At Sword's Point Part I: A Documentary History of the Utah War To 1858 by William P. MacKinnon (Editor)

Illustrations     9
Foreword     11
Acknowledgments     17
Editorial Procedures     29
Introduction     35
"Like a Thousand o'Brick": Tense Prelude to Armed Intervention, 1849-55     41
Tensions of the Early 1850s
1855: A Watershed Year
"Happy Fighting Led by Inspired Men": Approaching the Flash Point, 1856     53
A Highly Political Summer
Autumn Angst among Utah's Businessmen and Appointees
"See the Red Stuff Run": Awaiting Buchanan     61
Brigham Young under Pressure
A Rising of the Blood: Brigham Young's Health
Snapping and Biting: Governor Young Focuses on Federal Appointments
The Yoke of Tyranny: Fateful Petitions
Our Constant Friend: Young Reconnects with Kane
When Your Finger Crooks, We Move: The Ambrose-Betts Affair
"Dancing on a Volcano": The Change in Administrations     83
The Coarsest and Most Brutal Assaults: The Secondary Importance of the Mormon Problem
His High Functions As Chief Magistrate: Buchanan Forms His Cabinet
The Most Remarkable Instance of Indecision: An Ailing Buchanan Fights the Patronage Wars
Behold Me, a Lieutenant General: Winfield Scott's Splendid but Conflicted Isolation
"It's a Hell of a Place": The Decision to Intervene     99
It Was a Declaration of War: The Utah War's Smoking Gun
Mr. Buchanan Is a Timerous, Overworked Man: Thomas L. Kane
I Will Make Open War on This Administration: Judge Drummond as Loose Cannon
Mr. BernhiselHas Left These Parts: Washington's Mormon Vacuum
Well Informed on All Subjects: Buchanan Hears from Advisors and Strangers
Orders Having Been Dispatched in Haste: Planning for Military Intervention
The Mormon Imbroglio in Its True Light: Decisions Explained Retrospectively
We Can Place No Reliance upon the President: Kane Turns Fatalistic
Why Have You Barked with the Dogs?: Senator Douglas's Betrayal
"President Young Says That He Would Build a Fort": Utah Prepares for the Storm     139
The Moral and Physical Sky Is Clearer: Flight of the Federal Appointees
A Matter of Chemistry: Frederick Loba Flees Utah
The Earth Seems to Revolve as Formerly: To Oregon and Back with Brigham Young
Sounding the Alarm: Enter Bill Hickman
The Best Silver Epaulettes: Gubernatorial Outreach
"To Conquer Both Time and Distance": Harney Organizes the Expedition     151
In Due Time: The Tentative Selection of Harney
Cold Water upon the Utah Expedition: Controversy over Harney's Enthusiasm
This Highly Improper Departure: Re-ignition of the Scott-Harney Feud
Squaw Killer and Mad Bear: The Mormons' Adversary
A Suggestion
Not an Order, Nor Even a Recommendation: Orders for General Harney
To Bear Our Separation Cheerfully: Home Front Departures
Unfeigned Anxiety: Enter Major McCulloch, Exit Captain Van Vliet
Not Even the Archangel Michael: Governor Walker Explodes
Ordinary Military Duties: Buchanan Instructs Utah's Governor-Designate
My Presence Is So Necessary: A Change in Commanders
In Pharaoh's Army: Teamsters, Reporters, and Soldiers West     185
Wide Awake and Out Front: Charlie Morehead
They Had Mistaken Their Calling: Teamsters and P. G. Lowe
Marching Is Not Dancing: Field Reports from the Peripatetic, Homicidal Mr. Finlay
This Vile Dog's Life: Marcy's Lamentations from the Fifth
Such Miserable, Forlorn Men: Surgeon Bartholow's Patients
Chase after the Infantry Regiments: A. G. Browne's Dispatches
I Have Many Many More Things to Say: Captain Cumming's Voice
"We Will Make a Potter's Field of Every Canyon": Young and the Legion Respond     223
A Place Sacred and Devoted to the Service of God: Drama in Big Cottonwood Canyon
Our Enemies Are Also Their Enemies: Young Positions Mormons, Leaders, and Indians
I Greatly Prefer Fighting to Hanging: Sending George A. South
Let It Be Treason, or Not Treason: The 16 August Discourse and Independence Issue
Riding Directly into the Lion's Den: Mormon Backtrailing on the Plains
First Comes the Catching: Anxieties over Colonel Sumner's Mission
The Intelligence We Have Thus Far Obtained: Trail Reports for Brigham Young
