Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-24
MOUNTAIN MEADOW MASSACRE.
Horrible Details of the Butehery
The Evidence of One of the
Participants.
None Spared Save Children.

| Mountain Meadows; saw piles OF bodies OF
women and children piled promiscuously;
sixty to seventy of the children were from
two months 70 twelve years old; smaller
were more torn by wolves and crows; some
| bodies shot, some thrOats cut, some stabbed:
all torn by wolves, except one woman a
little way off who appeared as if asleep;
ball hole in her left side; it appeared the
bodies had been dead 10 days; seven of us
saw it; piles Of mems bodies further on:
didn't 60 10 see them; there was no
clothing on the bodies, except one
sock on a man; none were scalped;
Asatel Bennett called: Was at Meadows.
December, 1857, saw bones there; horrible
sight; skeletons of women and children.
curls, long tresSes of hair, dried blood;
children ten 10 twelve years; some skulls
had flesh dried on them; the bodies had
been covered up; wolves evidently dug
them up.
Phillip Klingan Smith, defendant, of San
BernardinO, California, called. Prosecu-
tiOn entered nOlle prOseqUi as to himself;
lived in Cedar City in 1857; was at a mas
sacre September, 1857; heard of emigrants
coming; people were forbidden to trade
with them; felt bad about il; saw a few of
them at Cedar; this was Friday. Same
heard rumors of trouble; Sunday the Gus
tom was to have meetings of President and
Council, Bishop and Council and High
Council; l was Bishop; came
up for discussion as TO their
destruction. .Haight, Higbee, Morrill, Allen,
Willis, myself and others were present;
some brethern were opposed 10 their de-
stTuctiOn; did; Haight jumped ND; broke
I
consequences Cf such an act; then Haight
got mad; Indians were TO destroy them;
Monday Higbee, White and / met; same
subject was discussed again; opposed de-
strUCtiOn; Haight relented; told White and
l TO 90 ahead and tell the people the emi-
grants should go through safe; we did so;
on the road met John d. Lee; told him
where we were going; he replied
l have something to say about that
matter; we passed the emigrants al Iron
Springs; they had twenty or thirty wagons;
over one hundred people, old men, middle
aged, old women, middle aged, youths and
near home / met Ira Allen; he
said the emigrants' doom was sealed: the |
die was cast for destruction; that Lees or
1erS were TO take men, 90 out and intaTcept
hem, and to spare only small children who |
could not tell the tale. went of; met Allen.
)ur first runner and others; HIgbee said YOU |
Are ordered out, armed and equipped; |
20 went; got to Hamblin's rancho in the |
night, three miles from the emigrants;
here ! met Lee and others from the gene
al camp, where the largest number of |
nen were; found emigrants not all killed: /
zee called me out for consultation; he
old me the situation; emigTants were
trOLgly fortified; no chance 10 get them
ut; Higbee ordered us to deCOy them out
he best We could; command was given to /
I. D. Lee TO carry out the whole plan; Lee
allied all the soldiers in a hollow square
nd addressed them; they were all white
len, about fifty IN all; the !
indians were in another camp;
rder to march was given; it was part of
be NaUyOO Legion, organized from tens up
D hundreds; marched in sight of emigrants;
ither Bateman or Lee went out with
white flag; a man from emigrantS met
lem; Lee and the man sat down on the
rass and had z talk; don't know what they
liked about; Lee went with the man into
le entertainments; after some hours they
lme out and emigrants came up with the
Ounded in wagons; the wounded were
lose hurt in the fight three days previous;
iii MUrmOns and Indians couldn't Oust
le emigrants; emigrants came up; men
alted and women on foot; children and
Ounded went on ahead with John D.
ee; soldiers had to be all ready to shoot |
word; when word halt came the soldiers
red; fired once; don't know if l killed
le man; not all killed first shot; saw the
oman afterwards dead; throat cut; l saw
came up 10 them man kill a young
ri; found children; put them in a
agOn; took them to Hamblin's house;
w no more soldiers; took children to !
edar City, leaving one at
into Creek; on road met a freight train
wagons; men living here in Beaver now
] it; L went to old Mrs. Hopkins; told her
ID children; she rIstIed around got places
T them; l took one girl baby home; my
Ife sucked it; l gave it to Birkeck, he {
wing no children; they were well treated;
ter several days Haight sent to Iron
brings where the wagons, cattle and goods
emigrants were; COt them and put them ,
the tithing house; | was to brand the ;
tile. l put goods in stithing office cellar;
# wagons in front of tithing office; :
anded cattle with church brand-a cross;
9e was in cellar with me and saw goods;
aight and Higbee told me a council had l
en- held and Lee deputed to 90 to Presi- s
mt Brigham Young and report all !
e facts of the massacre. Lee
1nt; at the conference at Salt Lake in
ltOber, asked him if he had reported to
-igham YOung; be said yes, every par :
,ular; same day Lee and Charley Hop !
rs called on Brigham Young; he said to
e in their presence, s'yOu have charge
that property in the tithing office;
m il over to John ID. Lee; what you
low Of this, say nothing of il; don't talk /
it, even among yourselves; "When ! came
lad to 60 to Vegas lead mines TO get ore;
nile ! was gone, Lee took the property;
d an auction and sold of, so Haight and p
gbee told me; Haight sold part Of the b
tile to Hooper, Utah's Congressional n
legate afterwards, for boots and shoes; a
ere were Indians at the massacre; the s
lis were pretty full Of them; they were v
putiSed to kill the women; saw b
e Indian cut little bows /:
TOat; heard no effort to restrain sthe In a
ans; the Indians were wounded, and Il
rec died of their wounds; the Indians b
me to Cedar, where l lived; one was 1
lied Bill, one Tom, both chiefs; saw 81
me Of the emagrants' property with the q
dians; saw Lee get dresses and jeans v
I'm the tithing Office, ont of the emi-
ants plunder; | learned from Allen that
e was the one TO gather up the Indians
attack the emigrants; talked with Lee
erwsrd; Lee was Indian agent at Har- h
Dny; agent traded with the tribes and v
ued goods and ratiOns of the govern n
INT 10 the Indians. q
The court here adjourned. :
During the time Smith was testifying, Y
ing the horrible details of blood, the
5pense was terribly painful. Lees +,
Iare, hard, lOW-brOwed face and neck /
'ame fairly purple-black, and bis wives
Icely breathed, straining forward to q
ch each syllable. Excitement in town is :
ense. l am prepared to state that Il
ingen Smiths story. in all material de. n
Is, is the same as Lees suppressed con-
sion as to the massacre. Klingen Smiths a.
utatiOn here is that of a man of truth. !,
could not be impeached save by facts. 9