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Utah Expedition (1857-1858)

 Organization

Dates

  • Existence: 1857 - 1858

Administravtive History

The Utah Expedition (1857-1858) was a bloodless military conflict between the Mormon militia, referred to as the Nauvoo Legion, and the Unites States government over the installation of a new governor in the Utah Territory.

From May 1857 to July 1858, the Utah Expedition, otherwise known as Utah War, Utah Campaign, Buchanan's Blunder, Mormon War, or Mormon Rebellion, was a result of President Buchanan’s decision to replace Governor Brigham Young with Governor Alfred Cumming. The Presidency feared the Mormon community would not accept a non-Mormon governor, resulting in the suspension of mail to Utah and 2,500 troops accompanying Cumming’s journey. Upon news of advancing troops Utah men were called to bear arms and Northern communities were evacuated. After several months of this standard, and continually hoping for peace, the Mormon leader’s willingness to accept Cumming was heard. The agreement ended with the installation of Governor Cumming and a permanent government garrison near Salt Lake City in exchange for peace and amnesty.

Citation:
LCCN 58011786: Hafen, L.R. The Utah expedition, 1857-1858, 1958(hdg.: Utah Expedition, 1857-1858)

Wikipedia, viewed February 11, 2013 :(Utah Expedition, also known as the Utah War, Utah Campaign, Buchanan's Blunder, Mormon War, Mormon Rebellion, was an armed confrontation between Mormon settlers and the United States Government, from May 1857 to July 1858, located in Utah and Wyoming)

Encyclopedia.com, April 20, 2016(Mormon Expedition of 1857-1858; was a federal force sent by President James Buchanan to force the Mormons, led by Brigham Young, to obey federal laws ; Utah Expedition)

OCLC, April 20, 2016(access point: Utah Expedition (1857-1858); usage: Utah Expedition; Utah War; Utah Campaign; Buchanan's Blunder; Mormon War; Mormon Rebellion; Mormon Expedition)

Library of Congress, via WWW, Feb. 12, 2018 (Utah Expedition, also known as the Utah War, Utah Campaign, Buchanan's Blunder, Mormon War, Mormon Rebellion, was an armed confrontation between Mormon settlers and the United States Government, from May 1857 to July 1858, located in Utah and Wyoming; Mormon Expedition of 1857-1858; was a federal force sent by President James Buchanan to force the Mormons, led by Brigham Young, to obey federal laws)

Mormon Encyclopedia, via WWW, Feb. 12, 2018 (Mormon militia, called the Nauvoo Legion, vs. United States government in a bloodless but costly confrontation; President James Buchanan to replace Brigham Young as governor of Utah Territory; It delayed, but did not prevent, the installation of Governor Alfred Cumming; Buchanan thought Latter-day Saints would reject a non-Mormon governor; mail to Utah suspended and 2,500 troops with Cumming to Great Salt Lake City; Utah communities were called upon to equip a thousand men; President Young announced on March 23, 1858, that all settlements in northern Utah must be abandoned and prepared for burning if the army came in; Church leaders willing to accept Cumming and a permanent army garrison in exchange for peace and amnesty)

Found in 26 Collections and/or Records:

William Greenwood papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS SC 39
Scope and Contents

Contains twelve handwritten, signed letters which concern Greenwood's conversion to Mormonism in England, his immigration to the United States, activities in Nauvoo, Illinois, and the 1847 trek to Salt Lake City and American Fork, Utah. Also includes a bound autobiography (plus typescript) written between 1869 and 1884.

Dates: 1847-1884
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / William Greenwood papers

Lorenzo Hill Hatch autobiography and diary

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230330463]
Identifier: MSS SC 3135
Scope and Contents Photocopy of a microfilm copy of a handwritten autobiography and diary. Hatch writes about his early life, joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1839, his life in Nauvoo, Illinois, his migration to Utah in 1850, and settling in Lehi, Utah, in 1851. He tells about his mission for the Mormon Church from 1856 to 1858, his work as a farmer and a carpenter, and Mormon Church meetings. He writes about serving in the legislature of Utah. He also tells about his service as a...
Dates: 1855-1885
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Lorenzo Hill Hatch autobiography and diary

Joshua Hawkes autobiography

 Item — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230232727]
Identifier: MSS 726
Scope and Contents

Photocopy of a typescript. Hawkes was born in Missouri and lived in Nauvoo, Illinois, as a small child. He later came to Utah and lived in several places. He eventaully settled in Franklin, Idaho. He participated in the Walker War against the Ute Indians and also in the Utah War against the United States Army.

