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Departing Camp Floyd, Research Notes

This page was last updated on August 18, 2025.

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Overview

(The focus of these notes is to establish the date that the troops departed Camp Floyd in 1860 and Fort Crittenden 1861, with the result that some of them suffered their deaths on the mountain pass that later became Soldier Summit.)

Several sources in popular history tell of Soldier Summit being named for a group of soldiers from Camp Floyd who were caught unaware in a winter storm, with several being frozen to death.

Actual newspaper reports of the period tell of groups of departing soldiers traveled east from Camp Floyd in May 1860, and the remainder departed east in July 1861. Research was completed to find if one of these two groups of soldiers may have spent the freezing night on the pass that later became Soldier Summit.

Newspapers of the period revealed that none of these departing groups of soldiers traveled by way of what today is known as Soldier Summit, the pass between Spanish Fork canyon and Price River canyon. Of the two large "columns" of departing soldiers, one company in May 1860 intended to travel by way of the pass, but the difficulties of building a road forced them to divert by way of Salt Creek canyon, then by San Pete Valley to Salina and the Old Spanish Trail through Salina Canyon, then across lower Castle Valley, and southeast to the Green River crossing, then east to the Colorado-Utah line. Traveling the Old Spanish Trail to the east would put them in western Colorado, then across southwestern Colorado, then to Fort Garland in south central Colorado, where they were encamped for the duration of the war.

The other (and last) departing company in July 1861 traveled by way of Provo River canyon to Heber City, then crossing over between the Provo River drainage to the Weber River drainage at Francis and Kamas, then north to Echo canyon, then east into Wyoming and Fort Bridger. Then, following the well established immigrant trail to St. Joseph, Missouri, then by train through Quincy, Illinois, to Chicago. Then by train to Washington DC.

This route through Provo Canyon was described by Hamilton Gardner of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in his review of the book, "The Utah Expedition, 1857-1858." By LeRoy R. Hafen and Ann W. Hafen, (Utah Historical Quarterly, Volume 27, Number 1, April 1959)

So the story of a group of soldiers freezing to death on the pass is apparently another group of soldiers, not those that departed Camp Floyd/Fort Crittenden.

Some versions of the story mention that the soldiers passing over the pass were either deserters, or men who had resigned to take up the Southern cause. There is no newspaper reference of such happening, excepting one account that some of the officers at Fort Crittenden had Southern sympathy, but honored their oath to their nation, and that the enlisted men were all "Unionists." More research in less available sources is needed.

Before Departure

"Shortly after his inauguration in March 1857, President James Buchanan ordered the Army into the Great Salt Lake Valley. Troops from the 4th, 5th, and 10th Infantry, the 2d Dragoons, and the 4th Artillery assembled at Fort Leavenworth in preparation for the operation. In July the Utah Expedition left the fort with 500 men, 97 wagons, and 600 hundred animals under the command of Col. Edmund B. Alexander, the elderly commander of the 10th Infantry." ("The Regular Army Before the Civil War, 1845-1860," by Clayton R. Newell, Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C., 2014, page 35)

"Fort Crittenden, originally was designated Camp Floyd in honor of Secretary of War John B. Floyd. It was established by Col. Albert Sidney Johnston, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, during the Mormon campaign (General Order 49, Department of Utah, August 24, 1858). The post was redesignated Fort Crittenden in honor of Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky (General Order 3, Department of Utah, February 6, 1861). On July 15, 1861, pursuant to General Order 12, Department of Utah, most of the fort property was sold. The last troops departed on July 27, 1861." (Finding Aid, Single roll of microfilm, "Headquarters Records Of Fort Crittenden (Camp Floyd), Utah Territory, 1858–1861"; part of Records of U.S. Army Continental Commands, Roll M2161, Record Group (RG) 393, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC)

Colonel Philip St. George Cooke (usually P. St. George Cooke, Col.) was put in command of Camp Floyd after General Johnston was called east to Washington D.C. in 1860. Johnston was given command of the Pacific Department in San Francisco, a post he resigned in May 1861 with the start of the Civil War. Johnston said of his sympathy for the Southern cause, "I have been long identified with Texas, her interests and public men, and her action may control my future destiny." (Texas seceded on February 23, 1861, and joined the Confederacy on March 23, 1861)

(Colonel Philip St. George Cooke had commanded the Mormon Battalion on its cross-country trek in 1846-1847 nearly 1,950 miles from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego, California. It was Colonel Cooke, recently promoted from Lieutenant-Colonel, that commanded the calvary unit of Johnston's army, known as the 2nd Dragoons, as it passed through Salt Lake City on June 26, 1958, en route to Camp Floyd.)

