Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-06-29

Meanwhile the main portion OF the
command was performing garrison
! duty, building forts. and otherwise sery-
| Ing their country in California, They
We're honorably discharged at Los An
gcles, July l6, lSi7, at the expiration OF
their years term Of enlistment, and
many Of them, at the urgent request of
Governor Mason, the Y, S. military
commandant, then re-onlsted while
others set out to rejoln their families
In Salt Lake Valley and at points far
Their east A number of these dis
charged soldiers hired out to Captain
Suffer- who was building some mills
near the site Of the present city u Sac
ramento, and while thus engaged were
instrumental In digging up the first gold
! of California a discovery that created
the Golden state and reyOlullOn2ed the
commerce Of the world. II was nom
Mormon the foreman Of the force,
who pronounced the metal gold, but II
was the picks and shoyels Of Mormon
Battalion boys that brought that gold
10 the gurface.
Less than two years after the adj
vent Of the Pioneers into salt Lake
Valley, and n little over four years
after the DISARMAMENT OF the NauVoo
Legion I'm Illinois, the honored name
was revived By legislative enactment
and bestowed upon the newly organized
militia Of the state Of Deseret; the
first civil government established IN the
Rocky Mountain region. The settlers
organized this provisional government
pending the action Of Congress upon
their prayer for admission into the
Union. which prayer was denied and
the Territory of Utah organized In
stead. with Brigham Young as COVER
nor by appointment OF President MIL
lard Fillmore. lie had previously
been elected governor Of Deseret. The
militia was organized in March,
April and May lSi9, under
the direction Of Generals Charles Ca
Rich and Daniel II, Wells, committee
on military affairs General Wells was
appointed to the chief command, with
the rank Of major-g general the lieuten-
ant generalshlp presumably being re-
tained by Governor Young, In spirit II
not in name Jededlah NJ. Grant and
Horace S. Eidredge were brigadier-gen-
erals, the former Of the cavalry c0hort,
the latter Of the infantry cohort; the
form as well as the name OF the Nauyoo
Legion being adopted. There were also
two companies Of artillery. The other
general officers were: James Ferguson.
adjutant; Hiram B. Clawson, aid-de-
camp; Lewis Robson, Quartermaster;
Albert p. lockwood, commissary; Ezra
G.. Williams, surgeon; Ezra T, Benson
and MILFORD Woodruff. ohaplalns; Ed
ward b, Duzette, chief Of music;
Ephraim Hanks and Lot Smith. color
bearers. Companies, battalions and
regiments we're formed wherever posi-
BILE and military districts organized In
various counties Al the close OF 1852
the militia numbered over two thous-
and.
Before this, however, the newly cree
Gted legion had seen service In "the
tented field" It's foes were now tho
marauding and murderous savages Of
the Rocky mountains, whom II was
their policy to placate II possible, but
20 punish when necessary The first
brush with the redskins took place dur
ing lS49. at Battle Creek, now Pleasant
Grove, whore a thleving band was re-
feated after q sharp skirmIsh by
Colonel John Scott with thirty or forty
militiamen, and driven up Battle Creek
canyon. Thenext affair, n more serious
one, occurred also in Utah county be-
ginning with a fierce two DAYS fight at
Provo Fort Utah). on the Sth and 9th
OF February 1850 In this and in sub
sequent engagements the last one at
Table Mountain, at the south end Of
Utah lake. the hostlles were prac-
tically annlhilated. Among those who
took part In this brief but
effective campaign. rendered unusually
severe by the extreme GOODNESS of the
weather, We're General d. II. Wells,
commander-ln Captain =. w.
Conover, commander at Fort Utah;
Miles Weaver who brought the first
news of hOstllities TO Salt Lake; Cap
tain George p. Grant, who headed the
minute men" that went from here to
the relief Of the Provo settlers; Major
Andrew Lyle. Lieutenant William II.
Kimball Robert T. Burton, Lot Smith,
James Ferguson. John r. Murdoch.
Ephralm Hanks, Orson X. Whitney, A.
j. Peudeton Barney Ward, Jabez
Nowlin, lsham Flynn, Hiram 3. Claw
son, Dimlck b. Huntington and others too
numerous TO mention. Lieutenant How
land, of the U. s. Mounted Rifles. who
was assisting Captain Howard STAINS
bury In a government survey Of Utah
lake, and Dr. Blake, also of the STAINS
bury party, likewise rendered valuable
service as volunteers. A brilliant epis-
ode OF the Provo fight was the capture
by Lieutenant Kimball and fifteen
picked cavalrymen OF a double log
house on the line OF the Indian en-
trenchments, from which the savages
were pouring a merciless fire. The first
two troopers inside the house were Lot
Smith and Robert T. Burton, whose es-
cape from death in the midst OF show
er Of bullets rained upon them was lii q
tie less than a miracle.
Comparative peace now prevailed for
several years, though forts were built
In most Of the outlying settlements as
a protection against Indians II was
during this period that the Arsenal.
which has long since disappeared was
erected on the Hill north Of Salt Lake
city, and so-called Spanish wall" built
around the town Parts ~ this old mud
wall still remain A new militia law
was enacted by the Legislature. and
under II the organization Of the legion
was more nearly perfected Daniel II.
Wells was now elected lleutenant-ge gem
eral.