# Chauncey Millard

Chauncey W. Millard (c. 1851 – January 29, 1869) was a 19th-century criminal in the Utah Territory convicted of murder. At 18, he became the youngest individual executed in Utah's history. Millard confessed to killing his coworker, Harlan Swett, following an argument. Before his execution by firing squad, Millard sold his body to a doctor in exchange for a pound of candy, which he reportedly consumed while awaiting execution.

## Early life

Millard's early life is poorly documented. He was reportedly born around 1851 in New York and described as a "child of doubtful paternity." His mother placed him in a poorhouse at the age of six, where he lived and worked until being sent to labor for a farmer named Babbitt. Millard reportedly endured abusive treatment from Babbitt, prompting him to destroy his employer’s property and flee at the age of 13.
During the American Civil War, Millard reportedly became a bushwhacker, engaging in robberies and killings. He later claimed to have killed five men before moving west.

## Murder and capture

In December 1868, Millard was hired by Champion Mayfield, a freight driver, to transport supplies from Salt Lake City to remote Nevada mining camps. Another freight driver, Harlan Swett, was also part of the group.
On December 11, 1868, the group stopped for lunch near Saratoga Bay, along what is now Utah Highway 68. Mayfield noticed his gun was missing and began searching for it. While Swett prepared food over a campfire, Mayfield asked Millard about the weapon. Moments later, gunfire erupted. Mayfield ran toward the commotion to find Swett lying dead and Millard standing over him with a revolver. Millard then fired four shots at Mayfield, striking him once in the hand. Mayfield fled across the ice-covered Utah Lake to safety.
Millard later reportedly told a representative of the Salt Lake Daily Reporter, "Well, Mayfield needn’t be afraid of ever being killed by a pistol, for it can’t be done. His life is insured. I shot at him four times, fair as ever a man did, and with good aim too, and never hurt him."
Mayfield's escape and report of the murder prompted a manhunt. Four days later, Millard was spotted near Cedar Valley. Orrin Porter Rockwell, a prominent lawman, and Henry Heath apprehended him on December 17, 1868. The capture was noted in newspapers, with one reporter from the Salt Lake Daily Telegraph remarking, "When such officers as Rockwell and Heath go for a man, it is pretty generally a foregone conclusion that they will have him."

## Trial and execution

Millard was transported to Provo to stand trial, where he confessed to killing Harlan Swett. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by firing squad. The execution was scheduled for January 29, 1869.
With no family or associates to claim his remains, Millard sold his body to Dr. Don Carlos Roberts, who intended to use his skeleton for medical studies. In return, Millard received a pound of candy.
On the day of his execution, Millard reportedly commented on the snowy weather, stating, "It was snowing like this when I done it." Witnesses noted that he showed little emotion as he was seated in the execution chair. Legend claims he was still eating candy as the shots were fired.

## Legacy

Artifacts related to Chauncey W. Millard, including a preserved piece of Millard’s tanned skin reportedly used by Dr. Roberts to wrap medical instruments and the gun used in the murder, are displayed at the Hutching’s Museum in Lehi, Utah. The rest of Millard's body was reportedly destroyed during an unsuccessful attempt to clean the bones using lye.