The chief value of cannon during the “Black Hawk War”must have been psychological. They were used to raise the morale of the settlers and depress that of the Native American Indians,who could see the danger to themselves of an attack in force sufficiently compact to make cannon effective. The noise in itself was impressive. But if the history of this conflict is correct,there is no record of cannon being used in battle.
But what was the Black Hawk War? By most standards of history,this clash between southern settlers and Native American Indians was a product of hysteria. There was a war,at the cost of over one million dollars and the loss of human life,but both pioneers and Indians over-reacted to stories that seemed to grow by each teller.
This dispute happened between 1866-1875. As stated,there were field guns that were displayed,but never used. The personal history of William James McAllister records references to such cannon. McAllister gained varied experiences which helped him later become a militia artilleryman. He with 150 other young men received a “call”from Brigham Young to “help fill up the Dixie settlement.”
In St. George 1869,he fell in love with a young lady. In the company with President Eratus Snow,they traveled that fall to Salt Lake City where they married. Returning they drove through Sanpete County. At Fort Ephraim they watched a drill in which militia artillerymen “handled a field gun.” Erastus told young McAllister he would like the same kind of a unit in his brigade in Dixie. He called on McAllister to “mount a cannon and drill the company.”
Back in St. George,they located an old cannon that had somehow made its way there from the Pacific Coast. With aid from blacksmith McAllister,they contrived a limber or forepart of a gun carriage,the part which supports the ammunition chest. Then,the cannon wheels were removed from beneath and the cannon itself was mounted upon the wagon. It was a sort of “War Wagon.” Versatile McAllister also drilled a company in “artillery tactics.” Erastus Snow organized 18 men in the artillery company. David Millin,a man about 45 years old,was made captain over the unit. They drilled and within six weeks,this unit became a uniformed group able to handle this new gun.
