THE UTAH EXPEDITION.
The New York Times has correspondence from the Utah expedition later than yet received, and very minute, and intelligible. It is an inter-esting journal of each day's proceedings. The let-ter is dated at the camp on Ham's Fork of Green river, October 28, (Col. Alexander's command.) The arrest of the brothers Hickman had been briefly reported previously:
On the 11th of October the whole command left camp and proceeded up Ham's Pork nineteen miles. The grass had been burnt nearly all the way. We camped on a small spot which the fire had spared. George and Jefferson Hickman, brothers of Bill Hickman, came to the train while on its march this day, with a note from Bill to Mr. Perry, requesting an interview on Green river to settle some business matters which he had left in Hickman's hands for settlement when he was a mer-chant in Salt Lake City. After consulting with Mr. Perry, the commandant had them arrested as spies. It snowed nearly all day, but melted as it fell.
On the 12th we continued our march up Ham's Fork. After camping for the night, we were surprised by the intelligence that the Mormons, under the lead of Lot Smith and Porter Rockwell, had taken some eight hun-dred head of cattle, being principally those, that belonged to the trains, lately burnt together with a large number of beef cattle, within three miles of camp. The men in charge of the cattle were allowed to come in. Bill Hickman, sent word by them that if his brothers were not released within five days he would scalp a dozen sol-diers for it; and Smith and Porter declared that if the command persisted in advancing they should all be slaughtered. The prisoner were searched, and a belt was found on one of them which was identified as be-longing to an artilleryman who had been missing for several days. The prisoners stated that the man-passed Fort Bridger on his way to Salt Lake, and there ex-changed belts with him.
OCT, 15.—Continued up Ham's Fork for the last three days—route very rough—and camped about four miles below the California road, (Babbitt's Cut- off.) Yester-day Jefferson Hickman was released and sent with an express to Brigham. An express was also sent to Col. Johnson, informing him of our movements. The advance, party this morning nearly captured some Mor-mons who were setting fire to the grass in this bottom. It has been decided to remain here until we receive some intelligence from Col. Johnson and the trains on the road.
OCT. 16.—A party of about one hundred mounted vo-lunteers, (soldiers and teamsters) under the command of Capt. Marcy, of the 5th infantry, left camp this morning at daylight, for the purpose of exploring the country between this point and Muddy Creek, (a stream midway between this point and Fort Bridger.) Capt. Neal and Lieuts. Bantchard, Lewis, and Lynde, of the 5th, and Lieut. Gore, of the l0th infantry, accompanied him. They had not gone more than two miles from camp be-fore a party of fifty-five Mormons came-suddenly upon them from the rear. Our party immediately formed on a hill side, and the Mormons drew up in a line; two deep, within about 150 yards. Their captain then advanced half way and held a talk with Capt. Marcy. He declared it to be the purpose of the Mormons to resist any attempt on the part of the United States troops to advance, and also that it was by Brigham's order that the trains had been burnt. After this parley they were permitted to move off unmolested. They had not gone far before they commenced shaking their blankets, yell-ing loud curses and shouts of defiance. The animals of our party were so weak that, pursuit would have been useless.
Soon after some men of our party, headed by Jim Baker, an old mountaineer and guide for the command, rode to the top of the hill and discovered the Mormons at the foot, on the bank of a creek. The Mormons no sooner saw them than one of them fired, whereupon our party returned the fire, wounding one and putting them all to flight, they no doubt supposing that our whole par-ty were upon them. Baker pursued them more than a mile, and found scattered along the route several pack-ages of provisions which had been dropped in their hasty flight.
Our party arrived at Lower Springs, about twelve miles from Ham's Fork. Soon after starting on our re-turn to camp we surprised a party of five Mormons, who were carrying supplies to the party we had seen in the morning, two of whom were captured, and proved to be the leaders and important personages. They gave their names as Colonel Taylor and Adjutant Stowell. Their pack animals (three mules and two horses) were cap-tured, with their loading, some six hundred pounds of flour and other provisions. Important despatches were found upon the person of Taylor from Lieutenant Gen. Wells, at Fort Bridger, directing all the parties in the neighborhood of Green river to return and concentrate in advance of the troops on Bear river, and stating that there were some eight hundred United States dragoons on their way to reinforce our command. They were fur-ther directed to burn the grass, steal the animals, fell trees in our path, and in every possible manner annoy us by night and by day.
In consequence of this information Capt. Marcy was sent back (October 18) with two companies to meet Col. Johnson, as we apprehended that our expresses may have been captured, and it was also decided that we should return and go into winter quarters on Henry's Fork, of Green River, as the cattle and mules of the command were very weak. Soon after Captain Marcy had left two express-men came into camp bringing word from Brigham Young, the purport of it being that he did not blame the officers and soldiers, as they were merely tools in the hands of a corrupt Government, and had to obey its orders, &c. He also advised us to place all the women and children with the command in a train sepa-rate from the others, as he wished by all means to spare them. In the evening two express-men came in from Col. Johnson, who was at the last Crossing of the Sweet Water, waiting for all the trains to come up. He sent orders for our command to return to Green River, and there await his arrival. An express was sent recalling Capt. Marcy, who returned the next morning.
We were visited by a severe snow-storm the previous night, which continued until noon of the following day; the snow fell to the depth of about eight inches. Some thirty mules and horses died in the night from the cold. The next day, October 19, we began our return march.
On the evening of the 21st of October one of the wagon-masters belonging to the ox-trains was taken prisoner by the Mormons while he was out hunting cattle. The next evening about thirty Mormons came to a hill near the camp, and sent in a note by the teamster whom they had taken prisoner the previous evening, stating that they wished Col. Taylor in exchange. Their request was not complied with, and no answer returned.
On the 26th an express came in from Col. Johnson, bringing the news that all but one of the trains had ar-rived; that the dragoons were still behind, but were ex-pected up every day, and that he would start on the 27th, and come directly to Green River and Black's Fork, and we were directed to return to that place and await his arrival.
On the 27th and 28th the command travelled down the fork some twelve miles.
