History of Salt Lake City, Part 47

Author: Tullidge, Edward Wheelock
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Salt Lake City, Star printing company
Number of Pages: 1194

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make it stop short in its proceeding to enforce the laws and National authority. It is no wonder, therefore, that they repeat their frantic and fanatic appeals to their people, and their defiance to the Government, and grow more and more bold in them. They find that it works better than professions of loyalty and half-way offers of submission, one bad effect of which, for their own cause, is of course to demoralize their followers, and weaken their own authority over them.

" There is no evidence yet of any change in the policy of the executive au- thorities at Washington. While the new Federal Governor of the Territory, Mr. Durkee from Wisconsin, the Federal judges, and the superintendent of Indian affairs are both anti-Mormons and anti-polygamists, all or nearly all the other Federal officers in the Territory are both leading Mormons and practical polyg- amists-the postmasters, collectors of internal revenue, etc. The postmaster of Salt Lake City is one of Brigham Young's creatures, and editor of the Mormon daily paper there. The returns of internal revenue in the Territory are found to be, proportionately to similar populations and wealth, quite small; and there are reasons to believe that the taxes are not faithfully assessed and collected. Gen- eral Conner, who has been returned to his old place, as military commander cf the district of Utah alone, is assigned a force of only one thousand soldiers ; though he asked for and expected to have five thousand. The lesser number remote from all possible reinforcement, is entirely inadequate to support the Governor and judges in any exercise of authority that they may dare to undertake, and that the Mormons may choose to resist. One thousand soldiers could very readily be wiped out-which is a favorite phrase of the Saints towards their enemies -- by a sudden uprising of the fanatical followers of Brigham Young and his apostles.

" Excuse for such uprising is in much danger of being developed from the growing strength and impatience of the anti-Mormon elements in society at Salt Lake City, and the reckless, desperate character of some of those elements. Miners from Idaho and Montana have come into that city to winter, to spend their profits, if successful, or to pick up a precarious living, if unlucky. Many discharged soldiers also remain there or in the neighboring districts. The grow- ing travel and commerce across the continent floats in other persons, good, bad and indifferent as to habits and self-control; other accessions to the Gentile strength and agitation are constantly being mide. The merchants of that class are increasing and becoming prosperous ; those who have been silent and submis- sive under the Mormon hierarchy, dare now to demonstrate their real feelings, under the protection of sympathy and soldiers ; the Daily Union Vedette con- tinues to be published as organ of the soldiers and other ' Gentiles,' and is bold and unsparing and constant in its denunciations of the Mormon church and its influences ; Rev. Norman McLeod, chaplain of the soldiers, and pastor of the Congregational Society in Salt Lake City, has returned from a summer's trip to Nevada and California, with funds for building a meeting-house, and increasing zeal against the Mormons ; a Gentile theatre has been established ; various social or- ganizations, in the same interest, are increasing and growing influential over the young people ; General Connor himself, his fellow officers and soldiers are all bitter in their hatred of the Mormons, and eager for the opportunities to subdue them to the governmental authority; Governor Durkee seems less disposed to be tol-

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erant of the Mormon control and the Mormon disrespect to federal anthority, than his predecessors generally have been; and the judges, goaded like all the rest of the Gentiles, by Mormom insults and Mormon defiance, and their own inca- pacity, under goverment neglect, to perform their duties, more than share the common feeling of antagonism to the Church leaders.

" Thus the two parties are growing more and more antagonistic, more and more into a spirit of conflict. Thus, too, while are rapidly aggregating and op- erating the means by which the Mormon problem is to be solved, even without the special help or interference of Government, are also coming into life the elements and the dangers of a more serious and personal collision, in which the Mormons, from their numerical superiority, would most probably be successful and, quite likely, wreak terrible vengeance on their enemies. Of course such a result would evoke full retribution on their own head ; for then people and Government would arouse, and enforce speedy and complete subjugation.

