During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

in the early 1860s, the District of Utah was a subordinate district of the U.S. Army's

Department of the Pacific The Department of the Pacific or Pacific Department was a major command ( Department) of the United States Army from 1853 to 1858. It replaced the Pacific Division, and was itself replaced by the Department of California and the Department of O ...

. The district was composed of territorial areas that later became parts of the modern

U.S. states In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, and

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

History

On August 6, 1862, the Department of the Pacific absorbed the District of Utah, the territory of the former Department of Utah which had been discontinued on July 3, 1861; the remaining troops had marched out August 9. The District of Utah was composed of the

Territory of Nevada The Territory of Nevada (N.T.) was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until October 31, 1864, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Nevada. Prior to the creation of the Nevada ...

and the

Territory of Utah The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state. ...

. General Connor established its headquarters at

Fort Ruby Fort Ruby, also known as Camp Ruby, was built in 1862 by the United States Army, during the American Civil War, in the "wilderness of eastern Nevada." It protected the overland mail coaches and Pony Express, in order to maintain links and communic ...

on August 6, 1862. After a visit to Salt Lake City he returned and on October 20, moved his headquarters to Camp Douglas, about three miles east of

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

where his forces could overlook and intimidate the

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

leadership who he regarded as traitors to the Union. On August 20, 1863 the area of Soda Springs,

Idaho Territory The Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as Idaho. History 1860s The territory w ...

was added to the district. His District also provided a garrison for

Fort Bridger Fort Bridger was originally a 19th-century fur trading outpost established in 1842, on Blacks Fork of the Green River, in what is now Uinta County, Wyoming, United States. It became a vital resupply point for wagon trains on the Oregon Trail, Ca ...

. The Territory of Nevada became the State of

and was admitted to the Union on October 31, 1864.

Commanders

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Patrick Edward Connor Patrick Edward Connor (March 17, 1820Rodgers, 1938, p. 1 – December 17, 1891) was an American soldier who served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He is most notorious for his massacres against Native Americans during the ...

August 6, 1862 - February 17, 1865 (Department of the Pacific) *

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Patrick Edward Connor February 17, 1865 - March 28, 1865 (Department of the Missouri) On February 17, 1865 the District of Utah was transferred from the Department of the Pacific into the

Department of the Missouri The Department of the Missouri was a command echelon of the United States Army in the 19th century and a sub division of the Military Division of the Missouri that functioned through the Indian Wars. History Background Following the successful ...

. On March 28, 1865, the district was merged into the Department of the Plains, under Connor's command. On June 27, 1865, the State of Nevada and Territory of Utah became part of the expanded

Department of California The Department of California was an administrative department of the United States Army. The Department was created in 1858, replacing the original Department of the Pacific, and it was ended by the reorganizations of the Henry L. Stimson Plan i ...

that also consisted of the State of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and the

Territory of New Mexico The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becoming ...

and

Territory of Arizona The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

Posts

* Mormon Station, Nevada 1849–1910 *

Camp Floyd Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

, Utah, 1858–1861; Fort Crittenden, 1861–1862 * Fort Churchill, Nevada 1860–1869 * Camp Schell, Nevada, 1860–1862 **

Fort Schellbourne Schellbourne, formerly known as Fort Schellbourne and Schell Creek Station is a ghost town located in the Schell Creek Range in White Pine County in Nevada, United States, located north of Ely, Nevada, Ely. The town was a stopover along the Cen ...

, Nevada, 1862–1869 * Camp Nye, Nevada 1861–1865 * Camp Douglas, Utah 1862–1878 *

, Nevada 1862–1869 * Camp Smoke Creek, Nevada, 1862–1864 * Camp Cedar Swamps, Utah, 1863 *

Camp Connor Camp Connor was a Union Army outpost established May 23, 1863 by Captain David Black, 3rd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry, by order of Brigadier General Patrick Edward Connor commander of the District of Utah, Department of the Pacific for wh ...

, Idaho Territory, 1863–1865 * Camp Dun Glen (1863, 1865-1866) * Fort Trinity, Nevada, 1863 - 1864 * Antelope Station, Nevada, 1864 *

Fort Baker Fort Baker is one of the components of California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Fort, which borders the City of Sausalito in Marin County and is connected to San Francisco by the Golden Gate Bridge, served as an Army post until t ...

, Nevada 1864 * Camp Bingham Creek, Utah, 1864 *

Camp Relief Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

, Utah, 1864 * Deep Creek Station, Nevada, 1864 * Quinn River Camp 1865 **

Fort McDermitt Fort McDermit (or Fort McDermitt) was an U.S. Army fort in Nevada. It was established on August 14, 1865, by Captain J. C. Doughty, of Company I of the 2nd Regiment California Volunteer Cavalry, on orders of Lt. Col. Charles McDermit, Commande ...

, Nevada 1865–1889 * Camp McGarry, Nevada 1865–1868 * Camp McKee, Nevada 1865–1866 * Camp Overend, Nevada, 1865 * Salt Lake City Post, Utah, 1865–1866This California Infantry post guarded the Territorial capital of Utah.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:District Of Utah

Nevada in the American Civil War Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War Utah, District of Utah in the American Civil War 1862 establishments in Utah Territory

History

Commanders

Posts

See also

References