Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-07-14

Details of the Mountain Mead.
OWs Massacre in Utah. Rescue
of Children Escape Of MUIR
derers.
A letter from Salt Lake City June 9th,
gives the narrowing details of the massa-
ere of train of emigrauts from Arkansas
to California, at Mountain Meadows, on
the 10th of September 81, and the recov-
erv of seventeen children carried off by the
Indians. There were about one hundred
and forty persons in the train, and the sur
wiring children were found about $50 miles
south of Salt Lake City. The writer ac-
companied the Superintendent of Indian
Affairs, and says: EFE
"The train passed through the upper
part of the Territory unmolested. They
were directed to go the southern route, as
it was getting late in the season. After
passing through all the settlements south
for $50 miles to the Mountain Meadows,
stey stopped to recruit their stock before
they struck the Deserts, as they would
have deserts for four hundred miles after
leaving Mountain Meadows.
The Meadows is beautiful spot, about
four miles in length, and one-fourth of a
mile wide, and at the lower end is fine
spring.
They corralled their wagons and were
there three days in quietness, 25 miles from
any settlement, when, early on the morn-
ing of tie 4th day, they were attacked, as
they supposed, by large party of Indians.
The Indians fired on and killed and wound
ed several. After this the emigraants set
the wagon wheels in the ground, and threw
the earth up against the bodies, making
snug defense. The Indians fought them
for FIVE DAYS, having previously run all their
stock of. The emigrans were within ten
yards of as line spring as you ever saw,
but could get no water, for whenever one
came out to get it, he was shot down. The
spring has high bank, deep ravine
makes off from it and in this the Indians
were concealed. After fighting for five or
six days, party of Mormons approached
the corral with white flag in hand, to
shcw the emigrants they were friends.
The emigrants directly dressed little
girl in white and placed her at the mouth
of the corral. The Norman party then
came in, sat down and talked to the head
man of the train for more than an hour,
telling him that they had come as friends
of the party to escort them back to Cedar
City, about $50 miles behind, provided
they would give up their arms, and leave
all they had behind. They promised to
protect them from the Indians. They
marched the party in front of them back
on the road about $500 yards, where they
had to pass through some sedge bushes,
when one of the Mormon escorts gave
signal, and all at once the Indians raised
in the bushes-the Mormon escort FREQ
first and killed all the men-then they
went to work on the women and children.
The spot can still speak for itself. When
I first passed through the place | could
walk for near mile on bones, and skulls
laying GRIM ng at you, and women and
cbildren's hair in punches as big as bush
el.
Judge Cradlebaugh and myself have the
names of sixty white men who partieipa
ted in this affair. 1t was done by council
from Bishops in the Mormon Church
The Bishops were the head killers. They
did not leave one to tell the tale. The
oldest of the children is between seven and
eight years of age. We have seventeen
here. They are getting ready to send them
to their friends in Arkansas, as there was
$4,000 appropriated by Congress for that
purpoie-so you can see oy what means
the Mormons have lived and supported
their Church. This was the richest train
that ever passed through this country
try, and after killing all the party except |
II little children, they took cattle, wagons
and horses back to Cedar City and sold |
them at public sale. The children Were
divided out TO different ones-some who
had no children TOOK two.
Il II the above has been sworn to before |
Judge Cradlebaugh. He has issued war
,ants for all parties, but they fly to the
mountains.
W. H. ROGERS.