The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-07-12
at length burned his train and left

at length burned his train and left
him.
And so the 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 rO5IdabOut
route to the north. He started ir
! heavy snow, cutting a road through
| the greasewoOd and sage brush. Ofter
| 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 rear wagons
| had moved AS there was no cavalry
in the force the hosts Of Israel ha
raised them sorely on this march, on
one day COnseCrating 500 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.
Lieut.. Col Cooke of the Second
Dragons, with whom travelled the
newly appointed governor, was an
other to suffer. At Fort Laramie so
many of his animals had dropped out
that numbers of his men were dis
mounted, and the ambulances used tc
carry grain. Night after night they
huddled at the base of cliffs in the
fearful eddies Of the snow, and heard
above the blast the piteOuS cries of
their famished and freezing stock
Day after day they pushed against
the keen blades of the wind, toiling
through frozen clouds and singing
ice blasts. The last 80 miles to Fort
Bridger had required Is days, and at
one camp on Blacks fork, which they
called the camp of DEATH" 500 ami
mails persisted in a night.
Nor did the hardships Of the troops
end when they had all reached what
was to be their winter quarters. Still
a hundred and fifteen miles from the
City of the Saints, they were poorly
housed against the bitter cold, poorly
fed, and insufficiently clothed, for the |
burning Of the trains by the Lord.
hosts had reduced all supplies.
Reports of this distress were duly |
carried to Brigham and published tc |
the Saints. Their soldiers had made .
good their resolve to prevent the Fed |
eral army from passing the Wasatch .
mountains. Aggressive operations
ceased for the winter, and the greater
part Of the militia returned to thei
homes. A small outpost of 80 mer
under the command of Major Joel Rae
who had earnestly requested this
Signment-WaS left to guard the
narrows of Echo canyon and to keeL
watch over the enemy during the win
ter This officer was now persuaded
that the Lords hand was with them
For the enemy had been wasted away
even by the elements from the time
he had crossed the forbidden line.
In Salt Lake City that winter the
same opinion prevailed. They were
hencefOrth to be the free and indie
pendent State of Deseret.
DO you want to know" asked
Brigham, in the tabernacle, what is
to be done with the enemy now on oui
borders? AS soon as they start tc
come into our settlements, let SLEEP
depart from their eyes until they
sleep in death. Men shall be secreted
along the route and shall waste them
away in the name of the God of Bat
les. Tie United States will have to
make peace with us. Never agair
shall we make peace with them"