 |
| |
 |
|
Guarding the Overland Trails
by Robert Huhn Jones
The Civil War left the western trails vulnerable and dangerous. Emigrants still streamed westward and demanded protection. The mail still had to be delivered, the telegraph protected. The newly minted states of California and Oregon on the Pacific Coast were precious to the government in Washington, D.C., and the Mormon settlements in the Great Basin demanded close attention following the Utah War of 1858.
The 11th Ohio played a crucial role during the Civil War years on the overland roads. The first battalion sent to Fort Laramie in 1862 had not volunteered to serve out west, though those recruited in 1863 and 1864 knew they were destined for western duty. They were among the last... more |
|
| |
| |
|
