Cost Of Walker War

This week I read Bartley H. Heiner’s thesis, Mormon-Indian relations as viewed through the Walker War which I found in BYU’s collection of Master's Theses on Mormonism.  Heiner supports Chief Walkara’s claim of innocence in implicating any bloodshed.  During the peace talks at Chicken Creek, Chief Walkara argued that the minimal number of causalities during the Walker War was “perpetrated by young, hot-headed warriors whom he could not handle”.  Brigham Young advocated for friendly Indian and Mormon relations and denounced the claim that Walkara had been the cause of the War. 

Loss in the war is reported to be nineteen white casualties, approximately the same amount of Native American casualties and 350-400 heads of livestock.  The majority of the expenses were from relocation homes, building fortifications and providing increased provisions and gifts to neighboring Indian tribes who were influenced by Walkara.  The War’s total cost of $200,000 was presented to congress for compensation but was never paid.  The cost of provisions given to neighboring tribes from 1850 to June 30^th, 1855 amounted to $95,940.  After the peace treaty at Chicken Creek settlers continued to build fortifications and maintained constant vigilance of a possible attack or theft. 

Heiner, H. Bartley. Mormon-Indian relations as viewed through the Walker War. Thesis, Provo: Brigham Young University, 1955.