Thomas L. Kane notes and other material on Indians and settlement of the American West, 1845-1872

Sub-Series

Identifier: Vault MSS 792 Series 4 Sub-Series 4

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Contains notes, letters, and other materials collected by Kane on the Indians of Utah, Indian sign language, and westward expansion. Materials date from between 1845 and 1872.

Dates

1845-1872

Creator

Kane (Family : Kane, Thomas L. (Thomas Leiper), 1822-1883) (creator, Family)

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from Kane family papers must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Coordinating Committee.

Biographical / Historical

Thomas L. Kane (1822-1883) was a lawyer, abolitionist, Civil War soldier, frontiersman, and Mormon advocate.

Thomas Leiper Kane was born January 27, 1822 in Philadelphia to Judge John Kintzing Kane and Jane Duval Leiper. He attained the bar in 1846, after studying law with his father. He served as clerk in his father's court until 1850, at which point he resigned due to a moral conflict with the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. He went on to become an active member of the Underground Railroad. Kane became interested in the Mormon migration to the West, and was crucial in securing government aid for the movement. His friendship with Brigham Young is credited with the non-violent resolution of the Utah War. At the advent of the Civil War Kane organized a volunteer Union Army regiment known as the "Bucktails" and served as lieutenant-colonel of that outfit. He later was brevetted the rank of major-general for his service at Gettysburg. After his military service he retired to found the town of Kane, Pennsylvania. In 1853 Kane married Elizabeth Dennistoun Wood, and together they had four children: Harriet Amelia Kane (1854-1896); Elisha Kent Kane (1856-1935); Evan O'Neill Kane (1861-1932); and Thomas Leiper Kane, Jr. (1863-1929). Kane died of pneumonia in Philadelphia on December 26, 1883.

Biographical / Historical

D. B. Huntington (1808-1879) was a Native American interpreter.

Dimmock Baker Huntington was born May 26, 1808 in Watertown, New York to William Huntington and Zina Baker. He married Fanny Marie Allen on April 28, 1830. They had 7 children together. Huntington was baptized on August 1, 1835, the same day as his parents. He served as a member of the Mormon Battalion. His family went with him and together they went to Pueblo, Colorado. He was the first Native American interpreter in Utah territory, which helped him to negotiate a peace treaty with the Utes, as well as share the gospel. He died August 1, 1835 in Salt Lake City, Utah.