USA > Utah > History of Utah > Part 60
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November 8th .- The mercury this morning marked forty-four degrees below the freezing point. The march was commenced before eight o'clock, and soon a high north- west wind arose, which, with the drift, gave great suffering. Few could ride long; but, of necessity, eighteen miles were marched to Bitter Creek. * * * *
November 10th-The north-west wind continued fiercely, enveloping us in a cloud which froze and fell all day. Few could have faced that wind. The herders left to bring up the rear with extra, but nearly all broken down mules, could not force them from the dead bushes of the little valley; and they remained there all day and night, bringing in next day the fourth part that had not frozen. Thirteen miles were marched, and the camp was made four miles from the top of the pass. A wagon that day cut partly through the ice of a branch and there froze so fast that eight mules could not move it empty. Nearly all the tent pins were broken in the last camp ; a few of iron were here substituted. Nine trooper horses were left freezing and dying in the road that day, and a number of soldiers and teamsters had been frost-bitten. It was a desperately cold night. The thermometers were broken, but, by comparison, must have marked twenty-five degrees below zero. A bottle of sherry wine froze in a trunk. * *
I have one hundred and forty-four horses, and have lost one hundred and thirty-four. Most of the loss has occurred much this side of South Pass, in comparatively moderate
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weather. It has been of starvation ; the earth has a no more lifeless, treeless, grassless desert ; it contains scarcely a wolf to glut itself on the hundreds of dead and frozen animals, which for thirty miles nearly block the road; with abandoned and shattered property, they mark, perhaps beyond example in history, the steps of an advancing army with the horrors of a disastrous retreat.
The ruins of Fort Bridger were utilized by General Johnston for the storage of supplies, a sufficient garrison, with artillery, being left to guard the improvised fortress, while the main army-the General having abandoned the idea of pushing through the mountains that season-went into winter quarters on Black's Fork. There arose Camp Scott .* Near by, a primitive settlement called Eckelsville sprang up. There dwelt in "dug-outs" Chief Justice Eckels, for whom the place was named, also Governor Cumming and other officials who had accompanied the army to Utah.
Governor Cumming, on the 21st of November, addressed a communication to Governor Young, enclosing the following proc- lamation :
GREEN RIVER COUNTY, NEAR FORT BRIDGER, UTAH TERRITORY,
21st November, 1857.
To the People of Utah Territory :
On the 11th July, 1857, the President appointed me to preside over the executive department of the government of this Territory. I arrived at this point on the 19th of this month, and shall probably be detained some time in consequence of the loss of animals during the recent snow-storm. I will proceed at this point to make the pre- liminary arrangements for the temporary organization of the Territorial Government.
Many treasonable acts of violence have recently been committed by lawless individuals supposed to have been commanded by the late Executive. Such persons are in a state of rebellion. Proceedings will be instituted against them in a court organized by Chief Justice Eckels held in this County, which Court will supersede the necessity of appointing military commissions for the trial of such offenders.
It is my duty to enforce unconditional obedience to the Constitution, to the Organic law of this Territory, and to all the other laws of Congress, applicable to you. To enable me to effect this object, I will in the event of resistance rely, first upon a posse comitatus of the well disposed portion of the inhabitants of this Territory, and will only resort to a military posse in case of necessity : I trust this necessity will not occur.
I come among you with no prejudices or enmities, and by the exercise of a just and
* Camps Winfield and Scott were of course named after the General-in-Chief of the United States Army.
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firm administration, I hope to command your confidence. Freedom of conscience and the use of your own peculiar mode of serving God, are sacred rights, the exercise of which is guaranteed by the Constitution and with which it is not the province of the Government or the disposition of its representatives in this 'Territory to interfere.
In virtue of my authority as commander in chief of the militia of this Territory, I hereby command all armed bodies of individuals by whomsoever organized, to disband, and return to their respective homes. The penalty of disobedience to this command will subject the offenders to the punishment due to traitors.
A. CUMMING,
Governor of Utah Territory.
