Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-06-29
The Mountain Meadow Mas
Sacre.
TESTIMONY OF A MORMON BISHOP.

The trial of John D. Lee for his con-
nection with the Mountain Meadow
massacre began Thursday at Beaver
CITY, Utah. After two witnesses, who
only saw the bodies some days after the
Mountain Meadow massacre, had testl-
fed, Philip Klingen Smith. defendant
of San Bernardino, CAL, was called.
The prosecution entered 7a0Le pros
eoui as to himself. Lived in Cedar City
from 1852 to 1857; the Meadows were
forty-five miles south of Cedar, on the
California road; was at the massacre 10
September, 1857 heard of the emil
grants coming; the people were forbid
den to trade with them; felt bad about
it saw a few of them at Cedar this
fined them; they went on heard ru-
mors of trouble Sunday it was the Gus
tom to have meetings by the President
and Council, Bishop and Council and
High Council; | was Bishop; the
matter came up for discussion as to their
destruction Haight, Higbee, Morrill,,
Allen, Willis, myself and others were
there; some of the brethren opposed the
destruction l did; Haight jumped up
and broke up the meeting; | asked what
would be the consequences of such an
act; then Haight got mad the Indians
were to destroy them on Monday.
Higbee, Haight, White and / met on
the same subject again; | opposed their
destruction Haight relented, and told
White and to go ahead and tell the
people that the emigrants should go
through safe, and we did.
On the road we met John Lee; told
him where and why we were going; he
replied, Il have something to say about
that matter" We passed the emigrants
at Iron Springs next morning we
passed them again as we came back i;
they had twenty or thirty wagons and
over 100 people-old men and middle
aged, old women and middle aged,
youths and children.
Near home we met Ira Allen he
said that the emigrants' doom was
sealed the die was cast for their de-
struction; that Lees orders were to
take the men, go out and intercept them |;
Allen to go on and counteract what we
did; went home; three days after
Haight sent for me and said orders came
from the camp that they did not get
along and wanted reinforcements; that
he had been to Parowan and got further
HUH SOl. w IL DdtAlC w
the massacre to decoy out and spare
only small children, who could not tell
the tale | went off; met Allen, our
first runner, and others; Higbce came
out and said 'YOu are ordered out
armed and equipped SO | went; Hop
kins, Highly, John Willis, and Sam Pur-
dy went along; we had two baggage
wagons; got to Hamblin's rancho in
the night three miles from the emil
grants there we met Lee and others
from the general camp, where the larg-
est number of men were then; found
the emigants were not all killed; Lee
called me aside for consultation.
He told me that the situation of the
emigrants was strongly fortified, and
there was no chance to get them out
that Higbee was ordered to decoy them
out the best he could; that was agreed
to, and the command was given to John
ID. Lee to carry out the whole plan.
They went to camp; Lee called all
the soldiers in a hollow square and ad-
dressed them they were all white men,
about so in all the Indians were in an
other camp; saw there Slade and his
son, and Jim Pearce probably his sons
too; all those from Cedar, and Bill
Stewart, and Levin Jacobs; think Dan
McFarlin was there too.
Slade and witness were opposed to
the massacre, but felt that they could
not help themselves. just then the or
der to march was given. They had to
go double file. Higbee had command
of part of the men. 1t was the Nauvoo
legion, organized from tens up to hun
dreds. They marched in sight of the
emigrants. Either Bateman or Lee
went out with the white flag, and man
from The emigrants met them. Lee and
the man sat down on the grass and had
a talk Lee then went with the man
into the entertainments. After some
time they came out and the emigrants
came up with their wounded in wagons
ahead. The wounded were those hurt
in the fight the three days previous.
Next came the women and next the
men. As the emigrants came up the
men halted and the women on foot, with
the children and wounded, went on
ahead with Lee. The soldiers had to be
all ready to shoot at the word. When
the word halt came the soldiers fired.
Witness fired once but didn't know if he
killed any one. The men were not all
killed at the first fire; witness after
words saw the women dead with their
throats cut !; saw as he came up to them
a man kill young girl. The men were
marched in double file first, then thrown
in single file, with the soldiers alongside.
Witness heard the emigrants congratu-