Dates: approximately 1884
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Joshua Hawkes autobiography

History of John Langston

 Item — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230329705]
Identifier: MSS SC 3102
Scope and Contents Photocopy of a microfilm copy of a typescript. The item is an autobiography of John Langston "in the 55 year of my Life." Langston was born in England and migrated to the United States when he was 16 years old. He worked in the iron industry in several states and joined the Mormon Church. Langston migrated to Salt Lake City, Utah, and campaigned against the United States Army during the Utah Expedition of 1857-1858. He was also involved in the Black Hawk War. Also included is an index...
Dates: approximately 1900
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / History of John Langston

History of Robert Gardner, Jr. / written by himself at St. George, Utah

 Item — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230305424]
Identifier: MSS SC 793
Scope and Contents Photocopy of typescript. Detailed account of frontier life in Canada; his family's conversion to Mormonism in the early 1840s; a trip to Nauvoo, Illinois, in June 1845; the trip across the plains to Utah in 1847; and life in pioneer Utah.Also includes account of the author's mission to Canada (1857-1858) and his subsequent recall because of the Utah War, along with his family's move to settle St. George, Utah. Ends with text of Gardner's patriarchal blessing, genealogical...
Dates: 1884
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / History of Robert Gardner, Jr. / written by himself at St. George, Utah

Oliver Boardman Huntington autobiography

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230321108]
Identifier: MSS SC 2219
Scope and Contents

Handwritten unsigned, autobiographical account believed to have been written by Huntington. The author writes of being called by Brigham Young and Daniel H. Wells to go with an expedition to Carson Valley and tell the Mormons there to return to Utah to meet the United States army, known as "Johnston's Army" in 1857. Huntington gives and account of this expedition and mentions those who participated in it.

Dates: approximately 1880
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Oliver Boardman Huntington autobiography

Charles Lambert autobiography

 Item — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230338193]
Identifier: MSS 927
Scope and Contents

Typescript of an autobiography. Lambert was born in England; converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1843; moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1844; migrated to Utah in 1849; and served on missions in England in 1870 and 1882. He also writes about the "Utah War" and about problems with swarms of crickets.

Dates: 1883
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Charles Lambert autobiography

Hans Peter Larsen autobiography

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230349307]
Identifier: MSS 515
Scope and Contents

Typewritten copy of an autobiography. Larsen was converted to the Mormon Church in Denmark, migrated to Utah in 1855, served in the Utah Militia during the Utah Expedition of 1857-1858, helped build the fort at Wellsville, Utah, and settled in Mendon, Utah.

Dates: 1828
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Hans Peter Larsen autobiography

Life history of Albert Douglas Dickson

 Item — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230342914]
Identifier: MSS 752
Scope and Contents

Typescript of an autobiography. Dickson migrated to Utah in 1852. He first settled in American Fork but later moved to Kaysville. He participated in resisting the U.S. Army during the Utah War, mentions the Morrisite War, and moved to Richville, Utah, where he served as bishop of the Richville Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Also included are poems dedicated to Dickson and some anecdotes on his life.

Dates: 1892-1922
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Life history of Albert Douglas Dickson

Charles H. Oliphant and Orson Bennett Adams autobiographies

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230234368]
Identifier: MSS SC 155
Scope and Contents Coverless notebook containing handwritten autobiographies of Oliphant and Adams. Oliphant writes of his childhood, meetings with Brigham Young, his work as a horticulturalist, and the Deseret Horticultural Society. Adams' autobiography is written back to front in the same notebook. He writes about his joining the Mormon Battalion along with his wife who worked as a laundress, his settlement in Parowan, Utah, his fighting the Indian Wars, and exploration during the Utah War during which he...
Dates: approximately 1800s
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Charles H. Oliphant and Orson Bennett Adams autobiographies

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