ADVENTURES OF A MORMON SETTLER.—Ame-rican Troops on the Plains.—We find in the Mercury, published at Leeds, England, a letter from a disgusted English Mormon; (returning from Salt Lake,) addressed to his brother in England. The writer, it appears, had, some six years ago, held a responsible and lucrative posi-tion on the Midland railway, which he resigned, and after disposing of houses and other property in Leeds, set out with his wife and five children on the long ocean and land journey to Salt Lake, in company with a large number of Mormon set-tlers. Six years' experience brought to a sensi-ble and intelligent mind a thorough disgust of the Mormons and of their doctrines and ceremo-nies. Before pollution reached his own family he resolved to hazard everything and beat a re-treat, which he succeeded in finally accomplish-ing, though the difficulties of an escape, even I from the wicked scene itself, are many, to say I nothing of the perils of the overland journey. He at last arrived at St. Louis, after enduring much suffering on the plains and narrowly escaping massacre by Indians, and expresses deep grati-tude thereat, and because of his having been brought to a sense of the degraded position in which he had previously placed himself and fam-ily. The letter concludes with a complimentary reference to several U. S. army officers at Fort Laramie, where the writer and his family, with a number of other returning emigrants, (includ-ing some Californians,) were compelled to seek protection from the hostile Indians, and turned back for that purpose. Some half dozen other disgusted Mormons, (among them Thos. Suther-land, once a clerk in the Bank of Ireland, and Thomas Marretts, and a Mr. Cowdy, with their wives and Cowdy's child,) who had left Salt Lake four days before them, had been already massacred. The fallowing is an extract: On our arrival at this fort, the commanding officer (Colonel Hoffman) told us that we had acted wisely in turning back; that the Indian who warned us ("Blackheart's" son) had come ahead of a company of United States dragoons who were escorting some Indians (prisoners) home who had been taken in the war with the Sioux tribe last year, "Black-heart's" son being of the number, but when within a few days’ journey of his tribe he had pushed on alone. It appears that in the treaty of peace with the general government it was stipulated that the prisoners should be escorted from Fort Leaven-worth, where they were confined, through the country belonging to other tribes who were their enemies, to Fort Loramie, in their own country, and this was being carried into effect. Colonel Hoffman told us that the said dragoons would be in in few days, and would have to return im-mediately to Leavenworth, and that they would accommodate their speed to ours, if we would stretch it all we could, and travel with us for our protection. We accordingly waited, and every-thing turned out as the colonel anticipated. It was the first regiment of United States cavalry, under Captain Steuart, a perfect gentleman. He behaved very kindly, often relieving the neces-sities of some of our company who were desti-tute, and when we came to Ash Hollow, where there is a mountain to ascend nearly as steep as a house side, he ordered his men to dismount and assist us with ropes, and even, literally, put his own shoulder to the wheels. The troops travel-ed with us about 450 miles, warded off the In-dians, and brought us through all danger on that score. They then went on ahead the remain-ing 150 miles, and beat us by two days to Lea-venworth. The above is a very gratifying testimonial of the kindness as well as the efficiency of our small and widely scattered military detachments upon our extensive frontier, in affording aid and protec-tion to parties of helpless emigrants against In-dian depredations. The Captain Steuart, above mentioned is Captain George H. Steuart of our city, who, with his company of first cavalry regi-ment, was sent on an errand of mercy, to escort the pardoned Sioux prisoners to Fort Laramie, and who, on his march to that distant post had an action with the Cheyenne Indians, on the 25th of August last. The fact that he was enabled) on his return thence, to afford protection to these emigrant families, is first made known through the publication in a foreign land of the letter now referred to. Capt. S. is now on furlough and on a visit to his family in Baltimore, after an almost uninterrupted service of eight years at our frontier posts.
