Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-11-27
THE MOUNTAIN MEADOW MAS
SACRE
Tho Story OF the Terrible ButcIlery
RetoId.
From the ST. louis Glohl

=
soil. 1t can hardly have been foi
gotten by our readers, but a brief re
view of its frightful incidents will b.
interesting, in connection with tn
arrest of the leader of the tiends VIII,
were responsible for the deed o
blood.
In the spring Of 1851 a party o
emigrants from Arkansas, numbering
one hundred and forty-siX men, wo
men, and children, were on thei
way to Southern California, being
persuaded to the journey by some
pioneers who had gone out in lS49
and had been successful in theii
search for gold. These emigrant,
were decidedly of the better class o
Arkansans, and the train was s
wealthy one.
When they arrived at Salt Lake
City, the Arkansans were told that
they were too late in the season to
proceed 10y the old emigrant route:
but the Mormons informed them that
there was a better route, through
Southern Utah and Nevada, coming
out near Los Angeles, in California
They started on the southern route
and pursued their way without mo.
lestation until they encamped IN
Mountain Meadow, u lovely valley,
where they found an abundance OF
grass and water.
Their journey had thus far been
comparatively pleasant one, and
they were in good health and spirits,
looking forward with joyful anticipa-
tons to the end of their journey,
which would find them in a land of
peace and plenty.
While they were encampcd III this
beautiful valley, they were suddenly
and unexpectedly attacked from be-
hind the hills by q large body OF
men, whom they supposed to be In
dams, but who, as was made evident
by subsequent developments, were
Mormons disguised as Indians. Sev-
eral of their number were wounded
at the first onset. and all their stock
were driven OFF. The Arkansans,
however, were equal to this emer-
gency. They formed circle OF their
wagons, threw up entertainments,
and defended themselves with their
rifles. They held the position during
five days, keeping their assailants at
bay, and sustaining no more CASUAL
ties worth mentioning. On the
morning of the sixth day the sup
posed Indians had disappeared, and a
body Of white men were discovered,
coming from the direction Of Cedar
CITY. These were Mormons, lead by
John d. Lee, the commander OF the
Nauvoo Legion at Cedar City. They
were the same men who had attacked
the train in the disguise OF Indians,
and who, finding themselves unable
to accomplish their object by force,
had rcsorted to stratagem for the
purpose of getting the unfortunate
emierants into their power. They
came with a flag OF truce, to which
the Arkansans responded, and Lee
held conversation with the leaders
of the party, in which he offered to
protect the emigrants from the In
dams, who were represented as beng
in the hills in large numbers, if they
would lay down their arms and return
to the Mormon settlements. This
proposition was finally agreed 70, and
the Arkansans, narmed, and carry
ing only such portions Of their prop
crty as was most valuable and porta-
bic, marched out Of their intrench-
ments on the road toward Cedar City,
the Mormons, under Lee, following
in their rear.
They had gone about 200 yards
from the camp which they had so
CALAMITY defended, when the Nor
mons commenced firing into their
backs, and continued the slaughter
until 1870 of the unarmed and inoffen-
siye people lay dead on the grass.
Only sixteen children were saved,
most of them of very tender years,
and they were finally recovered by
Mr. Rogers, an Indian agent OF the
government. It is related that a
young lady ran to Lee, and begged
him to save her life; but he took her
aside and rayishcd her, and then cut
her throat with knife.
But no details are needed to add to
the horrors of this most causeless,
cowardly, infamous and bloody
butchery. The bodies were left
where they had fallen, and the stock
and wagons of the emigrants, accord
ing to the testimony Of Mormon wit
nesses, were taken to Cedar City and
sold for the benefit Of the Church.
When Mr.. Rogers visited the scene
Of the massacre he buried the bones
of the victims, from which the flesh
had been eaten by the wolves, and
gathered two bushcl basketful Of
womcn's hair, which was scattered
about among the sage bushes.
1t has long been known, and there
can be no doubt of the fact, that this
massacre was perpetrat-
ed by Mormons, and that John D.
Lee was the leader Of the murderous
band. No attempt has been made to
bring the guilty parties to justice,
until the arrest Of Lee, who was cap
tured at Pangwich, near Beaver, by
Deputy U. S. Marshal Stokes, and 4
small posse. He was concealed in a
straw stack, and made no attempt at
resistance. 1t has been reported by
telegraph that he promises to give a
true history Of the whole affair, and
to reveal the names Of the guilty
parties. 1t has also been supposed
that he would implicate Brigham
Y Dung; but the Salt Lake Heraid Of
the 18th says that he has declared
that Young was not interested in the
matter, and had nothing to do with it.
Regarding the last statement in the
above narrative, while at Salt Lake
City in the summer Of 1872, we had
a conversation with the gallant Gen.
Conner, the man who first made the
Mormon hierarchy respect the au-
thority Of the government, marching
Salt Lake City with his two
rorimon+o IF California No1untnnrc