The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-12-25
The Mountain Meadow Slaughter.

The Mountain Meadow Slaughter.
The arrest of Bishop Dame, of the
Mormon Church, in Southern Utah, for
alleged completely in the massacre at
Mountain Meadow in 1857, will revive
general interest in that terrible TRACE
dy. The thought of it carries the mind
back to those days before the compile
ton of the Pacific railroad, which al
ready seems a generation distant, when
travel across the continent was only by
slow emigrant trains which crept along
the prairies and through the sage brush
with weary and sluggish march. In
Utah, too, affairs We're very different
from their present situation. The
MormOns had il all their own way.
Brigham Young, the head of the Nor
mon Church, was the Territorial Gov
ernor. Just previous to the occasion
of the massacre, however, he had been
superseded, though still in possession
of the office and his legal successor,
Governor Cummings, with other newly
appointed Territorial officers, were on
their way to Salt Lake City, under the
escort of General Harvey and his
troops. The supersession of Brigham
Young by "Gentile" Governor and
the assertion Of Federal authority over
the Mormons even in the wilderness to
which they had fed, filed the Mormon
people with wrath. They were ripe for
deed of blood, and the opportunity
was at hand, as it almost always is.
The emigrant train which met with
such tragic fate at Mountain Meadow
30, 4, Ttnh 20
ern California. 1t consisted originally
of two parties, which had joined forces
for the sake of mutual protection
against the Indians. One party was
made up of Missourians; the other
consisted mainly of families, including
many women and children, and was
from Arkansas.
The train was encamped, about the
middle of September, in the Mountain
Meadow, when they were attacked, as
the Mormons claim, by Indians alone.
The Gentle story has been, however,
that in the attacking party were many
Mormons disguised as Indians. The
emigrants made circle of their wag
ons, and within this extempore fortif-
cation defended themselves as well as
they could, for four days. On the
fourth day white flag, borne by white
men, approached their camp. The
leader was one John ID. Lee, an Elder
in the Mormon Church, a Major in the
Mormon militia, and one of Brigham's
Indian Agents. By his advice The emil
grants yielded up their arms and agreed
to go with him to the nearest settle
ment for safety. 1t is said that the
women and children went in advance,
the men behind, guarded by militia
and that, but little ways from camp,
the signal was given by Lee, the Nor
mons shot down the men, the Indians
slaughtered the women and youth, and
only seventeen children of tender years
were saved.
Such is the story of the massacre, as
it has come out in fragmentary details
at different times. The remoteness of
the spot, the completeness of the mas
sacre, which spared nc mature person,
the absence OF any officers competent
and willing to investigate the case-the
Mormon officials of course ignored it
the absence even of any public senti-
ment on the ground to demand investi-
cation, enabled the participants in the
massacre, and those who dictated it, to
hush it up" But there is no doubt
of the substantial truth of the story.
Fine deeds will rise,
Though all the earth prevent them, to man eyes
and now, after the lapse of more than
seventeen years, justice is bestirring
herself, and there is a chance that
some of the murderers of Mountain
Meadow may at last meet their deserts.
Lee, who fed to the New Mexico Dor
der after the tragedy, and who has
since lived almost out of civilization,
marrying, however, eighteen wives and
begettlng tifty-four children, has been
arrested, and now says he is tired of
being made scspegoat, and will make
some startling revelations. 1t may be
upon some information given by him
that Bishop Dame was arrested and
brought to Salt Lake City. At all
events Lees story, when he tells it,
will be of absorbing interest, and if il
duplicates Brigham Young, as it is more
than intimated that it will, we shall
have some very exciting times in Utah.
- Detroit Tribune