"Third, that the Mormon government, with Brigham Young at its head, is now forming alliance with Indian tribes in Utah and adjoining territories--stimulating the Indians to acts of hostility and organizing bands of his own followers under the name of Danites or destroying angels, to prosecute a system of robbery and murders upon American citizens who support the authority of the United States, and denounce the infamous and disgusting practices and institutions of the Mormon government " [History of the Church, Vol.5, Ch.20, p.396]
ROCKWELL TRADING WITH INDIANS 1847
Oct. 11, Salt Lake City,—After some discussion, Porter Rockwell was given
permission to start trading with the Indians. This had been a matter of concern for the high council and several plans for trading were considered. [The Church News, Conference Issues 1970-1987, p.2]
ROCKWELL WITH GENERAL CONNOR'S INDIAN CAMPAIGN
The brief campaign of Colonel-now General-Connor against the northern Indians on Bear river was a very great service to the people of Utah, and to the immigrants on the northern overland routes to Oregon and California; and for it Connor was fully entitled to the promotion he received. For some time the Bannock and Snake tribes had been the terror of the north and central routes to California, and a menace to the settlements in Cache and other northern valleys of Utah. Connor's force found the Indians encamped in a ravine leading up from Bear river through an ascending plain towards the mountains, at a point about fifteen or eighteen miles from the town of Franklin, now in Idaho, then in Washington territory. Here in a four hours' fierce engagement, during which the Indians fought most desperately, a decisive victory over the savages was won; from two hundred and fifty to three hundred of them being slain, mainly warriors, Chiefs Bear Hunter and Lehi being among the number… a prominent "Mormon," Porter Rockwell, was Connor's chief guide on this expedition. [B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.5, Ch.122, p.31 - p.32, 35]
ROCKWELL 1849 WITH BRIGHAM YOUNG
This document and the one following under the same date are the earliest documents located which carry the signature of the new First Presidency. They are the instructions and authority of Elder Amasa Lyman of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to carry the First General Epistle of the First Presidency of the Church to the Saints in Western California and to Orrin P. Rockwell to accompany him. … To gather and bring Tithing and Donations to this place; To Counsel the Saints by the way, going and returning, and to do all other acts and things necessary to be done, in the Church, pertaining to his Apostleship, not neglecting to preach the Gospel as he has opportunity, and to be assisted in all things as he shall have need by Elder Orrin P. Rockwell, who accompanied him on his Mission; [James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol.1, p.348]
NOVEMBER 1850 ROCKWELL BROUGHT 50 CALIFORNIANS INTO SALT LAKE
Apostle Charles C. Rich, O. Porter Rockwell and about fifty other brethren arrived in G.S.L. City from California. [Andrew Jenson, Church Chronology, November 12, 1850 (Tuesday)]
ROCKWELL WITH BRIGHAM IN 1857
On the 24th of July last, a number of us went to Big Cottonwood Kanyon, to pass the anniversary of our arrival into this Valley. Ten years ago the 24th of July last, a few of the Elders arrived here, and began to plough and to pant seeds, to raise food to sustain themselves. Whist speaking to the brethren on that day, I said, inadvertently, If the people of the United States will let us alone for ten years, we will ask no odds of them; and ten years from that very day, we had a message by brothers Smoot, Stoddard, and Rockwell, that the Government had stopped the mail, and that they had ordered 2,500 troops to come here and hold the "Mormons" still, while priests, politicians, speculators, whoremongers, and every mean, filthy character that could be raked up should come here and kill off the "Mormons," [Journal of Discourses, Vol.5, p.227 - p.228, Brigham Young, September 13, 1857]
ROCKWELL UTAH WAR 1857
