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Show 128 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. stating that all the United States records were burned, and that he, a United States judge, had barely escaped with his life. It is commonly understood that Secretary Floyd and his party took this report kindly, it giving grounds for a move by the army to the far west, thus weakening the power of the Federal Government financially, and mov-ing much of the armament and military supplies, and giving the rebellion a better chance to get a good start before the necessary force could be put in the field by the government. So Drummond's report was acted upon without any enquiry whatever being made to find out whether it was true or not. No moves back were made until the army had pass-ed through the city. This was a sorrowful day for the soldiers. I afterwards traveled and became well acquainted with many of the commissioned officers. As is common with the army officers, they were real gentle-men, and were in no way responsible for these moves. Many of them told me they shed tears while passing through the streets of Salt Lake to see pleasant homes deserted and everything a waste ; that it could only be compared to a city of the dead ; and that to think they were the instruments used to cause all this made them ashamed of their calling. The army agreed to fix their quarters not less than forty miles of Salt Lake City. This agreement was kept. During the winter Col. Marcy went through to New Mexico to buy mules and such supplies as could be obtained sooner than from the east. Quite a number of my old acquaintances from New Mexico came through in the spring. One Lewis Simmons, son- in- law of Kit Carson, came in charge of several thousand head of |