--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young, Seymour B. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 14 number: 7 published: 1911-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Seymour B. Young, "The Loyalty of Brigham Young—An Open Letter to Lieut. Hobson," *Improvement Era* 14, no. 7 (May 1911): 603–612.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1407unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1407unse start_page: 603 end_page: 612 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1911-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1407unse publication_year: 1911 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1911, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Loyalty of Brigham Young—An Open Letter to Lieut. Hobson The Loyalty of Brigham Young. An Open Letter to Lieut. Hobson, Whose gallant service in the sinking of the liMerrimacn largely contributed to the victory of the American Navy. BY DR. SEYMOUR B. YOUNG, OF THE FIRST COUNCIL OF SEVENTY. The statement of some thoughtless person, published in a prominent periodical, was called to my attention recently in regard to the loyalty of President Brigham Young, of the ''Mormon" Church, to our government. The rabid statement, as 1 now recall it, was from a lady by the name of Owen: Brigham Young was always a traitor to the general government, and lived and died a traitor. When this language, Lieut. Hobson, was brought to your attention, I am informed you made this reply: If it can be satisfactorily proven that Brigham Young was a traitor to our government, I, too, would object to having his monument and statue engraved on any piece of silver service belonging to the battleship Utah. I was pleased to read this statement,for in it I thought I could recognize the sentiment that if it could be shown that Brigham Young was loyal to our country, you would be equally willing to defend Utah's rights,and have his monument or statue engraved on the silver service of the battleship Utah. Brigham Young, pioneer of the great West, prepared a highway which led to the settlement and building of a mighty western empire, for, Salt Lake City, of his founding, soon became the 604 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Mecca of western emigrants, seeking not only the precious metals of the hills and mountains, but homes to locate upon the virgin soil, not only in Utah, but on territory in the states of Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico and California; proving, indeed,that he was the founder of a great empire. My memory goes back to 1846, whenBrigham Young with his followers, numbering some fifteen thousand souls, left their beautiful city of Nauvoo, because of persecution from their neighbors in Illinois and Missouri, crossed the Mississippi river, and wended their way westward over the then uninhabited territory of Iowa. At the end of a journey of three hundred and fifty miles, the vanguard with Brigham Young arrived at Council Bluffs, a place of renown as its name implies, where the Indians were in the habit of gathering in the council of their nations. From their city of exodus, (Nauvoo) were scattered along this trail of emigrating "Mormons," these companies of emigrants, small and large. At Garden Grove, some sixty miles west of Nauvoo, a small town was located, a place for halting and rest for the later companies. Mount Pisgah, for the same purpose, was established, this latter town being about one hundred and fifty miles west from Nauvoo. Oregon, at that time, was in the possession of the United states, and President Polk had recommended to Congress that stockade forts be built along the overland route to that distant part, as a protection to emigrants. In anticipation of a law being passed to this effect, the Saints endeavored to secure the work of building the forts. They knew they could do the work as well and as cheaply as any others, as they expected to travel some distance in that direction. Besides, the means to te earned by such work would greatly aid in supporting them; and the fact of their being in the employ of the government might serve as a guaranty of their good faith and their protection. In alluding to this in a circular issued by the High Council at Nauvoo, by the direction of President Brigham Young, January 20, 1846, it was stated that, Should hostilities arise between the government of the United States and other powers, in relation to the right of possessing the territory of Oregon, we are on hand to sustain the United States government to THE LOYALTY OF BRIGHAM YOUNG. 605 that country. It is geographically ours; and of right no foreign power should hold dominion there; and if our services are required to prevent it, those services will be cheerfully rendered according to our ability. President Young also wrote to Elder J. C. Little, who was presiding over the Saints in the New England States, on the 26th of January, 1846, as follows: If our government should offer facilities for emigrating to the western coast, embrace those facilities if possible. As a wise and faithful man, take every honorable advantage of the times you can. Be thou a savior and a deliverer of the people, and let virtue, integrity and truth be your motto, salvation and glory the prize for which you contend. Elder Little remained at Washington several days, awaiting definite instructions in regard to the matter, and in the meantime addressed an appeal to the president, setting forth some of the grievances of the Saints, alluding to their intention to journey westward and testifying to their loyalty. Afterwards, Elder Little had an interview with the president, who informed him that he had read the petition with interest, and that his people should be protected as good