BR: 2/7/17 Imagine that you are Pres. Buchanan. How do you respond to the stories about the Mormons preparing for rebellion out in the West? What is your response? First 30 minutes: work on your projects (Due Thursday)

Ch. 8 Turmoil in the Territory The Utah War Utah Studies Ch. 8 Turmoil in the Territory The Utah War

Preparations for War Summer, 1857: Pres. James Buchanan, believing the horrific stories he heard coming out of Utah, organized an army to take care of the supposed threat. Alfred Cumming was sent as the new territorial governor. The army was called the Utah Expedition, and made their way by foot and horseback. Albert S. Johnston was promoted to colonel, and put in charge of the army of 2500 men, the largest army the U.S. had organized in several decades. It was called the Utah Expedition. Meanwhile, the Mormons had no clue. They were celebrating Pioneer Day when the news of the approaching army arrived. When they found out, many wondered if this would be a repeat of what had happened in Missouri and Illinois.

Getting Ready to Defend Themselves Most of the Mormons (Brigham Young included) believed that the government was bent on destroying them completely. They soon had a volunteer force of 5000, ready to defend their new home. Captain Lot Smith was given the task of slowing the army down, while Gov. Young planned to find out why they were coming, and how to respond. “Lot’s Army”, as Lot Smith and his band of 75 men were called, went east into Wyoming, burning grass to keep the Army’s animals hungry, burned their own forts of Ft. Bridger and Ft. Supply (which they themselves now owned), drove off their animals, and basically made their lives miserable.

Trickery & Deception Lot’s Army also fortified the road from Ft. Bridger to SLC, through Echo Canyon. They painted logs to look like cannons, with wagon wheels, made dummies to look like people / soldiers, and even built a dam, rigged with explosives, to drown the army in the canyon if need be. Their plan worked. Winter came, and without the supplies of Ft. Bridger, etc., the Utah Expedition made camp nearby the burnt Ft. Bridger for the winter. Meanwhile, people back east had assumed this would be an easy in and out expedition. With winter coming, people began to see this might drag on, and they called the effort Buchanan’s Blunder, and called for him to end it peacefully. Mountain Meadows Massacre Handout

Peace Arrives Brigham Young ordered a “move south”, abandoning most of the northern communities, including SLC, and relocated most everyone to Provo and other nearby areas. They left a few men to prepare and then burn the towns, if necessary. Colonel Thomas Kane Handout: Meanwhile, Colonel Thomas Kane, a friend to the Mormons, met with the president, and offered to go to Utah to see what the truth was. He finally arrived, met with Gov. Young, and learned that the Mormons did not want bloodshed, and were willing to accept Gov. Cummings and his wife to avoid conflict. Gov. Cummings, seeing the fear and hardship the Mormons were suffering, and listened. He promised to work out a solution, and then returned to the army, and explained the truth. The army would stay, but there would be no war.

HW: You will be researching the factors that led up to the Utah War, including Judge William Drummond’s role in that. Feel free to use the blue textbook folders, or browse the internet to find the info you need. See the handout for more info. Good luck! (Due: Next Thursday)