Black Hawk War

Charles Emerson Griffin wrote, “Soon after I got to Long Valley the settlers met together and organized themselves into a military company and I was elected Adjutant of the company. The company was attached to Colonel Wm Maxwell’s regiment.”

Charles’s short stay in Long Valley was dominated by the events of the Black Hawk War. The patrol led by Captain James Andrus that included Sargent Charles E Griffin was probably the most prolonged engagement in the Southern Utah portion of the war.

The war atmosphere was felt everywhere in the Territory. Most  communities had made preparations for the eventuality of war but, it was not until the raid at Pipe Springs, that resulted in the death of Whitmore and McIntyre, that the reality hit home. As shown in the MUSTER ROLL units were quickly dispatched to Pipe Springs in response to the news of the deaths. The first units out managed to recover the bodies of the dead men.

Subsequent to that we see a flurry of correspondence concerning GATHERING THE ANIMAL HERDS and such other steps that may aid in the defense of the scattered communities. We also see a flurry of CORRESPONDANCE between the Nauvoo Legion chief of staff, George A. Smith, and the Legion commander, Daniel H Wells. The number one topic at the time was the raids in Southern Utah and the status of the unit led by Capt. Andrus that was tasked with tracking down the raiders and protecting the far-flung ranches.

The MUSTER ROLL for the Andrus/Griffin patrol included a synopsis of the action written by Capt. Andrus. Charles’s name is partially hidden in a fold in the document. We have ENLARGED selected portions of the document including the notation that he took 2 horses, 1 rifle, 2 pistols and a sword. Later that year another MUSTER ROLL was written at the headquarters of General Lorenzo Snow, which also contained a brief description of the campaign.

Associated with many patrols during the Black Hawks War we see records of the REQUESITIONS for supplies.

As the summer of 1866 wore on it became evident that the small communities scattered across the Utah/Arizona border were indefensible so steps were taken to move them to safety. ORDERS were issued for militia support. The Griffins in Long Valley moved to Kanarraville where we see Albert Griffin joining the MILITIA. Click on images to enlarge.