citizens, which he believed them to be. Before leaving, however, the elder learned, by a subsequent interview, that the design of the president had been changed, and that five hundred men would be called for as U. S. volunteers, to join General Taylor in Mexico. He also learned that the president had instructed the secretary of war to make out dispatches to Colonel Kearney, commander of the army of the West, relative to the contemplated "Mormon" Battalion. From the time the Saints first concluded to leave Nauvoo in order to secure freedom from persecution, rumors and speculations were rife as to their probable destination. It was confidently asserted by many persons in authority that the government would interfere to prevent them if they attempted to journey west to the Rocky mountains. Governor Ford, in writing to Sheriff Backenstos, as early as December 29, 1845, expressed the belief that the government would prevent their removal, as they would be likely to "join the British." Soon afterwards Amos Kendall, ex-postmaster general, who claimed to be familiar with the plans 606 IMPROVEMENT ERA. of the president and cabinet, also informed Elder Samuel Brannan that such was the intention. They were to be prevented upon the plea that it was contrary to law for an armed force from the United States to invade the dominion of another government. Of course, the Saints did not propose to go as a hostile force, but as peaceable citizens seeking a home. They had, however, suffered so much in the past without cause, that this new threat was regarded with apprehension. Letters were therefore written from Nauvoo to Hon. Stephen A. Douglas and several other members of Congress to secure their influence in favor of the ' 'Mormon" people. Efforts were also made by the authorities of the Church to obtain government patronage while journeying westward, with a view to securing protection from persecution, as well as a means of subsistence. The following letter explains itself: Sir—It is understood that there is a large body of "Mormons'' who are desirous of emigrating to California, for the purpose of settling in that country, and I have, therefore, to direct that you will proceed to their camps and endeavor to raise from among them five companies of volunteers to join me in my expedition to that country, each company to consist of any number between seventy-three and one hundred and nine; the officers of each company will be a captain, first lieutenant and second lieutenant, who will be elected by the privates and subject to your approval, and the captains then to appoint the non-commissioned officers, also subject to your approval. The companies, upon being organized thus, will be mustered by you into the service of the United States, and from that day will commence to receive the pay, rations and other allowances given to the other infantry volunteers, each according to his rank. You will, upon mustering into service the fifth company, be considered as having the rank, pay and emoluments of a lieutenant-colonel of infantry, and are authorized to appoint an adjutant, sergeant-major and quartermaster sergeant for the battalion. You will give the "Mormons" distinctly to understand that I wish to have them as volunteers for twelvemonths; that they will be marched to California, receiving pay and allowances during the above time, and at its expiration they will be discharged and allowed to retain, as their private property, the guns and accoutrements furnished to them at the post. Each company will be allowed four women as laundresses, who will THE LOYALTY OF BRIGHAM YOUNG. 607 travel with the company, receiving rations and other allowances given to the laundresses of our army. With the foregoing conditions, which are hereby pledged to the "Mormons," and which will be faithfully kept by me and other officers in behalf of the government of the United States, I cannot doubt but that you will, in a few days, be able to raise five hundred young and efficient men for this expedition. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, (Signed) S. F. Kearney, Colonel of First Dragoons. To Captain James Allen, First Reg. Dragoons, Fort Leavenworth. In a circular to the "Mormons, ' Col. Allen said: I have come among you, instructed by Colonel S. F. Kearnev of the U. S. Army, now commanding the Army of the West, to visit the "Mormon" camps, and to accept the service for twelve months of five companies of "Mormon" men, who may be willing to serve their country for that period in our present war with Mexico, this force to unite with the Army of the West at Santa Fe, and be marched thence to California, where they will be discharged. They will receive pay and rations, and other allowances such as volunteers or regular soldiers receive, from the day they shall be mustered into the service, and will be entitled to all comforts and benefits of regular soldiers of the army, and when discharged as contemplated at California, they will be given, gratis, their arms and accoutrements, with which they will be fully equipped at Fort Leavenworth. This is offered to the "Mormon'' people now. This gives an opportunity of sending a portion of their young and intelligent men to the ultimate destination of their whole people, and entirely at the expense of the United States, and this advanced party can thus pave the way and look out the land for their brethren to come after them. Those of the "Mormons" who are desirous of serving their country, on the conditions here enumerated, are requested to meet me without delay at their principal camp at Council Bluffs, whither I am going to consult with their principal men, and to receive and organize the force contemplated to be raised. I will receive all healthy, able-bodied men of from eighteen to fortyfive years of age. J. Allen, Captain First Dragoons. Camp of the "Mormons," at Mt. Pisgah, one hundred and fifty miles east of Council Bluffs, June 25, 1846. 