Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-04-28
From the Valley Tan. The Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Q the fInttOf OT tHo UtteH Fun. 1 nave observed on the part of one or both of the Mormon newspapers published in this city, an evident purpose to treat with . light and cavalier manner the statement hat has been many times made, that the Mormons were concerned in the Mountain Meadows massacre. By their reference to the mat ter, they would evidently produce the inn presSion that the whole story in regard to the Mormons being in any way concerned in the transaction, is one that has been formed for the purpose of increasing the prejudice and dislike with which they are already regarded by the great body of the people of the country. As l have never seen a published statement of the facts connected with that wholesale Dutchery. so far as the facts in regard to it lave been brought to light, 1 have deter minel to supply this ommi>Sion, by a statement of facts and circumstances in re- Aton to it, gathered during a trip which made with Dr. Forney, superintendent of indian affairs for Utah territory, into the region where the massacre occurred, in the spring of 1859.
 Dr. Forney left Camp Floyd in the last of March 1859, to go down to inc Santa Clara settlement, 350 miles south of Salt Lake city, to obtain and bring back with aim the children saved from the Mountain Meadows massacre, who had been collected and were then in charge of Mr. Iarob Hamb!in. Dr.. Fornay, having some time previously employed him to collect the .,,,l of tbo,, HI io | take them away. On this trip pr. Foncy employed me to accompany him as m a. si,tant, ana first joinei him at the town of Ncp1i, 50 or 90 miles south of Salt Lake City. From Ncph we proceeded through Fillmore to the Indian farm on Corn Creek, l0 miles south, where we dis tributed some goods to the Indians; from thence, accompanied by Kano>h, an Indian chief belonging to tn. parvant tribe, we proceeded to Beaver, Parowan, Cedar City, and Painter creek The latter is small place in the immediate vicinity of the Mountain Meadows, where the celebrated massacre occurred in September, 1857. In passing through each of the towns named, the Doctor and myself made dili- gent inquiry concerning tine massacre of the emigrantS; the number of persons comp0s- ing the cmigrant party, and other matters deemed of interest in relation to them We however ascertained but little The number of emigrants was generally estimated at from l2O to l40; but no one prolcssed to have any knowledge oI the massacre, except that they had heard that it was done by the Indians. At Painter creek, an Indian guide that had been sent to us by Jacob Hamblin, already referred to as the man that Dr. Forney had employed to collect and take charge of the children saved from the Mountain Meadows massacre, came up with us. luis glide conducted us to the scene of the massacre.
 The small valley known as the Mountain will hereafter impart to it's appropriate and once inviting name a sad and horrible history, is situated about miles south of Painter creek, small Mormon settlement in Iron county. The valley is about , miles in length and in the widest part docs not exceed mile in breadth. It Is covered mostly during the summer with rich and luxuliant grass, and is nearly the last place where grass can be found on the southern road to California, before striking the de ert In the north end of the valley, near where the road enters 1t, a ranche has been constructed for the purpose of herding and taking care of tine cattle brought there during the summer to graze. This ranche is owned by Jacob Hamblin. He lives there only during the summer months and spends the winter with his family at the santa Clara settlement, some distance south of the Meadows. This ranche was unoccupied at the time that our Indian guide conducted us into the valley. The immediate locality of the massa re of the emigrant party Is about four miles from the rancho on the roai leading south. Tho valley at the place slopes gently toward the south; small rsvine runs parallel with the road on the right hand side at the spot
 When we arrived here in April, 1859 more than year and half after the maSsa- ere occurred, the ground, for distance o more than hundred yards around a cen tral point, was covered with the skeletons and bones of human beings, interspersed ir places with rolls or punches of tangled ani matted hair, which from it's length, cvi dently belonged to females. In places the bones of small children were lying side by side with those of grown persons. as il parent and child had met death at the same instant and with the same stroke Small honnets and dre>sess, and scraps of female apparel were also to be seen in places or the ground there, like the bones of those who wore them, bleached from long expo. sure, but their shape was, in many in stances, entire In a gulch or hole in the ravine by the side of the road. large mum Der of leg and arm bones, and also of skulls conld be seen sticking above the surface | S if they had been buried there. but thu