The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-08-06
The Mountain Meadow dassacre.

Meadow massacre of 1891, promises 10
have one good result, if no other. The
judicial investigation will afford the peo-
pie an opportunity tOIearn from autheli-
tic testimony the tru. history of that re-
Yelling outrage.
The tragedy occurred at a time OF great
excitement in Yah. Brigham Young
was then Governor of the Territory, and
likewise Superintendent of Indian Affairs,
having received his appointment to those
offices from President Fillmore, though
Alfred Cumming, with a commission in
his pocket from President Buchanan, was
on his WY TO supersede him as Governor,
ACCOMPANIED by a military force Of about
three thousand men, under the command
of Col. Albert Sidney johnson, to enforce
his claims. There had been great turbu-
lence in Utah; numerous Outrages on
emigraGtS by persons in the guise of IN
dams mad been ascribed to the MOrmOnS;
and the Gentle Judges of the Federal
courts had all left the Territory, which in
fact Was in a state of rebellion. The ques-
ton of armed resistance to the troops was
seriously discussed, though subsequently
this idea was abandoned.
During this period OF eXcitemenr, name
ly, in August. 1857. a large train of emf
grants on their way TO California reached
Salt Lake City. 1t was the finest train
that had ever attempted the overland
route. Several elegant carriages We're
among the vehicles, for the accommoda-
+Ioy ut lo1jac of tIa rIarf- oDl tb.rn yr-,rn
many women and children in the train.
1t is said that the finest of these carriages
was fo~ wears aftcrWard used by a family
of NOrmOnS. After laying III their sup
plies in Salt Lake City, this party pro-
ceeded toward California, and that was
the LAST that was known of them for q long
time. Il was fully a year before any of
their friends received the least intimatiOn
of their fate.
Three hundred miles from Salt Lake. on
the road TO Los Angeles, California, is a
meadow five miles in length by one in
breadth, with very fine spring at one end,
affording an excellent camping ground.
Here the emigrant party encamped in
order 20 recruit their stock before entering
upen what was then called the Great
Desert, and here, in the month of Septem-
Der, the massacre took place.
According to the commonly accepted
story Of the slaughter, the emigrants were
attacked while encamped by Indians, who
had been set upon them by MOrmons, and
by Mormons disguised as Indians, and ten
or twelve men were killed before any one
understood that they were in danger. The
remainder OF the party at once seized their
arms. intrenched themselves behind their
wagons, and prepared for a determined
resistance. For a week, with their women
and children lying in the trenches they
had dug, the emigrants maintained their
position. and kept their enemies at bay.
Then the Mormons resolved on strategy.
The firing by the Indians ceased, and the
besieged party, looking up the meadow,
saw wagon full of white men coming
toward them. These men proved to be
John d. Lee and other Mormon dignita-
ries, who offered to mediate with the In
dams. As the MOrmOnS and Indians were
known 10 be on good terms, the offer was
gladly accepted, and after Lee and his as
sociates had conferred with the attacking
party OF Savages, it was agreed that the
emigrants should surrender their arms
and other property, and return by the
road they came. The MOrmons on their
part promised to guard and protect the
party until they should reach the settle
mentS.
. Having given up their arms, the mi
grants left their wagons and stock and
started northward on foot. The women
and children were in front, the men fol-
lowed. ami in the rear was a guard Of forty
MOrmOns. Hardly had this sOrrOwtul
procession started on its way when a fire
was poured into them from an ambush,
followed by an attack from the MOrmons
in the rear. and in a few minutes one hum
dred and twenty men, women, and chill
dren lay slaughtered upon the ground.
Seventeen of the youngest children were
saved and adopted by Mormon families,
and it is said that three men escaped imme-
diate death. But one of these was after
ward murdered by the Indians; another
starved to death, and the third was killed
upon the Colorado, though by whom it is
not known.
The evidence produced in the pending
trial all goes to show that this account of
the massacre is substantially correct.
Philip h. Smith, u of the defendants,
who was a Mormon bishop at the time of
the massacre appeared as States evidence,
and gave a foil description of the slaugh-
ter with all its horrible details, as well as