The Mountain Bond Vallies

Utah Historical Quarterly

Vol. XXI, 1953, No. 3

"THE MOUNTAIN BOUND VALLIES'Two Letters By a Traveler of 1859

INTRODUCTION

OBSERVATIONS by travelers have always been a valuable source of information about a country, its people, and their manners and customs. The travel literature describing Utah and the Mormons is especially extensive. The circumstances under which the Mormons migrated to Utah aroused wide interest, and the civilization they began to build after their settlement in the mountains kept the interest alive. The Saints regarded themselves as "a peculiar people"; defining the phrase somewhat differently, outside observers agreed.

The majority of the visitors to Utah during the pioneer period looked at the Mormon scene with a jaundiced eye; very few were capable of entire objectivity. The letters of John G. Hoagland, written in the winter of 1859-60, are outstanding in this respect. Without rancor or bitterness, and also without fawning adulation, Hoagland looked on the Mormon scene dispassionately. He spoke kindly of those things which were pleasing to him and temperately of those things he did not like or did not understand. Hoagland's comments on the country, the people, their customs, and their institutions are all revealing.

The letters were written shortly after "the Utah War," and are remarkable also for the wealth of detail they contain about a typical "speculation" of the period. Johnston's army was accompanied to Utah in 1858 by riffraff and camp followers who hoped to get rich at the expense of the soldiers and people, and this has given rise in Utah history to a stereotype of the speculator. There were objectionable characters enough—in the West there always have been—but Hoagland reflects a solid part of the American tradition—he is the decent, law-abiding citizen seizing upon a possible opportunity to get ahead in life. The type is with us still.

Of the man John G. Hoagland we have been able to learn nothing except what he himself sets forth in his letters. Under the circumstances, this anonymity is appropriate. Hoagland represents a type which for a moment has been given a voice, and we are content to listen to him on that basis.

The letters here published were obtained through the courtesy of Mr. C. Corwith Wagner of St. Louis, Missouri, who owns the originals. Mr. Wagner's collection of Western manuscripts stems from his interest and activity as a stamp collector. He writes the Society that he "became interested in 'folded letters'^—today called 'stampless covers' and began to collect them for their postal markings. The historical information these letters contained amazed me." Mr. Wagner has been an excellent friend to the Utah State Historical Society. Many important items in our manuscript collection have been obtained through his generosity.

J. B. Ward EsqrMy Dear Sir

ISalt Lake city Utah territory Nov 28th 1859

Although it is about 6 months since months since [sic] we met I have not forgotten the promise I made to write to you neither have I forgotten how pleasantly I spent the short time that I was with you

Our train left Florence Nebraska territory on the 6 of June it consisted of 70 waggons 225 yoke of oxen two carraiges 7 horses 5 mules some 12 or 14 milch cows & 135 persons it was principally a freight train after a journey of 1032 miles we arrived in this city on the 1st day of Sept. haveing been on the road 2 months & 26 days we had no serious Sickness among our people nor no deaths but we had one birth we got disease among our cattle by which we lost about $2000 worth of our best it bid fair at one time to so cripple us that we should not be able to move the train but Still we kept moveing until we could send forward & get cattle from here there is a great deal of hard labor attachd to journey a cross the plains yet there is much of interest in it for there something new to be seen at almost every Step the travel across the plains has been immense this Season we wer comeing in contact with parties going East or West daily the Mormon emigration alone has amounted to about 2000. I visited the celebrated Saleratus pond 8 on my way out it is truly an interesting sight it covers about 4 acres & at a distance has much the appearance of a pond covered with white ice it sells in this city at 25c pr pound without any preparation except the action of the atmosphere upon it I sent back some 3 or 4 pounds of it I have not yet visited Salt Lake it is some 17 miles from the City but I have seen plenty of the Salt & I never Saw nicer it is beautifully granulated & very white

Salt Lake city is rather a beautiful city all things considered in [18] 55 it contained a population of about 25000 it is laid out in blocks of 40 rods Square each block divided into 8 lots of 1 1/4 acres each the streets are 8 rods wide running at right angles north & south & East & west the city is well waterd from the mountain Streams & lies mostly quite level their buildings are much better than I expected to find they are all built of adobies or Sun dried brick of a light blue colour & when laid in a wall the[y] present a handsome appearance they have a good court house & jail in the city & just outside the city limits a

