page_title: Thomas L. Kane
section_title: Friendship with Young
hierarchical_section_title: Thomas L. Kane / Mormon philanthropy / Friendship with Young
caption_attribution_description: English: Statue of Major General Thomas L. Kane, Kane Pa., June 2009
context_page_description: Thomas Leiper Kane was an American attorney, abolitionist, philanthropist, and military officer who was influential in the western migration of the Latter-day Saint movement and served as a Union Army colonel and general of volunteers in the American Civil War. He received a brevet promotion to major general for gallantry at the Battle of Gettysburg.
  After meeting members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at an 1846 Philadelphia conference, Kane offered to help in their conflicts with the US government as they tried to migrate West. He negotiated to allow them to occupy land along the Missouri River, and later worked to help Utah achieve statehood. He passed on an offer to govern the territory, giving the position to Brigham Young. During 1857 and 1858, Kane attempted to mediate a dispute between the Latter-day Saints and the US government, persuading Young to concede his governorship to President Buchanan's appointee, preventing further escalation of the Utah War.
  During the Civil War, Kane organized a Pennsylvania regiment, and served as lieutenant colonel.
context_section_description: Kane became a personal friend of Brigham Young, and stayed in contact with the church leader for many years. Kane visited Utah several times, advising Young on dealing with the federal government. In 1869 the railroad completed its connection to both coasts (by a tie-in in northern Utah), and in 1871 Young urged Kane and his family to visit:
  General, now that the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad are completed and the facilities for traveling have made the trip across the plains comparatively a pleasure, may we hope to see you here soon? Let me assure you there is not one among the thousands who will cross the plains this season to whom the Latter-day Saints would more cordially extend the hand of warm welcome. Those who know you cherish for you the fondest recollection, while with all, your name is held in honorable remembrance.
  — Brigham Young, April 16, 1871
  Kane, his wife and their two younger sons spent the winter of 1872 in Utah. They traveled throughout the territory and were Young's guests at his winter home in St. George, partially in an effort to regain Kane's failing health. During the winter, Kane and Young laid plans for the Mormon settlement of sections of Arizona and the Sonora Valley in Mexico.  Kane also interviewed Young, gathering information for a planned biography (which he did not complete). In turn, Young consulted Kane as an attorney on dealing with federal charges pending against him.  
  Elizabeth Kane corresponded with her family during her visit to Utah. Her father, William Wood, later published selected letters as a book titled Twelve Mormon Homes, since issued in several editions. The journal that she kept during her winter in St. George was edited and published in 1992 as Elizabeth Kane's St. George Journal. Kane returned to Utah upon Young's death in 1877, attending his funeral and offering condolences to family and church leaders. He also oversaw the execution of Young's will, which he had prepared, ensuring an appropriate separation of church and personal property. Young had held a number of church properties in his own name due to the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862 which made it illegal for the LDS church to own property valued at more than $50,000. Ownership of these properties was transferred to his successor in the presidency, John Taylor.
caption: Statue of Thomas L. Kane, Kane Memorial Chapel, Kane, Pennsylvania
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