UTAH AND THE MORMONS.
FREDERICK LOBA'S STORY.
Further Accounts Of Mormon Outrages and Character.
From Our Own Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Wednesday, May 12, 1858.
Audi alteram partem is a good maxim, especial-ly for an independent journal like the TIMES, which hears all sides, in previous correspondence I have xpressed doubts as to the real character of LOBA the escaped Mormon—the tendency of his story, etc. For this doubt I have a certain warrant, and al-hough in view of the information I possess, I con-fess that it is not by any means dispelled, I feel bound to furnish the corroboration of LOBA'S story, which has been supplied by a gentleman who has resided several years in Utah, and with whom I have had a conversation upon the subject. The gentleman's name is withheld, in deference to his wishes, since he intends returning to Utah, and therefore dislikes to become conspicuous through newspaper reports, in-imical to the Mormons; but he informs me that he was acquainted with LOBA, in Salt Lake City and knows personally, the circumstances of his flight and the cause of it. It originated as follows: A young man who went to Salt Lake in some government capacity be-came attached to ALICE, one of the daughters of BRIGHAM YOUNG, and joined the Mormon church on BRIGHAM'S promise that he should have her in mar-riage. He went to California previous to the consum-mation of the contract, but on his return BRIGHAM re-fused to fulfill it, and gave his daughter to his own but-ler for a third wife. Subsequently, the disappointed lover undertook to escape, accompanied by five others, and they succeeded in getting away on some pretence, when YOUNG called his son, and ordered him to form a party, follow and kill them. They did follow, and overtook them about 350 miles from Salt Lake, sleeping under the edge of a bluff, unsuspecting of pursuit. They were fired upon by the Danite Band, most of them wounded, then deprived of all their an-imals save one, and allowed to go. They finally reached San Bernardino, after suffering great priva-tions, and the indignant citizens of that place came near hanging all the Mormons there, in consequence of their recital. LOBA, himself, says that he overheard the order from BRIGHAM to his son. My informant adds that it was in consequence of LOBA thus pos-sessing this dangerous knowledge that his death was also ordered by the tyrant. He confirms the fact that LOBA and his wife (far advanced in pregnancy) took their flight from Salt Lake, while the snow was on the ground, and walked to Green River. My inform-ant saw him at Fort Laramie after his hazardous and exhausting journey.
My informant confirms, in all essential particulars, the rest of LOBA'S statement, He says that perhaps his estimate of the population is too small, and he thinks that the Mormons might bring into the field from eight to ten thousand men. In regard to their ability to manufacture powder, he says, it does not result so much from want of knowledge, as of ma-terial, they having no coal which is hard enough to make anything better than a coarse cannon powder, for which they have little use, since they have only three or four small field pieces, which the Govern-ment allowed the Mormon troops who served in the Mexican war, to take home with them for their pro-tection on the ronte. It is a fact, however, that they are not by any means destitute of powder, since, my informant says, BRIGHAM YOUNG has been for two years or more, in anticipation of trouble, col-lecting and storing away supplies of this munition in various guarded and secret places outside of Salt Lake City.
A person in Salt Lake told my informant that he knew where BRIGHAM had two hundred kegs stored, about twenty-five miles from the city. The Mormons are also well supplied with small arms, and there are three persons in their community who alone are capable of manufacturing them, but have not done so to any extent. They have no means of casting can-non, but my informant says that BRIGHAM has not acted without a consciousness of this deficiency in form ing the plan of his campaign. He says that the Mor-mons never will stand a regular battle, and if unable to prevent the troops from advancing on Salt Lake City by the means they have taken to guard Echo Canon, they will desert and destroy it, and take to the moun-tains, dispersing into guerrilla parties, living among and like the Indians, and having their aid in harass-ing the United States troops, by cutting off small par-ties, intercepting expresses and supplies, stampeding stock, and adopting all the various devices by which a guerrilla band can annoy and perhaps defeat a very much larger body of regulars.
In such a warfare artillery will be useless, and among the mountains cavalry inefficient. The Mor-mon young men, my informant says, are semi-savage have the habits and characteristics of the Indians, and can live as the Indians do, and starvation will he the weapon with which they will fight the United States. Under such circumstances, the force of the army will be exhausted in protecting their supplies, since, considering the not superabund-ant amount with which they will be furnished by long transportation across the plains, it will take only oc-casional losses from the Mormon and Indian forays to distress them.
In this view of the case, a long and frightfully ex pensive Mormon Guerrilla war, somewhat similar in character, though ten times aggravated, to the Indian war which has been so long prevalent, and which ha cost the Government so many millions in Florida, apspear to be in prospect. Neither can much be ex-pected from the mission of the Peace Commis-sioners, since, as I informed you upon the very best authority, they have no power to offer conditions of compromise to the Mormons, and it is not even believed that they will ever see BRIGHAM YOUNG himself. In his own do main BRIGHAM keeps as much state as the President in his. My informant thinks that he will appoint Commissioners to meet those of the President, and as the latter will have nothing special to offer, and the former, if they offer anything, will ask terms which Messrs. POWELL and MCCULLOCH have no authority to assent to, the total result will be simply nil, the Mor-mons, however, gaining a little time.
No official news has now been received from Gen. JOHNSTON'S command since the first of March, and the only news of any sort has been that just reported which was brought by parties who left Camp Scot only three days subsequent to the departure of the mail of that date. It is not credited that Gen. JOHN-STON has allowed this long interregnum to take place in his dispatches, and it is believed that his expresses have been cut off by the Mormons, in pursuance o the harrassing policy already indicated. What adds confirmation to the supposition is the fact that the Salt Lake mail, due May 1, is now twelve days be-hindhand, and has not been heard from.
