Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-07-31
Mountain Meadows Massm-
ere.


Meadow massacre has just com
menced. We extract from the
New York Herald the following
brief and comprehensive history
Of this terrible tragedy, whose de-
tails are about being brought to
4 light after the expiration OF seven
teen years:
| In the year 1867 large emigrant
train was on its way across the
plants to California. An army Of
/ ficer who saw it in June described
! it as probably the finest train that
! had ever crossed the plains. 1t was
believed to contain not less than
forty heads OF families, some young
i unmarried men, women and many
children, and it appears to have
had unconmonly perfect outfit,
among other things three carriag-
es- very unusual appurtenances on
an emigrant train. One of these
! carriages, which was peculiarly
marked, is said to have been for
SOME years after the massacre in
the possession Of the Mormons
/ The Mormon leaders were at that
time furious about some threaten
ed or contemplated interference Of
/ the United States government
and ii is related that Brig. Young,
preaching in the Tabernacle, said
that as governor and Indian agent
i he had hitherto protected emil
grants passing through the Terri
tory, but now he would turn the
Indians loose on them.3 Tt prob
ably increased his anger that when
this train left Salt Lake City sew
eral disaffected Mormons joined it.
i The emigrants were journeying
toward Los Angeles, in California,
and were last seen by an Indian
agent near the upper end of Noun
tain Meadows. This spot lies 800
miles from Salt Lake, and The lea
ders OF the train had been told that
q large spring near the South end
of the meadow would be a favora-
Bile spot To restand recruit 81 cir
stock before entering the great de-
sert; and this they did.
The Indian agent was the last
man who saw the train and report
ted it. Thereafter, and for some
years. nothing was heard of its
fate. 1t was reported lost But
the bloody tale of its massacre gra-
dually leaked out, and the details
which we give below have now
been known and forgotten for ma
ny years.
The Mountain Meadows were
then surrounded by several Nor
mon settlements The Bishops Of
these one day gathered their peo-
pie together, aud declared that
they had received a command from
the Mormon capital to " follow
and attack the accursed Gentiles,
and let the arrows of the Almigh-
ty drink their blood" A force or
sixty white men and a party of In
dians surrounded the Inflated en-
igrants one morning before day
light, the Mormon whites having
painted and disguised themselves
as Indians, in order to give the
movement the appearance of an
iDutdit OH dSiA ~ louc tilO Ctdi = fdAlS
Irapidlyrdrew their wagons into q
circle: made an energetic defense,
and, as quickly as they could,
threw up earth-works, behind
which they sheltered themselves,
their women, children, and stock.
They were surrounded and kept
under fire for a long week, the
Mormons hoping they could weary
them out The wife of an Indian
trader afterward testified that
while the firing continued and was
plainly heard at her house the
Mormon leaders were going back
ward and forward between the
place of murder and her house, aud
at the latter place pitching quoits
and amusing themselves In vari- |
Gus ways
At the end of the week, how
over, the Mormons appear to have
got tired Of the slow attack they
washed off their paint, resumed |
their clothing and appeared before !
the overjoyed emigrants as res
cuing band of whites who had |
driven off the Indians. They were |
received as deliverers the emil |
grants accepted the Mormons as
an escort, and on the march these, |
at an agreed signal suddenly open I
ed fire upon the party, whom they |
had by trick persuaded to lay |
aside their guns. Indians stationed I
in ambush rushed In to help In the /
work of assassination, and In
very brief time hundred and l
twenty men, women and children
were slain in cold blood. Three
men only escaped, but only to