Utah War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Utah War
Part of the Mormon wars
Date March 1857 – July 1858 Location Utah Territory (present day Utah and Wyoming) Result De facto US victory, resolution through negotiation; Brigham Young replaced as Governor of Utah Territory Full amnesty for charges of sedition and treason issued to the citizens of Utah Territory by President James Buchanan if they accepted US federal authority
Belligerents
United States 5th Infantry 10th Infantry B Battery (Phelps') of the 4th Artillery 2nd Dragoons	Deseret / Utah Mormons Nauvoo Legion Native American allies
Commanders and leaders
President James Buchanan Governor Alfred Cumming General Albert S. Johnston	Gov. Brigham Young Gen. Daniel H. Wells Cap. Lot Smith
Strength
2,500	unknown
Casualties and losses
38	Unknown
Civilians: 126 killed (120 in Mountain Meadows Massacre)

The Utah War (1857–1858) was a time of tension and conflict between the Mormon settlers in Utah Territory and the U.S. government. It was also known as the Utah Expedition or the Mormon War. The conflict lasted from May 1857 to July 1858.

Even though it was called a "war," there were no big battles between the two sides. Most of the people who died were civilians, not soldiers. The conflict ended with talks and agreements, not a military victory.

What Caused the Utah War?

In 1857, President James Buchanan sent U.S. troops to the Utah Territory. This was called the Utah Expedition. The U.S. government had heard reports that the Mormon settlers in Utah were rebelling.

The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons or Latter-day Saints, were worried. They feared that the large U.S. army was sent to destroy them. They had faced unfair treatment in other places before. So, they got ready to defend themselves.

Both sides hoped to avoid bloodshed, but they prepared for war. The Mormons fixed their guns, turned farm tools into weapons, and sharpened old swords.

How the Mormons Resisted

Instead of fighting the army directly, the Mormons tried to slow them down and weaken them. Daniel H. Wells, a leader of the Nauvoo Legion (the Mormon militia), gave instructions. He told his men to bother the troops in every way possible.

This included scaring their animals and setting fire to their supply wagons. They were told to burn the land in front of the army and block roads with fallen trees. They also tried to keep the soldiers from sleeping with night attacks. The goal was to leave no grass for the army's animals.

The Mormons stopped the army from entering the Salt Lake Valley. They also made it hard for the U.S. Army to get supplies.

Incidents During the Conflict

The conflict between the Mormon militia and the U.S. Army involved some damage to property. There were also a few small fights in what is now southwestern Wyoming. However, there were no major battles between the two military forces.

One very sad event happened on September 11, 1857. At least 120 settlers from Arkansas, Missouri, and other states were killed. These were unarmed men, women, and children traveling through remote southwestern Utah. A group of local Mormon militia members attacked them. This event is known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre. At first, the militia claimed Native Americans were responsible. But later, it was proven that the militia was involved.

Another incident happened in October 1857. Mormons arrested six Californians traveling through Utah. They were accused of being spies for the U.S. Army. They were later released but then murdered. Their money and livestock were stolen.

Other violent events were also connected to the Utah War. This included a Native American attack on the Mormon mission of Fort Lemhi in eastern Oregon Territory (modern-day Idaho). Two Mormons were killed, and several others were hurt. Historians believe the Bannock people were mainly responsible for this attack. Some think members of the Utah Expedition might have caused the raid. They might have been trying to get back livestock stolen by Mormon raiders.

Overall, about 150 people died because of the Utah War. This number includes the 120 people killed at Mountain Meadows. This was similar to the number of people killed during the seven-year conflict in "Bleeding Kansas" around the same time.

How the Utah War Ended

In the end, leaders from the United States and the Latter-day Saints talked things over. This led to a full pardon for the Latter-day Saints. However, those involved in the Mountain Meadows murders were not pardoned.

Also, Brigham Young was replaced as governor of Utah by Alfred Cumming, who was not a Mormon. The U.S. Army then peacefully entered Utah.