The first known steps in forming the "Expedition" were taken by the federal government on the 28th of May, 1857, when orders were issued from the war department for the gathering of "a body of troops at Fort Leavenworth, to march thence to Utah as soon as assembled," and giving directions for their equipment and general movements. At Fort Laramie Mr. Little met Abraham O. Smoot, Esq., then the mayor of Salt Lake City, going east with the Utah June mail. About a hundred and twenty miles east of Fort Laramie the western-moving Smoot party met O. P. Rockwell with the Utah July mail. The information he received from the Smoot party led Rockwell to decide to proceed no further eastward, but return with the west-bound company. "About noon" Messrs. Smoot, Stoddard and Rockwell, these men with the "war news," quietly to President Young and his immediate counselors and associates. [B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.104, p.234 - p.235 - p.236]
NAUVOO LEGION RECALLED
A council of war was held by the Nauvoo Legion officers at Fort Bridger on the afternoon of the 3rd of October. It was decided in the council to begin active operations against the "Expedition." Major McAllister was on the Oregon road watching the movement of the troops from that point; O. P. Rockwell was sent to his assistance and with orders to burn the grass on all routes to Salt Lake valley , beginning with the road via Soda Springs. Colonel Burton, whose command was then encamped at Fort Supply was to break encampment and cooperate in these maneuvers, annoying the "Expedition" in all the ways in his power "without risking his men." [B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.107, p.278]
We were soon overtaken, but found that instead of troops, the early risers were O. P. Rockwell and Thomas Rich with about thirty men. With these we felt ready to proceed on up the river to Ham's fork and reconnoitre the situation of the army and see what the troops were doing. [Lot Smith, "The Contributor", Nov. 1882, vol. 4, pp. 47-50, Lot Smith's Story, p.15]
ROCKWELL THREAT OF DEATH TAKEN SERIOUSLY
Rockwell told Roupe to tell the Colonel when he got to camp that we had commenced in earnest, and would kill every man in his custody at that time. The guards then started for camp. They were the worst frightened men I ever saw. They ran the three teams until some of the cattle dropped dead, but they never stopped until they got within the lines. [Lot Smith, "The Contributor", Nov. 1882, vol. 4, pp. 47-50, Lot Smith's Story, p.17]
ROCKWELL SPECIAL OPERATIONS
Use every exertion to stampede their animals and set fire to their trains. Burn the whole country before them, and on their flanks. Keep them from sleeping by night surprises; blockade the road by felling trees or destroying the river fords where you can. Watch for opportunities to set fire to the grass before them that can be burned. Keep your men concealed as much as possible, and guard against surprise. Keep scouts out at all times, and communications open with Colonel Burton, Major McAllister and O. P. Rockwell, who are operating in the same way. Keep me advised daily of your movements, and every step the troops take, and in which direction. [B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.107, p.279 - p.280]
MEETINGS WITH BRIGHAM YOUNG
That morning when on his way to the meeting President Young had met Porter Rockwell, who had just arrived as an express from Echo canon, with the word that General Johnston "had given orders to his army to march on Monday"--14th of June--for Salt Lake City. [B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.114, p.420]
SPOILS OF WAR
After Rockwell went into the valley with the cattle we had taken, I returned to the vicinity of the last camp of the army on Ham's Fork. As it was getting late in the season and no intention to retreat being manifested by the army, it appeared to me that something ought to be done to show them that we were at least determined that they should go no farther, and that their present location was too near our forces to be pleasant. ["The Contributor", Feb. 1883, vol. 4, pp. 167-169, Lot Smith's Story, p.18]
ROCKWELL FRONTIER LAW INFORCEMENT 1862
Lot Huntington, an outlaw, was killed by O. Porter Rockwell, near Ft. Crittenden, while attempting to escape from the officers. On the following day, while trying to effect their escape, John P. Smith and Moroni Clawson, two other outlaws, were killed in G.S.L. City. [Andrew Jenson, Church Chronology, January 16, 1862 (Thursday)]
ROCKWELL WITH PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH
I went with Porter Rockwell and a squad of ten or twelve rangers appointed to watch further movements of the government troops at Camp Scott. [James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol.4, p.19]
ROCKWELL ARREST 1877 FOR MURDER
