River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-07-30
THE mORmON MASSACRE.
The Scene of the NIassacre i'm October
and December, 1s57--None of the
Victims aIped--EX-BisbOP Smiths
Narrative Repeated.
beaver, Utah, Telegram, July 23d.

The first witness called was Robert
Kcycs. lie came to Utah October %,
1857, through Mountain Meadow Saw
two piles Of bodies-women and children
piled promiscuously about sixty or sew.
enty the children from two months old
to twelve years the smaller ones were
torn by wolves and crows ; some throatS
were cut some stabbed all were torn by
wolves except sne woman a little way off,
who appeared as if asleep there was n
ball hole IN her left side it appeared as
il the bodies had been dead fifteen days /;
seven of us saw it; there was pile of
mems bodies further on; did not go to
see them there was no clothing on the
bodies except coat on one man; noue
scalped.
A. Bennett called Was at the Meadow
in December, 1857 saw the bones there .
it was horrible sight; the skeletons Of
the women and children were distin-
guishable by the curls and long tresses Of
hair. Some of the skulls had the flesh
dried on. The bodies had been covered
up, but the wolves had evidently dug
them up.
Philip Klingcn Smith, defendant, Of
San Bernardo, called The prosecl lion
entered a noiie proscqui to himself. lie
testified: Lived at Cedar City in 1851,
from 1852. The Meadows were IS miles
south of Cedar City, on the California
road. Was at the massacre in Scptem.
Der, 1857 heard Of the emigrants com
ing; people were forbidden % trade with
them; felt bad about it; saw a few of
them at Cedar city; this vas Friday !;
some swore. and lIigbec fined them they
went on; heard rumorS of trouble Sun
day; it was the custom to have meetings
Of the President and council Of Bishops
and the high council ! was "A Bishop;
the matter came up for discussion as to
their destruction; lIaight, lligbce, Nor
ill, Allen, Wells, myself and others were
there some Of the brethren opposed
THEN destruction; did; llalght jumped
up and broke up the meeting; ! asked
what would be the consequence of such
an act then Haight got mad and said
the Indians were to destroy them
Monday.
Igbee. IIaight, White and | met on
the same subject again; l opposed the
destruction llaight reented and told
White to 90 ahead and tell the people the
cmigrants should 90 through safe; we
did So on the road we met John ID. Lee,
and told him where and why we were GO
ing he replied, 81 have something to say
about that natter We passed the emf.
grants at Iron Springs; the
next morning we passed them again
as we came back; they had twenty
or thirty wagons and over hundred peo-
Ple-old men and middle-aged; old women
and middle aged; youths and children
Near home we met Ira Allen; he said the
cmigrants doom was sealed, the die was
cast for their destruction; that Lee had
orders for them TO take men, go out and
intercept them; Allen was 10 90 in and
Counteract what We did. Some three
days after llaight sent for me, and said
the orders to come from camp did not get
along; that lac wanted reinioTcementS;
that he had been to Parowan and got
rurtnvI utuy's Con, Col W H. Dame %
finish the massacre n TO decoy them out
and spare only the small children, who
could not tell the tale.
went off and met Allen our first run
ner-and then llgbee came out aud said.
"loa are ordered out, armed and equip
ped, so | went; Hopkins, lligbee, John
Welles and Sam Purdy went along; lad
two baggage wagons; got to Hamblm 5
ranch IN the night, three miles from the
emlgrantS; there met Lee and the others
from the general camp, where the largest
number Of men were; then found
the emigrants were not all kill
| ed. Ice called me out for
| consultation to one side; he told me the
situation; the emlgrantS we've strongly
! fortified. and there was no chance to get
them out that Haight ordered him to
deeoy them out THAT he agreed 70, and
| the command was given 10 John u. lee
to carry out the whole plan; they went
| TO Camp Lee called all the soldiers in 4
| hollow square, aid addressed them; they
were all white mcn-about fifty in ali
the Indians we're in another camp, saw
! there Sadc and his son and Jim Pcarce.
and probably his sons, too all those
from Cedar City, and Bill Stewart, Levin
Jacobs, and think Dan McFarlane too
Slade and ! were outraged, but We said
what can we do cant help our.
selves
just then the order of march was
given; had go; were put in double Tile
lligbcc had command Of part Of the men
1t was the Nauyoo Legion. organized
from tens up TO hundreds marched in
sight of the cmigrants; either Batemau
or Lee went out with a white flag a man
from the emigrantS met them. Lee and
the man sat down on the grass and had a
talk don't know what they talked about;
lee went with the man INTO the EN-.
treuchments, after some hours they
came ont, and the migrants came up
with their wounded in wagons ahead
the wounded were those hurt on the day
previous said the Mormons and Indians
shouldn't touch the emigrants; next
came the women--ueNt the men, as the
cmigrantS came up, the men halted. aud
the women on foot. the children and the
wounded went on ahead with John u.
Lee.
The soldiers had orders "a BE- an ready
to shoot az the word when the word halt
came the soldiers fired fired once
don't know Ifl killed man were not
all killed the hrst Shot saw the women
Ns.fg D. a. 4 l. q