LDS History, Aug 13, 1857

-- Aug 13, 1857
[Utah War] Brigham Young sent Samuel W. Richards from SLC to Philadelphia to enlist the help of a friend of the Mormons, Thomas Kane. Richards travelled to New York to find Kane, arriving Sep. 16. (1)

-- Aug 13, 1857-17
[Utah War] More than 100 men were sent out to protect the ongoing immigration and to watch the movements of the advancing Army. (Hosea Stout diary) (1)

-- Aug 28, 1857
[Deseret] Col. Johnston is ordered to replace Gen. Harney as commander of the U.S. troops. (2)

[Utah War] Col. Albert Sidney Johnston was appointed successor to Gen. W.S. Harney as commander of the Utah expedition and set out to catch up with the Army which took him until November. (1)

-- Aug 30, 1857
[Deseret] Brigham Young discusses the possible secession of the Mormon "Kingdom of God" from the United States, and announces: "We must have the kingdom of God, or nothing. We are not to be overthrown." (JD 5:166). (2)

-- Aug 31, 1857
[Utah War] John M. Bernhisel was elected Utah delegate to Congress. (1)

-- Sep 7, 1857-11
Emigrating party led by John T. Baker and Alexander Fancher besieged by Indians at Mountain Meadows; killed by Indians and Mormon militia. [See Mountain Meadows Massacre.] (3)

-- Sep 8, 1857
[Utah War] Captain Stewart Van Vliet arrived in SLC and was greeted by Brigham Young and others.
Jul 28. Received orders.
Jul 30. Left Fort Leavenworth for SLC.
Aug 9. Caught up with the troops at Fort Kearny.
Sep 8. Arrived in SLC.
Sep 9-13. Meetings in SLC.
Sep 13. Attended Sunday meetings at the Tabernacle.
Sep 14. Left SLC for Washington with Bernhisel.
Sep 16. Wrote his report to Gen. Pleasanton. (1)

-- Sep 9, 1857-13
[Utah War] Meetings were held with Cap. Van Vliet. He requested help with provisions for the troops and informed Brigham Young that an army station was to be established. within 30 miles of SLC. He presented Brigham Young with a July 28 letter from Gen. Harney which announced that the purpose of the Army was to establish a new military district in Utah Territory. This was the first official notification of the impending Army presence, coming four months after Pres. Buchanan's decision and two months after the first troops left Ft. Leavenworth for SLC. (1)

-- Sep 9, 1857-13 Brigham Young was well aware of charges that the Territory was in rebellion and rumors that the Army was sent to expel or exterminate the Mormons
[Utah War] He emphatically expressed to Van Vliet his distrust of Harney's declaration of the Army's purpose. Van Vliet acknowledged to Brigham Young his belief that Drummond's letter of resignation was the main cause of Pres. Buchanan sending the army to Utah and pledged that he would resign if the Army waged war. (CHC 4:217). (1)

-- Sep 10, 1857
[Deseret] Mountain Meadows Attack. An emigrant wagon train of non-Mormons is attacked and besieged by a mixed contingent of Mormon militia dressed as indians and indians (2)

-- Sep 11, 1857
[Deseret] 1857 approximately 120 men, women, and children in a wagon train from Arkansas were murdered by a band of Mormons set on a holy vengeance. Known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the history of this event continues to generate fierce controversy and deep emotions even to this day. (4)

[Deseret] A group of Mormons in Southern Utah, led by John D. Lee, under a white flag, lure out the besieged survivors, and then turn and kill them at a pre-arranged signal, in the Mountain Meadows massacre. (2)

Mountain Meadows Massacre. (5)

The Mountain Meadows massacre occurs as travellers passing through Utah from Missouri are murdered near Mountain Meadows, Utah. (6)

[U.S. Religious History] Mormon fanatic John D. Lee, angered over President Buchanan's order to remove Brigham Young from governorship of the Utah Territory, led a band of Mormons in a massacre of a California-bound wagon train of 135 (mostly Methodists) in Mountain Meadows, Utah. (7)


Footnotes:
1 - Hale, Van, Mormon Miscellaneous, Utah War Chronology, http://www.mormonmiscellaneous.com/utahwar/id2.html
2 - Wikipedia, Utah War, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_War#Timeline_of_events
3 - Ludlow, Daniel H. editor, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Macmillan Publishing, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 4, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
4 - Legends of America, Old West Timeline, http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-TimeLine2.html
5 - Hemidakaota, "Church Chronology from 1800-2000," http://www.lds.net/forums/scripture-study-forum/12108-church-chronology-1800-2000-part-1-a.html#post214550
6 - Wikipedia, 19th Century (Mormonism), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century_(Mormonism)
7 - Cline, Austin, History of American Religion: Timeline, http://bit.ly/Fwgbe
Mormon History Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/