Utah Territory in the American Civil War
Union states in the American Civil War |
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Dual governments |
Territories and D.C. |
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The
The U.S. government abandons the Utah Territory
As the war began in early 1861, the War Department pulled the Federal troops out of the Utah Territory and reassigned them to other regions where they were more immediately needed to quell the brewing rebellion.[1] However, the void in military presence allowed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to regain control over the territory. Although the Mormons were the majority of settlers in the Great Salt Lake basin, the western area of the territory began to attract many non-Mormon settlers. Partly as a result of this, in March the Nevada Territory was created out of the western part of the territory. Earlier in the year, a large portion of the eastern area of the territory was reorganized as part of the newly created Colorado Territory.[2]
In October 1861, the
The return of the Union Army
In 1862, with the ranks of the Union army swelled by more than 100,000 volunteers, the U.S. government believed it could now spare enough men to again occupy the Utah Territory. In addition, it was important to protect the overland mail route and telegraph lines along what later became known as the
The
The
Connor encouraged his men to explore the Utah region for mineral deposits, the discovery of which he believed would bring more non-Mormons into the territory, changing the balance of political power. His efforts were successful. His men discovered gold, silver, lead, and zinc deposits in Tooele County in 1864. As Connor hoped, miners began to flock to the territory. The Rush Valley Mining District was established by soldiers in the western Oquirrh Mountains and more than 100 claims were staked in the first year.[7]
Political leadership of the Utah Territory during the Civil War
Before the Civil War,
In 1861, President Lincoln had appointed
Utah Civil War units
At the start of the Civil War, the withdrawal of Union Army forces left a void which several Indian tribes took advantage in order to start raids on the mail trails leading through the territory. To solve this, Young offered the government the services of the
Civil War Posts in Utah
- Camp Floyd, Utah, 1858–1861; renamed Fort Crittenden, 1861–1862[13]
- Camp Douglas, Utah 1862–1878[14]
- Camp Cedar Swamps, Utah, 1863
- Camp Bingham Creek, Utah, 1864[15]
- Camp Relief, Utah, 1864
- Salt Lake City Post, Utah, 1865–1866[16]
See also
- History of slavery in Utah
- Act in Relation to Service
- Nauvoo Legion
- Soldier Summit: Named for soldiers who died there while trying to join the Confederate army.
Notes
- ^ Comtois, p. 82.
- ^ Powell 1992
- ^ Colton, p. 181.
- ^ Madsen 1994
- ^ Josephy, p. 247–250, 259–260.
- ^ Josephy, p. 257-259.
- ^ Josephy, p. 262.
- ^ "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". Bioguide.Congress.gov. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
- ^ Colton, pp. 162, 189.
- ^ Murphy 1994
- ^ "James Duane Doty". Utah History to Go. State of Utah. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
- ^ Comtois, p. 81–82.
- ^ Godfrey 1994
- ^ Colton, p. 163.
- ^ In Bingham Canyon. A California Volunteers encampment near a gold mine, previously a logging camp of Mormon pioneers. Site on Bingham Creek south of Midvale.
- ^ This California Infantry post guarded the Territorial capital of Utah. (Colton, pp. 189–190)
References
- Colton, Ray Charles (1959), The Civil War in the Western Territories: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, Norman, Oklahoma: OCLC 1386702
- Comtois, Pierre. Commands column, America's Civil War, January 1995.[full citation needed]
- Godfrey, Audrey M. (1994), "Camp Floyd", Utah History Encyclopedia, University of Utah Press, ISBN 9780874804256, archived from the originalon March 25, 2024, retrieved April 9, 2024
- Josephy, Alvin M. Jr. The Civil War in the American West. Alfred A. Knope, 1991. ISBN 0-394-56482-0.
- Madsen, Brigham D. (1994), "Connor, Patrick Edward", Utah History Encyclopedia, University of Utah Press, ISBN 9780874804256, archived from the originalon November 3, 2022, retrieved April 9, 2024
- May, Dean L. Utah: A People's History. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bonneville Books, 1987. ISBN 0-87480-284-9.
- Murphy, Miriam B. (1994), "Territorial Governors", Utah History Encyclopedia, University of Utah Press, ISBN 9780874804256, archived from the originalon February 20, 2024, retrieved April 9, 2024
- Powell, Allan Kent (1992), "Utah Territory", in OCLC 24502140
Further reading
- OCLC 80745545.
- Holzapfel, Richard Neitzel (1994), "The Civil War in Utah", Utah History Encyclopedia, University of Utah Press, ISBN 9780874804256, archived from the originalon November 3, 2022, retrieved April 9, 2024
- Long, E.B. (1981), The Saints and The Union: Utah Territory during the Civil War, Urbana: OCLC 6420980.
- Maxwell, John Gary. The Civil War Years in Utah: The Kingdom of God and the Territory That Did Not Fight (2016). excerpt
- Peterson, Paul H. (1992), "Civil War Prophecy", in OCLC 24502140.
- Turner, John G. (May 1, 2012), "The Mormons Sit Out the Civil War", The New York Times (online), Disunion: following the Civil War as it unfolded.
- Widmer, Ted (November 17, 2011), "Lincoln and the Mormons", The New York Times (online), Disunion: following the Civil War as it unfolded.