Small penetentiary built by the U. S. government in which they have now Some 6 or 7 convicts con find they have also some excellent School houses but their schools are not verry good they teachers are many of them inefficient they have to[o] a large Social hall in which the legislature is to hold its comeing Session & then they have several other publick buildings for various purposes. Their tabernacle is a large neat building of capacity enough to seat comfortably 3000 persons & there is hardly a Sabbath but that there is more in attendance than can obtain seats I never was among a people so zealous & so much devoted to their religion a little about Brigham Young I have not yet had an interview with him but have heard him preach he is not at a loss for words & is a powerfully strong reasoner Some little given to anecdote but when he is speaking all is attention I never yet have been able to learn the number of his women his people dont many of them know or if the[y] do they will not tell he came here verry poor but has made a great deal of property since he has came here he is a good financier Some idea may be formd of the Size of his family I was told that his private table is set daily for over 70 persons that includes his hired help of which he has a number he has two large dwellings tastefully built one for his first wife & her family & the other for his other women & their families & between the 2 a large office building all enclosed by a high stone wall with numerous gate & doorways all open in the day time but closd at an early hour at night he is of medium size rather good looking about 57 years of age & bears his age well is by trade a builder & was formerly from the State of New York a few miles from the City of Auburn Polygamy is practiced here to a great extent hardly a man but has more than one wife 6 many of them 4 or 5 yet all seem to live happily in fact I have not seen an instance to the contrary but still dont take me as indorseing the system no Sir far from it it is not the kind of Society that suits me for a home

The people here a [re] verry industrious no idlers among them most of them are engaged in agriculture more or less & as a general thing raise good crops of all kinds but it is all done by irigation from the mountain Streams from which they obtain a good supply of water they have no rain for about 6 months of the year they have as good flouring mills here as any country I ever was in & I have eaten better wheat bread here than I ever eat any where else & they raise to most excellent vegetables of all kinds the[y] also raise peaches quite plenty & are just beginning to raise apples notwithstanding all they are in Sight of Snow only a few miles off on the mountains the year round until within the last 10 days the weather has been warm in the valley but now we are having some light Snows with Sloppy wet roads.

I should be much pleased to hear from you on receipt of this when if your patience is not entirely exhausted by reading this I will write you again

Yours Most RespectfullyJ. G. Hoagland

[Addressed to J. B. Ward Esqr Hendrysburg Bellmont Co. Ohio. Postmarked Salt Lake City U. T. Dec 16. Manuscript notation on left end of envelope: J. G. Hoagland Nov. 1859.]

J. B. Ward EsqrHendrysburgh Ohio

My Dear friend

II Salt lake City Utah territory

March 11th 1860

Your thrice welcome letter of the 14th of Jany. was reed last monday I have read & reread it & that with pride & the greatest of pleasure & it is also with great pleasure that I in my feeble way attempt an answer. I am glad that my letter was so kindly recieved by yourself & family for I never shall forget the pleasant time we Spent together last summer it was a portion of the Sunny Side of my life. I am but to truly glad that you S Mrs. W. had so pleasant a trip but am sorry to hear that She was Sick on the way for that tends much to destroy the pleasure of an excursion but I suppose long ere this she has regaind her health again. Tell Mrs. W. my little pet came through all safe & with but little trouble she when she got to the train rode in the waggon most of the time She was the only passenger of her race & was petted by all they all wanted her but she hardly leaves me & while writing this she is by my side look[ing] at me as much as to say give them my best respects. As to the salt I should have sent it but could not in its natural state as it is beautifully granulated & to coarse to send in a letter but next week I shall start a package for you to the frontier to be sent to you by express although I do not know as you have an express office at your place please write me upon that subject for I want to send you some samples of wheat for seed from this country they sow it here either in Spring or fall with equal success & they have the best & richest flour here that I ever saw in any country

