I am feeding 100 men, all hard at work. Even though the main body of Saints was removed from the violence, members of the Church were still highly invested in what was going on during the war, partly because of the family and friends they had left behind that were now caught in the conflict. [69] In March 1863, Judge Kinney issued a writ against Young for violation of the Suppression of Polygamy Act. Although Young's secular position simplified his administration of the Territory, he believed his religious authority was more important among a nearly homogeneous population of Mormons. Keep your men concealed as much as possible, and guard against surprise. Young had been appointed territorial Governor under Millard Fillmore. Many hours, miles and personal library additions have added to my knowledge of U.S. history, particularly the American Civil War and this peculiar event called the Utah War. We found the city evacuated, all had gone to Provo except a few men left to burn the city if ordered. For nearly two hundred miles his right flank would be exposed to Federal attack. However, President Abraham Lincoln did not enforce these laws; instead Lincoln gave Brigham Young tacit permission to ignore the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act in exchange for not becoming involved with the American Civil War. Popular sovereignty, the defense of which had been a major cause of the Utah Expedition, was finally repudiated when the resolution of the slavery question sparked the American Civil War. Kane was a man of some political prominence who had been helpful to the Mormons in their westward migration and later political controversies. trailheads of the Oregon Trail; towns along the … Mormon colonists in small outlying communities in the Carson Valley and San Bernardino, California were ordered to leave their homes to consolidate with the main body of Latter-day Saints in Northern and Central Utah. And the Mormons were to blame, as they saw it. Brigham Young accepted Buchanan's terms and pardon, although he denied Utah had ever rebelled against the United States. Young was willing to support Cumming as governor, but he still feared persecution and violence if the army entered Utah. However, he found the residents of Utah determined to defend themselves. Determining that they could not ascend the river beyond Black Canyon they turned back downstream. 0 Comments, posted by Curtis @ 10:54 AM   "Many became some of the most important generals of the Civil War." This made the press martyr the Mormons and were sent a full pardon in 1848. Then they burned down 12 businesses and a number of farms. In addition to popular election, many early LDS Church leaders received quasi-political administrative appointments at both the territorial and federal level that coincided with their ecclesiastical roles, including the powerful probate judges. No one was killed, but one Mormon took a bullet through his hat band, and one horse was grazed. so my mom and i get into arguments about race a lot, specifically about the racism of the church. Mormon Elias Blackburn recorded in his journal, The roads are crowded with the Saints moving south. [10] They first claimed that the migrants were killed by Indians but it was proven otherwise. On 21 November, Cumming sent a proclamation to the citizens of Utah declaring them to be in rebellion, and soon after, a grand jury was formed at Camp Scott, which indicted two Mormon prisoners, Brigham Young, and over 60 other members of the Mormon hierarchy for treason. However, the rest of American society rejected polygamy, and some commentators accused the Mormons of gross immorality. It, of course, stopped with LDS President Wilford Woodruff’s Manifesto (a.k.a. They were so successful that, by the time the commanding officer, Albert Sidney Johnston, arrived in November, the army was forced to winter over near the burned-out Fort Bridger under miserable conditions. Buchanan's proclamation was also unpopular among the Mormon rank and file. •Their neighbors were worried that Mormons could take control of state and local politics. Left camp early. That’s why A $2,000 bail bond was posted[70] awaiting the decision of the grand jury. Some federal officials sent by the President maintained essentially harmonious relationships with the Mormons. In October 1857, Mormons arrested six Californians traveling through Utah and charged them with being spies for the U.S. Army. ", "IMPORTANT FROM UTAH. President Nelson didn’t have to—we knew it was coming. War was avoided as the army realized there was no rebellion. Yet, they were marching . Because of Harney's unavailability, … [33] Furniss states that most federal reports from Utah to Washington "left unclear whether the [Mormons] habitually kicked their dogs; otherwise their calendar of infamy in Utah was complete".[34]. Buchanan also decided to send a force of 2,500 army troops to build a post in Utah and to act as a posse comitatus once the new governor had been installed. Keep them from sleeping, by night surprises; blockade the road by felling trees or destroying the river fords where you can. Printed on wove paper (consistent texture when held to the light). Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Mormons' state of mind was further alarmed[citation needed] when they learned in late June 1857 that LDS Apostle Parley P. Pratt had recently been murdered while serving a mission in Arkansas. Philip St. George Cooke, who had led the Mormon Battalion during the Mexican War, merely bared his head in respect. To be fair, L’Espérance, then 15, was clueless about most religions. It has been interesting to note the many officers and men of the army that came to Utah that had a significant impact on the Civil War for good and bad. As it was, July was already far into the campaigning season, and the army and their supply train were unprepared for winter in the Rocky Mountains. Prior to the American Civil War in 1857 it appeared to politicos in Washington that the Mormons in Utah were in disloyal and perhaps rebellious toward the U.S. government. The Mormons evacuated Salt Lake City and were ready to burn it down rather than let outsiders take their city, but this was avoided. Johnston's Army entered a deserted city. In analogy to the federal procedure, these executive and judicial appointments were confirmed by the Territorial Legislature, which largely consisted of popularly elected Latter-day Saints. Johnston was soon joined by the 2nd Dragoons commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Philip St. George Cooke, who had accompanied Alfred Cumming, Utah's new governor, and a roster of other federal officials from Fort Leavenworth. Many felt that these sensationalized beliefs, along with early communitarian practices of the United Order, also violated the principles of republicanism as well as the philosophy of laissez-faire economics. [57], The journals of members of the Ives expedition as well as the Mormons from Hamblin's group attest to the tension and war hysteria among both the US Army and the Mormons in these remote territories.