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Brig. Gen. Patrick Edward Connor

Birth_date 1820|3|17

Death_date 1891|12|17|

Birth place= County Kerry, Ireland

Place o fburial= Salt Lake City, Utah

Gen. Patrick Edward Connor

Patrick Edward O'Connor was born in rural County Kerry, Ireland on St. Patrick's Day, 1820. He came to the United States and enlisted, as Patrick Edward O'Connor, in the United States Army on November 28, 1839. In addition to service in the Seminole Wars., he saw service as a dragoon at Fort Leavenworth, Fort Atkinson, Fort Sandford, and at the second Fort Des Moines. He was honorably discharged, as a private, on November 28, 1844 and after two years in New York went to Texas. On April 5, 1845, he became a naturalized citizen

Civil War

When the Civil War broke out, Connor was in command of the "Stockton Blues," a unit in the California Militia. He brought the strength of the unit up to regimental size and it became the 3rd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry.[10] His regiment was ordered to the Utah Territory to protect the overland routes from Indians and quell a possible Mormon uprising.

While in Utah, Connor as senior officer became commander of the District of Utah, Department of the Pacific, on August 6, 1862, establishing Camp Douglas at Salt Lake City in October, but became discontented with his assignment. He and his men wished to head to Virginia where the real fighting and glory was occurring. When major general Henry W. Halleck (a personal friend of Connor's) became the general-in-chief of the Union armies, Connor pleaded that his men had enlisted to fight traitors. He offered to withhold $30,000 from the regiment's pay to ship the troops to the eastern battlefields. Halleck suggested that Connor reconnoiter the Salt Lake City area. Connor did so and established Fort Douglas in a commanding position over the city, despite the wishes of the Mormons. Brigham Young tried through his personal representative Kinney to Congress to displace Federal troops. However, through the efforts of Governor Doty and Colonel Connor, Federal troops were sequestered at Fort Douglas by Washington and the Pacific Theatre commanding general.

In October 1863, Connor along with Governor Doty signed peace treaties with the remaining hostile Indian tribes thereby bringing to a close all Indian hostilities within the Utah Terrority. Shortly after the signing of the treaties, officers and enlisted men of the California Volunteers stationed at Fort Douglas established the first daily Utah newspaper called The Union Vedette. This newspaper offered a balance of news unavailable through the LDS Church owned Deseret News.

Connor provided protection for non-Mormons and those wishing to leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during his three years of service in Utah. He also discovered valuable mineral wealth in Utah that was reported to his superiors. This led to the gradual immigration of non-Mormons into Utah that led to weakening of the power of the LDS Church on every-day affairs in the territory. Connor engaged in extensive military correspondence which was published in 1897 under The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.

Connor remained in command of the District of Utah until it was merged in March 1865 into the District of the Plains, established at his suggestion that a "Department of the Plains" be created which he would command. The new district, in the Department of the Missouri, combined the former districts of Utah (re-designated West Sub District), Nebraska (East Sub-District), Colorado (South Sub-District), and Territory of Idaho (North Sub-District). Connor was named commander of the new District.

Postwar activities

When the Civil War ended, Connor was appointed a Brevet (military) Major general (United States) in the Volunteer Army and mustered out of the volunteer service in 1866. Never having been in combat against the Confederate States of America in the East, he continued to command troops on the frontier. He recruited Confederate veterans for service against the Indians.

Making his permanent residence in Salt Lake City, Connor established one the city's first newspapers. He also became involved in mining again. He founded the city of Stockton in honor of his California militia unit.

Connor died in Salt Lake City, Utah and was buried there.

Source

Wikipedia