Patrick Edward Connor was a Union general during the Civil War, most famous for his campaigns against Indians in the American West.

Early Life

Connor was born in County Kerry, Ireland on March 17, 1820. He came to the United States and enlisted in the army on November 28, 1839. He served in the Seminole Wars. On April 5, 1845, he became a naturalized citizen. During the Mexican-American War, he fought under Albert Sidney Johnston. He was discharged when his enlistment time ran out at which time he became a miner.

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 California Volunteer Infantry. His regiment was ordered to the Utah Territory to protect the overland routes from Indians and quell a possible Mormon uprising. When in Utah he established a post and became discontent with his assignment. He and his men wished to head to Virginia where the real fighting and glory was going on. 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 traitor and offered to withold $30,000 from the regiment's pay in order to ship the troops to the eastern battlefields. Halleck suggested that Connor reconoiter 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.

Battle of Bear River

See main article: Battle of Bear River
In 1863 the Shoshoni Indians began a rebellion in the Washington Territory (present day Idaho). Eager for combat Connor marched his regiment 140 miles over frozen lanscape to deal with the indians. On January 29, 1863 Connor's troops encountered the Shoshoni encampment along Bear River. Before Connor personally arrived on the field, a few troops crossed the river and attacked the camp but were easily repulsed. When Connor arrived he sent troops to block off the Indian escape route through a ravine while the rest of the troops approached the ridge fired down into the Indians. The soldiers also prevented the Indians from escaping by firing on them as they attempted to swim across the river. Nearly all the Indians were killed.

Powder River Expedition

After the battle of Bear River, Connor was appointed brigadier general in the volunteer army and given command of the District of Utah and made his district headquarters at Fort Douglas. In 1865 he led the Powder River Expedition against the Sioux and Commanche Indians for disrupting the Bozeman Trail and overland mail routes. In August, 1865 he routed a combined Sioux-Arapaho force at the Battle of the Tongue River and effectively brought an end to the campaign. The Powder River Expedition did for some time bring peace to the territory but signalled the beginning of the long struggle between U.S. soldiers and the Great Sioux Nation, finally culminating 25 years later at the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Post Civil War Career

When the Civil War ended Connor was appointed a brevet major general in the volunteer army and mustered out of the volunteer service in 1866. Never seeing combat against the Confederacy in the East, he did continue to command troops on the frontier even recruiting former Confederate soldiers for service against the Indians. He made his permanent residence in Salt Lake City where he established one the city's first newspapers. He got involved in mining once again and founded a city in Utah which he named Stockton in honor of his old unit.

He died in Salt Lake City on December 17, 1891.

See Also

• Battle of Bear River
• Red Cloud's War

Sources

• http://www.famousamericans.net/patrickedwardconnor/
• http://www.militarymuseum.org/Conner.html