Hugh Wood Letter to His Mother, Isabella Dated 15 May 1858 Camp Scott, Utah Territory
Background
It is sad to me that we were told that Hugh Wood left home and was never heard from again. This is untrue and paints an unflattering portrait of the young man. What I have found, is that he loved his family. He had hopes and dreams for his future. Hugh had a sweetheart back home in Texas who he hoped to marry. While his end was tragic, Hugh’s letters show how much he cared for and longed to be with his family and how strong his faith in God was. He was a beautiful soul.
This letter tells of his initial time in the Utah Territory. Upon writing this letter, he says that he doesn’t believe the Mormons will fight. This proved to be untrue.
The Letter
Camp Scott U.T.
May 15th, 1858
My Dear Mother,
It is with pleasure that I write you a few lines although it may be months before it reaches you. You will be glad to hear that I have had no sickness for some time. Although I am extremely tired of staying here but spring is happening now. The snow is nearly out of the valleys. We had a severe snowstorm this month which lasted for days. I don’t suppose it ever rains here with it snows. I don’t expect to see any summer before we have the Rocky Mountains. We ready at any time to leave here, but we are compelled to wait for supplies of both provisions and horses. They say they are on the road now but it was the first of September last year before the first of the expedition reached here. I don’t believe the Mormons will fight any. If they do it will only be to cut off small parties. The Governor has been at the city nearly a month but I don’t know what he is doing there. Has been three wagon load of eggs, butter, cheese, onions and a few potatoes from a settlement on Bear River come to this camp. Eggs was a dollar and fifty cents per dozen. Butter and cheese the same per pound. Potatoes eight dollars per bushel. They sold everything as fast as six men could hand them out. Three men passed here on the 10th from Council Bluffs with an express for Salt Lake City. They say it was from Washington but if you read the Washington papers, you will know more about what they are doing than I do as everything is at least two months old before it reaches us. Our beef cattle is all killed but we are not the least bit sorry about it for they would nearly all have died by this time anyhow. If they get any more, it will be from the mountaineers and they certainly will be better than them that came from the States. The reason of it is the Cheyennes Indians captured all the beef cattle and killed several of the men. Therefore, we had to use oxen that worked all the way out here. There is about 1000 Indians here. They are the Utah’s vs. Snakes. I don’t know how they live fore there is no game around here. They have had several fights amoungst themselves but the troops don’t interfere with them. It is now the 15th of May and this is the first fine day we have had. I expect you have had several in Texas. Even now it froze last night, but I suppose it freezes all the time at least is has ever since I came here. The mountains was covered with snow when the first came here and it must be 20 feet deep I some places. Now May 17th. You see I commenced this letter two or three days ago. A mail has arrived. Since it brings no news from the States of any account, but the promotion of Col. Johnson to Brevet Brigadier General. The mail leaves on Saturday. We only have ten days rations left and the nearest train with supplies is 250 miles with these cattle all give out. The Governor returned from Salt Lake on the 10th. They say he has settled everything with the Mormons but we don’t know how or what it is. In mountains, they try to satisfy the men with reading general orders such as they are to receive double rations of coffee and sugar, but it is not likely before they got it to give with will be sometime. I hope I shall receive a letter before we are discharged for their telling which ways I shall go afterwards. I hope you received some of the letters that I wrote. It is not 12 months since I received your last letter so you may know how bad I want to hear from home. I have wrote a good deal and after reading it over, I don’t see it amounts to anything. I shall close with a few lines to Isabella. May the blessings of God and love of our Savior be with you my dear Mother is the sincere wish of your unworthy son,
Hugh Wood