Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-09-23
A BLOODY HISTORY.

A BLOODY HISTORY.
The horrible massacre of a large COM
pany of California bound emigrants at
Mountain Meadow, in Utah, in the year
of 1857, will be remembered by many
of our readers. From the fact of the
terrible mutilation of the bodies, and
other circumstances which forbade the
belief that civilized human beings could
have been guilty of such atrocities, the
butchery was ascribed to the Indians,
and in that belief the people have, un-
til of late, generally rested. Evidence
is now put forward, seemingly of an un-
impeachable character, to show that the
blood of these defenceless people rests
upon the heads of the Mormons, and |
not the Indians, and that Brigham
Young, the head of the church, and
commander-in-chief of the Mormon mill
tia, is, by his official order, directly re-
sponsible for the slaughter.
Philip Klingon Smith, a Mormon bish-
op in good standing at the present writ
ing, and Mormon bishop at the time
of the massacre, fifteen years ago, has
just come forward with sworn state
ment regarding the affair, which will
cause the blood to boil within the veins
of every honest man who reads it, and
kindle in every heart a fierce determin-
alton to put down Mormonism, if not by
the strong arm of law, then by the
strong arm of might. The story of
Smith is to the effect that the emigrant
train, which had reached Salt Lake City
in safety from Arkansas, spent single
nioht there, and the next day proceeded
on Its way by the old wagon rood 70
-..srd southern CaIIIU1n %ason ig@o "
was unimpeded until after the company
had passed Ceder City, when, by official
order from Brig ham Young, a body of
militia commanded by magnates of the
Mormon church at Cedar City, was sent
in pursuit. with instructions to ''kill all
but the little children" Smith, with
two or three others, wished to intercede
for the lives of the party, but was order
ed to fall into ranks on pain of death.
Upon overtaking the train running
fight began, in which the Mormons were
worsted, but, reinforcements arriving
: a flag of truce was sent in to the emf
grants with the promise of protection il
they would lay down their arms. The
, rest of the story we give in Smiths owl
words "They accordingly laid dowI
S their arms, came out from their camp
= and delivered themselves up the womel
: and children were then separated from
f the men, and were marched ahead o
e the men after said emigrants had march
e ed about half a mile toward Cedar City
: the order was given to shoot them down
n the emigrants were then and there sho
o down, except seventeen little children
r which Immediately took into my charge
s. [ do not know the total number of sal
e company, as | did not stop to count tn
S dead Immediately put the little chi
e dren in baggage wagons belonging
N the regiment, and took them to Hamlin
S. Ranch, and from there to Cedar Cit,
" and procured them homes among tt
d people"
ID There is no need of comment on I'll
Or story. The plain bare facts are sufhc
I'd emily horrible in themselves. 1t nc
n, remains to be seen, if the statement
n substantiated, what steps the cover
Id ment will take in the matter.
wv UTAH.
so The development just made In rega
Il to the Mountain Meadow massacre, W
m have the effect of turning the eyes
al the nation toward that great TerritoI
nc so soon to become the scene OF the &C
ou fict between the foul demon of Mormc
ism and the spirit of liberty and civl
zation. The majority, perhaps, of
nd people of the United States know lit
m more of Utah than that it contains Il
ol. wonderful body of water, Great 5
nod Lake, and that it is the home of
AL Mormons. In fact, our geographers a
AN government surveyors are nearly as
the norant as school-boys themselves IN
vay gard to the larger portion of this
re- mense area of country, which, at no {
be- tant day, is destined to play pro-
-er- nent part among the States of the Uni
Although not geographically entitled
was the clam, Utah is frequently spo
me of by writers as the center of the An
va lean Republic. 1t is regularly shaE
ess- diversified in surface and covers in q
heir not far from 100000 square miles.
lrn. climate is remarkably salubrious,
,ain far as the Indians and Mormons b
ood allowed settlers to test it from exp
I've. ence. Not distant from the north
sea- limits of the Territory the three G
In rivers of the continent, the Colum