Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-16

be remembered that large company of emf
grants on their way 10 California are known 10
have been all killed, with the exception of the
Young children. When their massacre was dis
covered the Msrmons set ahOat the story that
they had persisted by the hands of the Indians,
but from time 10 time circumstautial evidence
has appeared indicating that they were muir
dered in cold blood by the Momons in revenge
for previous outrageS upon the latter perpe-
trated in Illinois and Missouri. A competent
witness now saws under oath that the Mormon
militia attacked the emigrantS, and, after fight
of several days without result, sent a flag Of
truce offering them protection if they would lay
down their arms. The terms being complied
with, the entire party was butcnercd by their
captOrs. The affidavit is rs follows:
State Of NeCdd0, county Of Lincoln, S. Per-
sonaly appeared before me, Peter b. Miller, clerk
of court ofthe seventh judicial district OF the state
Of Nevada, Philip Kngon Smith, who, being
duly sworn on his oath, says: My name is Philip
klingon Smith. ! reside in the county of Lin
coin, in the state of Nevada. | resided at &C.
dar City, in the county of Iron, in the territory
Of Utah. from A. d. 1852 to A. D. 1859. / was
residing at Cedar City at the time of the maSsa-
ere at Mountain Meadows, in said territory of
Utah. | had heard that a company of emil
grants 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 committing 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, composing part OF the mill
tia of the territory of Utah. | do not recolect
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 {.
llaight was president over said church at Cedar
City and the southern settlement in said terrific
ry. My position as bishop was subordinate to
that of said president. W. II. Dame was presi-
dent of said church at ParowaD, in said Iron
county Said w. H. Dame was also colonel of
said regiment Said Isaac &. 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 muster, 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 expedition which resulted in said cOmpany's
being massacred at the Mountain Meadows, in
said county of Iron. About four days after
said company of emigrants 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. |. g. Haight
expressed in my presence desire that said
company might be permitted 10 pass on their
way in peace; but afterwards he told me that he
had orders from headquarters to kill all of said
| do not know whether said headquarters meant
the Tegimental headquarters at Parowan or the
headquarters of the commander-n-chef at Salt
Lake City.
When the said company had got TO Iron creek,
about twenty miles from Cedar City, Capt. Joel
White started for the Pinto creek settlement,
through which said company would pass, for
the purpose OF influencing the people TO permit
said company to pass on their way in peace
asked and obtained permission of said White to
20 with him and aid him in his endeayors to
save life. When said White and myself got
about three miles from Cedar City, we met Ma
or 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, 81 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 th9re 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 distinctions"
After the fight had been going on for three or
four days, a messenger from Major Lee reached
Cedar City, who stated that the fight had not
been altogether successful, upon which Lieut..
Col. Haight ordered out a reinforcement. At
this time | was ordered out by Capt. John NJ.
Highly, who ordered me to muster, EARNED and
equipped as the law directs" 1t was matter
OF life or death to muster or not, and mustered
with the reinforcing troops. 1t was at this time
that Lieut.. Col. Haight said TO me that il was
the orders from headquarters that all but the
little children of said company were to be
killed. Said Haight bad at that time just re-
turned from headquarters at ParOWan, where
military council had been held. There had been
| a like council held at Parowan previous to that
at which were present Col. Dame, Lieut. Col. l.
| c. Haight and Major John d. Lee. The result
of this council was the calling out of said regi-
mo NJ a mi OH dr Tlta Wi,
| forcement was marched to the Mountain Mead
| ows, and there formed junction with the main
| body. Major Lee massed all the troops at
| spring, and made speech to them, saying that
| his orders from headquarters were to kill the
| entire company, except the small children"
| was not in the ranks at That time, but on one
| Side, talking to a man named Slade, and could
| not have seen paper in Major Lees hands.
| Said Lee then sent flag OF truce into the emil
| grant camp, offering said emigrants that "if
| they lay down their arms he would protect
| them" They accordingly laid down their
| arms, came out from that camp, and delivered
| themselves up TO said Lee. The women and
| children were then, by order of said Lee,
| separated from the men, and were marched
| ahead of the men. After said emigrants had
marched about halfa mile toward Cedar City,
| the order was given to shoot them down. At
that time said Lee was at the head of the col
| umn. | was in the rear. | did not hear Lee give
the order to fire, but head il from the under Of
| icerS as ii was passed down the column. The
| emigrantS were then and there shot down, eX-
| cept seventeen little children, whom | mmedi-
| atey took into my charge, | do not know the
total number of said company, as did not stop
to count the dead | Immediately put the little
| children in baggage wagons belonging to the
regiment and took them to Hamln's ranch, and
| from there TO Cedar City, and procured them
| homes among the people. John Willis and
| Samuel Murdy assisted me in taking charge of
| SAID children. On the evening of the massacre,
| Col. W. II. Dame and Lieut.. Col. l. C. Haighf
| came 10 Hamlin's, where | had the said chill
| dren, and fell into a dispute, in the course of
which said Haight told Col. Dame that if he was
| going TO report of the killing of said emigrants
| he should not have ordered it DONE" | dOnOt
| know when or where said troops were disband-
| cd. About two weeks after said massacre oc-
| CURED, said Major Lee, twho was also Indian
| agent,) went to Salt Lake City, and, as | be-
lieye, reported SAID fight and its results to the
| commander-ln-chef was not present at either
| of the before mentioned councils, nor at any
| councils connected with the aforesaid military
| operations, or with said company. gave no or
| ders except those connected with the saving Of
| the children, and those after the massacre had
| occurred, and said orders were given as bishop,
and not in a military sense. A the time of the
| firing Of the first voley | discharged my piece /;
| d!d not hre alterward, though several subse-
| quent VoleYs were fired. After the first fire was
| delivered at once set about saving the children
| commenced TO gather up the children before
the hrlng ceased. | have made the above state
ment before the above entitled court for the rea-
son that | believe that would be assassinated
should attempt to make the same before any
court in the territory of Utah. After said Lee
returned from Salt Lake City, as aforesaid, said
Lee told me that he had reported fully to the
president tmeaning the commander-in.chef)
the il4ht at Mountain Meadows and the killing
OF said cmigrants. Brigham Young was at that
time the commandcr-in-chelo of the militia of
the territory of Utah. And further deponent
saith not PHILIP CLINGoN SMITH.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 10th
day Of April, A. d. 1871.
p. Il. MILLER, County Clerk
The authenticity of this affidavit is fully certi-
fled to by Chief Justice McKeon and Associate
Justice Strickland, Of the supreme court Of
Utah Territory.
Eugene in the Highlands.
From the Graphic.
A Spntpb Tanlf bap ton a.