O. Porter Rockwell was arrested and imprisoned in Salt Lake City, being charged with murder, said to have been committed about twenty years before. Oct. 5th, he was admitted to bail in the sum of $15,000. [Andrew Jenson, Church Chronology, September 29, 1877 (Saturday)]
ROCKWELL DEATH 1878
O. Porter Rockwell died in Salt Lake City. [Andrew Jenson, Church Chronology, June 9, 1878 (Sunday)]
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH ~ UTAH DANITES
"It is charged," said Stephen A. Douglas in a speech at Springfield, Illinois, on the 12th of June, 1857--"it is charged * * * * that the Mormon government, with Brigham Young at its head, is now forming alliances with Indian tribes in Utah and adjoining territories, stimulating the Indians to acts of hostility, and organizing bands of his own followers, under the name of Danites or destroying angels, to prosecute a system of robbery and murders upon American citizens who support the authority of the United States, and denounce the infamous and disgusting practices and institutions of the Mormon government." [History of the Church, Vol.3, Introduction, p.32]
Andrew Jenson, Church Chronology, January 16, 1862 (Thursday)
Lot Huntington, an outlaw, was killed by O. Porter Rockwell, near Ft. Crittenden, while attempting to escape from the officers. On the following day, while trying to effect their escape, John P. Smith and Moroni Clawson, two other outlaws, were killed in G.S.L. City.
BILL HICKMAN ~ DANITE
HICKMAN AND ROCKWELL WORK TOGETHER
On February 8, 1857, the first mail eastward, in charge of Wm. A. Hickman and seven other men, left Salt Lake City, and on March 1st Orrin Porter Rockwell was preparing to leave Salt Lake City with another mail. On April 21st, nineteen of the brethren were appointed to assist the Express Company in establishing stations along the route between Fort Bridger and Fort Laramie. [Andrew Jenson, Encyclopedic History of the Church…, p.90]
COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
HICKMAN A DESPERADO
Of the first class the accounts of "blood atonement" are by such characters as John D. Lee, of the "Mountain Meadows" horror, and of William A. Hickman, commonly known as "Bill," Hickman--a typical western desperado; these, et al, loosely ascribe responsibility for their crimes to leading "Mormon" church officials, especially to alleged orders or to the veiled suggestions of President Brigham Young. It would violate all the canons of standard historical writing to consider seriously charges made by such characters. [ B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.99, p.133]
HICKMAN ~ BRIGHAM YOUNG'S DESTROYING ANGEL
52 Brigham's Destroying Angel, Life, Confession and Startling Disclosures of Bill Hickman, the `Danite Chief' of Utah, edited by J. H. Beadle, 1870. Beadle is also the author of Life in Utah; Mysteries and Crimes of Mormonism, etc., etc., ad nauseam. [B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.99, p.133]
HICKMAN DID 18 TO 20 MURDERS
The other parties to the alleged crime were not admitted to bail. Acting United States District Attorney Baskin planned the indictment and arrest of Brigham Young on this charge of "murder," on the strength of the confessions of the notorious "Bill Hickman," who had confessed to some eighteen or twenty murders. In his recently published Reminiscences Mr. Baskin states that sometime before his appointment by Judge McKean, he had private interviews with Hickman, for whom warrants of arrest were out, and who, to him, made confession of a number of murders. Hickman at the request of Mr. Baskin consented to go before the grand jury, and Baskin handed to Major Hempstead the statement of the self-confessed murderer, with the announcement that Hickman was ready to go before the grand jury. It was at this point that Hempstead resigned and Baskin was appointed by McKean to fill the vacancy. By becoming acting United States district attorney, Mr. Baskin had the opportunity of doing what he had urged upon his predecessor to do, and hence the indictments for murder against Brigham Young et al., upon the confessions of Hickman, with alleged "statements of other persons to me [i. e. Baskin, which nowhere appear) tended to corroborate his confessions." This, as well as the cases of "lewd and lascivious cohabitation," was Mr. Baskin's work. Hilton, Hope A. "Wild Bill" Hickman and the Mormon Frontier. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1988. [B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.5, Ch.141, p.405]
