OUR SALT LAKE CITY CORRES-PONDENCE.
Interruption of the Overland Mail Communi-cation by the Indians—Troops Ordered to Protect the Mails—Street Fights in Salt Lake City—Governor Cumming Pic-Nic-ing with the Saints, &c.
GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, U. T.,
Saturday, Sept. 4, 1858.
We regret exceedingly to learn that our present great, central, overland mail communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific, through this city, has been interrupted by the Indians.
Last Saturday the conductor of the California mail, due on that day, arrived in this city without his mail. It appears that on or about the 22d of last month, as the mail party—consisting of but two men—were camping for the night at the last crossing of the Hum-boldt River, a large band of Indians suddenly came upon them and took possession of everything which they had, mules, harness, provisions and, more im-portant than all, the mail. The men escaped with their lives by hiding, at the first approach of the In-dians, in the brush along the river, and remaining concealed until their departure. They then made their way on foot to the next station, where they pro-cured animals and came on as rapidly as possible to this city.
Immediately upon the receipt of this information Dr. FORNEY, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, made a requisition, through Gov. CUMMING, upon Gen. JOHN-STON for a body of troops to be sent down as soon as possible to the Humboldt River, to protect the mails and emigration from these hostile Indians. In conse-quence of which Gen. JOHNSTON, with commendable promptness, has ordered two companies of Dragoons and two of Infantry to start immediately for that por-tion of the route to California. Companies C and H, of the Second Dragoons, in command of Capt. HAWS, and a company from both the Tenth and Fifth Regi-ments of Infantry will leave the Camp to-day on this duty.
It is believed that the Indians who attacked the mail were a band of the Oregon Indians who have come down and united with the "Digger" snakes on the Humboldt for the express purpose of robbing and murdering this year's emigration to California and Oregon.
Superintendent FORNEY will start during the coming week to overtake the troops and visit the tribes along the Humboldt, and discover their feelings and inten-tions. We hope soon to hear of a definite settlement of accounts with these Indians, who have committed so many depredations and shocking murders for seve-ral seasons past upon the overland emigration.
We are informed that Superintendent FORNEY, upon his arrival here, sent out to these same Indians a quantity of presents as a token of his good will towards them, among which there was sent, very inconside-rately, a considerable amount of powder and lead.
It is to be regretted that it was deemed more pru-dent under the existing circumstances to send the 6th Infantry to the seat of war in Oregon by way of San Francisco instead of directly overland by the regular Oregon trail, not only in consequence of the greater length of the adopted route, but in conse-quence of the opportunity thus lost of attacking the Indians in their rear and surrounding them.
As it is, the Indians now so hostile in Oregon Ter-ritory have but little to fear from the troops, for, com-ing as they do all from the coast, they have only to watch them and fight them on that side, and if in the conflict they find themselves beaten and disabled, the way is perfectly open to retreat across the mountains into the buffalo country, where they can recruit their horses, obtain fresh supplies of provisions, and pre-pare to renew their attacks upon the whites at the first opportunity. The only way to cope successfully with these Indians is to cut off their hope of retreat-ing to recruit, and thus finally conquer them, if not by force of aims alone, by famine and fatigue; for, these Indians depending mainly upon the buffalo for their support, they feel perfectly independent and fearless of consequences, as long as they can obtain a full sup-ply of it.
Our city has lately been the scene of an unusual number of street fights. In one of these encounters, GEORGE GRANT, brother of the late JEDEDIAH GRANT, who was BRIGHAM'S second Counsellor and the Third President of the Church, received a black eye, and has since been fined $100, and bound over in the sum of $1,000 to keep the peace for one year.
On the 1st inst., a negro and a mulatto in the em-ploy of Marshal DOTSON—named FRANK POSEY and ROBERT TAYLOR—got into a quarrel, which resulted in the death of the former. POSEY having stabbed TAY-LOR in the forehead, he immediately shot POSFY with a revolver, killing him instantly. Upon examination before the Justice of the Peace, TAYLOR was acquitted on the ground of justifiable homicide.
On Tuesday night last, the large two-story house of Mr. NESBITT was burned to the ground. The fire originated accidentally. Fires are of such rare oc-currence here that when one does break out it forms quite an event. The houses here being all built sepa-rately and surrounded by gardens, (except on the principal business street,) there is no danger of the spread of a fire, and consequently we have no Fire Department in this city.
Governor CUMMING and lady lately visited Cotton-wood Cañon—the spot on which BRIGHAM and his con- federates declared their Independence,—in company with BRIGHAM YOUNG and family, and a select company of the "Saints." The party were absent some four days on this "pic-nic," and the time was pleasantly spent in dancing, singing, speaking, &c.
The United States Judges ECKLES and SINCLAIR and Secretary HARTNELL are still absent on their trip to Fillmore, where they went to appoint the times for holding the United States Courts in this Territory. They are accompanied by an escort of two companies of dragoons.
Before leaving this city, Secretary HARTNELL refused to give commissions to the members elect of the Le-gislature from this County in consequence of the illegal proceedings during the late election. This will render a new election necessary.
Col. LANDER, Superintendent of the Fort Kearney South Pass and Honey Lake wagon road, spent a few days in this city during the past week. He has succeed-ed during the Summer in constructing an excellent wagon road from the South Pass along the base of the Wind River Mountains, intersecting the old road again on Bear River. This new cut-off, besides being much shorter than the old road, is preferable in con-sequence of the more abundant and frequent supplies of water, wood and grass. It is probable that Col. LANDER will return with his party to the States this Fall, instead of attempting to Winter in the moun-tains.
Chief Justice ECKLES will return to the States about the 1st of next month, he having obtained leave of absence for three months, to enable him to visit his family in Indiana.
We noticed whilst out riding in this valley, recently, a phenomenon, which, we were informed, is very common in this country—namely: spouts, or columns of dust, rising from the ground as far up as the eye can reach. The one we saw was formed by a whirl-wind, which gradually caused it to rise until its sum-mit disappeared among the clouds. It appeared to be about the size, in circumference, of an ordinary hogs-head, and did not vary in diameter. About midway there was a long, graceful curve in this slender pillar, which seemed to connect the heavens and the earth. It maintained its position about five minutes, and then rapidly disappeared. These dust spouts are formed in the same manner as the water-spouts upon the ocean, although the dust, from its light character, rises more readily and to a greater height.
We know not whether history gives the reason why the crooks or staffs of the shepherds, in the ancient classical periods, were bent or crooked at the ends but perhaps the shepherd-boys of Utah will furnish us with the reason. We met, a few days since, two lit tie boys herding their flocks of sheep, each holding in his hand a perfect crook. It was the stalk of a sun-flower, stripped of its leaves and bent over by the weight of the flower, which still remained, until it resembled perfectly the representations which we have of the classical shepherd's crook.
The sunflower grows like a weed throughout these valleys, and becomes a perfect nuisance to the farmer.
The Indians are now busy picking the seeds of these wild flowers, which they esteem as an excel-lent article of food. A. B. C.
[BY TELEGRAPH.]
ST. LOUIS, Saturday, Oct. 2.
The Salt Lake mail reached St. Joseph on the 25th ult., 21 days out. The Mormons were quiet and orderly at the time of departure. A violent snow storm was encountered by the train west of Laramie. The Indians on the route were quiet. The weekly Santa Fé mail left Independence on the 2tfth ult. H. A. SHEET, Receiver of Public Moneys, and Mr. REG-ISTER, were among the passengers.
