The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1906-12-20

his voice. All this he found.
Joel Rae was again under the sway
Of his old warlike feelings. Brigham
had revived his fainting faith. He
went out into the noise and hurry of
war preparations in a sort of intoxica-
ton. Underneath he never ceased to
be conscious of the dreadful specter
that would not be gone-that stood
impassive and immovable as one Of
the mountains about him, waiting for
him to come to it and face it and live
his day Of Electromagnetic day of his
OWL Judgment upon himself. But he
drank thirstily Of the martial draught
II lived the time in a fever of
tumultuous drunkenness to the awful
truth.
Forces were sent into Echo canyon,
the narrow deile between the noun
tains through which an army would
have to pass. On the east side men
were put to building stone ramparts
as a protection for riflemen. On the
west, where the side was sloping, they
dug pits for the same purpose. They
also. built dams to throw large bodies
of water along the west side of the
canyon so that an army would be
forced to the east side; and here at
the top of the cliff, great quantities
of boulders were placed sc that a
slight leverage would suffice to hail
them down upon the army as it
marched below.
When word came that the invaders
had crossed the Utah line, Brigham
sent forward a copy of his proclama-
ton and a friendly note of warning
to the officer in command. In this
he directed that officer to retire from
the Territory by the same route he
had entered it; adding, however,
Should you deem this impracticable
and prefer to remain until spring in
the vicinity of your present position
at Blacks fork or Green river, you
can do so in peace and unmolested on
condition that you deposit your arms
and ammunition with Lewis Robinson,
quartermaster general of the Terri
tory, and leave as soon in the, spring
as the roads will permit you to march.
And should you fall short of provi-
sions they will be furnished you upon
making the proper application Inc
officer who received this note had re-
piled somewhat CURLY that the forces
he commanded were in Utah by or
der of the President of the United
States and that their future move
ments would depend wholly upon or
ders issued by competent military
authority. Thus the issue was forced.
In addition to the defense Of Echo
canyon certain aggressive moves were
made. TO Joel Rae was allotted COM
mand OF Ii of these. His orders
promised all he could wish of action.
He read them and felt something like
his old trucuagnt enthusiasm.
you will proceed with all possible dis
patch, without injucing your animals, to
rivssr, north by east of this place. When
you approaci the road. send scouts
ahead to ascertain il the invading troops
have }.I.ssoG. take a concealed route and
get aheali IF them. On ascertaining the
locality Of the troops. proceed at once to
every exertion to stampede their animals
and set fire to their trains. Burn the
whsle country before them and on their
night surpriSes: blockade the road by
telling trees, or destroying river foros
where you an. Watch FOR opportunities
to set fire to the grass on their wind
ward. so as to enXelop their trans il
possible. Leave asl6er4ss before them
That can be burner: Keep your men
concealed as much as possible, and
guard against surprise. God bless you
and give you ~ s pe1eTsrp I'M cup1yr.,
Forty-four men were placed under
his command to perform this work,
and all Of them were soon impressed.
even to alarm, by the very evident re-
lance of their leader upon the God
of Israel rather than upon any merely
Human wisdom of his own
The first capture vas not difficult.
After an all-night ride they came mp
with a supply-train of Is wagons
drawn by oxen. The captain of this
train was ordered to "go the other
way until he reached the states. He
started; but as he retraced his steps
as often as they moved away, they
at length burned his train and left
him.
And SO h campaign went forward,
AS the winter came on colder, the
scouts brought in moving tales of the
enemy's discontinue. Colonel Alex
ander of the Federal forces, deciding
that the canyons could be defended
by the Saints, planned to approach
Salt Lake City over a roundabout
route to the north. He started in
heavy snow, cutting a road through
the greasewood and sage brush. Often
his men made but three miles a day,
and his supply-train was SO long that
sometimes half of it would. be camped
for the night before the e a wagons
had moved. AS there was no cavalry
in the force the hosts of Israel ha
raised them sorely on this march, on
n day consecrating 800 head of their
oxen and driving them to Salt Lake.
Albert Sidney Johnston, command
ing the expedition, had also suffered
greatly with his forces. The early
SHOWS deprived his stock of forage,
and the unusual cold froze many oxen
and mules.