The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-04-25
The Mountain Meadow Massacre.
Horrible Confession.


2oth. contains Q statement from VIM. n. 10
gers, in regard to the massacre at Mountain
Meadows in September 1857, when 12O men,
women and children, emigrants from Arkan-
sas, were murdered by Mormons. In COM
pany with Dr. Forney, Superintendent OF In
dian Affairs for Utah Territory, Mr.. Rogers,
about q year since, trayersed the district OF
country where the massacre occurred. Inc
scene Of the tragedy is thus described
"When we arrived here, in April, 1908,
more than a year and half after the massacre
occurred, the ground, for a distance OF more
than a hundred yards around q central point,
was covered with the skeletons and bones OF
human beings, intersperced in places with
rolls or punches of tangled or matted hair,
which. from its length, evidently belonged to
females. In places the bones OF small children
were living side by side with those OF grown
persons, as if parent and child had met death
at the same instant, and with the same stroke'
Small bonnets and dresses, and scraps OF ie-
male apparel, were also to be seen IN dlnerent
places on the ground there, like the bones oil
those who wore them, bleached from expos
ure, but their shape was, in many instances,
entire. In a gulch or hole in the rayine by |
the side of the road, large number Of leg and
arm homes. and also Of skulls, could be seen
sticking above the surface, as if they had been
buried there. but the action Of the water and
digging of the wolves had again exposed them
to sight. The entire scene was to horrible
and sickening for language adequately to de-
scribe.''
On the authority of information commune
Gated in his presence TO Judge Cradlebaugh,
by participant in the massacre, Mr.. Rogers
describes the attack on the emigrants, the pro-
tracted seige which they endured, and finally
the treacherous artifce by which they were
induced to surrender, when all were brutality
murdered. He says:
"As soon as it became known that Judge Z.
| intended holding court, and investigating
| the circumstances of the massacre, and that
he would have troops to insure protection,
and enforce his writs if necessary, several per-
sons visited him at his rooms at late hours OF
the night. and informed him of different facts
connected with the massacre. All these that
called thus. stated that it would be at the risk
of their lives if it became known that they
had communicated anything to him; and
thew requested Judge Cradlebaugh, if be met
them in public in the day time, not to recog-
nize them as persons that he had before seen.
One of the men who called thus on Judge
Cradlebaugh, confessed that he participated in
the massacre. and gave the following account
of II Previous to the massacre there was
council held at Cedar City, which President
Haight and Bishops Highly and Lee atten-
ded. At this council they designated or ap-
pointed large number of men residing IN
Cedar City, and in other settlements around,
to perform the work Of dispatching these
emigrants. The men appointed for this pur-
pose were instructed to resort, well armed, at
a given time, to a spring or small stream, ly-
ing short distance to the left OF the road
leading into the Meadows and not very fal
from Hamblin's ranch, but concealed from II
by intervening hills. This was the place o.
. rendezvous and here the men, when they
; arrived painted and disguised themselves sc
, as to resemble Indians. From thence they
proceeded, early on Monday morning, by
} path or trail which leads from this spring dl
: rectly into the Meadows and enters the roae
, some distance beyond Hamblin's ranch. 81
. taking this route they could not be seen by
: any one of the ranch.
4; On arriving at the corral Of the emigrants
! a number of men were standing on the out
q side by the camp fires, which, from appear
: ances. they had Just been building. Thes
were first fred upon, and at the first discharg
O several of them fell dead or wounded; tn
remainder immediety ran to the inside of tn
corral, and began fortifying themselves, AM
preparing for defense as well as they could
by showing their wagons closer together, an
9 digging holes into which to lower them, so
to Keep the shots from going under and strikin
than, The attack continued in deSuitor
and irregular manner for four or five days
The corral was closely watched, and II any
J the emigrants showed themselves, they wei
e. instantly fred at from without. If they al
e, tempted to go to the spring, which was onl
a few yards distant, they were sure to tall D
II the rifles of their assailants- In consequence
h of the almost certain death that resulted frol
any attempt to procure water, the emigrant
before the siege discontinued, suffered intenst
% w from thirst. The ASSISTANTS, believing {
length that the emigrants could not be sui
; dued by the means adopted, resorted to treaci
n ery and stratagem to accomplish what the
IS had been unable to do by force. They r
turned to the spring, where they had painte
a and disguised themselves previous to con
ng mencing the attack, and there removed tho
L. DISCUSSES, and again assumed their ordinaI
dress.
,r, After this Bishop Lee, with party of mi
e. returned to the camp of the emigrants, bea
ing white flag as signal Of truce. Fro
n. the position of the corral, the emigants we
mt able to see them some time before tn
reached it. As soon as they discerned it, thu
MI dressed little girl in white and placed her
- the entrance Of the corral to indicate thu
-. friendly feelings to the persons bearing t
flag. Lee and his party, on arriving. we
l., invited into the corral, where they staid abo
us us an hour. talking with them about the alta
: NJ that had been made upon them. Lee told t
y. emierants that the Indians had gone off oy
Il the hills, and that If they would lay dov
OF their arms aud gyeup their property he a
am his party would conduct them back to Geo
City but if they went out with their arm
sly the Indians would look upon it as unfrlend
re- act, and would again attack them. l
emigTants, trusting too Lees honor, and
,op the sincerely of his statements, consented
1T the terms which he proposed, and lett tn
I property and ali their arms at the corral, al
ON under the escort Of Lee and his party, start
towards the north in the direction Of Geo
City. After they had proceeded about m
20 on their way, on signal given by Bish
=" ri Highly, who was one of the party that We
to the corral with Lee, the slaughter began.
The men were mostly killed or shot do'
at the first fire, and the women and childrt
an who Immediately fed in different direction
by were quickly pursued and dispatched.
ar Such was the substance. if not the exi
US words. of a statement made by man to I'd
- Cradlebaugh, in my presence, who at the sal
ey, time confessed that be participated in the n
ed rible events which he related. He also %
18th Judge G. the name of twenty five or TIM
raj other men living in the region who assist
zas in the massacre. He offered also to ma
on the statement in court, and under oath, pl
,se lection was guaranteed to him. He gave
for reason for diyuiging these facts, that tn
had tormented his mind and conscience sir
they occurred, and he expressed wiilingn'
nat to stand q trial for his crime.