"Bring Home All the Powder and Lead": The Quest for Arms and Munitions     257
"Big Nose" Threads the Needle: Across the Plains and into the Mountains with Nicholas Groesbeck
Those Who Cause Us Trouble Will Freight for Us: Smuggling Ammunition
With All the Gun Powder He Could Carry: Howard Egan Scours Southern California
The Best and Cheapest that Can Be Made in This Place: Creative Weapons Design
Reverend Beecher and His "Bibles": A Kansas Context for Mormon Gunrunning
"If We Are Driven into Extreme Measures": Brigham Young Beleaguered     277
Or the Knife and Tomahawk: Positioning Easterners
Arise Like Men of God: Proclaiming Martial Law
Justification for That Extreme Measure: Context for Young's Proclamation
An Armed Rabble: The Troops React
"Lonely Bones": Violence and Leadership     295
Up the Pocket of the Lord: The Yates Murder
Eaten Away by the Crows: The Lynching of Private Clark
We'll Hang Him Yet: Other Threats in the Green River District
A Fine Looking Party of Men: Assassination of the Aiken Party
The Assassination of Henry Forbes: A Familiar Pattern
Explaining Violence: Gubernatorial Language, Leadership, and Example
"Like Stubble before a Wirlwind": The Legion Strikes     329
To Waste Away Our Enemies and Lose None: Recalibrating Tactics
A Cold Seat around the Ashes of Forts Bridger and Supply: Trial by Fire
It Was for His Sake: Of Lot Smith, Myths, and Realities
Left to Your Discretion and Judgement: Young Strategizes and Micromanages
I Am on the Lord's Business: Campaigning with Legionnaires
In Regard to Pretended Civil Officers: Dealing with Potential Captives
Order and Harmony Were Restored: Life in the Nauvoo Legion
"Staggering Along Like So Many Drunken Men": The Army's Ordeal     377
Nothing but Your Success: Johnston's Reassignment and Optimism
So Little Thus Far Accomplished: Captain Phelps's Frustrations on Hams Fork
One Magnificent Struggle from the Beginning: The Accounts of Porter, Johnston, Stewart, and Carter
"My Thoughts upon Utah Matters": Origins of Kane's Mission     405
He Had Been in the Country: S. W. Richards's Failed Attempt to Brief Kane
When I Came Down upon the World Again: Prelude to Mission
Policy of the Government Not Yet Definitely Fixed Upon
"Much Easier to Plan than Execute": Buchanan and Diplomats React to Lot Smith     415
Getting on Here Very Quietly & Pleasantly: A Deceptive Calm in Washington
The Mormon Problem Is Solved: Sour News from the Sweetwater
Waiting All Day to See the Secretary: The Colorado River as Invasion Route
Approach Them in Three Columns: General Smith's Advice
The Kind Feelings You Entertain for Me: Harney Weighs In
No Friend to the Mormons: Gratuitous Advice from Captain Ingalls
To Keep Them Quiet: Heading Off Mormon Tribal Influence
They Will Turn to the North: Pacific Coast Jitters
"Into Winter Quarters": Sidney Johnston Takes Charge     445
Men in Very Deep Thought: The Dilemma of Army Intentions
Curiously Wrought Chimneys: Building Camp Scott
Remain in the Vicinity of My Fort: Magraw among the Shoshones
Or Be Starved on the Road: Volunteering under Duress
It Will Be Much to My Credit: Marcy to New Mexico
With Rifles, Pistols, Swords, and Other Warlike Weapons: Log Cabin Indictments
Tut, Tut, None of That Mr. Ferguson: The Captivity of Charlie Becker
"To Avert a War of Extermination": Converging Destinies of Kane, Buchanan, and Young     479
His Power Has Been, Therefore, Absolute: Explaining Utah
He Is Full of Courage: Van Dyke and Kane's December White House Meeting
Poisoned Fangs So Deeply Buried: Young's Annual Message
To Exterminate or Drive Us from the Mountains: Pacific Coast Fury
Silent Night: Christmas with Brigham Young and the Utah Expedition
Christmas at the White House: Kane, Van Dyke, and Buchanan
Lord, Please Put into the President's Mouth Right Words: Year-End Maneuverings
Buck All Over: Plausible Deniability and Buchanan's Letters
God Bless and Speed Him with All My Heart: Cross-Currents among the Kanes
Bibliography     513
Index     531