Very little attention was paid to this proclamation, issued as it was by an official who had not yet taken the oath of office, and con- sequently was not duly installed in the gubernatorial chair. Perhaps Governor Cumming saw the weakness of his position, after issuing the pronunciamento. At any rate, eleven days later he took an official oath as Governor of Utah before Chief Justice Eckels, at Eckelsville. But even then he was not one whit better off than before, since the Chief Justice himself had not qualified according to law, and was not in a position to administer such an oath, or exer- cise any other function of the office to which he had been appointed .* Nevertheless, as Governor Cumming had threatened, the Chief Justice proceeded to organize a court, and amused himself all winter piling up indictments against the Mormon leaders and the more con- spicuous of their followers, whom he intended to try for treason "in the spring."
Of disbanding at the bidding of Governor Cumming, or any other man east of the Wasatch Mountains, the Utah militia had not the remotest idea. They were defending their homes against the despoiler-at least that was their view of the matter-and were ready to die, if need be, rather than relinquish one iota of their sacred rights as freemen. Brigham Young was still their Governor. When he said "disband," so it would be, but not before. Thus, while Governor Cumming proclaimed, Chief Justice Eckels and his court indicted, Colonel Johnston threatened, and the whole country was
See Sec. 11, Organic Act of Utah, chapter xxiii of this volume.
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boiling with wrath and indignation, mostly at the Mormons, for what they had done and were doing, but many at President Buchanan and his cabinet for compelling the Saints to assume the attitude they had taken, the militia quietly settled down behind their breastworks in Echo Canyon and prepared to dispute to the death any advance that might be made by the invading army. Reinforcements from all parts of Utah gathered to the common defense-young men, old men and boys-until the forces confronting Johnston and his troops were nearly twenty-five hundred strong; almost equal to the numbers of the expedition. Everything in the shape of a weapon was brought into requisition, in anticipation of the struggle supposed to be impending.
But General Johnston, however determined he had been before his arrival to push on to Salt Lake Valley that season, sweeping away all opposition that might be offered by those whom he termed "traitors and rebels," on surveying the situation concluded to post- pone his threatened advance and see what could be done to save his crippled army from destruction ; not by the Mormons, who did not desire to destroy it, but by the merciless and inexorable elements. Hence his decision-a wise one-to go into winter quarters on Black's Fork and await the advent of milder weather. Such of his cattle as frost had not killed or the mountaineers captured, after being herded for a time on Henry's Fork, were brought to camp, slaughtered and converted into "jerked beef" for the commissariat. Captain Marcy was sent to New Mexico and another party to Oregon to obtain cattle and fresh mounts for the cavalry, and the Army of Utah settled down to pass away the winter and prepare for waging vigorous warfare against the Mormons in the spring.
At Washington, meanwhile, great excitement reigned. The Government, being informed of what had occurred in Utah, felt humiliated at the disasters that had befallen the expedition, and was beginning to wince beneath the goad of public criticism for having inaugurated it. Since it could not recede without admitting itself in error and suffering further humiliation, it was resolved to prosecute
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its policy to the extreme, and force a speedy settlement of the now vexing question. Congress was asked to vote more troops and money for the purpose, and after much discussion, during which the Utah situation was pretty thoroughly ventilated, authorized the President to call into service three thousand men to march to Utah and rein- force the army on Black's Fork. These troops were the Sixth and Seventh regiments of Infantry, the First Cavalry and two batteries of artillery. Forty-five hundred wagons were to transport their supplies to the seat of war. Fifty thousand oxen and four thousand mules were to be purchased, and about two thousand teamsters, wagon- masters, etc., employed by the War Department for this supplementary expedition, which it was estimated would cost the United States Treasury about five million dollars. Contractors again rejoiced, and everything for them looked promising.
At the head-quarters of the Utah militia, on November 21st, the following infantry organizations were reported as present by Colonel N. V. Jones, through his adjutant, Orson K. Whitney. The Fifth Regiment, from the Weber Military District, under Colonel C. W. West; the Second Regiment, Second Brigade, under Colonel Thomas Callister; the Davis County troops, under Colonel P. C. Merrill; the Provo troops, under Colonel W. B. Pace; the Peteet- neet District troops, under Major A. K. Thurber; the Lehi companies under Major Hyde; the Extra Battalion under Major Rowberry; the First Battalion, Third Regiment, First Brigade, Infantry, under Major Sharp; the Second Battalion, same regiment, under Major Blair, and the Silver Greys under Colonel Harmon. The Second Battalion of Life Guards under Major J. D. T. McAllister and a com- pany of light artillery under Adjutant Atwood were also present. Colonel Jones' force aggregated nineteen hundred and fifty-eight men. In addition to these there were cavalry commands under Colonel Burton, Lot Smith, William Maxwell and others, still out reconnoitering in the vicinity of Fort Bridger. Besides Lieutenant- General Wells and his staff, other military notables in Echo Canyon about this time were Major-General George D. Grant and Brigadier-
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General Franklin D. Richards. During the fall Apostle Charles C. Rich and others had visited the camp from Salt Lake City.
