Page:The City of the Saints.djvu/575

Jan. 25. The missionary elders O. Spencer and J. Houtz arrived in Berlin, Prussia, and were banished on the 2d of February.
Feb. 14. Temple Block was consecrated, ground was broken for the foundation of the Temple, and the excavations began.
March 7. The first missionaries to Gibraltar arrived there.
April 6. Corner-stone of the new Temple laid with religious rites.
In the summer (July) and autumn of this year were serious Indian troubles. At 6 A.M., Oct. 26th, Lieutenant J.W. Gunnison and eight men of his party, including the botanist, M. Creutzfeldt, were massacred on the border of Sevier River, twenty miles north of Lake Sevier.
Nov. 1. The first number of the "Journal of Discourses" was published in England. This year Keokuk was made the outfitting place for emigrants.

1854. January. New alphabet adopted by the University of Deserét.
April 7. Mr. J.M. Grant was appointed to the First Presidency, vice W. Richards, deceased on March 11th.
May 23. The patriarch John Smith died, and was succeeded by another John Smith, son of Hyrum Smith, and nephew of the Prophet.
June 28. John Smith, son of Hyrum Smith, was appointed Patriarch over the Church.
August. Colonel Steptoe, commanding about 1000 federal troops, arrived at Great Salt Lake City.
Sept. 9. At the instance of Colonel Steptoe, who refused to resign his military commission, Mr. Brigham Young was reappointed governor, and held the office until 1857. Even the Gentiles memorialized in his favor.

1855. Jan. 29. Walchor, alias Wakara, alias Walker, chief of the Yuta Indians, died (was secretly put to death and buried by Jordan, Mr. Chandless).
May 5. Endowment House in Great Salt Lake City consecrated.
May 11. Treaty of peace concluded with the Yuta Indians.
May. Colonel Steptoe, after a stay of six months, marched with the United States cavalry to California.
August (July?). Judge Drummond, Surveyor General Burr, and other United States officials, arrived at Great Salt Lake City.
In the fall of this year one third of the crops was destroyed by drought and grasshoppers.
October. A branch of the Church was organized in Dresden (15th); Elder O. Spencer died on the 29th. The First Presidency of the Church proposed in a general epistle that Saints emigrating by the Perpetual Emigration Fund should cross the Prairies and Rocky Mountains with hand-carts.
Dec. 10. The local Legislature met for the first time at Fillmore, the Territorial capital, and passed a bill authorizing an election of delegates to a Territorial Convention for the purpose of forming a State Constitution, and to petition Congress for the admission of Utah into the Union. They also passed a bill authorizing a census.
Most of the Mormons became polygamists (J.H.).

1856. March 17. A convention of delegates met in Great Salt Lake City, and adopted a State Constitution, sending Messrs. John Taylor and George A. Smith, apostles, both as delegates to Washington, with a view to obtaining admission into the Union as a state. No answer was returned. During the very severe winter and spring half the stock perished by frost, and grain became very scarce.
May. Judge W.W. Drummond left Great Salt Lake City, after having forwarded false charges of rebellion, burning the library, and destroying the archives: these reports caused all the troubles with the United States.
The practice of tithe-paying was introduced among the Saints in Europe. Iowa City was made the outfit point for the Plains.
June. Lucy Mack, the Prophet's mother, died.
Sept. 26. The first hand-cart train crossed the Plains, and arrived at Great Salt Lake City.

1857. (The winter of Mormon discontent.) March. Judge Drummond reported calumnies against the Mormons.
April. Surveyor General Burr and other United States officials left Utah Territory and returned to the United States.