[57]. D. Robert Carter This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C2. MacKinnon, William P. "At Sword's Point, Part 1: A Documentary History of the Utah War to 1858" (Norman, Okla.: The Arthur H. Clark Company, 2008). An army advancing up the Colorado River would cut off this escape route. GENERAL ORDERS No. First, they robbed the stores, and then they set the town on fire. were proven false, the stories about Utah especially concerning polygamy would not go away. In addition, Utah was under nominal military occupation. June – On the head-waters of the Sweet-Water, met Grosebecks' camp going to Platt Bridge for a train of goods. [50] However, historians question the intent of this proclamation as it was never widely circulated, if at all, and while copies of the document exist, there is no mention of it in any contemporary sources. Ives' party steamed up the Colorado River with frequent contact with Mojaves and other natives who traded with them and were allowed to board their vessel. But by 1857, non-Mormon newspapers from New York to California had begun reporting that the Mormons were seeking the Indians' allegiance in case of a clash with the United States. The Utah War, 1857–1858, was a costly, disruptive and unnecessary confrontation between the Mormon people in Utah Territory and the government and Army of the United States. Mormons Have Always Answered the Call to Serve . While rumors spread during the spring that an army was coming to Utah and that Brigham Young had been replaced as governor, this was not confirmed until late July. Smith's own flights of imagination about religion doctrine were such that a lot of Mormons were doing that. The soldier's feelings differed from thos of the settlers. However, both of these non-Mormons were well respected in the Latter-day Saint community, and were genuinely mourned upon their deaths. At the time members were being driven out of many states and heavily persecuted, over 500 men agreed to serve their country as part of the Mormon Battalion.. Largely due to their evacuation, the settlers' livelihoods and economic well-being were seriously impacted for at least that year and perhaps longer. Johnston’s Army is Stopped by Winter Snows (154-155) What did the US Army find when they reached Fort Bridger? Official Declaration 1) in 1890. I have since I was 11. Riding through the still empty streets of Salt Lake City on June 26, an embittered Johnston was heard to say that he would have given "his plantation for a chance to bombard the city for fifteen minutes". It seems that Kane successfully convinced Young to accept Buchanan's appointment of Cumming as Territorial governor, although Young had expressed his willingness to accept such terms at the very beginning of the crisis. This event was later called the Mountain Meadows Massacre and the motives behind the incident remain unclear. Although Eastern editors continued to condemn the Mormons' religious beliefs and practices, they praised their heroism in the face of military threat. The accusations were read by Gunnison's widow, who wrote to the Judge that she also believed the Mormons were involved in the death of her husband. Van Vliet carried a letter to Young from General Harney ordering Young to make arrangements for the citizens of Utah to accommodate and supply the troops once they arrived. War was avoided as the army realized there was no rebellion. 15 September 1857: Brigham young declares martial law, forbidding "all armed forces of every description from coming into this Territory, under any pretense whatsoever". Fort Bridger was first established in 1843 as a trading post by Jim Bridger and his partner, Pierre Louis (Luis) Vasquez, on the on Blacks Fork of the Green River. He planned to buy time for the Mormon settlements to prepare for either battle or evacuation, and create a window for negotiations with the Buchanan Administration. By 1860, sectional strife split the Democratic Party into northern and southern wings, indirectly leading to the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He, like so many Mormons before … Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), often called Mormon pioneers, began settling in what is now Utah (then part of Alta California in the Centralist Republic of Mexico) in the summer of 1847. In Buchanan's State of the Union address earlier in the month, he had taken a hard stand against the Mormon rebellion, and had actually asked Congress to enlarge the size of the regular army to deal with the crisis. He won an early victory at the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) in July 1861, but was later criticized for being quick to retreat during the early stages of the Pen… Slavery was an issue. [19] When gold was discovered in California in 1848 at Sutter's Mill, which sparked the famous California Gold Rush, thousands of migrants began moving west on trails that passed directly through territory settled by Mormon pioneers. As a result, Utah struggled for almost forty more years to The troops were originally to be led by Gen. William S. Harney. PRISTINA, Kosovo — Lawmakers in Kosovo gave their approval Tuesday for sending the country’s security forces to take part in international peacekeeping missions.The 120-seat parliament voted unanimously, with 92 present lawmakers, in favour of the move. I deprecate it as an intolerable evil. Everett Cooley (ed. The Mormons tried to suggest that the Indians had killed all of the emigrants but were not believed, the US sent more troops to Utah and thousands of Mormons fled. The Latter-day Saints and federal appointees in the