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Show CHAPTER VIII THE MYTH AND THE SANCTUARY While Bean and Dame were exploring the deserts of the Great Basin and adjacent country, the move south continued. By the middle of May, Salt Lake City and the settlements north of it had been evacuated. But the objective point of the "move" seems to have been little understood, even by many of the Mormons. Many believed that Brigham Young was planning to settle the Saints in the Mexican state of Sonora. John R. Young has already been quoted in a previous chapter indicating his belief that Sonora was the object of the move south. On May 10 John Kay wrote to Thomas Williams that "we shall cut down our fruit trees, set fire to our houses, and move on slowly towards Sonora, although I believe the nearest way is to proceed via Jackson County, Mo. However we can go anyway we please; we have the Territory on wheels."1 (italics mine.) "The Territory on wheels" was also the subject of much speculation outside of the Mormon kingdom. Many in the army and in the government were convinced that Brigham Young was leading a hegira to Sonora, often for the reason that they could not understand where else the prophet could be going south of Salt Lake City. Captain Jesse Gove, of Johnston's command, wrote to his wife on June 4, with his usual display of contempt for the Mormons: "My opinion is," wrote the captain, "that if they do not submit (which they will not) we shall pursue them and find ourselves in the vicinity of Sonora in hot pursuit."2 (italics mine.) Even Governor Cumming, after witnessing "tne evacuation of Salt lake, wrote to the secretary of state on May 2 that "'Going South' seems sufficiently def- -54 |