As soon as it was ascertained that Johnston's army had gone into winter quarters and did not design carrying on a winter campaign, all further interference with the troops by the militia was forbidden. Some of the Federal soldiers, captured by Colonel Callis- ter, were released by order of Governor Young, who later took addi- tional steps to convince the army then threatening the chief city of the Saints, that it was purely a defensive warfare the people were waging and that in their hearts they harbored no malice. Learning that the soldiers at Camp Scott were suffering for want of salt to season their. meat-which was but one of many privations by them endured-Governor Young ordered a wagon-load of the article conveyed to General Johnston and presented to him with his compli- ments .** But the proud commander refused to accept the proffered gift, stating that he did not wish to hold any communication with the Mormon rebel, Brigham Young. The salt, however, being purposely left outside the camp, was taken back and gladly used by the common soldiers, while Johnston and his officers, to preserve their pride as well as their provisions, purchased a supply from the Indians at the rate of five dollars per pound.
Apropos of this incident, the following paragraph of a letter written by Adjutant-General Ferguson to Colonel Philip St. George Cooke, during the winter of 1857-8, will be interesting. General Ferguson had been informed that Colonel Cooke, who once highly praised his Mormon soldiers, the Battalion, had written letters east speaking in derogatory terms of the Utah militia and asserting that their purpose was to starve and destroy the troops at Camp Scott. With heart of fire and pen of flame Ferguson thus wrote to his old commander :
* Messrs. Earl and Woodard were the Governor's messengers. The salt was carried as far as possible by wagon, and then, the snow being too deep for further travel by team, it was transferred to pack animals. Governor Young stated, in his letter of gift to General Johnston, that if he feared anything deleterious in the salt, the messengers, to reassure him, would taste it in his presence.
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"We could ourselves have selected the spot for your destruction and furnished you a winding sheet in the snows of the South Pass, or in the ashes of your own trains on Green River. At whose mercy were the unprotected trains that lay for weeks within our reach and from which you have drawn your subsistence during the winter? What act of ours bears testimony to your base insinua- tions ? Was it the order forbidding our men to fire at your shivering pickets, or the recall of our detachments, that you might prepare your winter quarters in peace? Was it the return of your people after a short humane confinement, while you vented your spleen on one poor fellow, by abusing him in cold chains, during the winter, under the terrors of an illegal gallows? Was it the invitation to the officers of your army to participate, during the winter, in the hospitalities of our mountain home? Was it the offer of provisions for the whole army, when your supplies should be exhausted? Was it the supply of salt to season your fresh meat furnished by us, and spurned with a petty peevishness by your commander? These, sir, are your proofs; these, your arguments to sustain your accusa- tions."
Colonel Cooke in reply disclaimed the authorship of any letter speaking disparagingly of his old comrades of the Mormon Battalion.
About the 1st of December the militia began returning to their homes, leaving but a small out-post to watch the enemy during the winter and report all his movements to headquarters, at Salt Lake City. The citizen soldiers had made good their resolve,-to prevent the Federal army from passing the Wasatch Mountains, and to do it without shedding a drop of the enemy's blood. But one fatality had occurred, and that in the Mormon camp in Echo Canyon. A soldier climbing up the rocky side of the ravine, dared a comrade to fire at him, thinking himself out of range. The comrade thought so too, and leveling his rifle in sport, shot his friend dead.
General Wells left Echo Canyon on the 4th of December, and Colonel Burton followed next day. After their departure Captain
JohnMMander
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John R. Winder, with fifty men, was left to guard the canyon and its approaches. Captain Winder's orders were as follows:
HEADQUARTERS EASTERN EXPEDITION, CAMP WEBER, December 4th, 1857.
Capt. John R. Winder.