" But these threatened and dreaded results ought to be and can be avoided. The Government has now the opportunity to guide and control the operation of natural causes to the overthrow of polygamy and the submission of the Mormon aristocracy, without the shedding of blood, without the loss of a valuable popula- tion and their industries. The steps, too, are, first, a sufficient military force in the Territory to keep the peace, to protect freedom of speech, of the press, and of relig- ious proselytism ; to forbid any personal outrages on the rights of the Mormons ; and to prevent any revenges by them upon the Gentiles. And, next, the supplanting of all polygamists in federal offices by men not connected with that distinctive sin and offence of the church. These steps, wisely taken, firmly administered, would rapidly give the growing anti-polygamist elements such moral power as would insure a speedy and bloodless revolution. It may not be wise or necessary, at least at the pre- sent, in view of past indulgence, to undertake to enforce the federal law against poly- gamy; that may be held in abeyance until the effect of such proceedings as have been indicated are fully developed. In short, I would change the government policy from the 'do-nothing ' to the 'make-haste-slowly' character ; I would have its influence decidedly and continuously felt in the Territory, against the crime of polygamy.

" Neglecting to do this, there is danger of anarchy and deadly conflict springing up on that arena ; there is also sure prospect that the people of the country at large will, in their impatience and disgust, force upon Congress such radical measures against the Mormons, as are, in regard to our past neglect and the present opportunity of peaceful revolution, to be almost as deeply deprecated. In either event, the responsibility will rest heavily and sharply upon the President and his Cabinet, who are permitting the affairs of the Territory to drift on in the present loose and dangerous way, either ignorant of, or indifferent to, the rapidly devel- oping social conflict there."

As regards the Utah militia Mr. Bowles, evidently, was laboring under a very prevalent mistake. It has always been represented by anti-Mormon writers, and rehearsed from time to time by the newspapers of the country, that the Utah militia was organized and kept up for the express purpose of rebellion against the United States, or, at least, to give the Mormon leaders the power to resist the

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Federal rule whenever it became obnoxious to them. In other words, the militia of the Territory was looked upon as the military arm of the Mormon Church, and the nucleus of this army was supposed to be a formidable band of " Danites," known also by another name-the " Avenging Angels" of the Church. Hence the annual muster and drill of the Utah militia, taking place so soon after the Colfax visit, signified to Mr. Bowles the arming and preparing for rebellion against the Federal authority : "an open conflict with the representatives of the Government is apparently braved, even threatened." It must be confessed that this view of the militia had been established by the action of the Utah war, when Brigham Young, as governor, put the Territory under martial law, ordered a United States army back, and made bold war speeches in the Tabernacle, and that the militia had gone out under its lieutenant-general to repel invasion. But the Utah militia had been organized for no such purpose. It has been shown, in this his- tory, that the people of Utah had not been making any preparation to resist the expedition, nor had they expected any conflict with the Government, until the news burst upon them like a bombshell, while they were celebrating the tenth an- niversary of their pioneer day, that an army was on the way to destroy them as a community. Then everywhere throughout the Territory the citizens arose spon- taneously, not so much as a militia, but rather as a community to defend their church, their homes, their lives and their liberties, and to protect their wives and children ; for it will be remembered that they expected nothing less than extermi- nation from their Rocky Mountain refuges, if the Utah military expedition pre- vailed. But the Utah militia was organized with no contemplation of anything of this, much less with an intent of resistance to the Federal authority. It was organized in 1849, for the protection of the young colonies against Indian depre- dations, and was kept up for the same purpose. It had, up to 1865, cost the set- tlers many valuable lives, and millions of dollars in time and substance, and there had been occasions when nearly all the able-bodied men in the settlements, both North and South were, half the year round, either under arms on guard at home, or away on Indian expeditions protecting distant settlements. Indeed, the often and continued Indian wars form no inconsiderable portion of Utah's history, and Salt Lake City, being the headquarters, was always conspicuous in the military action and display, especially during the annual muster and review of the troops " over Jordan," when President D. H. Wells figured as lieutenant-general, and apostles and bishops as major-generals, brigadier-generals and colonels yet this fact by no means constituted the militia the army of the Church. Just such an occasion had come in the year 1865. It was the year of the Black Hawk war.

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CHAPTER XLI.

