The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-10-24
HE STORY OF THE MASSACRE.

the State of Nevada. l resided at Ce-
dar City, in the county of Iron, in the
Territory of Utah, from A. ID. 1852 to
a. ID. 1859. l was residing at Cedar
City Mt the time of the massacre. at
mountain Meadows, in said Territory
OF Utah. l had heard that company
OF emigrants was on it's way from Salt
Lake City bound for California. Said
company arrived at said Cedar CITY,
tarried there one day and passed on for
California. After said company left
said Cedar City, the militia was called
out for the purpose of committing hos
tilities against them; said call was a
regular military call from the superior
officers to the subordinate officers and
privates of the regiment of Cedar CITY
and vicinity, composing part of the
militia of the Territory of Utah. lido
not rccollect the number Of the regi-
ment. | was at that time the Bishop
OF the Church of Jesus Christ Of Lat
ter day Saints OF Cedar City. Isaac C.
Haight was President over said church
at Cedar City, and the southern settle
ments in said Territory. NV position
as Bishop was subordinate to that Of
said President. w. III. Dame was
president of said church at Parowan,
Iron county; said w. A. Dame was
also Colonef Of said regiment; said
Isaac G. Haight was Lieutenant COL
OF said regiment, and John b. Zee Of
Harmony in saids Iron county was Ma
jor of said regiment.
REGIMENTM UsTERING FOR THE WORK.
Said regiment was duly ordered to
muster, armed and equipped as the
law directs, and prepared for field Op-
| eratiOns. l had no command nor Office
in said regiment at the time, neither
did march with said regiment on the
expedition which resulted in said com.
pany's being massacred i'm the Noun
tain Meadows in said county of Iron.
About four days after said company of
emigrants had left Cedar City, that
portion of said regiment then muster
ell at Cedar City took up its line of
march in pursuit of them. About two
days after said company had left said
Cedar City Lieut.. Col. |. c. Haight
expressed in my presence desire that
the said company might be permitted
to pass on their way in peace: but af-
forwards he told me that he had or
ders from headquarters to kill all of
said company of cmigrants except the
little children. i do not know wheth-
er said headquarters meant the regi-
mental headquarters at ParOwan or
the headquarters of the Commander
Chief at Salt Lake City. When the
said company had got to Iron Creek,
about twenty miles from Cedar City,
Capt. Joel White started for Pinto
Creek settlement, through which said
company would pass, for the purpose
of influencing the people to permit
peace. ! asked and obtained permits
sion Of said White to 60 with him and
aid him i'll his endeavors to save life.
| When said White and myself got
about three miles from Cedar City we
met Major John ID. Lee, who asked
us where we were going. ! replied
that we were going to try TO prevent
the killing Of the emigrants Lee re-
piled: II have something to say about
that" Lee was then on his way to
Parowan. the headquarters OF Col.
Dame. Said White and l went into
Pinto Greek, remained there one night,
and the next day returned to CedarCity,
meeting said company Of emigrants at
Iron Greek. Before reaching Cedar
City we met one Ira Allen, who told
us shat the decree had passed devot-
ing said company to destruction"
THE MASSACRE ORDERED FROM HEAD
QUARTERS.
After the fight had been going on
three or four days, a messenger from
Major Lee reached Cedar City, who
stated that the fight had not been alto
gether successful, upon which Lieut..
Col. Haight ordered out reinforce
ment; at this time / was ordered out
by Capt. John M. Highly, who ordered
me to muster, EARNED and equipped as
the law directs" 1t was matter Of
life or death to me TO muster or not,
and / mustered with, the reinforcing
troops. 1t was at this time that Lieut..
Col. Haight said to me that it was the
orders from headquarters that all but
the little children Of said company
were to be killed. Said IIaight had at
that time but just returned from head
quarters at Parowan, where military
council had been held. There had
been like council held at Parowan
previous to that, at which were pres
ent Col. Dame, Lieut. COLI. G. Haight
and Major John ID. Lee. The result
Of this first council was the calling out
of said regiment for the purpose al
ready stated. The reinforcement
aforesaid was marched to the Monn-
tain Meadows. and there formed q
junction with the main body. Major
Lee massed the troops at a spring and
made speech to them, saying that his
orders from headquarters We're to kill
the entire company except the little
children. was not I'm the ranks at
| that time, but on the side talking 10 a
man named Slade, and could not have
seen paper in Major Lees hands,
Said Lee then sent flag Of truce into
the emigrant camp. offering said emil
grants that ''if they laid down their
arms, he would protect them" They
! accordingly laid downtheir arms, came
out from their camp, and delivered
themselves TO said Ice. The wo-
men and children were then, by order
OF said Lee, separated from the men,
and were marched ahead OF the men.
THE ORDER TO FIRE.
After said emigrants had marched |
about a half a mile toward Cedar City, |
the order was given to shoot them
down. AT that time said J &c was at
the head oil the column. l was in the |
rear. did not hear Lee give the or
der to fire, but heard It from the under
officer as il was passed down the coll
umn, The ernigrants Were then and
there shot down, except sevcnteenI it.
tie children, which immediately took
into my charge. l d. not know the
total number OF said COMPANY, as did
not stop to count the dead. immedi-
ately PIT the little children in baggage /.
wagons belonging to the regiment, anu
took them to Ha,nlin's Raach, and
from there to Cedar City. and procured ]