The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-10-04
AN OLD MYSTERY SOLVED.
Real Murderers Not Indians, but White
Men-A Horrible story Of Mormon Per-
ndy-An Ex-Bishep,r Confession.
A Salt Lake letter of Sept. !

4
tors in the affair." shows conclusively
that the terrible Mountain Meadow
massacre was the act of the Mormon
authorities. 1t will be remembered that
a large company of emigrants on their
way to California are known TO have
been all killed, with the exception of
the young children. When their mas
sacre was discovered the Mormons set
afioat the story that they had persisted
by the hands of the Indians, but from
time to time crcumstantial evidence
has appeared indicating that ttey were
murdered in cold blood by the Mormons
( In revenge for previous outrages upon
the latter perpetrated in Illinois and
! Missouri. A competent witness now
says, under oath, that the Mormon
militia attacked the emigrants, and,
after fight of several days without re-
suit, sent flag of truce offering them
protection if they would lay down their
arms. The terms being complied with,
the entire party was butchered by their
captors. The affidavit is as follows:
STATE Of Nevada, County Of Lincoln, SIS. !:
Personally appeared before me, Peter
| B. Miller, Clerk of Court of the Seventh
Judicial District of the State of Nevada,
Philip Klingon Smith, who, being duly
sworn on his oath, says: My name is
| Philip Khngon Smith. | reside in the
| vada. | resided at Cedar City, in the
| county cf Iron, in the Territory of
Utah, from A. ID. 1852 to A. ID. 1859.
was residing at Cedar City at the time
of the massacre at Mountain Meadows,
in said Territory of Utah. had heard
that a company of emigrants was on its
way from Salt Lake City, bound for
| California. Said company arrived at
Cedar City, tarried there one day, and
passed on for California. After said
company had left Cedar City, the militia
was called out for the purpose Of COM
hitting acts of hostility against them.
Said call was regular military call from
| the superior officers to the subordinate
officers and privates of the regiment at
| Cedar City and vicinity, comprising a
| part of the militia of the Territory of
| Utah. | do not recollect the number
| of the regiment. | was at that time
| the Bishop of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints at Cedar
| City. Isaac G.. Haight was President
ONCI Sdlu OHuICh dt OCudl Olbl dllO Vic
| southern settlement in said Territory.
My position as bishop was subordinate
| to that of said President. w. III. Dame
was President of said Church at
Parowan, in said Iron county. Said w.
| Ii. Dame was also Colonel of said regi-
ment. Said Isaac G. Haight was Lieu
tenant-Colonel of said regiment, and
John d. Lee, of Harmony, in said Iron
| county, was Major Of said regiment.
Said regiment was duly ordered to mus
ter, armed and equipped, as the law di-
reefs. and prepared for field operations.
| had no command nor office in said
| regiment at that time, neither did
march with said regiment on the expe-
diton which resulted in said company's
! being massacred ut the Noun tain
Meadows in said county of Iron. About
| four days after said company of emf
grants had left Cedar City, that portion
of said regiment then mustered 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.-Co |. g. Haight expressed in my
| presence desire that said company
might be permitted to pass on their
way in peace but afterwards he told
me that he had orders from headquar-
ters to kill all of said company of emf
grants except the little children. | do
not know whether said headquarters
meant the regimental headquarters at
Parowan or the. headquarters of the
commsnder.in.chief vt Salt Lake City.
When the said company had got to
Iron Creek, about 20 miles from Cedar
! City, Capt. Joel White sarted for the
Pinto Creek settlement, through
which said company would pass,
for the purpose OF inf1uenc-
ing the people to permit said company
to pass on their way III peace. asked
and obtained permission of said White
TO 90 with him and aid him in his en-
| deavors TO save life. When said White
and myself got about three miles from
| Cedar City, we met Maj. John ID. Lee,
who asked us where we were going.
replied that we were going to try to
Lee replied, | have something to say
about that"
Lee was at that time on his way to
Parowan, the headquarters of Col.
Dame. Said White and went to Pinto
Creek, remained IL ere one night, and
the next day returned to Cedar City,
meeting said company of emigrants at
Iron Creek. Before reaching Cedar
City we met one Ira Allen, who told us
that "the decree had passed devoting
said company to destruction" After
the fight had been going on for three or
for days messenger from Maj. Lee
reached Cedar City, who stated that the
fight had not been altogether success.
full. upon which Lieut.. Col. Haight or.
deIed out a reinforcement. At this
time | was ordered out by Capt. John
M. Highly, who ordered me to muster,
EARNED and equipped as the law d.
reefs" 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 head
quarters that all but the little children
of said company were TO be killed. Said
Haight had at that time just returned
from headquarters at Parowan, where
4 4