Camp Floyd was was named for Secretary of War John B. Floyd, but was changed to Fort Crittenden by order of Colonel Coke on February 27, 1861, after Secretary Floyd resigned in December 1860 and on May 23, 1861, was appointed a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army. Fort Crittenden was named after Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky.

(Read the Wikipedia article about John B. Floyd)

(Read the Wikipedia article about John J. Crittenden)

Departure

Concerning the unit strength of Army companies, the following comes from "The Personnel Replacement System In The United States Army," By Leonard L. Lerwill, Department Of The Army Pamphlet No. 20-211, August 1954.

Tullidge's 1886 book, "History of Salt Lake City" included the following paragraph on page 248:

(Read more about the wagons sold as surplus from Camp Floyd)

The following comes from a history note in the June 11, 1960 issue of the Deseret News, on the occasion of a 100-year anniversary.

May 1860
"Movements or Troops. -- We are informed that the regimental staff and band, and companies B, C, J and G, 10th Infantry, under command of Capt. Cumming, took up their line of march from Camp Floyd on Thursday, the 10th inst., agreeably to Army Orders published by us in No. 35. The 1st sub-column will move on Tuesday next [May 15], the 2nd on the day following [May 16]." (The Mountaineer, May 12, 1860)

(At the start of the Civil War, an Army company ideally consisted of 97 men and three officers, but due to illness, casualties, and desertion, companies often had closer to 30-50 men. In the above case, the departing columns of four companies and staff, likely consisted of about 200 to 300 men.)

(One of the later departing companies was the 2nd Dragoons, consisting of about 60 men. This company took part in the Battle of Wilson's Creek near Springfield, Missouri, on August 10, 1861.)

When the soldiers departed from Fort Crittenden in 1860, they were bound for New Mexico and Arizona (actually, Fort Garland in south-central Colorado). The best route at the time would have been eastward following Spanish Fork Canyon over the Wasatch, then down the Price River to the Green River, where their trail met the Old Spanish Trail that continued southeast (passing today's Arches National Park and the city of Moab) through southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado, then into New Mexico and their destination. But the column did not travel this route, as shown below.

(Read the Wikipedia article about the Old Spanish Trail; including changes to the Northern Route after 1830 that brought it through Utah)

(View a map of the Old Spanish Trail and the National Park Service's website)

(As noted below, the column bound for Fort Garland in Colorado went by way of Salt Creek canyon, which would have had them travel to Salina Canyon, where they would have picked up the Old Spanish Trail, then by the Northern Route to Fort Garland in south-central Colorado.)

May 10, 1860
"Marching. -- According to orders, previously promulgated, the companies of troops that were to leave Camp Floyd, by the Timpanogas, for Forts Bridger and Laramie on the 10th inst., took up their line of march on that day. From the punctuality, with which such movements are generally executed, we believe that the division that was ordered to commence its march yesterday, en route for New Mexico, is in motion, tho we had no positive knowledge in relation thereto, up to the time of going to press." (Deseret News, May 16, 1860)

May 30, 1860
"The second column of the troops ordered from Camp Floyd to New Mexico consisting of the 5th Infantry and companies A, F and H, 10th Infantry, under command of Lt. Col. Canby, that were to march by Spanish Fork kanyon to Green river, at the point where Loring's trail crosses that stream, have, as reported, changed their course and proceeded via Salt Creek and Sanpete valley. Soon after the orders for the march were issued, a large company of sappers and miners were sent up the Spanish Fork to open a road over the divide between the waters flowing into Utah Lake, and those flowing into Green river, but it seems that it was a bigger job to make the road than was anticipated and consequently not completed by the time the troops were ordered to be on their way; the result of which would have been a delay of the march of the column for some considerable time, so long, at least, that it would have been impossible to reach Fort Garland by the 24th of July, if a change of route bad not been made." (Deseret News, May 30, 1860)

("Loring's trail" was the route used by Colonel William W. Loring as part of his expedition between Camp Floyd and Santa Fe in July 1858. He departed Camp Floyd on July 15, 1858 and arrived at Fort Union, near Santa Fe, on September 13, 1858. His route was south from Camp Floyd to Goshen and Nephi, then by way of Salt Creek to Manti and Salina, then by Salina Creek, over "Wahsatch Pass" to Emery and Castle Dale. This portion east of Salina was also known as the Spanish Trail, which continued east from Castle Dale to a crossing of the Green River, then due east to the Grand [Colorado] River and Grand Junction, then through Delta, Montrose, Cimarron and Gunnison, over "Cochetopa Pass" to Alamosa and Fort Garland, then south to Taos and Fort Union.)

