The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-02-02
TUE MOUNTAIN MEA.ow MAS
SACRE

We print elsewhere, says the Chicago
Tribune the first auth entic narrative OF
the awful Mountain Meadow massacre
which has ever been made public. Sew
entcen years have elapsed since the Nor
mon atrocity was perpetruted, and in this
time the very fact of the massacre has
almost faded ont Of Recollection. To
many the narrative will be as fresh as If
the events had happened Yesterday. while
those who remember the terrible deed
will be shocked to learn that it was plan
ned aud nstigated by Mormon whites,
and executed by Mormon whites and
Mormon Indians acting in concert. The
recent arrest of j. d. Lee, the leader in
the massacre, who is now in jail awaiting
trial for murder, gives a current interest
10 the fesrlul story. which is substantial.
ly as follows In 1857, some miners,
who went toCaliiornia mag and had pros
pered. returned to their homes in Arkan.
sas to tako their families to the new FL
Dorado. They disposed Of their home
steads, and made up train OF l46 men,
women and children. and started upon
the return When they arrived at Salt
Lake City they were told by the Nor.
mons that it was too late to cross the 81.
ezra Ncvadas by the old emigrant route,
and were advised TO take the Southern
Utah route. They did so. and on the
morning of Sept 10th, while encamped
on the desolate Mountain Meadows near
Cave Spring. they were surprised by an
attack Of Indians, who killed seven and
wounded fifteen Of them at the first fire
They rallied however, threw up barrcades
with their wagons, and repulsed their as
saiIauis. The news Of the repulso was
brought to Cedar City BY a courier, and
ohm D. Lee, the Indian agent, at the
head Of . large force Of Mormon militia.
started to the relief OF his Indian allies,
with instructions that the whole party
must be massacred BY this time the
emigrants had so securely intrenched
themselves that they successfully resisted
the Mormons for seven or eight days, dur
ing which time however, they were cut
of from subsistence, while the Mormons
were supplied from Salt City or Cedar
City During the siege fifteen OF them
were killed Couriers, whom they sent
cut with appeals to white men FOR relief,
they believing that their besiegers were
Indians, were intercepted and put to
death with most cruel tortures. At last
upon the verge Of starvation. they were
induced by Lee to come out and hold a
parley The men came out ia body
without arms, and at a given signal every
one was shot by Lees troops, those vino
were wounded being given over TO the
Indans to be killed by tortnrs. The
women werc FIRST ravished and then
slaug ghtercd All Of the children, except
those who were too young to remember
the horrible scenoe, were butchered, and
in this butchery the white aud red fends
We'd with each other in diaboical methods
of cruelty. OF the LAG members of the
train only thirteen little children surviv.
ed, these were scattered lar and wide
among Mormon families After the mas
sacre the bodies Of the victims were left
unburied, and, when the butchers had re
tired, the wolves teasted upon the dead.
The train was rich in money, live stock
aud all the effects which, in those early
days, comprised the outfit ui emigrant,
making the long overland journey. The
spoils were collected, sent to Salt Lake
and sold at auction by Bishop Higbee
and purchased by the saints. For n whole
year the Mormons kept their secret, anC
only rumor that there had been trouble
Of some sort found its way into the States
The guilty Lee. however. could not carry
the secret long. Remorse preyed upon
HI IN aud he sought to case his concience
by contessng the details Of the massacre
which he laid at the doors Of the Indians
There we're others, however, who wor,
afflicted in the same manner and told tn,
truth, among them some Indians. wht
were inccnsed because the spois, had no
been divided equally. The Mormo,
butchers also made mistake in snpros
lug children could rot remember, an,
some of them corruborated the confession
ia all their details The aggregate o
The testimony brought out every fact Q
the massacre ia the clearest light, an,
established the guilt Of Lee aud his fel
low butchers beyond shadow OF 1oubi
. The miserable old mar now lies IN iai
awaiting .riai, and Justice will be syeng
ed. \ rude heap Of stones erected upo
the iesoafe Mountain Meadow, continu
al!y mutiaIgd by Murmou hatred even {
: the "rescn day, is the oniy nionumenfa
, souvenir lelt 10 tell the story ot the ma
, sacrc but the horrible story has no,
, been made public, aui rus, hasten tn
, downfall ot' the system und-r whose aus
, pices 1t vas planned ami rnu .umhated
and 10 this fact lies some >light conpeu
, sation lor the bloody decd, OF ihit tata
. September. The testimony points wit
unc:rlng certainty ~ tue i1rl that th
Y massacre wa, psuuri hs the leading me
ai the Mormon Chusch IA Salt Lake Cit,
D. in order to avenge the death of Josep
= Smiih, tine Prophet aud Elder Perl
, a. Pratt that Brigham Young, althoug
net partioeps crimiaiS must have bee
4 aware of the facts, aud has retained IN
J.. leadciS Of the massacre 10 places of frien
ship aud trust over since. although ne ha
gone through an empty form Of cuttin
them of from the Church that larg
I part Of the proceeds arising from tn
sale Of the emigrant,' effects was cove
cd into the treasury OF the Church an
= that the orders of me Church auihoritie
!. forbade any Mormon under severe pena
ties, either 10 give OF sell them food b,
fore the massacre was agreed upon; the
knosing fnli well that, under such eli
eum-tances, he vintiin. would meet deaf
- hJ starvation. Ia cool drlibrrslio'
i iienil-h mAlirr.nnh cruel rXeoIfinn. rhcl
IS but one ma,-acrr lH modern history
s compute with it. that !. N.na S,hih
. massacre 81 the Eng troop, 81 Cawi
d, pore The ,wo cases ate almost parable
= They harrcoel Ia iAo >anr wear. lSl,
Men women. aud children w,r,. b.tchr