THE NEWS FROM UTAH
COL. KANE AT F0RT LEAVENWORTH.
THE WAR PROBABLY ENDED.
ST. LOUIS, Thursday, May 20, 1858.
The steamer John H. Dickey, from Leavenworth on the 17th inst., brings intelligence of the arrival of Col. Kane and Abbe Gilbert at that place on Sunday last. The latter stated that Brigham Young had ab-dicated, and that Gov. Cumming at last dates was thirty miles from Salt Lake City, accompanied by a deputation of fifty Mormons sent to meet him.
From The St. Louis Republican, May 18.
As a matter of course, great interest was felt Sun-day and yesterday to ascertain whether the news of Peace, in Utah, which we made public on Sunday, was correct or not. Some had their doubts, who had really no personal interest in the matter; while those who had such interest, were hopeful that it would tarn out to be incorrect. So the matter stood until yesterday morning, when the telegraph brought the following dispatches for the associated press:
LEAVENWORTH, May 14, 1858.
(From BOONVILLE, May 17.)
An unofficial dispatch was received yesterday at, Fort Leavenworth, stating that Gov. Cumming had made a peaceable entry into Salt Lake City on the 1st of April. No resistance was offered to the army, which had not entered the city, but which was in readiness to march in case of an emergency.
A private letter received by Col. Rich at Fort, Leav-enworth, corroborated the foregoing statement, which is universally credited here.
During the day, we received the following note from a source certain to be well informed in the matter:
LEAVENWORTH CITY, May 13, 1858.
Some startling news reached here this morning from Camp Scott, to the effect that peace had been made between the Mormons and Uncle Sam.
Whether peace has been made or not no one knows, but it is certain that the man Kane of Philadelphia, seat out from Washington last Winter, via California, to Salt Lake City, went through to Col. Johnston's camp, and after several consultations in camp, re-turned to the city in company with Gov. Cumming. This leads to the surmise of peace.
I get the news from a person I know, and it is re-liable.
At a still later hour we had an interview with Mr. Gerrish, an intelligent gentleman, who was a passenger in the J. D. Perry, and who left Camp Scott on the 10th of April, and stopped a short distance from that camp for two days. His information from that camp is therefore to that date, and from Salt Lake City to the 9th. While his information does not corroborate the news already given to the full extent, it leaves no room to question the fact that Gov. Cumming had entered Great Salt Lake City. In order to account for this change in the aspect of affairs, it may be well to premise that Col. Thomas L. Kane, who was sent out as a Peace Commissioner by way of California, arrived in Great Salt Lake City on the 25th of February; that he remained there eight days; that after that time he proceeded to Camp Scott; that, while there, he frequently passed from the Camp to a place of conference with the leading Mormons, outside of the city; that, in pursuance of negotiations then entered into, Gov. Cumming left Camp Scott for Great Salt Lake City on the 5th, and was met by a gentleman on the 9th, on Weber River, two days' travel from the city. He was accompanied by Colonel Kane, and escorted by Porter Rockwell, H. Egan, and other Mormons. His arrival was anti-cipated on the 11th, and handsome apartments were provided and preparations made to receive him in good style. A gentleman who knows all about the Mormon people, and was just from Salt Lake City, told our in-formant that the general feeling was in favor of peace, only a portion of the leaders, perhaps those who had offended against the laws, advocating resistance.
Mr. Gerrish was only nine days in making the trip from Camp Scott to Fort Laramie. Before his depar-ture, a scouting party, in charge of B. F. Ficklin, about whose safety some apprehensions had been felt, returned to the camp.
The provision trains intended for Camp Scott left Fort Laramie on the 24th April. Col. Hoffman, with Ms escort of cavalry, was to leave on the 25th. On the arrival of these supplies, Col. Johnston’s com-mand would be put in possession of everything necess-ary to their comfort.
Capt. Marcy, with his force from New-Mexico, and horses, mules, and some 3,000 sheep, was heard from or what is called the Cherokee trail, 200 miles to the south of Fort Laramie. He had not been joined by the three companies of troops detailed by Gen. Gar-land as an escort, and was waiting for them when heard from. The large number of animals attached to his command made his progress necessarily very slow, but he was certain to reach Camp Scott by the 20th of May.
The incoming party experienced heavy rains from the time of leaving Fort Laramie, and the roads were in wretched condition. Mails were met at various points on the road, and the mail of the 26th March, from Camp Scott, has arrived at Fort Leavenworth.
INDEPENDENCE, May 14, via Boonville May 17.
The Salt Lake mail arrived here to-day. Left Fort Bridger March 25, and was overtaken by parties who left Camp Scott April 12.
Col. Kane, Peace Commissioner, had arrived at Fort Bridger, having passed through Salt Lake City.
On the 6th of April Gov. Cumming, with one or two others, started for Salt Lake City. Before leaving, he demanded an escort from Col. Johnston, which was refused.
Capt. Marcy was within sixty miles of Fort Laramie when the mail passed. He would reach Fort Bridger between the 25th of May and 1st of June.
The general opinion is there will be no fight.
There were sufficient provisions in camp to last until supplies could peach there.
From The St. Louis democrat, May 17.
