Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-07


ter failed. Wells We're sunk In the Wild
erness, but on one occasion az least the
men Travelled FOR a hundred miles With
out water Before leaving Santa Fe
rations were reduced. and soon after
ward further reduCed 20 one-holf and
hnally 10 one quarter allowance the
meat issued 10 the troops being the
flesh of such animals os were unable
to proceed further, though their hides
and ontrails were eagerly devoured. be-
ing gulped down with draughts Of wa
Ter when water could be had. While
suffering these hurdships the men were
compelled 10 carry their own KNAPP
sacks. muskets and extra ammunition.
and sometimes 70 push the wagons
through heavy sand or help TO drag
them ever mountain ranges Passing
through % Nov Mexican pueblo on the
cam of October. some W he men were
almost as naked as ON che day of their
BIRTH except for "a breech-clout or az
their colonel termed a. center cloth
ing. tied around the loins
Here is what Lieut.. Col ST. George
Cooke said TO the Battalion In gem
eral order issued January Sotb, lst7.
History may be searched IN vain FOR
an equal march OF Infantry ninc-tenths
of 40 through a wilderness where nuth-
ing but sayages and wild beasts are
found. or deserts where. Cor the want
of water there is no living creature.
There with almost hopeless labor we
have dug deep wells which the future
traveller VIII enjoy Without guide
who has traversed them. we have yen-
tured into trackless prairles whore wa
ter was not found for several marches
with crowbar and pckaxe In hand, we
have worked our way over mountains
which seemed 20 defy aught save the
wild goat. and hewed passage through
a chesm OF living rock more narrow
than our wagons "
with a faulty common to the writer
who takes so much pleasure in misrep-
resenting everything that relates 10 the
"Mormons." after declaring that the
Battalion was called for in response TO
a request from the Saints and was just
what they wanted ana petitloned for
he inadvertently makes this quotation
from Bancroft:
THE Momons. however, not re-
ceiying aid To the extent OF Of the Kind
that they had hoped, for regarded The
action taken az mere requisltiun Ion
troops and IN numbers out Of all pro.
portion TO the population that was TO
furnish them"
And yet after citing that historical
statement he goes on to say that the
enlistment was a favor" and that 1T
was hailed as a favor by the Mormons.
Another OF his attempts TO misrepre'
sent the News" and the facts In tho
case is this: The News said
1T must be evident TO every person
In his senses that the ala asked OF the
national authorities. was not a request
TO take away from the almost helpless
body Of the Saints nearly all their able
bodied mon. and send them 20 a point
far distant from their own destiua-
tion."
This the Tribune writer calls IAN out
and out misrepresentation" and adds
as a supposed clincher. 'The truth Is
that California was their destination
The Battalion made its awful march
TO san Diego. The Pioneers and the
Saints who followed them, came to the
spot which Is now included In Utah. At
that time California embraced all tina
territory now known as Utah and Ne
vada. The destination Of the Saints
was westward to the Great Basin"
The valley Of the Great Salt Lake was
In California, and so was San Diego
but viii anybody. even In these days
OF rapid travel and easy
transportation. have the hardi-
hood 70 say that two compan-
les Of people. starting rrom the Mis-
souri, river one for san Diego and the
other TO salt Lake were each bound
for the same place and where the other
wanted to go? when President John
Taylor sang Of The Upper California,
o, that's the land for me, he vaguely
described 1t In the words. 1T lies be.
tween the mountains and the great
Pacific sea" Il then embraced a vast
section OF the Pacific slope. Utah IL
but a small portion Of the great tract
that then belonged 10 Mexico.
We have devoted so much space 70
this subject. Tor the benefit OF a num-
Der Of our readers who may need some
points OF history. whcrewlth 10 meet the
errors and faisehoods that are sent
forth from the chief source Of anti
Mormon" Islander IN this city, and re-
peated In the pulpit and the press Of
other parts Of this great country. II Is
not profitable to continue this discus
sion. but these few truths should be
clearly understood:
The Mormon Battalion was organ
lied In the spirit Of unselhsh patriotism.
II was an immense sacrifice on the part
of the Mormon people, Whatever
may have been the purpose Of its pro-
jectors. the Saints believed Il was in
tended for their Injury But they lis
tened 10 the voice Of their inspired
leader. and yielded up the strength Of
their camps 10 engage IN the service Of
their country at a time OF need. The
service performed was a grand and
heroic exhibition Of fortltude and fidel-
lty 70 the nation that had failed 20 pro-
tect the SAINTS from their murderous
enemies. Every attempt to belittle that
exhibition of loyalty courage and de-
votlon 20 the right win utterly fan
when exposed 10 the searchlleht OF his
tory. and confronted with the stern
facts which are becoming better known
as time advances We can only enter
Tin pity for a mind 90 warped with
hatred and a soul 50 soured with dlsap-
pointed desires, that It can find no 9th
ar solace than IN distortIng truth and
irving TO deceive mankind.
JAPAN AND RUSSIA.
According 20 the dispatches. It now
looks as II the long predicted conflict