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Show THE INTERMOUNTAIN CATHOLIC 8 ; y guard the trails, to protect the mail and immigrant routes to the Wasatch and portions of the southwestern region and to keep an eye on the Indians, and early in October 1862 he marched his troops into the valley of Salt Lake. Headquarters were established on a bench of land east of Salt Lake City. Ground was broken for a military fort and on October 24th the post was named Fort Douglas. Connors soldiers were still engaged in the preliminaries of construction of temporary winter-quarter- s when a messenger came to the camp and reported that the Snake and Bannock Indians were holding up the trails and slaughtering immigrants along the valley of Bear River. Connor went after them and on January 29th, 1863 almost annihilated the Snake tribe and put an end for all time to Indian deviltry in the Wasatch and Salt Lake regions. of the Volunteers and On March 30th, 1863 Connor was appointed Brigadier-Genera- l his command was honorably mentioned for their part in putting down the uprising of the Shoshonian tribes. , General Patrick Edward Connor Early in 1865 the Indians of the intermountain country showed signs of serious discontent. General Connors military jurisdiction was enlarged to include the territory of Nevada, Colorado, Utah and parts pf Dakota and New Mexico. He received the appointment Soon after his appointment the of Military Commander of the District of the Plains. Arapahoes ambushed the Overland Mail Route, killed the drivers, destroyed the coaches, and ran off the horses. At about the same tine roving bands of Sioux were attacking the immigrant trains and putting to death women and children. General Connor, at the head of two thousand cavalry, rode into the enemys country, attacked the Arapahoes arid inflected a inemorable defeat upon them. He then returned to Fort Laramie where, in obedience to orders from the War Office, he sent the troops under his command back to their separate states to be mustered out of service. |