HISTORY OF THE UTAH MILITIA FOR THE YEARS 1865, 1865, AND 1867. THE GOVERNOR CALLS UPON CAMP DOUGLAS FOR AID AGAINST THE INDIANS, BUT IS REFUSED. THE GOVERNMENT ORDERS THE UTAH MILITIA FOR

THAT SERVICE. SECRETARY RAWLINS SUBMITS THE REPORT TO CON- GRESS. THE GOVERNMENT'S DEBT TO OUR CITIZENS OF OVER A MILLION DOLLARS FOR MILITARY SERVICES UNPAID.

The following State document, which is, in itself, quite a chapter of the In- dian history of our Territory, gives a very different rendering of the military ac- tivity in the fall of 1865, of which Mr. Bowles wrote to the public : "New means are taken to organize and drill the militia of the Territory, and to provide them with arms, under the auspices and authority of the Mormon Church ; and an open conflict with the representatives of the government is apparently braved, even threatened."

"WAR DEPARTMENT, March 25th, 1869.

" The Secretary of War has the honor to submit to the House of Represen- tatives the accompanying communication from the adjutant-general of the Terri- tory of Utah, inclosing a statement of the expenses incurred by the Territory in the suppression of Indian hostilities during the years 1865, 1866 and 1867.

"JNO. A. RAWLINS, Secretary of War. "ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, UTAH TERRITORY, " Salt Lake City, Feb. 9th, 1869.

" I have the honor herewith to forward to you the accounts of expenses in- curred by the Territory of Utah, in the suppression of Indian hostilities in said Territory during the years 1865, 1866 and 1867.

" The seat of this war has been chiefly in Sanpete, Sevier and Piute Counties, and it may be necessary to give a brief description of that part of the Territory to enable you to more readily understand the situation of those inhabitants, and the necessity that existed for a strong military force constantly in the field during the season of hostilities.

"San Pete Valley is one hundred and twenty miles south of this city, and extends southward some sixty miles, and is from five to fifteen miles wide, sur- rounded by lofty and rugged mountains, from which streams of water flow down into the valley at intervals of from six to ten miles. On these streams and near the base of the mountains, the settlements and towns are mostly located. There are in this valley, which was first settled in 1849, nine large and, until the war, flour- ishing settlements, viz: Fountain Green, Moroni, Coalville, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, Springtown, Fort Ephraim, Manti, and Fort Gunnison, each with a pop- ulation of from five hundred to two thousand inhabitants. The San Pete River runs through the valley from north to south, and empties into the Sevier river be-

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low Fort Gunnison. Near this point Sevier County joins San Pete and extends directly south some sixty miles up the Sevier Valley, In Sevier County there was, when the war commenced, four thriving settlements, viz : Salina, Glenwood, Rich- field and Alma, with a population of about fifteen hundred. Piute County lies directly south of Sevier. In these, as in San Pete County, the settlements are lo- cated on the streams near the base of the mountains, which are high and very rugged.

The war commenced on the tenth day of April, 1865, when a band of San Pete Utes, led by Black Hawk, killed Peter Ludwicksen near Manti, San Pete County, and on the following day, Barney Ward and Mr. Lambson, near Salina, Sevier County, and drove off a large herd of stock up the adjoining canyon. A company of cavelry was immediately mustercd into service, gave them chase, and when about ten miles up the canyon received a deadly fire from the Indians from behind the rocks in an almost impregnable position. From the high and rugged mountains on both sides they could not be flanked. Two of our men were in- stantly killed and two wounded, and the company was obliged to fall back, until on the arrival of additional forces they again started in pursuit, and traveling one hundred miles over an extremely rugged country, overtook them near Fish Lake, gave them battle, killing and wounding several of the Indians, but the stock had been driven on toward the Elk mountains and could not be recovered. The war had now commenced, and all overtures of peace were peremptorily refused by the Indians. IIis Excellency J. D. Doty, then governor of the Territory, and Col- onel O. H. Irish, then superintendent of Indian Affairs, were applied to for aid. The superintendent requested the military authorities at Camp Douglas, in this city, to send a sufficient force to protect the settlers and to arrest the offending Indians. This was declined. See annual report of O. H. Irish, superintendent of Indian Affairs, Utah Territory, September 9th, 1865, to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C., published in the ' Report of the Secretary of the Interior,' 1865-66, page 314, of which the following is an extract :

"' During the past year the Indians have been peaceful, with the exception of the difficulties with a band of outlaws in San Pete Valley, mentioned in my letter of the 28th of April last. At that time I requested the military authorities to send a sufficient force to protect the settlers and to arrest the offerding Indians. This was refused, and the settlers were left to take care of themselves. They or- ganized a force of about eighty men and drove the Indians back to Grand River, killing about one-third of the number of those who were engaged in committing the depredations.

