Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) NUMBER 48 OCCASIONAL PAPERS ENGINEER SCHOOL UNITED STATES ARMY Narrative of the March of Co. A, Engineers from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to Fort Bridger, Utah, and Return _MAY 6 TO OCTOBER 3, 1858_ A Contribution to the History of the United States Corps of Engineers _By_ WILLIAM P. SEVILLE _Artificer in the Company during the March Captain, First Delaware Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War_ Revised under the Direction of the Commandant Engineer School, United States Army _By_ First Lieut. JOHN W. N. SCHULZ _Corps of Engineers_ WASHINGTON BARRACKS, D.C. PRESS OF THE ENGINEER SCHOOL 1912 Introductory Note _By_ GILBERT THOMPSON In the spring of 1858, when the Government met with opposition from the Mormon community, in relation to the appointment of Mr. Cummings as Governor of the Territory, and Brigham Young's corps of Danites was being recruited and drilled for active service, it was decided that a military force should be sent to the seat of the trouble to maintain the National authority. The expedition numbered several thousand men--cavalry, artillery, and infantry. As the grass along what was known as the "Emigrant Route" had been almost entirely consumed by the numerous mule and ox-trains which had passed over the Plains during the preceding year, it was found necessary to make a new road, from the Platte River to the Green, over which the Army could march. To perform this duty with sufficient speed to avoid delaying the advancing columns, sixty-four selected men, under First Lieut. James C. Duane and Second Lieut. Edward P. Alexander, were taken from Company A, United States Engineers, then stationed at the Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Leaving a detachment at West Point, the Company started on this service March 31st, 1858, going by rail and steamboat as far as Fort Leavenworth, Kans. Here it remained in barracks until fully equipped to encounter the vicissitudes of the Western Plains. The march to Utah, proper, was begun the 6th of May, 1858. Narrative of the March _May 6_ (Thursday). With bright anticipations of beholding many a novel and interesting scene, and with high expectations of enjoying the new and eventful life which was about to open before us, we left Fort Leavenworth behind on the 6th day of May, 1858. Before us lay a long march--twelve hundred miles, we were told--across a wild, and, except for the first two hundred miles, a desert and uninhabited country. Eight wagons, each drawn by six sturdy mules, drove up in front of our quarters, and, after receiving their baggage, started for the first camping ground at Salt Creek, a distance of about four miles. The wagons were accompanied by a detachment to serve as escort and to pitch the tents.