bridgcr is many thousand
feet above the sea level; aad the ground was
here SO buried il snow that its gaunt animals
died By hundreds, and the residue were unable
to drag the baggage over the rivers and steep
mountains which still separated it from Salt
Lake. So the regiments halted, built huts 10
shelter themselves from the winters inclemen-
/ cy, and lived through the snowy season as they
! might on a half allowance of their lean, gris-
ly animals, without salt
Spring at length canie the day, long hoped
and inpatiently waited for, when they could
advance, arrived; they haG been promised a
warm reception in the narrow defles of Echo
Canon by Lieut.. Gen. Wells and his Mormon
IL. l.