"O. H. IRISH, Superintendent, etc.,

" May 26th .- The Indians killed John Given, wife and four children, near Thistle Valley, San Pete County, and Mr. Neilson, near North Bend, in the same county, and on the 29th, David M. Jones, near the same settlement, and drove off a large herd of horses and cattle. In consequence of these renewed outrages other companies of cavalry were mustered into service, and the stock in these counties, which had up to that time ranged in the valleys and sides of the moun- tains, were gathered up and herded in the vicinity of the settlements by the in- habitants.

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" Notwithstanding every precaution and effort made by the militia and the set- tlers, in consequence of the rugged nature of the country and the situation of the settlements, it was impossible to prevent the enemy making an occasional raid on the settlements or some herd of stock, as they would come down from the moun- tains in force and return in an hour to an almost impregnable position in the can- yon, or some previously unknown mountain pass.

" For the better protection of the settlements, all of the able-bodied men in those counties were mustered into service as home guards, and performed duty in this capacity, but no returns for this service are included in these accounts.

" The war continued, the Indians gaining accessions to their ranks, and having, during the summer, massacred between thirty and forty men, women and children. The last raid in 1865, was on Fort Ephraim, San Pete County, in the month of October, when five men and two women were killed, and two men wounded, and two hundred head of stock taken. Many battles were fought dur- ing the summer and some forty of Black Hawk's warriors killed.

" On the approach of winter the Indians withdrew to the Colorado River, living on the plunder of the past summer, their successes having furnished them with horses to mount all who would join their ranks, and plenty of beef to feed them -- strong inducements to Indians.

"Nothing reliable was heard of the enemy for some time, but it was ru- mored that they were daily increasing in numbers and making preparations for another campaign so soon as the melting snow in the mountains would permit.

" Early in the month of February, 1866, their intentions were defined by making a raid on a small settlement in Kane County, Southern Utah, killing Dr. Whitmore and a young man by the name of McIntyre, and driving off a large flock of sheep, some horses and cattle ; and in a few days making another raid on Berryville, in the same county, killing two men and one woman, and taking some horses and cattle ; and as the snow disappeared from the mountains north, so they continued to advance on the settlements in force, having been joined by a number of the Navajoes and a band of Elk Mountain Utes. The war, which at its commencement, looked small, began to assume alarming proportions, and, as the settlers had to rely on the militia of the Territory, Lieutenant-General Daniel H. Wells ordered all the able-bodied men that could be spared from San Pete, Sevier and Piute Counties to be immediately mustered into service as cav- alry and infantry, and organized for defence. Before the organization was com- pletely effected, another raid was made upon Marysvale, Piute County, April 2d ; two men were killed and a band of horses captured. Their next raid was on Salina, Sevier County, April 20th. Here two men were killed, and two hundred head of cattle and horses taken. See letters of Colonel F. H. Head, Superinten- dent of Indian Affairs, Utah Territory, to the Commissioners of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C., published in 'Indian Affairs, 1866,' on pages 128, 130, of which the following is extracted :

" ' UTAH SUPERINTENDENCY, "'GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, April 30, 1866

" 'SIR : Black Hawk, a somewhat prominent chief of the Ute Indians, has been engaged for more than a year past in active hostilities against the settlements

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in the southern portion of this Territory. His band consisted at first of but forty- four men, who were mostly outlaws and desperate characters from his own and other tribes. During the summer and autumn of 1865 he made several successful forays upon the weak and unprotected settlements in San Pete and Sevier Counties, killing in all thirty-two whites, and drove away to the mountains up- ward of two thousand cattle and horses.

"' Forty of his warriors were killed by the settlers in repelling his different attacks. His success in stealing, however, enabled him to feed abundantly and mount all Indians who joined him, and the prestige acquired by his raids was such that his numbers were constantly on the increase, despite his occasional losses of men. He spent the winter near where the Grand and Green Rivers unite to form the Colorado. On the 20th instant he again commenced his dep- redations by making an attack upon Salina, Sevier County. He succeeded in driving to the mountains about two hundred cattle, killing two men who were guarding them, and compelling the abandonment of the settlement.

