![]() It is difficult to gauge past public sentiment in an effort to capture the mood and tenor of that time. The purpose of this essay is to explore the motives of Latter-day Saints who chose to fight in the Civil War. ![]() The majority of Mormon men must have felt that they had understandable reasons for avoiding Civil War military service. Although the Utah War concluded without significant bloodshed, the effects of that war were long-lasting. Fresh in many minds at the time was President James Buchanan’s 1857 request for Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston and approximately twenty-five hundred soldiers to quell a supposed Mormon rebellion in Utah and replace Brigham Young as governor. Mormon soldiers who enlisted were different in some respects than the typical Union or Confederate soldier. While it is unknown exactly how many Latter-day Saints actually served in the Civil War, the experiences of those who did provide insight into an important but generally overlooked period of Mormon history. Although Latter-day Saint leaders never directed Church members to enlist, several members did so. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter referred to as Mormons or Latter-day Saints) distinctly felt the impact of the Civil War. Because the war was fought primarily in the East, historians have generally paid less attention to the war’s impact on the western territories and states. The impact of the Civil War engulfed the entire nation. Today, visitors at Civil War sites pause to commemorate the soldiers, marvel at their bravery, honor their sacrifices, and consider their lives. An additional three hundred thousand men returned home with battle wounds. ![]() There were over six hundred thousand casualties-approximately half the total number of combat deaths in the nation’s history. ![]() The nation was torn apart as families, friends, and neighbors were divided against each other. On April 12, 1861, shots fired between Union and Confederate soldiers at Fort Sumter officially ushered in the American Civil War-the most violent and devastating conflict in American history. Alford is an associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. candidate in American Studies at the Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg. ![]()
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