REVIEWS

Loose Ends that Defy Explanation

The Unsolicited Chronicler: An Ac- suffers from a lack of coherence as he count of the Gunnison Massacre. Its Causesintroduces too much extraneous mate- and Consequences. By Robert Kent Field- rial w h i c h serves only to confuse readers ing (Brookline, MA: Paradigm Publica- and adds unnecessary length to the tions, 1993). work. In spite of its title, examination of Reviewed by Vivian Linford Tal- the Gunnison incident occupies rela- bot, professor of history, Weber State tively little space in Fielding's book. University, Ogden, Utah; and Fred R. However, his interpretation of the mas- Gowans, professor of history, Brigham sacre and its contingent events provides Young University, Provo, Utah. numerous examples of his flawed logic. AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS OF "PAINS- Captain John Williams Gunnison of the taking historical detective work on the United States Army Topographical En- Gunnison Massacre" (see dust jacket), gineers was charged with locating one Robert Kent Fielding has concluded that of the contemplated railroad routes (this the history of the Mormons between one between the 38th and 39th parallels) 1847 and 1859 has not been dealt with in which would tie the nation together. a credible, scholarly manner and has de- When Gunnison was near the end of his cided to "correct such neglect and dis- assignment he decided to split his sur- tortion" (iii). The result of his labors is a vey party in two to complete the work prodigiously researched work that of- before winter. While camped along the fers little new concerning this time pe- Sevier River several miles northwest of riod and does not deliver the promised Fillmore, Utah, Pahvant Indians at- "proof" of Mormon complicity in the tacked and killed the captain and seven Gunnison Massacre and other dark of his party while four members of the deeds for which church leaders have group escaped. been blamed. Fielding sees the massacre as a piv- In assessing the events which oc- otal event in relations between the LDS curred Fielding asserts that "even now church and the U.S. government since it may be impossible to deal with these the ultimate investigation of the massa- issues objectively" (iv). Indeed he seems cre brought federal officials to the Great to make no attempt at objectivity him- Basin and this led to the tensions leading self, seeing in every omission in conduct to the Mountain Meadows Massacre and written record an ulterior motive, and the "Utah War." However, in Field- and seeing the stimulus behind every ing's own words, it was the "Runaway action the belief of the LDS church in Judges" episode "which made Brigham "blood atonement." Finally, in addition Young infamous in congressional and to the paucity of new pertinent material administrative circles in Washington" and objectivity, Fielding's work often (54), a controversy predating Gun- 304 Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought nison's trip to the West. Indeed, there Brigham Young would wish harm to were federal officials in the territory be- come to s u c h an i n d i v i d u a l as Gunnison. ginning in 1851. Although a tragic inci- Fielding is correct in stating that dent, Fielding does not convince us that Gunnison's book was often critical and Gunnison's death w a s a turning point in uncomplimentary of the Mormons. relations between Mormons and the However, compared with other castiga- U.S. government. tions against the church from eastern In claiming Mormon complicity in presses Gunnison's work was mild in its Gunnison's death F i e l d i n g does n o t ade- reproach and reasonably objective and quately address the subject of motive, fair in its assessments. Fielding finds usually important when accusing indi- ominous meaning in the words of Ed- viduals of murder. The facts indicate ward R. Hunter when at the cornerstone that Mormons had more to gain by laying of the Salt Lake temple the bishop keeping the captain alive. While resid- "defiantly" challenged those who ing in the East, and when in the com- would persecute Mormons to follow the pany of those with influence, Gunnison advice offered by Gunnison, who often defended the Latter-day Saints' Hunter referred to as "our much es- right to practice their religion and teemed, though distant, learned, very praised their accomplishments in set- polite and unsolicited chronicler ... 'of tling the Salt Lake Valley. He was espe- letting us alone severely'" (22). Some- cially vocal in their defense following how this reference to the captain does the "Runaway Judges" incident. In a let- not sound as threatening to us as Field- ter to Albert Carrington, Gunnison ing finds it. wrote that he had formed a friendship Fielding presents much circum- with the editor of the Free Press of De- stantial evidence to prove Mormon troit, the leading Democratic organ in leaders were behind Gunnison's death. the area, who wanted Gunnison to ar- However, the data he considers damag- range an exchange of publications with ing can be used just as effectively to Willard Richards, editor of the Deseret prove the innocence of the Mormons. News (see Brigham D. Madsen, "John W. Many times Fielding is inconsistent and Gunnison's Letters to His Mormon contradictory as he builds his case. For Friend, Albert Carrington," Utah His- instance, he notes that it was a "remark- torical Quarterly 59 [Summer 1991]: 278). able fact" that none of the victims of the Gunnison also met with Franklin Pierce, massacre had been scalped (160). Yet he an old acquaintance, and gave the presi- later quotes the testimony of Judge dent some background concerning the Drummond that "by order and direc- Mormons and expressed his admiration tion of the Mormons the Indians sprang for them (ibid., 281). Finally, he wrote to out of the ambush where they lay dis- Brigham Young that he had suggested guised during the night before the fir- the railroad should run north of Utah ing, which occurred about sunrise in the Lake so that M o r m o n settlements would morning, and went across the river to benefit from the resulting increase in scalp [emphasis added] and otherwise commerce (see David Henry Miller, maltreat the men in their agonies of "The Impact of the Gunnison Massacre death" (367). Fielding also introduces on Mormon-Federal Relations," M.A. "evidence" that Mormons disguised as thesis, University of U t a h , 1968,17). One Indians massacred the survey group wonders how anyone as pragmatic as and then at other times gives testimony Reviews 305

