The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-07-29

In the trial of John D. Lee, the
Mormon butcher, at Beaver, Utah,
Friday, Philip Klingen Smith, one Of
the participants, being called to the
stand, gave the following sickening
details Of the massacre: 80.
Lived at Cedar City in 1857, from
1852. The Meadows were As miles
south Of Cedar City, on the California
road. Was at the massacre in Sep
TENDER, 1857 heard of the em1grants
coming; heard rumors of trouble
Sunday; it was the custom to have
meetings of the president and council
Of bishops and the high council; 1
was a bishop; the matter came up
for discussion as to their destruction ;
Haight, Higbee, Morrill,, Allen,
Wells, myself and others were there
some of the brethren opposed their
destruction; I did; Haight jumped
up and broke up the meeting I asked
what would be the consequence of
such an act; then Haight got mad,
said the Indians were to destroy them
Monday; Higbee, Haight, White
and I met on the same subject again
opposed the destruction; Haight
relented and told White to go ahead
and tell the people the emigranta
should go through safe :; we did SO;
and on the road we met John D. Lee,
and told him why and where we were
going; he replied, Il have something
to say about that matter" We passed
the emigrants at Iron Springs; the
next morning we passed them again
as we came back; they had twenty OF
thirty wagons and over a hundred
people-old men and middle aged
old women and middle aged; youths
and children. Near home we met
Ira Allen; he said the emigrants'
| doom was sealed; the die was cast for
destruction that Lee had orders for
them to take men, 60 out and inter
cept them; Allen was to goin and
counteract what we did. Some three
days after Haight sent for me, and
said the orders to come from camp
did not get along; that he wanted re-
Inducements; that he had been tc
Parowan and got further orders from
Col. w. H. Dame to finish the massa.
cre-to decoythem out and spare only
the small children, who could moi
tell the tale. I went off and met AL
len-our first runner--and then Hig
bee came out and said, "you are or
dered out, armed and equipped" SO ]
went; Hopkins, Higbee, John Welle<
and Sam Purdy went along; had two
baggage wagons; got to Hamblin'<
ranch in the night, three miles from
the emigrants; there met Lee and
others from the:general camp. where
the largest number of men were Their
found the emigrants were not all
killed Lee called me out for consul.
tation; the emigrants were strongly
fortified and there was no chance to
get them out; that Haight ordered
him to decoy them out; that he
agreed to, and the command was Civ.
en- to John D. Lee to carry out the
whole plan; they went to Camp Lee
called all the soldiers in a hollow
square, and addressed them; they
were all white men-about fifty in
all; the Indians were in another
camp; saw there Slade and his son
and Jim Pierce, and probably his
sons too; all those from Cedar City,
and Bill Stewart, Levin Jacobs, anc
think Dan McFarlane too Sladt
and l were outraged, but we said
"What can we do? we can't help our
selves" Just then the order O.
march was given ; had to go; were
put in double file; Higbee had com
mand Of part of the men; it was the
Nauvoo Legion, organized from tens
up to hundred ; marched in sight O.
the emigrants either Bateman o,
Lee went out with white flag; a
man from the emigrants met them
Lee and the man sat down on tn.
grass and had a talk ; don't know
what they talked about; Lee wen
| with the man into the entertainments
after some hours they came out ant
the emigrants came up with theil
wounded in wagons; the wounded
were those hurt on the day previous
said the Mosmons and Indians
shouldn't touch the emigrants mex
came the women-next the men; a.
the emigrants came up the men halted
and the women on foot, the children
and the wounded went on ahead with
John D. Lee. The soldiers had or
ders to be all ready to shoot at thu
word; when the word halt came, thu