The following special dispatch was forwarded to this office from Boonville on the 15th:
BOONVILLE, May 15, 1858.
An express arrived at Fort Leavenworth on the 13th inst. from Camp Scott.
The Mormons had laid down their arms.
Gov. Cumming, upon the invitation of Brigham Young, had entered Great Salt Lake City without an escort.
Many Mormon men had gone to the southern part of the Territory, and the women and children were preparing to follow them.
W. M. WIBLING, Clerk J. H. Lucas.
The steamer J. H. Lucas reached this port from the Missouri River yesterday evening about 6 o'clock. In a conversation with Mr. Wibling, the clerk, our re-porter gathered the following in relation to the authen-ticity of the news: Mr. Wibling says the dispatch, directed to some private person in New-York, was banded him by Lieut. C. L. Best of the 4th artillery, with the request to put it into the hands of the ope-rator at Boonville. The clerk learning the importance of the news, asked the officer if he could make use of it for the benefit of the St. Louis papers. The officer consented, and accordingly the dispatch was forwarded to The Democrat and The Republican.
By the steamer Lucas we have received the follow-ing from a Leavenworth correspondent:
LEAVENWORTH CITY, K.T., May 13, 1858.
EDITOR DEMOCRAT: It has been officially announced, here that Gov. Cumming has entered Salt Lake City. Several companies of troops leave the fort on Satur-day. Mr. Hartnett left for Utah this morning. Gen. Harney arrived here yesterday.
From the officers of the boat we further learn that when they departed from Leavenworth the express messenger had been in about four hours, and that the Government dispatches in relation to the matter were being rapidly made up.
From The St Louis Democrat, May 18.
We have been favored with the following extract from a private letter to a gentleman of this city, from Fort Bridger, dated April 10;
"Mr. Gilbert, partner of Mr. Gerrish, reached here yesterday from California and Salt Lake. He met Gov. Cumming on Weber river, escorted by Porter, Rockwell, Egan, Van Etten and others. He was to have a public reception in Salt Lake City to-morrow. Mr. Gilbert also reports that the Mormons were leaving.
“The Governor left Camp Scott on the 5th of April for Salt Lake City."
Mr. A. F. Gerrish, the gentleman alluded to above, arrived on the John D. Perry, yesterday, and to him we are indebted for the following interesting informa-tion:
He left Fort Bridger, which is one hundred and thir-teen miles from Salt Lake, on the 12ch of April Gov-ernor Cumming went into Great Salt Lake City, in company with the Mormon embassador, Col. Thomas L. Kane. Whether the Governor was or was not invited to the city Mr. Gerrieh does not know, and doubts if any one in the camp knows. Mr. Gerrish left Fort Laramie on the 24th of April, arrived at Fort Leavenworth on the 13th inst., and left on the 14th. At Fort Laramie he met Col. Hoffman, who had arrived there from Fort Leaven-worth with, as was said, 174 wagons. Forty miles this side of Fort Laramie, on the 25th of April, Mr. G. met the express mail from Fort Leavenworth. On the 26th, this side of Scott's Bluffs, he met Miles & Jonre's mail, which left Fort Leavenworth on the 1st. Within twelve miles of Fort Kearney, he met the Peace Commissioners, ex-Governor Powell of Tennessee, and Hon. Benj. McCulloch, then nine days from Fort Leav-enworth, prospering finely. Other carriages accompa-nied them. At Big Sandy appeared the back mail of Miles & Jones. Some forty of the freight trains of Messrs. Majors, Russell & Waddell successively passed. To Fort Laramie the grass is in fine order. The roads to Fort Leavenworth are greatly cut up by the recent rains.
Colonel Cock is at Smith's Fork, fifteen miles from Camp Scott, and has a large lot of government live stock.
On the 19th of April, Capt. Marsh was at a point some 200 miles south of Fort Laramie, on Cherokee trail. He has there a large quantity of horses and mules, and some 3,000 head of sheep, for sale through him by private individuals.
The health of the camp is described as all that can be wished.
The United States transport Mink arrived yesterday, at 9 a. m., from Fort Leavenworth. She left that point on Friday, the 14th inst., at 5 p. m., one day after the J. H. Lucas.
The officers of the Mink report no change in matters at the Fort, but things were progressing briskly, and vast preparations were still going on for a general de-parture. The detachment of 314 dragoons, being com-panies A, B, and C, which she conveyed to the Fort, were about to start for Fort Riley, and thence they were to march for the City of the Saints. Their ob-ject in going to Fort Riley was to conduct supplies to that position.
A messenger had arrived at Fort Leavenworth from Salt Lake City, the day before the arrival of the Mink at the former place, but Lieut. Reno stated that no news of any account was brought by him. The officers, privates, citizens, and all, seemed to understand, by the latest information, that the Mormons were as de-termined as ever to resist the troops, and the last express messenger brought tidings to the effect that from Salt Lake City the women and children, in large numbers, were being sent southward, as if to be out of harm's way. A rumor, which is of little consequence, as it was contradicted almost as soon as started, pre pailed at Leavenworth to the effect that the Mormon forces had an encounter with Col. Johnston's com-mand, routing them, killing 650, and driving the latter before them for a distance of 150 miles.
