THE saints' rest. 115 



up his work. Even Brigliam Young, the grand origmator of 

 the difficulties between his subjects and the Gentiles, had a 

 share of the spoils, and the lion's share by the way, for the 

 lumber used in the building of Camp Floyd was from his 

 caiion. Was there ever anything more preposterously absurd? 

 Brigham Young, the head of a fanatical Church which, owing 

 to its iniquities, had been driven from place to place till it had 

 at last established itself among the gloomy valleys of the Rocky 

 Mountains, a thousand miles from a civilized country, attempts 

 to set up a government of his own, where he and his brutalized 

 subjects may enjoy their peculiar institution unmolested by 

 and independent of the general government. The latter sends 

 an army to subjugate the rebels, but it is so delayed that it 

 does not get under way until the season is far advanced. 

 While in midst of the Kocky Mountains, and on the verge of 

 w^inter, three of its supply trains, which have been left negli- 

 gently unguarded, are burnt by a small band of Mormons, 

 who after accomplishing their bold design, get off unmolested. 

 With imminent prospect of being either starved or frozen to 

 death before they encounter the enemy, the little army moves 

 onward, but is finally brought to a halt at Fort Bridger, when 

 cold winter encounters it, and casting an impassable barrier 

 of snow before it, says with icy tongues, " Thus far shalt thou 

 go and no farther." Then the half-starved, benumbed soldiers 

 commence preparing to meet the terrors and hardships which 

 await them. A dreary winter they pass, shivering with the 

 intense cold of those elevated regions and barely keeping body 

 and soul together by the little sustenance they gnaw from the 

 gristly bones of their broken-down mules and oxen, and un- 

 able to withstand their hardships, many poor soldiers sink 

 beneath them to rise no more. Spring! thrice welcome 

 spring ! at last comes upon them, and with it come supplies 

 from the far East, how badly needed is well known. Negotia- 

 tions for peace are in the meantime going on between the 



