The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-07-24
A TALE OF HORROR.
The Mountain Meadow Massacre
Trial Opened.
Testimony Of Kllnsersmith, One Of the
Participants.


years; the smaller ones were much tori
by wolves and crows; some OF the bodie
had been shot, some had their throats cut
and some had been stabbed; they were al
torn by wolves except one woman, wht
laid little ways of from the rest, ant
appeared as II asleep, she had bullet holl
IN her left side; the bodies appeared Il
have been dead about fifteen days; seyer
OF us saw it; pile Of men lay further
on; didn't go to see them; there was NJ
clothing on the bodies except the leg Of ;
sock on one man; none were sCalped.
Asahel Bennett was called. lie testi
fed Was at the Meadows in December
1857; saw bones there; it was horribl,
sight; the skeletons Of women and child
rem were scattered around, their curls ant
long tresses covered with dried blood; thI
children were from ten to twelve year
old; some Of the skulls had the flesh driet
on them; the bodies had evidently beer
covered and the wolves had dug them up
KLINGERsMITns TESTIMONY.
Philip Klingersmith, defendant, O.
San BerdaninO, Col, was called. The
prosecution entered a nOlle prosequi as
10 himself. lie testified: lived in Cedar
City In 1857; the Meadows are 45 mile,
south Of Cedar, on the California road
was ut the massacre In September, 1857
heard Of the emigrants coming; the peO.
pie were forbidden to trade with them and
felt bad about it; saw q few Of them al
Cedar; this was on Friday; some swOrC
and lIigbee fined them; they went on;
heard rumOrs Of trouble; on Sunday Il
was the custom to have meetings; was q
Bishop; the matter came up for discussion
as to their destruction; Hight, Higbee
Morrill,, Allen, Willis, myself and other
were present; some opposed the destruc'
tiOn; | did; Haight jumped up and broke
up the meeting; | asked what would be
the consequence Of such an net, then
llaight got mad; the Indians were to des.
troy them on Monday Higbee, Haight,
White and | met on the same subject
again; opposed the destruction; Haight
relented and told White and togo ahead
and tell the people that the emigrants
should 60 through safe;we did 80, and on
the road met Jno, d. Lee and told him
where and why we were going; he re.
piled that have something to say about
that matter; we passed the emigrants al
Iron Springs next morning; we passed
them again as we came back; they had 90
or 30 wagons and over 100 people
old men and middle aged, old women and
middle aged, youths and children; when
near home | met Ira Allen and lie said
that the emigrants doom was sealed and
the die cast for their destruction, and
that Lees orders were to take men and "a
out and intercept them and for Allen
to go and CounteraCt what we did
went home; three days after Haighl
sent for me and said the orders that
came from camp didn't get along; wanted
reinforCementS; that he had been tC
ParOwnn and got further orders from
Col. w. II. Dame TO finish the massacre
to decoy out and spare only the small
children who could not tell tho tale;
went of; | met Allen, our first runneri
and others lligbee came up and said
"YOu are ordered out, armed and equip
ped" so / went; Hopkins, Higbee, John
Willis and Sam PGrdy went along (hat
two baggage wagons) to lIamblin's rancho
in the night, three miles from the emf
grants; here we met Lee and others from
the general camp, where the largest mum
Der OF men were; found emigrnnts moi
all killed. Ice called me out fol
consultation to one side; he told me thai
the situation Of the emigrants was strong
lyfOrtiiied and there was no chance to geI
them out; lligbee ordered to deCOy them
out the beat he could; that was agreed Il
and the command given to j. D. Lee "a
carry ont the plan; they went 10 the CANT
and called ali the soldiers in hollow
square and addressed them; they we're al
white men, about fifty in all; the Indianl
We're In another camp; saw there SladC
and his son Jim PearCe and probably hil
sons too, all those from Cedar, Bill Stew
art, Seven Jacobs and / think Dan Me
Fardane too; Slade and were outraged
but we said what can we do, We
cant help p ourselves; Just then the order
to march was given we had to 20 ii
double file. llig6ee had command OF part
OF the men, Il was the NauvoO Legion
organized from tens up to hundreds
They marched in sight Of the emigrant
train, and Lee went ont with a white flag
a man from the emigrants met him and
Lee and the man sat down on the grass
and had u talk; don't know what they
talked about. Lee went with the mar
into the eentrenChmenis. After some hour,
they came ont, and the emigrants came
up with the wounded in wagons. Ahead
Of the wounded were those hurt In the
three days previous fight; next came the
women, and next the men. As the emf
grants came up the men halted, and The
women on foot and children and wounded
went OIL ahead with John d. Lee. The
soldiers had to be all ready TO shoot at The
word. When the word halt came The sol
tliers fired. fired once; don't know II ]
killed man. They we're not all killed al
the first shot, saw The women aitorwartl,
dead with their throats cut. saw as
came uplo them a man kill a young girl
The men were marched in double file first
and then thrown in single file with the
soldiers alongside, headed by Eli Grant
who congratulated them on their safety
from the Indians. At last John NJ. IIig
bic came and ordered my squad to fire
Ice, like the rest, had firearms.
NO ENtdRANrs ESCAPED;
saw soldiers on horses to take on The
wing those who ran; saw a man run; saw
Bill Stewart on horse go after him and
kill him; saw one wounded man beg fOl
life, and Higbee cut his throat; the mar
said" would not do thisto yoti, liigbee'
(he knew him). After fred / was told
to gather up tlielittle children; ns | went
/ saw large woman running towards
me, crying,
"SiY HUsBANDl MY HUSBAND "
A soldier shot her in the back and killed
her. As | went m | ionnd the wagons
with the wounded all out on the ground
with their throats cut. Found the child
rem, put them in wagons and took them tC
IIamblin's house. Thesoldiers dispersed
at Hamblin's. | think | had to leave
them there. Many Of the soldiers from
the southern counties / didn't know. The
next day McCurday, Willis and / took
the children to Cedar City, leaving one al
Pinto creek. On the road we met a ireigh
train Of wagons men Lying here IN BeaveI