(Fort Garland, in Colorado's San Luis Valley, 25 miles east of Alamosa, was established in 1858, and remained as a military post until 1883. In 1862, during the Civil War, soldiers from Fort Garland fought in the Battle of Glorieta Pass, 11 miles southeast of Santa Fe, which put an end to Confederate attempts to hold New Mexico or invade Colorado.)

June 13, 1860
"Movement of the Troops. -- Major Howe, with the three companies of dragoons that have lately been stationed at Camp Floyd, passed through the city on Thursday last en route for Fort Hall [Pocatello, Idaho], where, report says, the troops are to be stationed during the season to protect the emigration passing on the northern route. By the movement of the dragoons northward, in the absence of the artillery company on the mail and express route, Camp Floyd is nearly deserted -- there being but two skeleton companies, E and I, 10th Infantry, left there to guard the stores; and some who have come from there since the departure of Maj. Howe with his command, report that the post, with it surroundings, has a very desolate appearance." (Deseret News, June 13, 1860)

(The troops of the 2nd Dragoons returned from Fort Hall and Fort Neuf to Camp Floyd in mid September through early October 1860.)

July 11, 1860
"Arrival of Merchandise. -- A train of thirty wagons, ox teams, belonging to Messrs. Livingston, Bell & Co., freighted with merchandise, arrived on the afternoon of the 5th inst., eleven of which were unloaded at the store of that firm in this city; the others were dispatched the same evening for Camp Floyd. Another similar train, belonging to the same firm, arrived on the afternoon of the 9th. Eighteen wagons belonging to this train were sent on to Camp Floyd; the other twelve discharged their freight here. The wagons were made in Chicago and were ordered expressly for this market and, as we understand, most of them are for sale." (Deseret News, July 11, 1860)

February 6, 1861
The name of Camp Floyd was changed to Fort Crittenden, as stated in General Orders No. 3, dated February 6, 1861. The change had not yet been approved by the War Department. (Deseret News, February 20, 1861)

(The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, with the bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 13, 1861, which resulted in Virginia seceding on April 17th.)

Concerning the Southern sympathizers at Fort Crittenden:

"A letter in the St. Louis Republican, from Utah states that rumors from Camp Floyd that was, but Fort Crittenden that now is, indicated the predominance of Southern sympathy among officers, and the likelihood of some of them sending in their resignations and returning home. But I learned from Col. ------, last evening, that only one officer had gone that far, and the others had persuaded him to defer action. The cavalry and artillery officers are generally Southern gentlemen; but the infantry officers are all "Union men."" (St. Paul [Minnesota] Weekly Pioneer And Democrat, April 5, 1861)

"We have advices from the Utah army to June 14. Everything was prepared for the march, and the soldiers could all be on the road in ten days. Lieutenant Dudley, whose command was abroad, was ordered to return to the fort and await orders from Washington. Col. Cooke, of the Second dragoons, Dr. Moore, and Lieutenant Green had been visiting Salt Lake City. The rumor that disloyalty had shown itself in Fort Crittenden is officially contradicted." (Harrisburg [Pennsylvania] Daily Telegraph, July 12, 1861)

July 22, 1861
"The first detachment of troops, with commissary train, were expecting to quit Fort Crittenden to-day." (New York Times, August 10, 1861)

July 24, 1861
The following comes from "Charles A. Scott's Diary Of The Utah Expedition, 1857-1861," Utah Historical Quarterly, Volume 28, Number 4, October 1960, page 389-402. Charles Scott was a soldier in the last group departing Fort Crittenden in July 1861.

The following comes from October 18, 1861 issue of the Philadelphia Enquirer ("Tuesday" was October 15)

Edward Tullidge wrote in his 1886 History of Salt Lake City, that Fort Crittenden (formerly Camp Floyd) was mostly deserted by mid October 1862 when Connors' California Volunteers passed through from Nevada en route to Salt Lake City. The camp was deserted, except for civilians who had purchased the Army buildings the previous year. These civilians were disappointed that Connor refused to re-purchase the buildings of the former camp, with Conner intending to continue and find a place "within striking distance of the heart of Mormondom."

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