DEAR BROTHER: You are appointed to take charge of the guard detailed to remain and watch the movements of the invaders. You will keep ten men at the lookout station on the heights of Yellow Creek. Keep a constant watch from the highest point during daylight, and a camp guard at night, also a horse guard out with the horses which should be kept out on good grass all day, and grained with two quarts of feed per day. This advance will occasionally trail out towards Fort Bridger, and look at our enemies from the high butte near that place. You will relieve this guard once a week. Keep open and travel the trail down to the head of Echo, instead of the road. Teamsters or deserters must not be permitted to come to your lookout station. Let them pass with merely knowing who and what they are, to your station on the Weber and into the city. If officers or others undertake to come in, keep them prisoners until you receive further advices from the city. Especially and in no case let any of the would-be civil officers pass. These are, as far as I know, as follows: A. Cumming (governor), Eckels (chief justice), Dotson (marshal), Forney (superintendent of Indian affairs), Hockaday (district attorney). At your station on the Weber you will also keep a lookout, and guard the road at night, also keep a camp and horse guard. Keep the men employed making improvements, when not on other duty. Build a good horse corral, and prepare stables. Remove the houses into a fort line and then picket in the remainder. Keep a trail open down the Weber to the citizens' road.
Be strict in the issue of rations and feed. Practice economy both in your supplies and time, and see that there is no waste of either.
If your lookout party discover any movement of the enemy in this direction, let them send two men to your camp on the Weber, and the remainder continue to watch their movements, and not all leave their station, unless it should prove a large party, but keep you timely advised so that you can meet them at the defences in Echo, or if necessary render them assistance. Where you can do so at an advantage, take all such parties prisoners, if you can, without shooting, but if you cannot, you are at liberty to attack them, as no such party must be permitted to come into the city. Should the party be too strong and you are compelled to retreat, do so after safely caching all supplies; in all cases giving us prompt information by express, that we may be able to meet them between here and the city. Send into the city every week all the information you can obtain, and send whether you have any news from the enemy or not, that we may know of your welfare, kind of weather, depth of snow, etc.
The boys at the lookout station should not make any trail down to the road, nor expose themselves to view, but keep concealed as much as possible, as it is for that purpose that that position has been chosen. No person without a permit must be allowed to pass from this way to the enemy's camp. Be careful about this. Be vigilant, active and ener-
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getic and observe good order, discipline and wisdom in all your works, that good may be the result. Remember that to you is entrusted for the time being the duty of standing between Israel and their foes, and as you would like to repose in peace and safety while others are on the watchtower, so now while in the performance of this duty do you observe the same care, vigilance and activity which you would desire of others when they come to take your place. Do not let any inaction on the part of the enemy lull you into a false security and cause any neglect on your part.
Praying the Lord to bless and preserve you in life, health and strength, and wisdom and power to accomplish every duty incumbent upon you and bring peace to Israel to the utter confusion and overthrow of our enemies,
I remain, your brother in the gospel of Christ,
[Signed,]
DANIEL H. WELLS, Lieutenant-General Commanding.
P. S. Be careful to prevent fire being kindled in or near the commissary store- house.
About Christmas time Captain Winder was relieved by Major H. S. Beatie, and he in turn by Captain Brigham Young .* The com- mands were changed at the same time. Deserters from Camp Scott, both soldiers and teamsters, constantly passed down Echo Canyon during the winter, some of them almost perishing before they could reach the Mormon outposts, which they had supposed on setting out to be much nearer the Federal lines. By this means Governor Young, General Wells and their associates were kept fully informed of affairs at Camp Scott and its vicinity, and the need of scouts and pickets, except to rescue the poor wretches who continually fell into their hands, was almost entirely obviated.
In the city that winter mirth and festivity reigned supreme. Balls, theaters, sociables and other amusements served to dispel every thought of gloom, every feeling of nervous apprehension as to what might follow. Though all knew that the advent of spring would witness a renewal of operations in the mountains, no lip quiv- ered, no cheek blanched, no heart faltered at the prospect. Mingling with the song of joy, the pæan of praise, welling up from the hearts of a people who felt as sensibly as did Israel of old after passing the Red Sea, that Jehovah had delivered His people and engulfed their
* Brigham Young Junior, son of the Governor.
