Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-07-22

| to perform. Since | was arrested L
have become convinced that it was
not the policy of the Government or
the wish of the Court to punish those
men, but rather to protect them, and
let the blame rest on their leaders,
where it justly and lawfully belongs.
After much thought and meditation
l have come to the conclusion that l
cannot longer remain silent on this
subject, but, so far as l can, must
bring to the light the circumstances
connected with and remove the cloud
of mystery that has so long obscured
the transaction and served to agitate
the public mind. Believing it to be
my duty as a mana duty to myself,
my family, to my God and tohuman-
ity-to cast aside the shackels so long
holding my conscience in silence, and
in the pursuance of the disinterested
advice of my attorneys, l now sub
NIT the facts so far as l know them,
stating nothing from maf'ce or for
the purpose Of revenge, and holding
back nothing that.I can state OF my
own knowledge. Willing that the
world may know all that was done
and why the acts were committed, l
submit the following as the exact,
unvarying statement of facts and cir
cmstances connected with the crime
known as the Mountain Meadows
massacre. The facts are as follows:
( At this point the pages of the con-
fession relating to the details Of the
massacre were refused reporters for
the present, but the char acter of them
is permitted TO be stated as follows
He gives at great length detailed,
concise and alleged perfect state
ment of the acts and facts connected
with the massacre, giving the names
of persons, dates and places. He
claims to fully expose all classes OF
men, and every man connected with
the outrage. He starts with his first
knowledge of the immigrant train,
following through their unfortunate
experiences and conflicts up to the
termination of their sad career. He
described all that was done by the
murderers after the commission of the
crime, and the action fall connected
with it. Also, the action of Brigham
Young and the priesthood, the dispo-
sition of the children saved, and all
the particulars concerning their de
livery to Doctor Forney, the agent of
the Government, who removed them
to Missouri. In fact, the statement
of Lee fully explains why, for what
reason and how the tragedy was ac-
complished, and states the justification
relied upon by the participants for
the commission of that fearful crime.
The details fix the crime upon Isaac
c. Haight and John NJ. Higbee, com
handing officers, the former stand
ing on an eminence and giving the
signal agreed upon for the slaughter
after the immigrants had been decoy
ed out of their stronghold by the flag
of truce. The wounded had first
been hauled out and were dispatched.
There were engaged thirty white men
and a large number of Indians. The
details of killing men, women and
children surpass in horror all that has
ever been written concerning the
massacre, and are more terrible,
atrocious and bloody than the most
vivid Imagination can conjure. st.
Bartholomew day and the utmost
barbarity Of human beings absolutely
pale before the sickening tale. With
the facts which have been published,
this report gives full conception OF
all Lees confession contains. In con-
clusion, Lee writes as follows:
a few days after the massacre,
was instructed by Major Isaac Q.
Haight, next in command to w. II.
Dame in the Iron Military District,
to carry the report of what had been
done to President Brigham Young at
Salt Lake. He directed me to give
my report and stand up with manly
courage and shoulder as much of the
blame as possible; he saying to me
that if | did SO | should receive ce-
lestial reward. This, however, is my
nature, never to bind burdens on 9th
ers that | am not willing to bear my
self. I went to Salt Lake and re-
ported to Brigham Young the exact
facts connected with the transaction,
shouldering a greater share of the re-
sponsibility than justly belonged to
me. In justice to Brigham Young, |
must say that when he heard the story
he wept like child, walked the floor
and wrung his hands in bitter an
guish and said it was the most unfor-
tunate affair and the most unwarrant-
ed event that had ever happened to
the Mormon people. This transac-
ton, he said, will bring sorrow and
trouble upon us in Utah. / would to
God that it had never happened.
After hearing this l returned home
with dropping heart and reported
the result of my mission to those in
authority over me-"
Lee says seventeen children were
saved and delivered to DIR. Forney,
who promised to take them to friends
in Missouri and Nebraska. None Of
them were killed after the massacre.
He sets out that the massacre was the
result of military orders, Utah then
being under martial law by order of
Brigham Young, then. Governor
Johnston's army being on the east in
Echo Canyon, and an invasion being
expected from the west by way of
California, the Mormon people were
in state of excitement, and acted as
desperation dictated.
Attorney Bishop alleges that Lee
offered to give the prosecution the
names of two hundred Of the murder
ers, and where they could be found
,r La hal;ayac