As to business I am not in any regulal [sic] business but am making enough to support my family I came here without a dollar & it is hard Starting but when Spring opens think I shall make it go the goods I expected to sell were all sold off at wholesale before the[y] arrived here the place was full of goods & my brotherinlaw had purchased his on time & he was afraid if he waited to retail them he should not be able to meet his paper as it matured I think he acted wisely. Uncle Sams army is with us yet located about 45 miles South of this City at Camp Floyd a useless expenditure to the govt I think there never was any use of their comeing here in the first place & had this people have seen fitt to do so could have cut them all off with five times their number in Echo Kanyon & you would agree with me could you but see as I did how this people was fixed there the only benefit that I can see that it has been to any one has been to line the pockets of a few contractors in the way of freighting supplies from the States &c there is one firm that has made a fortune at their freighting they have had as high as 28 cts pr Cwt & never less than 20 cts but it is let this season to another firm at 16 cts the price is the same whether delivered here or left at forts Bridger, Laramie, or Kearney I mean that portion of it that is designd for those places but the army are all to leave here in the Spring but about 500 men. We have had a cold hard winter but not verry deep Snow in the valley some Six weeks of it there was not a day but the thermometer was 12 to 13 degrees below zero Some portion of the day Unless my prospects look much better I shall not winter here more than another winter the customs & manners of the people are so different to what I have been accustomd and it is not to be wondered at when one takes in to acct the kinds of people of which society is formed here here there is over 100,000 persons thrown together from all nations almost upon the face of the globe I dont believe there is another man living that could keep this people together Q harmonize all the different elements of the different nations so well as Brigham Young you will hardly hear of an instance of one going contrary to his counsel & all go to him for counsel & in their affairs there is no appeal from the decision of him & his counsellors of which he has two Viz Heber C. Kimball & Daniel Wells, & plurality (the subject upon which our friend Elliot, yourself & I had such a long chat over at Meridosioa) exists almost to a man hardly one of them but has 2 wives & many of them 4 to 6 6c but none can have more than one without the consent of Brigham & from his decision there is no appeal in matters of matrimony or divorce in the latter case if a man & woman cannot agree to live together all they have to do is to go [to] him & state their grieveances & if he thinks them of sufficient import he at once dissolves the marriage covenant between them when each one goes their way & if at a future time they should find other partners go to him & he just as ready to unite them again & so on to the end of the chapter & all this without fee or reward verry magnanimous

By the way, have you ever had a letter from our friend Elliott I have not although I have written to him

I dont know but little of what is going on in the political world outside of these Mountain bound vallies but I am with you heart & hand in extending the blessings of freedom to all but I am afraid that many of our friends at the North & East are to zealous perhaps you will Say that cannot be but I have my reasons & I think they are good ones for we must grant to each state her own rights & privileges (I am a state rights man) & one of her own rights is to make her own laws So far as they do not interfere with the constitution of the U. S. so that when ever a strong move is made by Northern men against Slavery it wakes up the ire of the hot headed Southerners & they in their State Legislatures pass laws that is Still more stringent upon the slave & binds the chains of slavery so much the tighter am I not right would it not be well as the constitution of the U. S. by its silence upon the subject virtually permits slavery to exist to let it alone where it but admit no new slave states in my humble opinion it would with many a thinking man at the South slavery is becoming upopular & compared with our free white labor unprofitable This letter comes to you by a pony express mail that leaves here every friday & goes through to St Josephs in 6 days it is carried on pack animals 6 carries letters only it is a recent thing & I hope it will be continued although [the] U. S. dont seem to be very favorably disposed towards a mail this way

I hope this will not weary your patience so much but that you will answer it I will wait patiently & as you express such a desire in your letter Shall be but to willing to continue the correspondence already began between us but I write but a titheing of what I should be most happy to say to you but am Sincerely in hopes the day will come when we Shall meet again in the flesh then I will tell you all for I have seen much to amuse & instruct since we met I am Keeping a Journal daily & have done since I left the missouri river

Give my best respects to Mrs. Ward & tell her I hope she dont think me foolish or childish for thinking so much of my little dog it is in my nature & I cannot well help it in my next I will give you a little key to some of the peculiaraties of this people You will please accept of my best wishes for the future welfare of yourself & family

Yours most respectfullyJohn G. Hoagland

[Addressed to John B. Ward Esqr Hendrysburgh Belmont Co. Ohio. Postmarked Salt Lake City U. T. Mar 16. Manuscript notation on left end of envelope: J. G. Hoagland Salt Lake City March I860.]

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