A council was called and the situation was freely discussed. Had
they not seen, lo, these many times, organized battalions and
companies surpassing fiendish mobs in villainy? The evidence
warranted their conclusion that invasion meant massacre. With
tense calmness the plan of action was decided upon. It was the
general conviction that war was inevitable, and it was decided to
resist to the last. Then, if the army forced its way into the
valleys of Utah on hostile purpose bent, it should find the land
as truly a desert as it was when the pioneers first took
possession. To this effect was the decision:--We have built
cities in the east for our foes to occupy; our very temples have
been desecrated and destroyed by them; but, with the help of
Israel's God, we will prevent them enriching themselves with the
spoils of our labors in these mountain retreats.

There seemed to be no room for doubt that war was about to break
upon them; and with such a prospect, men may be expected to take
every advantage of their situation. Brigham Young was still
governor of Utah, and the militia was subject to his order.
Promptly he proclaimed the territory under martial law, and
forbade any armed body to cross its boundaries. Echo Canyon, the
one promising route of ingress, was fortified. In those defiles
an army might easily be stopped by a few; ammunition stations
were established; provisions were cached; boulders were collected
upon the cliffs beneath which the invaders must pass if they held
to their purpose of forcing an entrance. The people had been
roused to desperation, and force was to be met with force. In
the settlements, combustibles were placed in readiness, and if
the worst came, every "Mormon" house would be reduced to ashes,
every tree would be hewn down.