608 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Note:—I hope to complete the organization of this batallion in six days after my reaching Council Bluffs, or within nine days from this time. When this officer, Colonel Allen, arrived at Mt. Pisgah he was referred, with his request for volunteers, to President Brigham Young, who was then with the first companies of "Mormon" emigrants encamped near Council Bluffs, same two hundred miles further west, as before stated. Colonel Allen immediately took up his journey westward, and reaching Council Bluffs made known his errand to President Young. President Young called his leading men around him, and laid the matter before them. Not all the leading men viewed this request in the same light, and some of them were decidedly unfriendly to it, but Brigham Young c'osed all dissenting arguments with the statement that the five companies required by the general government must be furnished from the "Mormon" camps. He further stated that though men inhabiting the states of Missouri and Illinois had expelled them from their homes, that the general government of the United States had never wronged them, and that the constitution of the United States was an instrument inspired by revelation from God, to our forefathers and to the patriots who cemented and builded this great, free government with their labor, with their toil, with their sweat and with their blood, and if the government required our help, the help of the "Mormon" people, to maintain or enlarge this great, free republic, they should have it, and we would aid to the fullest extent of our power. This word was sent from camp to camp by Brigham Young,carried on swift horses by express riders. The result of this service was fraught with all the good to the "Mormon" people that was anticipated by Brigham Young and the brave boys, the "Mormon" volunteers. For, from the time of their enlistment until the "Mormon" people left the Missouri river on their march toward the Great Salt Lake basin, in the year 1847, they were not menaced nor threatened by their enemies, because, said they, their young men have gone to the war, and hence the "Mormon" people who were left without their protection on the prairie are under the protection of the general government. The history of the "Mormon" Battalion is too well known to THE LOYALTY OF BRIGHAM YOUNG. 609 need any further comment at this time from me, but it must be borne in mind that Brigham Young was the leader of the "Mormon" people, that he was a Moses and a law-giver to them, and at the time this request came for five hundred able-bodied men to enlist as U. S. volunteer soldiers, to march to Mexico in the defence of the United States, the "Mormon" encampments were scattered for several hundred miles along their trail westward; and although their leader, Brigham Young, saw clearly that this enlistment of his young and able men meant a delay of at least a year in their march to the Rocky mountains, yet he earnestly counseled and insisted that the required number of volunteers should be immediately furnished. When their service in the army was completed, and the "Mormon" Battalion was disbanded at San Diego, California, Col. P. St George Cook stated to them his approval of their conduct as United States volunteers, and said to them: Fellow Soldiers'—You have performed a march without a parallel in the history of infantry soldiers, and you have endured uncomplainingly the hardships and deprivations of the journey, with the bravery and fortitude of veterans. You have been obedient to command, and patient under conditions of intense suffering, during your march, many times deprived of rations and water. Napoleon crossed the Alps, but you have crossed a continent. I call your attention to this service, Lieut. Hobson, and will further refer you to other incidents bearing me out in the statements as to the loyalty of Brigham Young and his people to his country and to the government of the United States. In 1862, during the War of the Rebellion, there were two expeditions called for, consisting of mounted cavalrymen for protection on the plains against marauding bands of Indians. The first called out was the latter part of the month of April, 1862, under command of General Robert T. Burton of the Utah militia. The order coming from acting Governor Frank Fuller of Utah, the purpose was for the protection on his journey to the east of Honorable William H. Hooper, delegate to Congress. General Burton gives the following account of the expedition: It will be remembered that this was the season of the highest water ever known in the Rocky mountains. As a consequence, travel over 610 IMPROVEMENT ERA. these mountain ranges was almost impossible. Some idea may be formed of this matter from the fact that it took my command, with all their energy and exertion possible, nine days to reach Fort Bridger, only one hundred and thirteen miles from Salt Lake. At the fort we abandoned our wagons, and proceeded with pack animals from this point. It is proper also to state here that we received from the government officers at the fort, provisions, tents and equipage necessary for our continued journey. From this point eastward we found all mail stations and also telegraph stations abandoned. Many of them had been burned, and the coaches still standing in the road, perforated with bullets, where the band of marauding Indians had also murdered the drivers and passengers, and taken the horses away with them. In some of the stations we found large numbers of mail sacks, which had been cut open by the Indians, and their contents scattered