THE SAINTS AND THE UNION - UTAH TERRITORY DURING THE CIVIL WAR by Long, E.B

University of Illinois, Urbana, 1981. first US edition, hard bound in dust jacket, 6 1/2 x 9 1/2, VG/VG condition ( light dj wear ), xiii, 310 pages, illus., maps, index, bibliog................................................ Long, noted Civil War historian and long-time research assistant to the late Bruce Catton, reveals a neglected but fascinating chapter in American frontier, Mormon, Indian, and Civil War history. His lively portrayal of two volatile personalities—Mormon leader Brigham Young and U.S. military commander General Patrick Connor—depicts events which helped shape the "opening up of the West."While the Civil War raged in the East, the Mormons in Utah Territory zealously continued to guard their cultural identity and church practices from federal control. At the same time, however, they lobbied hard for statehood, but were continually thwarted by a series of inept or antagonistic federal authorities. Drawing upon seldom-used archival material from the Mormon Church, Long's astute study depicts the earnest nature of this Mormon-federal conflict by focusing upon the battle of wills and words between Young and Connor........................................................... Despite its geographical isolation from the war, Utah Territory had become central to the Union's Western strategy and policies during this period. It was squarely situated astride the major transportation and communication arteries (overland mail and telegraph systems) linking the nation's east and west coasts. More than a wilderness outpost, the Great Salt Lake Basin was the major focus for civilization and trade between California and Missouri. If the arteries were cut, the territory risked complete isolation and the Union a loss of power.