Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-10-03
AN OLD MYSTERY SOLVED.
The Mouatain Meadow Massacre The |
Real Murderers Not Indians, but White |
Men-A Horrible Story of Mormon Per- |
idy-An Ex-Bishep's Confession,

| 1Hc u1OuutdIn HleBdOW Massacre The
Real Murderers Not Indians, but Whit,
Men-A Horrible Story of Mormon Per
fdy-An Ex-BisheD's Confession.
A Salt Lake letter of Sept. I3 saws:
The suhjoined affidavit in full, by one
OF the least guilty among the participa
tors in the affair, shows conclusiyely
that the terrible Mountain Meadow
massacre was the act of the Mormon
authorities. twill be remembered that
a large company of emigrants on theil
way to California are known to have
been all killed, with the exception oil
the young children. When their mas
secre was discovered the Mormons set
atloat the story that they had peri.hed
by the hands of the Indians, but from
time to time circumstantial evidence
has appeared indicating that ley 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 a 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, IS. !:
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 Klingon Smith. l reside in the
county OF Lincoln, in the State of Ne
vada. resided at Cedar City, in the
county Ct Iron, in the Territory of
Utah, from A. D. 1852 to A. D. 1859. l
was residing at Cedar City at the time
OF the massacre at Mountain Meadows,
IN said Territory of Utah. l had heard
that 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
uniting 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
part of the militia Of the Territory of
Utah. l 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 C. Hsight was President
over said Church at Cedar City and the
southern settlement in said Territory
My position as bishop was subordinate
to that OF said President. W. II. Dame
was President of said Church at
Parowan, in said Iron county. Said w.
ID. Dame was also Colonel of said reci-
ment. Said Isaac C. 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 d.
reefs, and prepared for field operations.
l had no command nor office in said
regiment at that time, neither did
march with said regiment on the expe-
dltlon which resulted in said company's
being massacred at the Mountain
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.-Col. |. e. Haight expressed in nv
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. l do |
not know whether said headquarters |
meant the regimental headquarters at |
Parowan or the headquarters of the |
commanderin-chie at 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 infuenc-
ing the people to permit said company
to pass on their way in peace. l asked
and obtained permission of said White
to go with him and aid him in his en-
deevors to save life. When said White
and myself got about three miles from
Cedar City, we met Maj. John D. Lee,
who asked Us where We were going. | |
replied that we were going to tYy to
prevent the killing of the emigrants.
Lee replied, I" 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 tt ere one night, and
the next day returned to Cedar City,
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 a messenger from Naj. Lee
reached Cedar City, who stated that the
fight had not been altogether success
full. upon which Lieut.-C Col. Haight Or
de. ed out reinforcement. At this
time was ordered out by Capt. John
NJ. Highly, who ordered nae to muster,
armed and equipped as the law dn-
reefs" 1t was matter of life or death
to me to muster or not, and i mustered
with the reinforcing troops. 1t was at
this time that Iieut.-CoL Haight said
to me that it was the orders from head
quarters that alb but the little children