over the ground, which contents were carefully gathered as far as possible by my company, and carried on to the stations at North Platte, and delivered to the mail agent at that point. We continued on to the Laprelle river station, thirty miles east of North Platte. To this point from the east, the mail coaches still continued to go and come with safety, and we here transferred the Honorable William H. Hooper to the care of this uninterrupted line of travel to the East. This expedition was one of the most toilsome and hazardous we have ever experienced, but we succeeded in going and returning, and accomplishing the safe conduct of Mr. Hooper without the loss of a man or animal. Two days after this expedition had left Salt Lake as escort to Honorable William H. Hooper, President Lincoln, through Adjutant General Thomas, telegraphed Governor Brigham Young asking him to raise and equip one full company of cavalry for the purpose of protecting the mail and telegraph lines, also to rebuild and restore the stations that had already been destroyed by the Indians between Fort Bridger and the North Platte station, and for establishing protection to those lines. The following telegram was sent in answer: Salt Lake City, May 1, 1862. Adj. Gen. L. Thomas, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C: On receipt of your telegram April 28, General D. H. Wells, of the Utah militia,, was instructed by me to proceed to raise the company of cavalry to be mustered into the service of the United States for the term THE LOYALTY OF BRIGHAM YOUNG. 611 of ninety days, for the purpose of re-establishing and maintaining the mail and telegraph service lines, west of the Missouri river. Today, May 1, 1862, the company of seventy-two privates, officered and equipped as directed, with a commissariat of ten wagons, took up their march for Independence Rock, in the region of the North Platte river. (Signed) Brigham Young. The officers of the company were as follows: Captain, Lot Smith. First Lieutenant, Joseph L. Rawlins. Second Lieutenant, John Quincy Knowlton. Orderly Sergeant, Richard Atwood. Commissary Sergeant, James M. Barlow. Sergeants: 1. Samuel W. Riter. 2. John P. Wimmer. 3. Howard 0. Spencer. 4. Moses Thurston. Corporals: 1. Seymour B. Young. 2. Newton Meritt. 3. William A. Bringhurst. 4. John Hoagland. 5. Jos. H. Felt. 6. Andrew Bigler. 7. John Neff. 8. Hyrum D. Clemens. Farriers: 1. Ira N. Hinckley. 2. John Helm. Wagonmaster: Soloman H. Hale. Buglers: 1. Josiah Erdley. 2. Charles Evans. At this time Ben Holliday was government contractor for carrying the United States mail from the Missouri river to the Pacific coast. He at once telegraphed Governor Young his thanks for the prompt response in sending Utah volunteers onto the plains for the protection of the mail and telegraph lines, and stated also that he would replace the coaches and re-establish the mail service immediately, realizing that he would have ample protection from the Utah volunteers. The Utah volunteers for the above named service, were mustered in on April 30, 1862, at Salt Lake City, Utah, and performed faithfully the service required of them. They were mustered out and paid off on March 22, 1863, at the place of their enlistment. On October 17, 1861, the Overland or Pacific Telegraph line was completed to Salt Lake City, and the first message was sent to Hon. J. H. Wade, president of the company, at Cleveland, Ohio, on the 18th, by Brigham Young, to whom the first use of the line had been courteously tendered. After congratulations, President Young closed his message with these loyal words: Utah has not seceded, but is firm for the Constitution and laws of 612 IMPROVEMENT ERA. our once happy country, and is warmly interested in such useful enterprises as the one so far completed. Brigham Young. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, 1898, Major Richard W. Young, grandson of President Brigham Young, and a graduate of West Point, offered his services to the governor of Utah. He was appointed senior captain of the two batteries, A and B. Captain Young's battery A, and Captain Grant's battery B were well posted, and, with the rest of the land forces, assisted Admiral Dewey in the bombarding of Manila, and captured that city with fourteen thousand of the Spanish forces. During the period of conquest which followed, Captain Young was appointed Superior Provost Judge of Manila, and performed the duties of this office in addition to the duties of battalion major, to which he had also been recently appointed. In 1899, Major Young and Captain Grant of the Utah batteries, were granted a leave of absence to visit the ports of Japan and China. On the 4th of February was anticipated a further attack from the Philippines, and to prepare for this, General McArthur requested Major Young, who had now returned with his two batteries, to place himself in readiness, and during the fierce battle which followed and raged from the night of the 4th and all day on the 5th and 6th, these batteries did gallant service in assisting in the capture of General Aguinaldo's forces. During this great battle for two nights and two days, John G. Young, sergeant, and Dr. Harry Young, surgeon and captain, were killed. These young men were both nephews of President Brigham Young. This fact is mentioned to show the fighting stock from which these young men have sprung; for be it remembered, John Young, their grandfather, and the father of President Brigham Young, was a soldier in the Revolutionary army, and was under the immediate command of General Washington. In 1901, Major Richard W. Young returned home, and since that time has built up a large and successful law practice, and is one of the honored sons of Utah, both as a soldier and a civilian. Salt Lake City, Utah.