Key Facts
- Mormon militiamen deployed
- 90
- Timpanogos killed
- 40–100 men and one woman
- Militia casualties
- 1 killed, 18 wounded
- Prisoners taken
- Over 40 children, women, and a few men
- Heads displayed at fort
- Up to 50
Strategic Narrative Overview
Brigham Young authorized the Nauvoo Legion to exterminate Timpanogos deemed hostile to Mormon settlement. Captain George D. Grant led 90 militiamen to encircle a Timpanogos encampment on the Provo River, laying siege for two days with rifles and a cannon. The Timpanogos defended from their village and an abandoned cabin before fleeing at night in two groups; both were captured, and the men were executed.
01 / The Origins
Mormon settlers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had recently expanded southward from Salt Lake Valley into Utah Valley, entering Timpanogos territory. Initial relations were mixed. In January 1850, tensions escalated when three LDS men murdered a Timpanogos man, Old Bishop, in retaliation for an alleged theft of clothing. The Timpanogos responded by taking approximately 50 cattle, prompting Fort Utah settlers to petition Salt Lake City leaders for war.
03 / The Outcome
Between 40 and 100 Timpanogos men and one woman were killed during the siege and subsequent executions. Over 40 survivors—mostly women and children—were imprisoned at Fort Utah and later transported to the Salt Lake Valley, where they were sold into slavery. The heads of up to 50 slain Timpanogos men were severed and displayed at the fort as a warning to prisoners inside.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
George D. Grant, Daniel H. Wells, Brigham Young.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.