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The Journey of John Evan Reese - Utah & the Morrisite War
Wales / Pennsylvania / Utah / Montana
With winter coming, John E. Reese and his family stopped three miles north
of Brigham City, then with a population of 2,500. Their money was exhausted
and they couldn't afford to rent, so lived in a dugout in the side of a hill.
In the spring of 1861 they cut timber and built a log cabin, subsisting by
some farming. John E found the Utah LDS Church much different than the one
he had joined. In 1861 to 1862, the Reeses joined the movement of Joseph Morris,
or Morrisites, becoming part of what came to be called the Morrisite War.
Joseph Morris was an English convert to Mormanism who proclaimed himself a prophet, essentially an early rapture adopter, preaching the imminent arrival of the Second Coming and the end of the world. In his version, the Mormons who didn't follow him would be slaughtered by the archangels and his followers would join the right hand of Christ. Morris was excommunicated from the LDS church. The Morrisites settled in Kingston Fort on the Weber River about 30 miles from Salt Lake City.
It is unclear how much of Morris' prophetic theology John Reese accepted.
His writings only tell that he felt the church of Brigham Young was oppressive,
not the church he joined while in Wales, and he objected to the practice
of polygamy. The conflict resulted in constant harassment, until John
Reese reports "they sent men with guns". This refers to what
is called the Morrisite War. In what is eerily reminiscent of more recent
conflicts with religious prophets like David Koresh, Deputy U.S. Marshal
Robert Burton arrived with a posse of between 200 and 500 armed men,
a wagonload of rifles and 2 cannons to serve a warrant for the release
of two followers who had wanted to leave the group. In the confrontation,
Burton was serving a warrant issued by the local Federal Territorial
judge John F. Kinney, appointed by President James Buchanan. The Morrisites
believed Burton was under the direct orders of Brigham Young. The siege
of the camp lasted for three days with rifle exchanges and cannon fire.
Morris finally held up a white flag to surrender, but was shot and killed
in what is still a matter of controversy, which the Morris adherents
believed was an assassination. In the short fight, two woman followers
of Morris were killed as well as two of the posse.
John Reese and others of the Morris followers were arrested and held in a makeshift
corral prison for trial. The corral was located on the city square in Salt
Lake City near what is now the Morman Temple. Several Morristies were convicted
of second degree murder, and jailed. Just three days after the conviction,
a new Territorial Governor, Steven Harding arrived, appointed by newly elected
President Abraham Lincoln. Some of the wives of the jailed men pleaded to the
governor for their husbands' release. Harding issued pardons, but the Brigham
Young LDS church wouldn't acknowledge his authority. It took the arrival of
federal troops under General Conner from Fort Douglas, surrounding Salt Lake
City with cannon positions above the house of Brigham Young to force
an acknowledgement of the pardons. Under the protection of an armed escort
provided by General Conner, John E. Reese, his wife and children joined a caravan
of wagons able to leave the city and head north to Idaho.