Brigham Young's secret police may have been his undoing.

James F. Dolan was born in Boston, Massachusetts about 1840. Details regarding his birth, family or early years is not available. He was described in 1861 as being five feet four inches in height, light complexioned, with blue eyes and brown hair. Dolan listed his occupation as a blacksmith, yet the location in the county where he lived and worked is not known.

At twenty years of age James Dolan was enrolled in Company L of the 2nd California Cavalry on September 11, 1861. He traveled with the company to Fort Alert in San Francisco, California, and was trained for the next nine months. While at the camp, he was subjected to the torrential floods of that year, which would have frequently interrupted his training program.

In July 1862 Dolan accompanied his unit on its march over the Sierra Mountains to Fort Churchill. In June 1863 he was serving with his company in the Owens River, California, area where they had been sent to help drive Paiute Indians onto reservations.

The company returned to Fort Churchill, Nevada. Company L was ordered to Fort Ruby in northeast Nevada during July and again encountered additional tribes of Indians during its tour at that outpost. They remained at that post guarding the overland trail and government beef herds.

During the middle of 1863 the company was relieved and made its way to Salt Lake City, where they arrived in October and served as military policeman. After his release, Dolan re-enlisted as a veteran volunteer in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 31, 1864.

In an article entitled "Santa Cruzans in the Civil War" dated November 12, 1972, historian Tom McHugh noted, "James F. Dolan was a corporal in the 2nd California Cavalry and was believed to have been killed by special police at Salt Lake City Utah." The location of James Dolan's remains is not known.

(CMWR, Pg. 287; MAHL; SCSn November 12, 1972)