The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-11-26
The Mountain Meadow Massacre
Correspondence New York Herald.

correspondence New Iork Herald.
SALT LAKE CITY. Nov. s. 1874.
lou have. no doubt. already been adj
1jsed by telegraph of the arrest OF Il
man BIZ the name of John d. Lee in Cetlar
tltr Beaver County. on the charge OF hay
az been the leader in the horrible Noun
tain Meadow massacre, the circumstances
regarding which, the readers OF the Her.
aid NOT, perhaps, being familiar with, |
Will relate:
William II. Rogers government agent,
crossed the Plains with General Sidney
.johnsOn's army, IN 1857. IN charge Of the
treasure train. Rogers heard Of the terri
bic massacre ut Mountain Meadow on his
way across the Plains. 1t was reported
that the emlgrants We're murdered bv In
dams. These emigrants We're white men,
Americas citizens of Arkansas General
AlgernOn ). Johnson's army was unable
70 reach Salt Lake City in season, and was
obliged to encamp at Fort Bridger for the
winter OF 1857. In the spring Of So how
ever, the army marched into the valley of
the Great Salt Lake. On approaching the
valley they were met by Peace Commits
Sloners, sent by our government, who had
preceded the army and had seen the great
Prophet OF the Latter Day Saints Terms
We're made between General johnson and
the Mormon Prophet to the effect that the
army should not camp within fifty miles
~ any Mormon settlement. Conseduent-
" the army was stationed at what is now
called cold Camp FlOyd," Il distance of |
lltty-tive miles SouthweStWard from Salt |
Lake City. While located here intorma-
non was received IN regard to the Mount
ain Meadow massacre, and the action of |
me government at Washington .approrria-
ting $4,000 for recovery of the children
presumed to have been saved from the
massacre and supposed to be in the hands
Of the Indians Mr., Rogers, being APP
pointed Indian agent, was instructed dur
ing the summer Of 1898, to proceedto the
scene OF the massacre and rescue the sur
wing children. He took a company of
cavalry and left Camp FlOvd tor Cedar
City, near the scene Of the massacre On
arriving on the ground he found the bones
Of hundred human beings, men. women
and children In gathering up the remains
lor burial he discovered that large num-
Der OF the murdered persons had been
shot through the head-the ball entering
the back part OF the head and coming out
front The wolves and coyotes had eaten
the flesh from the bones, A two bushel
around among the sage brush was gather
ed by by Mr.. Rogers. 1t might be stated
here that Mountain Meadow is situated
twelve miles from Cedar City, and the
same distance from a temple of the Latter
Day Saints
1t appears that in ls49, upon the excite
ment created by the gold discoveries in
California. several pioneers of Arkansas
went to California in search Of the pre-
clous metal. They were very successful.
In the fall OF 1856, with their large accu-
INFLATED gains, they returned to Arkansas
ior the purpose OF taking their families
and some OF their relatives to settle in the
new FL Dorado, in which they had been
80 fortunate. They purchased a large
amount OF bIooded stock. and fitted out a
train o. about forty wagons They num-
Jered about one hundred and tortv-six.
men, women and children They were
known to be n Very wealthy train In the
spring OF 1917, as we have stated, they
started across the Plains On arriving at
SAT- Lake City they were told by the Nor
mons that they We're too late to cross the
Sierra Nevada mountains by the old emf
grant route. The Mormons assured them
that there was better pass by going down
through Southern Utah, passing through
Southern Nevada, going over the range
Of the mountains and coming out near
Los Angeles, Lower California. This
route the Mormons assured the emigrants
to be practicable and safe Placing conf
dence IN the reports and statements of the
Mormons, the emigrants started by the
southern route. Passing down through
the settlements OF the Latter Day Saints
unmolested. they encamped at what is
known as Mountain Meadow, q little mar
now valley dividing the hills and noun
tains on each side, with a plentiful supply
OF grass and water-a beautiful place to
camp. Little did these emigrants think
that this beautiful spot would in q short
time be their sepulchre, the scene of a
sangulnary massacre-the worst massacre
that we have any record of in the history
Of the bloody deeds of the sayages upon
the early detenceless American settle
ments The horrid story of the Indian
murders in Wyoming Valley, which Camp
bell so eloquently depicts, affords no par
allel to the butchery Of these emgrants
at Mountain Meadow While encamped |
in this lovely spot they were attacked |
from behind the adjoining hills by, as they
supposed, Indians. Several of their num- |
Der were wounded. The pioneers, how
ever, being used to Indian warfare and |
well skilled with the handling of the old
kentucky rifle, were able to keep their as
sailants at a long range. Their wagons
were drawn into circle, forming sort
of tortification. The wheels We're sunken
down to their axletrees Earthworks were |
thrown up on the outside of the wagons, |
makina.a temporary but somewhat for
midabD defence A ditch was dug from
this fertilization to spring near at hand
to enable the emigrants to reach water |
under coyer.s For five long days they were
able to sustain themselves here without |
any further loss in wounded and killed |
Their stock had been captured and driven
off early in the attack. On the sixth day.
early in the morning, they discovered a
large body of men coming up the road
from toward Cedar City No firing had
been done that morning, and no supposed
Indians in sight. A white flag was hoist
ed by the white men approaching them,
and these doomed emigrants, believing
the new corners to be friends, dressed a |
beautiful young girl, in white and placed
her outside of the tortiication in token OF |
friendship. The presumed friends at once
approached They were Mormons-Latter |
Day SaintS-and headed nv John d Lee