Item Detail
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17366
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2
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0
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English
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Diary of Judge William A. Carter
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Annals of Wyoming
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April 1939
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11,|v.2
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75-110
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September 28 to November 20, 1857. Carter's account vividly describes his westward trek through Utah territory, starting from Kansas City. He remarks on daily affairs such as a wolf attacks, weather, and lost animals. Carter often records the activities of Johnston's troops and the Mormons during the simmering hostilities of the Utah War. Carter mentions Young's declaration that the Mormons would destroy the entire Valley before the troops would ever enter. As he enters Fort Laramie, he notes intelligence received that the Mormons had destroyed seventy-six wagons on Big Sandy. Numerous entries address the maneuverings of the Mormon guerrillas and the government troops. He expresses disapproval at the Mormons' destruction of their homes prior to evacuation, writing that it would have been kinder to let emigrants use the homes as refuges. He finishes his account abruptly with his party's arrival at Fort Bridger, reporting that the Mormons had strongly fortified Echo Canyon.