Lot smith annoy johnstons army 1857 flying tiger

We were to ascertain the location of the troops as soon as possible, which has now been done by Major Smith.

Yet, a very small number of Utahns could tell you why it has any importance. A few might guess it was just fourteen years ago that the Prophet Joseph, his brother Hyrum, John Taylor and Willard Richards were in the Carthage Jail and that the next day, Joseph and Hyrum were murdered. Perhaps some of the settlers in the Salt Lake Valley thought about that.

But essentially all of them were very nervous because another military group, much larger than the one that attacked the Carthage Jail, was marching into the Valley with apparently malcious intent. The settlers had abandoned their homes, willing for them to be burned rather than let the foe occupy them. The illustration above is of the troops marching through the streets of Salt Lake City, probably in front of Brigham Young's home.

It is a bit biased as is the caption. The soldier's feelings differed from thos of the settlers. Most of them had spent a cold winter with substandard rations, indequate clothing, and poor shelter. And the Mormons were to blame, as they saw it. Yet, they were marching into this valley almost as if they were the losers in the campaign just ended.

Worse than that, they had been ordered to stay in ranks and do no harm to anything or anyone. That order had come from an officer they respected and also knew he would impose severe punishment on any that violated it. They didn't know that the commander, Bvt. General Albert Sidney Johnston, had said he would give his Texas plantation for the privilege of bombarding the city for just fifteen minutes.

Of course, "his" Texas plantation was no longer his.