Territory faced continual dispute. Some are heroes, and some were scum," Allen says. As it was, Mormons were forced to leave the US , the supposed land of religious freedom, for Mexican Territory. But Young told Van Vliet that the Mormons did not desire war, and "if we can keep the peace for this winter I do think there will be something turned up that may save the shedding of blood. When travelers told him in the summer of 1857 that the army was approaching, he worried old enemies had convinced the federal government to renew persecution of Mormons. This remote location, neighbor only to a few farms and ranches, was chosen to decrease friction between the troops and the Mormons. Young had generally adopted a policy of conversion and conciliation towards native tribes. Over 300 men, women, and children were killed by the failing to officially notify Governor Young about his replacement. Most scholars believe that following the end of the Mormon War in the winter of 1838, the unit was partially disbanded. Historian Harold Schindler states that his mission was to contact Governor Young and inform him of the expedition's mission: to escort the new appointees, to act as a posse comitatus and to establish at least two and perhaps three new U.S. Army camps in Utah. Alexander instead maneuvered his troops around the Mormon defenses, entering Utah from the north along the Bear River before being forced to turn back upon running into a heavy blizzard in late October. I guess that makes sense, mormons do know most about mormonism :) I don't really understand why America is worried about mormons. All LDS missionaries serving in the United States and Europe were recalled. The army was not given instructions on how to react in case of resistance. The Captain therefore left his escort and proceeded alone.[42]. In 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed, and soon large numbers of "Gentiles" arrived in Utah to stay. During their descent, the Mojave informed Ives that Mormons had recently been among the Mojaves and were inciting unrest by intimating that the real purpose of the river expedition was to steal Indian lands. •#5 Slavery •Many of the Mormons were from England and the Northern States where It was also rumored in Washington that Mormons might try to retreat down the Colorado River and into Sonora. The illustration above is of the troops marching through the streets of Salt Lake City, probably in front of Brigham Young's home. Mormon Nazis: New book uncovers LDS support for the Third Reich A startling new book argues that German Mormons in the 1930s were not just … They also hinted that once the new governor was installed and the laws yielded to, "a necessity will no longer exist to retain any portion of the army in the Territory, except what may be required to keep the Indians in check and to secure the passage of emigrants to California. As early as 1852, Dr. John M. Bernhisel, Utah's Mormon delegate to Congress, had suggested that an impartial committee be sent to investigate the actual conditions in the territory. Johnston's Army settled in Camp Floyd, in a valley 50 miles southwest of Salt Lake City and separated from Provo (the second-largest city in the territory) by Utah Lake and a small range of mountains. However, affairs in "Bleeding Kansas" forced Harney to remain behind to deal with skirmishes between pro-slavery and free-soiler militants. The Mormons, fearful that the large U.S. military force had been sent to annihilate them and having faced persecution in other areas,[7] made preparations for defense. Leave no grass before them that can be burned. Young announced the approach of the army to a large group of Latter-day Saints gathered in Big Cottonwood Canyon for Pioneer Day celebrations on 24 July.[36]. . [21] The LDS Church in territorial Utah viewed plural marriage as religious doctrine until 1890, when it was removed as an official practice of the Church by Wilford Woodruff.[22][23]. Beginning in 1851, a number of federal officers, some claiming that they feared for their physical safety, left their Utah appointments for the east. [57], Ives arrived at Yuma on the evening of 5 January 1858. Like the contemporary abolitionists, Latter-day Saint leaders declared that the judgments of God would be meted out upon the nation for its unrighteousness. What was “Buchanan’s Blunder”? [54] Few if any shots were fired in these exchanges, and the Army's lack of cavalry left them more or less open to Mormon raids. . The Nauvoo Legion finally made contact with federal troops in late September just west of South Pass. [57], Hamblin's group made direct contact with Ives expedition by sending Thaïes Haskell, to hail the steamer's crew from the bank while the other Mormons remained in hiding. Van Vliet arrived in Salt Lake City on 8 September. [57], Meanwhile, George Alonzo Johnson, a merchant who had an established business transporting goods by steamship between the Colorado River Delta and Fort Yuma, was upset that he had not been awarded command of the expedition's original exploratory mission. During the Presidential Election of 1856 a key plank of the newly formed Republican Party's platform was a pledge "to prohibit in the territories those twin relics of barbarism: polygamy and slavery". One consequence of the Utah War was the creation of the famous Pony Express. It is a bit biased as is the caption. [45] However, in his conversation with Kane, Buchanan worried that the Mormons might destroy Johnston's Army at severe political cost to himself, and stated that he would pardon the Latter-day Saints for their actions if they would submit to government authority. 5 Comments, posted by Curtis @ 10:14 AM   The government never reimbursed the outfitters for these losses, and in 1860 they formed the Pony Express to earn a government mail contract to keep them from falling into bankruptcy. Treaties were signed at the fort with the friendly Shoshone in 18… Although the Utah Expedition had begun to gather as early as May under orders from General Winfield Scott, the first soldiers did not leave Fort Leavenworth, Kansas until 18 July 1857. For the next several years, the Federal Government, distracted by the Civil War, largely left the Mormons alone and the Mormon Church was able to continue its growth and missionary work. 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