Utah War

Utah War
Part of the Mormon wars

American officers during the Utah War
Date29 June 1857[citation needed]-12 April 1858[citation needed]
Location
Utah Territory
(present day Utah and Wyoming)
Result

Inconclusive[1]
Utah War Peace Commission

Belligerents
 United States Deseret / Utah
Native American allies
Commanders and leaders
Units involved

United States Army

Nauvoo Legion
Armed mormons
Strength
2,500–3,000 1,000
Casualties and losses
Civilians: 150 killed (120 in Mountain Meadows Massacre)[3]

The Utah War (1857–1858), also known as the Utah Expedition,[4] the Utah Campaign,[5] Buchanan's Blunder,[6] the Mormon War,[7] or the Mormon Rebellion,[8] was an armed confrontation between Mormon settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the US government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 to July 1858. The conflict primarily involved Mormon settlers and federal troops, escalating from tensions over governance and autonomy within the territory. There were several casualties, predominantly non-Mormon civilians. Although the war featured no significant military battles, it included the Mountain Meadows Massacre, where Mormon militia members disarmed and murdered about 120 settlers traveling to California.[9]

The resolution of the Utah War came through negotiations that permitted federal troops to enter Utah Territory in exchange for a pardon granted to the Mormon settlers for any potential acts of rebellion. This settlement significantly reduced the tensions and allowed for the re-establishment of federal authority over the territory while largely preserving Mormon interests and autonomy.

  1. ^ "Utah War".
  2. ^ a b c d Ramos, Donna G. (June 12, 2006). "Utah War: U.S. Government Versus Mormon Settlers". Historynet. Vienna, Virginia.
  3. ^ MacKinnon 2007, pp. 43, 60.
  4. ^ Hafen, Le Roy Reuben; Hafen, Ann Woodbury (1958). The Utah Expedition, 1857–1858: A Documentary Account of the United States Military Movement under Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston, and the Resistance by Brigham Young and the Mormon Nauvoo Legion. A. H. Clark. ISBN 9780870620355. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  5. ^ William Preston Johnston; Albert Sidney Johnston (1878). The Life of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. D. Appleton. p. 207. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  6. ^ Poll & Hansen 1961, p. 110.
  7. ^ "The Mormon War" (PDF). The New York Times. May 19, 1858.
  8. ^ "The Mormon Rebellion" (PDF), The New York Times, February 16, 1858
  9. ^ Hampton, Jeff (September 11, 2017). "The Mountain Meadows Massacre: 5 Things Every Mormon Should Know". LDS Living. Retrieved 2022-07-04.