Letters

Editor:

Thanks for the review of my book, Fort Douglas, Utah: A Frontier Fort, 1862—1991. It is an honest and fair review, and the inclusion in Utah Historical Quarterly will provide some needed advertising for the book It is available locally at the Fort Douglas Military Museum on the former post The publisher of the book is the Vestige Press: William Schneider, 908 Lochview Court, Fort Collins, CO 80524.

I would like to comment on certain criticisms made by your reviewer, Mr Mark Mulcahey I agree with him that I could have included more information about the Mormon—military disputes and the feud between General Connor and Brigham Young. However, my intention was to write a military history of the fort, not to air the political differences between the Mormons and Gentiles

General Connor believed that the Mormons were "traitors, murderers, fanatics, and whores" when he arrived in Utah, and he and Brigham Young maintained a feud through the Deseret News and the Daily Union Vedette. However, by 1865 Connor had more serious and pressing matters to worry about The general departed for Denver in March 1865 to take command of the Department of the Plains and did not return to Camp Douglas until October 1865. I wrote that "By the spring of 1865 feelings had improved sufficiently so that the inauguration of President Lincoln on the fourth of March produced a joyous celebration by both Mormons and Gentiles The spirit of goodwill between the Volunteers and Mormons continued three days later when the city gave a dinner in honor of General Connor on his departure for Denver."

General Connor hired Porter Rockwell as a guide to the Bear River for his campaign against the Shoshone Indians camped at the mouth of Battle Creek. Undoubtedly, the general felt that Rockwell's expertise as a guide negated any feelings of antagonism for his religious beliefs

General Connor resigned from the service in April 1866, and any troubles he had thereafter with the Mormons and Brigham Young were not pertinent to the fort After he resigned from the army he did fear for his life and returned briefly to California before returning to pursue his mining interests

Captain Hempstead resigned from the army to continue the practice of law in Utah He apparently got along very well with the Mormons However, he "was editor of the Vedette for some time, and his editorials while he "was in the army "were not complimentary to the Mormons.

Colonel de Trobriand "was French by birth and probably did not feel the hostility toward the Mormons and polygamy that some of the other officers felt. By defying the federal officials, he aroused antagonism toward him, and he was transferred to Wyoming

I'm sorry I misspelled the name of Secretary of Interior Carl Schurz. It was my fault General Sheridan was the Commanding General of the army in 1888,and I have a copy of a request by the Fort Quartermaster for money to repair the rifle range. It was approved by General Sheridan as Commanding General and as

Acting Secretary of War I don't know how long he filled that position

President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act on July 1, 1862, and construction of the Union Pacific Railroad began in December 1863.However, it wasn't until General Grenville Dodge took over as construction engineer in early 1866 that construction began to move rapidly ahead.

Again, thanks for the review and for your interest in the history of Fort Douglas.

Charles G. Hibbard Ogden, Utah

Editor,

I thoroughly enjoyed the article on Wanda Robertson, as I attended Stewart School during the time she was teaching there I didn't know until now of her experience at Topaz or her devotion to the cause of equality for all students I am not surprised, however.

There is one error in the footnote 2 on page 121 Stewart School was not demolished, but still stands although it is now the home of the University of Utah's Anthropology Department.

Thanks for the continuing insights into Utah history.

Sonja M. Decker by e-mail