What Happened After the War

Even though the war ended, it was a bit embarrassing for President Buchanan. People called it 'Buchanan's Blunder'. He was criticized for several reasons:

• He did not officially tell Governor Young that he was being replaced.
• He sent troops without checking if Utah was truly disloyal.
• He sent the army too late in the year.
• He did not provide enough supplies for the army during winter.

The people of Utah also suffered. Many had to leave their homes, which hurt their farms and businesses. They lost a year's worth of work improving their living conditions. Some Mormon settlements were abandoned for many years.

Utah was also under military control for a while. Relations between the soldiers and the Mormons were often tense. Luckily, the army base, Camp Floyd, was far away, so there wasn't much interaction. When the American Civil War started in 1861, the army left Camp Floyd. They sold off extra goods for very little money.

Later, in 1862, new troops arrived and built Fort Douglas near Salt Lake City.

One interesting result of the Utah War was the creation of the famous Pony Express. During the war, Lot Smith and the Nauvoo Legion burned many wagons belonging to a company called Russell, Majors and Waddell. The government never paid them back for these losses. So, in 1860, they started the Pony Express to get a government mail contract and avoid going bankrupt.

The Utah War began a slow change for the Mormons in Utah. They lost control of the executive branch and federal courts. But they still had power in the Territorial Legislature. In 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was finished. This brought many non-Mormons, called "Gentiles," to Utah.

Conflict between the Mormons and the U.S. government continued for nearly 40 years. This was especially true over the issue of polygamy (having more than one spouse). Utah finally became a state in 1896.

Important Dates

• March 1857: James Buchanan becomes President and decides to act.
• April 1857: Newspapers guess who will replace Brigham Young as governor.
• June 29, 1857: President Buchanan says Utah is rebelling against the U.S. government. He sends a U.S. Army regiment.
• July 5, 1857: Brigham Young talks about "rumors" that the U.S. is sending troops to Utah.
• July 13, 1857: President Buchanan names Alfred Cumming as Utah's new governor. He tells him to go with the army to Utah.
• July 18, 1857: The army begins its journey to Utah. Mormons Porter Rockwell and Abraham Owen Smoot learn the army is moving.
• July 23, 1857: Rockwell and Smoot tell Brigham Young about the government's plans.
• August 28, 1857: Col. Johnston is ordered to lead the U.S. troops.
• September 7–11, 1857: An emigrant wagon train is attacked at Mountain Meadows. A Mormon militia, dressed as Paiute Indians, kills nearly everyone.
• September 15, 1857: Brigham Young declares martial law. He forbids any armed forces from entering Utah.
• September 18, 1857: U.S. troops leave Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, heading for Utah.
• October 5, 1857: Lot Smith leads the Nauvoo Legion in a guerrilla attack. They burn 52 of the U.S. Army's supply wagons.
• November 3, 1857: Col. Albert Sidney Johnston takes command. He orders the regiment to spend winter in Fort Bridger and wait until spring to move to Salt Lake City.
• February 1858: Thomas Kane, a friend of the Mormons, arrives in Salt Lake. He acts as a negotiator between the Mormons and the army.
• March 1858: Kane visits the army camp. He convinces Governor Cumming to travel to Salt Lake City without soldiers, promising his safety.
• March 23, 1858: Brigham Young orders a scorched earth policy. Salt Lake City is emptied, and most Mormons move to settlements south of the valley.
• April 6, 1858: James Buchanan issues a proclamation. He offers a "free pardon for the seditions and treasons" committed by the Mormons.
• April 12, 1858: Governor Cummings arrives in Utah and takes office.
• June 1858: Johnston's army arrives in Utah. They pass through the empty Salt Lake City and set up Camp Floyd about 50 miles away.
• 1861: Camp Floyd is abandoned when the Civil War begins.

See also

In Spanish: Guerra de Utah para niños