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Utah. Militia

 Organization

Dates

  • Existence: 1852 - 1887

Administrative History

The Utah Militia (1852-1887), also known as the Nauvoo Legion, was the territorial militia organization for Utah Territory.

Citation:
Bennett, Richard Edmond. The Nauvoo Legion in Illinois, 2010 CIP introd. (the Nauvoo Legion functioned at the behest of the governor of the state of Illinois; a regularly constituted arm of the Illinois State Militia from its chartering in 1841 until its repeal in 1845; after 1845, Nauvoo Legion acted under the direction of Mormon Church leadership until 1849; in 1849 became a militia in the State of Deseret; in 1852 became a [i.e. the] militia in the Utah Territory)

Utah State Div. of Archives and History www homepage, May 26, 2009 (These papers document the administration and activities of various segments of the territorial militia, also known as the Nauvoo Legion)

Encycl. of Mormonism, c1992 (Nauvoo Legion; disbanded as a result of the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887)

Found in 12 Collections and/or Records:

George Washington Bean diaries

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 1038
Scope and Contents Handwritten diaries, two autobiographies, account books, patriarchal blessings, biographies of family members, and Bean family history and genealogy. Bean writes about his early life and migration to Utah; his work as an Indian interpreter from 1852 to 1853; his pursuit of the Ute chief, Walker, in 1854; his Indian mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Las Vegas, Nevada from 1855 to 1856; his life in Provo, Utah; his participation in the Black Hawk Indian War; and...
Dates: 1852-1897

Collection on Utah Expedition

 File — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2379
Scope and Contents

The collection contains the original and typescript of "The Echo Canon War," probably written by William Stowell, and a typed document regarding the Weber Military District and the Utah War, beginning with Chapter 3 [no author].

Dates: 1857-1858

Peter Wilson Conover autobiography

 Item — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230244359]
Identifier: MSS SC 664
Scope and Contents

Photocopy of a typescript of an autobiography. The date of composition of the item is uncertain. Conover writes about the persecutions of Mormons before their emigration to Utah, his service in the Utah Militia against the Utes and in the Utah War from 1857 to 1858, and his family.

Dates: approximately 1860

William Horne Dame papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: Vault MSS 55
Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence, patriarchal blessings, financial records, militia records, photographs, and miscellaneous items. Much of the correspondence is between Dame and General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The material relates to Dame's life and activities, including his militia service and his connection to the Mountain Meadows Massacre in 1857.

Dates: 1846-1884

Jesse Perse Harmon papers

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230348572]
Identifier: MSS 502
Scope and Contents

Photocopies of handwritten and printed letters, notes, military orders, and certificates. The materials relate to the migration of Mormons to Utah, the operations of the Utah militia during the Black Hawk War against Ute Indians, Harmon's Mormon Church activities, and his life in Holden, Utah.

Dates: 1832-1874

John Steele business correspondence, 1852-1907

 Series
Identifier: Vault MSS 528 Series 3
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and other documents related to Steele's professional life and business interests.

Dates: 1852-1907

John Steele ephemera, 1868-1932

 Series
Identifier: Vault MSS 528 Series 9
Scope and Contents

Contains ephemera and other miscellaneous notes, letters, envelopes, and other items related to John Steele. Also includes photocopies of the title pages of all books owned by Steele, and a photocopy of a photograph of Steele dated 1891.

Dates: 1868-1932

John Steele journals and notebooks, 1846-1961, bulk: 1846-1899

 Series
Identifier: Vault MSS 528 Series 1
Scope and Contents

Contains diaries and notebooks kept by John Steele, including his Mormon Battalion diary, dated 1846-1847, and a Paiute/English language dictionary, dated 1851. Also includes a typescript of Steele's diary that was created in 1961 but includes entries from 1840 to 1877. Also includes some biographical notes on various members of John Steele's family. Dated 1846-1961.

Dates: 1846-1961; Majority of material found within 1846-1899

John Steele personal and family correspondence, 1816-1922

 Series
Identifier: Vault MSS 528 Series 2
Scope and Contents

Contains letters to and from John Steele and his family, including his father, John Steele, Sr., his wives and children, including Mahonri Moriancumer Steele, grandchildren, as well as some extended family. Also includes some letters from friends and other personal acquaintances of John and Catherine Steele. Dated 1816-1922.

Dates: 1816-1922

Samuel W. Richards diaries

 Collection — Box 1: [Barcode: 31197232486305]
Identifier: MSS 732
Scope and Contents

Photocopies of excerpts from handwritten diaries. The items cover the years 1846-1847, 1857-1859, 1868, 1869, 1873, and 1875-1876. Richards lived in Nauvoo, Illinois, presided over the European Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, prepared Utah Militia units for an expedition into Sanpete County, and served on another mission to the Eastern United States. Also included are patriarchal blessings and miscellaneous items relating to Richards and his family.

Dates: 1846-1876