My informant adds that not one-half of the atroci-ties of the Mormons have yet been told—that they are so great, in fact, that if they were told they would not be credited by the civilized world. He says there is not the smallest doubt that Major DENNISON and his party were murdered by the painted Indians, i.e. the Mormon Danites, and adds that there is now a man in Salt Lake who, if he is not cut off by the order of BRIGHAM YOUNG before he can be taken under the protection of the United States Courts and troops, can and will testify to all the facts in relation to that bloody affair. My informant says that he himself has seen the warm blood of men who have been mur-dered by the Danites in attempting to escape—mur-dered on the pretence which they use, to save their souls from hell.
This is the relation of a gentleman who has been for years at Salt Lake, is well known here, and who is certainly conversant with the facts which he re-lates. He is credited fully by all who know him, and although I still prefer to reserve my own opinion, there is no reasonable ground why the public should not adopt his statements with some degree of confi-dence, O.
From the Utah Army—Important Intelligence from the Mormons.
The latest intelligence from the Army of Utah brings an important piece of news. A man had arrived at Camp Scott, who has escaped from Sal Lake, and got into camp in dreadful plight, badly frost-bitten and nearly starved. He reported that the Mormons were equipping companies to come out on the road this Spring and cut off the trains and harass the troops.
Col. HOFFMAN, with two companies of cavalry and 150 wagons, with supplies, were met 120 miles this side of Laramie on the 16th April. About 100 wag-ons with supplies were ready to move from Fort La-ramie as soon as HOFFMAN got up. These trains would reach Col. JOHNSTON early in May.
By way of New-Mexico, we have items of news regarding Capt. MARCH'S command, and the Indians who are supposed to be in complicity with the Mor-mons. The Santa Fe Gazette says :
"The additional escort furnished by Gen. GERLAND to Capt, MARCY consists of three companies, under command of that experienced and successful officer, Col. LORING. This command left Fort Union on the 6th inst. If it is really true, and we have every rea-son to believe it is, that the Mormons desire to cut off the supplies Captain MARCY has in charge, they will find a rather warm and unexpected reception. In ad-dition to tire 400 or 500 regulars who will constitute the escort, there will be almost as many private citi-zens in company, who, in an emergency, would shoul-der the musket and do effective service. The fact is, the Saints and New-Zion are getting into a hot place, and every indication seems to foreshadow an early record of their downfall."
We are informed by the monthly reports of Agent CARSON, that a large number of the Utah Indians are almost daily at the Agency. The Agent also states that Indians from Salt Lake have been, and probably are now, among the Indians of this superintendency, trying to alienate them from their friendship to the United States Government and assist the Mormons in their rebellion. The Salt Lake Indians tell the Mu-atchos that the Mormons have a river which the army will have to pass and use water from, and that the use of that water will poison every man; but that if the Indians use it they will be strong and healthy. These stories seem to have but little influence upon CARSON'S Indians, as they manifest no disposition to hostility. They are liberally fed, and every reasona-ble want supplied.
The agent also writes that there is no probability of a peace between the Utahs and Navajoes. The former are determined upon an active prosecution of hostilities until they are satisfied according to Indian mode of adjusting difficulties—killed a certain num-ber of men and stolen a certain number of animals. The Arapahoes, between whom and the Utahs, re-cently, a peace was ratified, and the Cheyennes of the plains, have notified Agent CARSON that they do not desire peace with the Utahs. They allege that some of their people have recently been killed by those Indians. These indications promise a rather spirited engagem nt and render the probability of their affiliation with the Mormons more remote than ever. A Kilkenny cat fight among them, would not be of incalculable loss to humanity, or a serious re-tardment to civilization, while it assuredly would cut off all hope of assistance to BRIGHAM from any of these nations."
A Leavenworth correspondent of the St. Louis Re-publican, writing May 8, describes an interview with a party just in from Colonel JOHNSTON'S quarters. He says:
"This party denies the truth of the report that a majority of the Indian tribes are concerting with Mein Her BRIGHAM. The Utahs, Black Feet, Cayugas, Flat-Heads, and several others appear to have old grudges to settle with the Mormons, and this chance seems to be the favorable opportunity to wipe out old scores. They propose, if it be allowed, to enter Salt Lake City with Colonel JOHNSTON, that they may take vengeance on their oppressors."
The News from Utah.
From the Washington Union.
It will be seen from our telegraphic dispatch, that by advices received from Col. JOHNSTON, dated the 10th of March, it was understood at Camp Scott that the Mormons were in expectation of cutting off the supply trains then en route from Fort Laramie to the camp. We are glad to believe, however, that the enemy are likely to be disappointed in their calcula-tion. The trains have been sent forward under a very strong army escort, which was increased in con-templation of the very contingency now threatened. The escort consists of seven regiments, or about 500 effective men under the command of Col. HOFFMAN, who is known to be an officer of prudence, courage and discretion. The supply train is indeed a very large one ; and the escort is encumbered by an extra number of animals, destined for the use of the army already at Camp Scott. The great length of the train and the facility of stampeding the supernumerary animals, may render it possible for the Mormons to annoy the expedition very much, and possibly to cause some loss of animals and wagons; but we think there can be little reason to apprehend any serious loss of supplies—none to cause any uneasiness for the safety of the expedition.