"' His band, from what I consider entirely reliable information, now num- bers about one hundred warriors, one-half of whom are Navajoes from New Mexico.

"""' In view of these circumstances, and for the purpose of preventing acces- sions to the ranks of the hostile Indians, I have, after consultation with Governor Durkee, desired Colonel Potter, commanding the United States troops in this dis- trict, to send two or three companies of soldiers to that portion of the Territory to protect the settlements and repel further attacks. Colonel Potter has tele- graphed to General Dodge for instructions in reference to my application. I should be much pleased to have an expression of your views as to the policy to be pursued in this matter.

""' Very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

"' F. H. HEAD, Superintendent. " ' Hon. D. N. Cooley, "' Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C.,

" And under date of 2 1st June, in a similar communication, he states (see page 130 of said published report) :

""' I advised you in my communication of the 30th April that I had applied to the military authorities to send two or three companies of troops to protect the settlers in those portions of the Territory most exposed to Indian raids, and that Colonel Potter, commanding at this point, had telegraphed for instructions. A copy of the response to such cammunication is herewith enclosed.

""' The morning of my departure (from Uintah) I was informed by Tabby, the head chief, that when he received notice of my arrival in the valley, himself and all his warriors were on their way to join the hostile Indians in the southern portion of the Territory, in their war upon the settlements. He also informed me that Black Hawk, having secured a number of recruits among the Elk Moun- tain Utes to swell his force to three hundred warriors, was then setting out from the Elk Mountain country to attack the weaker settlements in San Pete County,

"' On reaching this city on my return from Uintah, I communicated the facts

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in my possession relative to Black Hawk, to Governor Durkee. General Wells, one of the principal militia officers, after consulting with the Governor, has raised two or three companies of militia, and proceeded to the threatened locality to protect the settlers from the expected attack.

" ' F. H. HEAD, Superintendent.'

" ' FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, May 2d, 1866.

"' General Pope telegraphs that the superintendent of Indian affairs will have to depend for the present on the militia to compel the Indians to behave at Salina.

" ' By command of MAJOR-GENERAL DODGE.

"'SAMUEL C. MACKEY, "'Acting Assistant Adjutant- General,

"' Col. Carroll H. Potter,

"'Commanding District of Utah.'

"Accordingly, steps were immediately taken to place all the settlements south and east of Salt Lake City in a better state of defence, and troops were mustered into service from Salt Lake and other counties, and despatched to the scenes of hostili- ties. The weaker settlements in Summit, Wasatch, San Pete, Sevier, Piute, Beaver, Iron, Kane, and Washington, were abandoned and removed to the stronger. Substantial forts were built, and all the stock in the above named counties was gathered up and guarded. Overtures of peace were made by the settlers when- ever opportunity offered, but were defiantly refused by the Indians; and on the IIth day of June, Lieutenant-General D. H. Wells started from Salt Lake City, and on the 14th arrived at Fort Gunnison, San Pete County, and took command in person, remaining in San Pete, Sevier and Piute Counties three months. Not- withstanding every precaution, and the energy and faithfulness of the militia troops in service, such was the extent and mountainous character of the country, that the enemy, lying secreted, would occasionally succeed in making a dash on some weak point and capturing a herd of stock. Thus it continued through the summer, while all that part of the Territory for three hundred miles in extent was paralyzed, but more particularly was it the case in San Pete, Sevier and Piute Counties. No improvements were made. The saw mills in the canyons were silent; and in many cases were burnt up or otherwise destroyed by the Indians. Very little grain was raised in consequence of the number of men in the service in those counties. During the summer about twenty persons were massacred, and a very large amount of stock was taken, and many flourishing set- tlements were broken up and abandoned. Several skirmishes occurred through the summer, in which between thirty and forty of the Indians were killed and wounded.

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History of Salt Lake City, Part 47

Author: Tullidge, Edward Wheelock Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Salt Lake City, Star printing company Number of Pages: 1194

Author: Tullidge, Edward Wheelock
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Salt Lake City, Star printing company
Number of Pages: 1194