The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-12-12
WHAT DOES II PoRTENp2

Troops Being Concentrated Westward,
Their Destination Presumably Salt Lake
City, Where Serious Trouble is Said to be
Brewing The Mormons Clam orlng for
Blood Atonement--They May Get It..
OMAHA, NEB., December 6.-At an
early hour yesterday morning General
Howard, commanding the Department of
the Platte, received orders to send troops
from Fort Omaha to some point which he
refuses to make public. Artillery bat.
terles B and C, Fifth Artillery, were ac-
cordlngly ordered out and left yesterday
afternoon on a special train for the West
over the Union Pacific. 1t is understood
that all the remaining troops at Fort
Omaha, consisting of ten companies of
infantry and one of cavalry, have been put
under orders to be ready to move
at moments notice. Inquiry al
Union Pacific headquarters reveals the
fact that the company has received
instructions to have in immediate
readiness additional special trains for the
movement of those troops westward.
General Howard has persistently refused
to answer questions regarding the des-
tination of these troops. "My orders are
strictly confidential" said General How
ard to your correspondent, sand l can
not possibly even intimate where these
troops are going. 1t is of the utmost
Importance that the people of the COM
munitv to which they are destined shall
not be appraised of their coming" 1t is
evident that serious trouble is anticipated
somewhere. General Howard intimated
as much.
The general conclusion is that the
troops of the department are all to be
rapidly concentrated at Salt Lake, in an
ticipation of an attack upon the Gentiles
by the Mormons. Trouble of serious
nature has been brewing there for the last
few days. The arrest, conviction and
imprisonment of Mormon leaders fol
polygamy have not only aroused the Nor
mons to great Indignation and revengeful
bitterness, but have caused them to re-
talate by importing prostitutes from San
Francisco and Denver and using these
women to entrap Federal officials and
prominent Gentiles. In this they have
; been partly successful, having caused a
few arrests of the officials and Gentiles.
One Deputy United States Mar
, shall was arrested for fornication
with one of these women, under
the city charter He was taken
by writ of habeas corpus by the United
States authorities, who declared the city
ordinance invalid, because it exceeded
the authority granted by the Legislature.
The other night another Deputy Marshal
was assaulted by what he called four
Mormon assassins, one of whom he dam
gerously shot. The Mormons and their
papers denounce this shooting as the act
of an assassin, who made the first assault,
and the Mormon press is calling for blood
atonement. These are the causes that
make Salt Lake volcano to-day, liable
J to break forth at any moment Threats
have been made that the entire Gentle
: population will be cleaned out and excite
[ ment and fears are increasing from day to
= day.
A dispatch received in Omaha from
Salt Lake, in response to telegram Of
, inquiry, says; "The inhamed condition
of the public mind here is causing Tlost
, serious apprehensions, and the move
ment of the military is designed to pre-
vent the possibility of an outbreak and
secure in advance the preservation of life
and property. Troops cannot be concen'
5 trated here any too quick to allay the
+ alarm and excitement"
= Owing to General Towards reticencC
: regarding the destination of troops there
is considerable speculation as to where
they are really going, bM the great ma
g ority believe Salt Lake is the place with
i out doubt. Their destination is alleged
e Dy the officer to be Fort Fred Steele, IL
Wyoming, on the Union Pacific. Others
. intimate that it is Fort Lewis, in South
ern Colorado, where there have been some
, disturbances among the Indians, and also
. among Apaches some distance from thai
. post. General Sheridan it is stated, de
. sired to concentrate large number O
troops at that point to handle any serious
n outbreak which might take place in thu
t Southwestern country.
e Another guess is that troops are needed
e for labor troubles at Rawlins, Rocl
q Springs and Evanston on the Union Pa
cific, but railroad officials deny anything
= of the kind. 1t is also limited that thu
;, troops are to go to the Pacific coast OF
= account of Chinese troubles. So far al
u Indian troubles are concerned it is not a
Q all likely that artillery would be forward
q ed. The sending out of the artillery con
firms the general belief that Salt Lake i
n the destination or place of concentration
u The troops at Fort Robinson, Neb., hav
&c been ordered to move to the West, ant
orders of similar character have been is
N sued to other posts in this department.
= LATER.-It is a sure thing now that tn
troops from this department are going +
Salt Lake, and it is understood fror
| 4 Al ia hot 10 20
. there.
"a Annual Report of United States Treasure
Jordan.