History Of Utah, 1540-1886 was written by Hubert Howe BancroftThere are a couple of chapters in this book which deal with the Utah War. This is a much better resource than Wikipedia where someone quotes very poor source material. However this source is also quoted. The account of the Utah war is very interesting. It relates the issues which lead up to President Buchanan sending the troops over 2000 miles to Salt Lake City. His decision was made mostly in response to the testimony of the territorial judges. There was conflict between local Mormon Probate judges and the federal appointed judges. Judge W.W. Drummond was the worse of the federal judges. He had left his wife in the Midwest, and brought with him a mistress. He had come to Utah to make money. He did not last long, but in the letter of resignation made many unfounded claims against the Mormons.
Brigham Young learned that the U.S. was moving on the Saints at a party July 24 commemorating the entry of the Mormons to Salt Lake Valley ten years earlier. He had predicted they needed ten years to establish themselves, and that is what they were given. The troops were coming with a new governor to replace Brigham Young.
The initial reaction of the Mormons was one of defiance. However by the time the U.S. Army approached, they had changed from an attitude of one of confrontation to one of harassment. President/General Daniel H. Well was sent forward with a group of riders with instructions to harass, but avoid conflict and bloodshed. As such they burned Fort Bridger and Fort Supply. The also took a scorched earth policy, burning the grass, limiting feed for the army's livestock.
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