The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-07-29
THE MOUNTAIN MEADOW
MASSACRE.
A Mormon Bishop Now OH Trial
for This Great Crime.

The examination of witnesses in the great
Mountain Meadow massacre case is in prog
ress at Beaver, Utah. The testimony of eX-
Bishop Philip K. Smith, who was an eve wit
ness and who has turned States evidence is
sufficient to bring the vengeance of the nation
upon the whole Mormon fraternity. The
/ evidence shows that the massacre was pro-
| posed and discussed in u church counsel.
The crime is sc bloody and attrocious, and the
narrative is one OF such thrilling interest,
that we have transferred from the Baa0ey
| of Sunday the following history of the event,
which occurred so long ago-seventeen years,
that many have doubtless forgotten the do
4 tails:
/ In the year 1857, there camped on Noun
tain Meadow, Utah, an emiglant train hail
/ ing from Arkansas, and bound to the Cali
| torEia gold mines In the little band there
were pioneers Who in 1S49 had been borne by
/ the flood to the Pacific, and who when for
! tune was at its best with them had returned
! to Arkansas and Missouri for their families
and friends. With the emigrants there were
/ forty wagons, some valuable blooded stock,
and gold dust to the vatue $4,000 The
l train, before II came to tarTy IA while where
| the water and the grass were pure and pre-
cIous, halted 4 little in the city OF Salt Lake
/ itself. Those who had charge of it were
warned that the old emigrRnt route across the
| Sierra Nevada Mountains was not practicable,
that the deep SHOWS would soon begin to fall
| that the grazing was in o manner consumed,
I and that the only road possible to them
considering this lateness Ofthe season, was
road that led through southern Utah. south
ern Nevada, and which. when the Journey
over it was finished, brought the travellers
ont at Los Angeles, California. The new
road was taken, the old emigrant trail was
abandoned, and instead of to the gold fields
where did il lead-into the dark2 Yes: but
peyond the darki
Several days were spent delightfully."- at
Mountain Meadow. Of sudden, and from
behind on the right hand and on the left,
Indian yells rose savagely, and Indian war
Tiors displayed themselves. Battle began
instantly. All that the men at rest there had
upon earth was around and about them, and
| they knew how to fight for their own. They
fortified themselves They sunk each wagon
to its bottom; they imDTCvised rude earth
work; they dug trench to the running Wa
ter that WAS deep enough TO give them COW
ering; they sheltered the women anu children
all they knew how TO do, and then they
stood TO the storm for i've days and nights
surrounded but Undismayed. On the sixth
day a psrley was had which resulted in an
agreement on the part of the emlgrants TO
surrender their arms and ammunition, if
protection was accorded TO them until they
could reach the Mormon settlement in ssfety.
Those who parleyed with the emigrauts,
however, were white men under the com
mand of John d. Lee. Not an Indian was
TO be seen, although Lee declared the hills
TO be full of them, ana that they had merely
Withdrawn at his solicitation in order to
cure settlement. Winter was coming on,
all the stock had been captured or killed,
there were dead and woundod among the
Americans, shrinking womanhOOd aud help
less infants were there, any thing short Of
what really happened was better than TO
continue the tight.
he nearest point to the encampment was
Cedar City, distant twelve miles. After Civ
ing up their guns, the Americans started
first the march, Lee falling in behind
them with the Mormons. Not an Indian ap-
peared upon the scene. Two hundred yards
IRON the spot Of the heroic defense, and AZ "a
preconoerted IguRl nom Lee, a deadly FIRE
came from the rear upon the emigrants.
Unarmed and helpless, thereafter the fusi-