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foes, could be heard the clink of steel, the sound of hammer and forge, and other notes of "dreadful preparation," fashioning weapons for the coming conflict, as fully expected as it was thoroughly unfeared.
In his message to the Legislature in December, Governor Young dilated at length upon the situation, and justified the course that he and his compatriots had pursued. "Fully aware," said he, "as has been justly written, that 'patriotism does not consist in aiding govern- ment in every base or stupid act it may perform, but rather in para- lyzing its power when it violates vested rights, affronts insulted justice, and assumes undelegated authority."" The Legislature unani- mously concurred in the message, policy, and acts of the Governor during the prevailing troubles. In January, 1858, memorials from the Legislature and from the citizens en masse, setting forth the true state of affairs in the Territory, and praying for constitutional rights, were signed and sent to Washington.
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CHAPTER XXXI.
1858.
PRESIDENT BUCHANAN BEGINS STO SEE HIS BLUNDER-COLONEL KANE THE MEDIATOR -- HIS MISSION TO UTAH- THE MORMONS AGREE TO RECEIVE GOVERNOR CUMMING, BUT NOT WITH AN ARMY AT HIS HEELS-COLONEL KANE VISITS CAMP SCOTT-HE ESCORTS THE NEW EXECUTIVE TO SALT LAKE CITY-CORDIAL MEETING OF THE TWO GOVERNORS-JUDGE DRUMMOND'S FALSEHOOD EXPLODED-THE COURT RECORDS FOUND INTACT-THE "MOVE" SOUTH-THE PEACE COMMISSIONERS-PRESIDENT BUCHANAN'S PARDON-JOHNSTON'S ARMY ENTERS THE VALLEY-CAMP FLOYD- THE CITIZENS RETURN TO THEIR HOMES.
OTWITHSTANDING the apparent resolve on the part of the Federal Government to prosecute the "war" in Utah to the bitter end, and push matters with sword, bayonet and cannon to a speedy and successful issue, it is believed that at this very time the administration, or the better part of it, was repenting of the rash step it had taken in precipitating the needless conflict, and earnestly desirous of retracing that step could it be done without loss of dignity and self-respect. President Buchanan, under the pressure of public opinion,-the reaction referred to by Apostle Taylor in his letter to Captain Marcy,-was beginning to see the fearful blunder he had committed in deciding, upon mere hearsay and one-sided report, that Utah was in a state of rebellion, and sending an armed force to the Territory to suppress an insurrection and forcibly install in office the new Federal appointees without first ascertaining that there was any need for such action. In coming to this conclusion,-a better-late-than-never determination,-the President was assisted by that powerful moral engine, the press, which, on both sides of the Atlantic, was now pouring out upon the misguided Executive and his evil counselors the vinegar and vitriol of caustic criticismn.
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It was just at this juncture that Colonel Thomas L. Kane, prompted no less by love of country than by his friendship for the Mormon people, went to Washington from his home in Philadelphia, and offered his services to President Buchanan to act as a mediator in the pending controversy and effect if possible a peaceable settlement of the difficulty. A word here of an event preceding this visit of the Colonel to the capital will be appropriate.
In the summer of 1857, before the Federal troops had entered Utah, and as soon as Governor Young had decided to place the Territory under martial law, he resolved to acquaint the national authorities with the real motive impelling him to such a step, in the hope that they would recognize the propriety of his course and that an amicable adjustment of differences might result. He therefore sent a special messenger to Colonel Kane, requesting him to see the President and lay the matter before him. Hon. Samuel W. Richards, who had previously performed secret service of a similar nature, was the courier entrusted with this important message. Accompanied by George G. Snyder he successfully executed his errand, taking observations as he went respecting the approaching army, and sending the information to Salt Lake City. After visiting Colonel Kane and delivering to him the dispatches from Governor Young, Mr. Richards crossed the Atlantic, carrying instructions to the Mormon missionaries in Europe to return to Utah as soon as possible. Like directions were forwarded to the Elders laboring in the United States and in Canada. Early in 1858, Elder Richards led homeward a small company of missionaries who felt willing to risk any difficulties that might be encountered on the way. This party left the frontier in March and arrived at Salt Lake City in May, having evaded the troops stationed at and in the vicinity of Camp Scott, as well as others who followed them from Fort Laramie and Green River.
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