Last night's smackdown of the Romneymen by Lawrence O'Donnell and Vetwife's diary this morning, gave me inspiration to research the Romney clan's participation in America's wars.
The only war I could find that a Romney may have fought in was the Utah War, which would have put the Romney's on the wrong side.
The Utah War, also known as the Mormon War, lasted from May 1857 until July 1858. The armed conflict pitted Mormons against the United States government. The Mormons in Utah tried to establish a theocratic territory that encompassed all of present day Utah, Nevada, Southern California, most of Arizona and parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon.
When Congress reduced the territory, the Church of Later Day Saints, formed a secret shadow government and created a militia known as the Nauvoo Legion. On September 11, 1857, settlers migrating to California through Utah were murdered in what is known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre. 120 settlers lost their lives.
As the wagon train from Arkansas moved through the Mormon territory, it was attacked by what initially appeared to be Indians. It is reported that during the 5 day battle, the settlers may have discovered that the attackers were not Indians, but white men in disguise (Brooks, 1950).
The attackers, fearing discovery would lead to retaliation against the Mormons, killed all adults and older children.
Seventeen younger children under seven years-old were kidnapped and given to Mormon families. Years later, John D. Lee, a high ranking Mormon, was executed after being found guilty of participating in the slaughter.
On July 18, 1857, American troops were deployed to Utah by President Buchanan. Brigham Young ordered residents to prepare to burn their homes and stockpile supplies.
U.S. troops and the LDS Nauvoo Militia exchanged fire briefly without loss of life. In 1858, 3,000 additional troops were sent to Utah.
On April 6, 1858, Buchanan offered a pardon to Mormons for their sedition, which was accepted by Brigham Young.
In 1882, Congress legally dissolved the Mormon Church in the United States because of its practice of polygamy and seized all of the Church's property, including the tithes it had on deposit.
In 1885, the Romney family, led by Miles Romney, fled to Mexico to avoid arrest by U.S. Marshals. Mitt Romney's father, George Romney was born in Mexico in 1907.