Lot Smith Lead Volunteers, On May 1st 1862 men in the Utah Volunteers left Salt Lake to fulfill their assignment of protecting the mail routes and telegraph lines. Lot Smith wrote in his journal, :Company left Salt Lake . proceeded to mouth of Parleys Canyon, finding that road impassible for water, the whole road being washed away. Camped. May 2nd, crossed over to Emigration Canyon, receivced address and instructions from Pres. Brigham Young also from General H. Wells. One mile up the canyon delayed mending road, May 4th passed over the summit. Snow very deep. Had to put on drag ropes to the wagons. May 5th, went along the sides of the mountains, put on about twenty men to each wagon with ropes to prevent upsetting. May 6th, crossed the Weber, repaired the bridge: made a new bridge at Chalk Creek. May 7th, arrived at the Telegraph Station mouth of Echo, water too ;high to ford; built a new bridge, one horse belonging to Brother Sill drowned. May 11th, made Fort Bridger. Camped one mile beyond the fort. On our arrival within one fourth of a mile of the foet we were met by one of the mail company. Mr Hugh O. Neil, who informed us we were just in time, that the Indians had attacked a mail carriage four miles below Bridger. Once the volunteers got onto the Plains,m they found burned and looted mail stations. Wounded people made their way to Fort Bridger. They reported mail bags were cut open and cash, gold, silver were taken. Supplies and livestock were other prime targets for the renegade Indians and outlaw whites. Colonel Collins, the officer in charge at Fort Bridger, felt the Utah Volunteers were not needed. His soldiers were capable of handling the situation without outside help. HE engaged his regular Blue Coat soldiers in various contests of skill with the untrained Utah Volunteers. Colonel Collins, ordered a detachment of his men to double quick time up the side of the mountain and then down again. The Eastern soldiers, being unfamiliar with the rough prairie terrain, made the run with hesitation and confusion. The Utah men had Antelope island horses that were used to such terrain. They went up and down the hill perfectly. Colonel Collins remarked, Captain Smith, I would rather have ten of your men than my whole regiment. We will send the Eastern men to the front. When the Blue Coats heard this, many of them deserted. Towards the end of may, the Utah Volunteers moved down the muddy, crossed the Green River and followed the Sandy and Little Sandy to the head waters near South Pass and Continental Divide. They continued following Sweetwater down to where it converges with the North Platte River. High water and flooding were constant problems. The men continually stopped to repair bridges. TO BE CONTINUED:
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 18:50:31 +0000
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