The New York herald., 1879-10-08
APPEALS FROM THE CITIZENS OF COLORADO
FOR ARMs-A CHARACTERISTIC PROMISE FROM
GENERAL POPE.

dians doing. It is believed. however. that the
worst is over"
UNEAsINEss IN ARMY CIRCLES OVER NOT HEAR
ING FROM MERRITT FEARS THAT couIlERs
HAVE BEEN INTERCEPTED.
by TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.
wAsnINaToN, Oct T. 1879.
Another day has passed without receiving any
news from the beleaguered command of Captain
Payne from the force sent out under Colonel
Merritt. The quotation telegraphed from the letter
Of Lieutenant Price to his wife does not give
the slightest satisfaction to the army officials
here in Washington. II Colonel Mcrritt's
command arrived at Milk Creek Saturday
last the question is asked how it is that three
days have passed without hearing word from him.
If the Indians have gone it is of the utmost inn
portance that General Sheridan should know the
fact that he may move the troops already ordered to
different points to intercept the White River Utes.
If they have surrendered it is also important that it
should be known at the earliest moment. that the
present orders putting SO many companies
under marching orders may be countermanded
and the expense necessarily attending such move
ments may be stopped.
NO NEWS NOT GOOD NEWS.
The protracted silence does not, army officers say.
give hope that mo is good news"
Fertilization Greek. whore Lieutenant Price left
with his command. could easily be reached from
Milk Greek in twelve hours, and from thence cou-
rers could ride ON fresh horses to Raw
Inns in at least fourteen hours. There
is nothing here but speculation the condition
in which Colonel Merritt found Captain Paynes
command, and it is said that If news is not re-
ceived by tomorrow the probability is that
the couriers have been intercepted and orders will
be given to send from Rawlins Immediately force
sufficient to make the line OF courers unbroken into
tho country OF the hostile Indians.
THE UTE IN HIS MOUNTAIN FAsTNEssEs-
CHARACTER OF THE CoUNTRY-EFPEcTs UPON
THE UNACCLIMATED-THE SEASONS IN t"THE
RANGE"-A TRuUBLRsoME FOE
1t has been asserted that the savages who are now
in revolt against the government equal foe,
man for man. to tho troops sent against them.
This is true and it is not true, and the
eyes" or "No" depends upon surroundings and
circumstances. In open country. within reason
able distance from the outposts Of civilization
100 we'll equipped and proyisioned soldiers would
easily vanquish five times that number Of In
disns. In wilder region, further from the
base Of supplies. the odds would be
in case of equal numbers; but in the fast
nesses, among the crags and chasms and
canyons OF the Rocky Mountains. . band Of 1000
troublesome Toe to half the standing army. The
reasons for this found in the character of the
country, thec24E1sHeand atmospheric peculiarities
of the region and the nature. habits knowledge and
acclimatization of the enemy we have to deal with.
OF THE LAND.
Any one who has visited the wonderful land
which lies .'over the range" knows how Impossible
it is to put paper description which shall give
the reader any thing like realizing conception Of
tho country. The immense height of the hills and
loftier crags and peaks the seemingly immeasurable
depth Of chasms and canyons, the wonderful ex-
pansion of distances. the color and character
and density of brush and timber. all unite in form
ing veritable inco0nita totally unlike anything
which lies this side the Missouri River. The fam
tastical contortons OF the earth surface chiefly
duo to volcanic action. of which evidences ap-
pear at every turn Great cliffs OF lava
ridge the parks. and tho substance is
found intruded between strata OF other rock split
asunder by the commissions which made these
mountains untold centuries ago. and he who is ven
turesome enough to climb the gddy heights will
every and then upon the well defined crater
OF an extinct volcano. have fossils-unmstak-
able shels-dug from heights ten or eleven
thousand feet above tidewater. unquestionaby put
there by the upheaval which lifted these lofty
ranges from depths below the From 200 miles
east from the White River Agency. extending north
into the British possessions. south far down into
Mexico and westward almost to the Pacific net
work Of ranges. whose peaks tower from
ten to fourteen thousand feet above sea
lcvel--from two to six or seven thousand
feet above the rapid rivers which wind through
the narrow valleys between them--are the Rocky
Mountains. Although tho great "divide" which
parts the waters flowing into the two great oceans
is termed "tho Snowy Range i. is not proper to
sense that the term may bo applied to the
Green Mountains the Alleghanies. They arc
rather succession OF interwoven ranges. extending
north and south the whole length of the Continent
and almost thousand miles from east to west. /
doubt IL tho hundredth part of tho territory IN
cluded within their boundaries is capable of tllage
TO say nothing OF climatic difficulties. But the whole
region abounds with the best imaginable hiding
places for thousands of fugitvos. and almost insur
mounlsble obstacles to invaders. The most avail
able passes bctwaen the PEAKS of some eleven
thousand feot elevation. while many others. which
must DC crossed to reach certain districts are much
higher: and all of them impossible for six seven
months of the year except snow shoes. AS the
advances higher and higher north of the Equator
these great snow barriers are gradually dissolved,
thousands OF mountain riyaiets. are gath.
cred III the valleys in foaming torrents,
tearing through numberless Inaccessible
canyons, unbrdgcd ard unfordable. except at rare
Intervals Ihtre ~ Dut ono bridge across tho Grand
River-that at Hot sulphur Springs---,n all the
Middle Park not one over tho North Platte in the
whole North Park Wagon roads are almost as
infrequent, and such there are. are, in very
many places, little better than at all. A
maze OF trails, however. webs tho whole region,
perploxing and misleading the stranger. but
as familiar to tho rowing Aborigncs as tho streets
of New York to the native ga,uin. who roams all
over the island without looking at the signs at
street corners. which he could not read IL lie did.
There is hardly any level ground, scarcely acre
in ten thousand. Tho whole country is up and
down. with such steep ascens and sharp declivtics
as cannot we'll be imagined by those who have not
thom.
FORAGE.