Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Commanding Officer Philip St. George Cooke’s Reverence

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Philip St. George Cooke
I doubt I’m reveling new material when I state that President Buchannan sent 1/3 of the United States army to Utah in the fall of 1857 in the costliest military venture by the United States Government during the period between the Mexican and Civil Wars. This expedition would earn the much deserved title and will be known into the eternities as “Buchannan’s Blunder,” but more specifically is also known as the Utah War. The antics of Lot Smith, Porter Rockwell, and many other LDS men are well documented in their halt of this massive military strength, forcing the army to winter at Fort Bridger, Wyoming. The army had little choice as a handful of LDS brethren burned the armies supply wagons, blew up their ammunition supply, ran off their herd of cattle, and recovered the few prisoners that the army held bound, all without shedding blood. When the army finally entered Salt Lake City on June 26, 1858 (154 years ago on this day) it took 11 hours to parade this innumerable army past the home of Brigham Young. In spite of this show of military force, there was one display of reverence. One of the commanding officers, Philip St. George Cooke removed his hat as a show of reverence. What was his purpose in doing this?

A)     He was the commanding officer of the Mormon Battalion

B)     He was the only LDS member in the entire army

C)     He was sympathetic to the Mormon cause

D)     He felt this would increase his chances of meeting the famed Brigham Young

Yesterday’s answer:

(C)   The Society of Friends

Just as “Mormon” is a nickname for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members, “Quaker” has long been shorthand for the Protestant denomination known formally as The Society of Friends.

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