The Dream of Mormon Sovereignty Ends | Donald R. Moorman with Gene A. Sessions, Camp Floyd and the Mormons: The Utah War

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Donald R. Moorman’s literate account of the Utah War is set within the larger panorama of events in mid-nineteenth century America and relates the process by which the isolated Mormon community in the Great Basin region became part of a United States touched by the spirit of Manifest Destiny. 

The volume is the result of eighteen years of research and writing by Moorman, who passed away in 1980 before final revisions were completed on the manuscript. His associate, Gene A. Sessions, along with other colleagues, completed the task and prepared the work for publication. In the preface, Sessions plainly states that the volume is Moorman’s work, and that no attempt was made to update the manuscript. Even the title remained the author’s, although Sessions contemplated changing it to “The Mormons, Camp Floyd, and the Overland, 1857-61,” which would have more accurately reflected the scope of the book. The history of Camp Floyd comprises only part of the story of the Utah War saga. The author utilizes the old fort much like the hub of a wagon wheel, with its many spokes representing the related subject areas that make up the complete history of the Utah War period of the Great Basin. 

Moorman convincingly argues that the brief presence of the U.S. army in the Utah territory “changed forever the Mormon dream of sovereignty over the Great Basin” (259) and brought the region into the main stream of United States development and advancement. He accomplishes his goal by describing the epic of Mormon settlement in the Great Basin, and then concentrates on the many events that surrounded the coming of the military, and the lasting consequences of the establishment of Camp Floyd, later Fort Crittenden, on the residents of the Great Basin region. 

Moorman has achieved a unique balance between colorful, descriptive and scholarly writing. The reader is immediately caught up in the drama that resulted as the Mormons encountered army and government officials, but at the same time is impressed with the scholarly and well-documented material that is skillfully interwoven in the dialogue. The result is a highly readable work that is both enjoyable and informative. His sources are impressive, as he incorporates primary documents in his writing. Moorman was able to access the Brigham Young papers and the Mountain Meadows Massacre files, much of which is now unavailable for research, at the LDS church archives in Salt Lake City. 

The material about Camp Floyd is mainly from diaries and other primary sources that serve to embellish the many interesting activities at the fort. The fort history is not military but leans toward a descriptive social history. Moorman did not choose to access all of the military records available at the National Archives, which would have allowed for a more de tailed account of the establishment itself. What he does accomplish is a narrative that describes the interaction between the Mormons and the military, thus providing unusual and sometimes remarkable insight into the emotions of the period. 

One of the impressive characteristics of the author’s account is his treatment of individuals and groups. When introducing a character into the narrative, he first gives a brief but col orful and scholarly introduction of the person. An excellent example is found in chapter six as he describes Chief Justice Eckles using a Dickens caricature (103). Incidents, such as the Drummond affair, are treated like wise. Moorman is fair and refreshingly sympathetic to all sides and persons but does not neglect factual material. This is particularly notable in his treatment of the Mormons as a religious group, along with the government and military. 

A particularly informative, but sometimes graphically disturbing, account centers on Fairfield, or Frog town, the “Sodom and Gomorrah of the Great Basin” (59). Moorman successfully recreates the atmosphere of this “malignant cancer,” which he states “sapped the life from Camp Floyd” (59). Very similar to the later “Strip” in the Uinta Basin, Fairfield provided refuge for outlaws and criminals, and was a haven for vice and murder. The author provides insights into this infamous town which are il luminating and not found in other histories. 

The entire Utah War episode in Utah territorial history is a combination of inept government officials, misinformation, intolerance between the Mormons and the military, and stubbornness on the part of local and national government leaders, the army, and LDS church leaders. These factors prevented a reasonable search for a path to peace and reconciliation. The author does not oversimplify any of these situations and concisely states all sides of each issue. The acute di lemma that President Buchanan faced when finally forced to deal with the Utah problem is a notable example. After reviewing Buchanan’s choices, any one of which would have ultimately made matters worse, Moor man candidly concludes that “just as it was to be on the eve of the Civil War, no decision was considered a good decision” (122), referring to Buchanan’s inability to deal with the strong-willed central players and the politics of the time. 

In the epilogue, Moorman brings his account full circle. Within the con text of a broader United States history, he follows the army personnel from Camp Floyd into the Civil War, noting that officers and men of Camp Floyd “served in every major campaign on both sides of the battle line” (279). Many who felt that their mission in the Great Basin was never fulfilled would find their destiny and immortality on the bloody battlefields of the Civil War by paying the ultimate sacrifice.

The University of Utah Press has produced a well-designed and attractive volume, including a center section of timely photographs. It would have been useful if the authors had included a bibliographic list by category and in alphabetical order of the scholarly sources. The notes for each chapter are extensive, but it is difficult to locate the full bibliographic data on a source that is quoted for a second time in later chapters. 

Moorman and Session’s book is a fresh and scholarly contribution to the history of the Great Basin. It provides rare insight into the interpersonal relationships that dictated the events of the Utah War. At the same time, the colorful narrative and skillful weaving of documents allow the reader, regardless of background or interest, to become thoroughly absorbed in the events. It represents historical writing at its best.

Camp Floyd and the Mormons: The Utah War. By Donald R. Moorman, with Gene A. Sessions (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1992).