"proving" Mormons conspired with lo- Indian agent," who apprised Gunnison cal Indians in getting them to attack of the local situation and assigns signifi- Gunnison's group. He never says which cance to the fact that none of the reports of the two he thinks actually happened. following the massacre mention Hunt- Fielding discounts the argument ington's presence in the Fillmore area that since one of the men killed was an prior to the massacre. However, Field- active Mormon (William Potter, a guide ing does not offer substantial proof that for Gunnison), members of the church Huntington really was there—not that it could not be responsible for the massa- matters. The point is that whether it was cre. He asserts that Potter probably sig- Call or Huntington, Gunnison learned naled the Indians the day before the that "Indian relations were very tense at attack when he went duck hunting and the moment," but that local Pahvants that he was killed by mistake. But Potter were appeased even though one of their was not alone when he went hunting. number was killed the previous month Two of the privates from the party's by a member of an immigrant train on military escort were with him. In addi- its way to California (146,148). tion, it was only two days before the Fielding gives special emphasis to massacre that the decision was made to what he believes Gunnison was not told split the group in two, thus reducing the and this accounts for the captain's "un- size of Gunnison's party, so no Mormon usual feeling of security" about local In- leader in Fillmore or elsewhere would dians (151). This begs the question how have been aware of this decision and we can know what Gunnison was not known of Gunnison's new vulnerability told. Can one assume that Gunnison and to attack. others of his party recorded everything Fielding discusses at length the they learned and wrote down all such question of from whom Gunnison re- conversations verbatim? ceived information and advice in Fill- Records indicate that Gunnison more concerning the degree of danger was anxious to finish his survey before he could anticipate from Indians, infer- winter and perhaps he chose to empha- ring that the captain had been deliber- size the positive in the reports he was ately misled. He takes issue with the given. As Fielding mentions, the general reminiscence of Anson Call, written instruction to Mormon settlers during many years after the fact, that Call him- this Indian unrest was never to travel self had discussed the situation with with less than a dozen men, and Gun- Gunnison in Fillmore when in fact there nison could easily have complied with is uncertainty that Call was even in Fill- this warning even if he split his party in more at the time. But a contemporary two. Although members of Gunnison's source, the journal left by Frederick party had misgivings, their captain had Kreutzfeldt, the botanist in Gunnison's a long and distinguished career in con- party who was killed with Gunnison, ducting surveys in various hostile and reported that while in Fillmore "the isolated locations and in his haste chose Captain and his men were invited to to ignore these misgivings. dinner *by the President of the place,'" Fielding points to several instances who according to Fielding was Anson when the personal journal of Lieutenant Call (154n4). Beckwith, Gunnison's second in com- Fielding argues that it was Dimick mand, does not square with his official Huntington, Brigham Young's "special report concerning events before and fol- 306 Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought lowing the massacre, inferring that undoubtedly right in observing that po- Beckwith withheld damaging informa- lygamy, more than anything else, was tion that could be used in evidence what outraged the "Christian world" against the Mormon hierarchy. But against the Mormons. He fails to point there does not seem to be anything par- out, however, that President Bucha- ticularly significant in these variations nan's decision to send troops to Utah or omissions, and again there would territory in 1857 was basically a ploy to have been no reason for Beckwith to divert attention from the stresses caused protect the Mormons. In fact, according by the slavery controversy rather than to to Fielding, neither Beckwith nor Cap- put down that other of the "twin relics tain Morris, w h o was in command of the of barbarism"—polygamy (Fielding expedition's armed guard, were treated quotes Stephen A. Douglas here; see p. particularly well by Brigham Young 373). once they arrived in Salt Lake City, sup- Fielding seems to give more cre- posedly because Young did not feel dence to the opinions and testimony of these men tried hard enough to recover those opposed to Mormonism, whose the remains of their fallen comrades. If motives proved to be suspect, than to Beckwith was trying to protect anyone, church leaders. These include individu- there is more reason to believe it was his als such as Judge Drummond, Mary Et- former captain's reputation, because it tie V. Smith (a disaffected Mormon who was Gunnison's decision to divide the Fielding acknowledges was prone to group that put them in greater jeopardy. "clearly sensational" charges and As far as the rest of Fielding's book whose stories were "among the more is concerned, aside from the massacre colorful"), and Sylvester Mowry, a lieu- itself, the reader is subjected to a litany tenant in Colonel Steptoe's company of vituperative quotations from ser- who admitted that he had every inten- mons by LDS officials against contem- tion of seducing Mary Ann Young, the porary U.S. leaders, certain federal polygamous wife of Brigham Young's officials assigned to the territory, and son who was then absent on a mission. against gentiles in general. Undoubt- In portions of the b o o k Fielding dis- edly Fielding uses these quotes to illus- plays the ability of a fine writer. One trate the militant, threatening, and simile he used is especially striking: unpatriotic stance of the Latter-day "Seen from the hillside near Emigration Saint hierarchy. A few of these quotes Canyon, the canvas-topped wagons would have sufficed. However, much of were as the white capped wavelets of a what was said by Brigham Young and tumbling brook washing into the city to others could be interpreted as zealous bob and dance in the street as might rhetoric intended to excite the Saints to water, filling furrows in a cultivated remain united, repentant, vigilant, and field, bringing nourishment to growing continually on the road to eternal salva- crops" (74). Also the scenes where both tion, a method not unlike the "fire and Gunnison and Beckwith camp the night brimstone" approach used by Protes- before the massacre are vividly told; it is tant clergy in times past. obvious Fielding has done field work in Fielding also calls attention to his research. many instances illustrating the down- Paradigm Publications has put to- side of Mormon polygamy although gether an attractive book which in- this was extraneous to his focus. He is cludes interesting contemporary maps.