Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-08-04

Il
near the southern border of Utah, that
the doomed party began to realize
fully the intensity Of the hatred the
Mormons bore against them and the
lengths to which they did not hesitate
to go in order to crafty tho same.
Encamped at the above named town,
which was the headquarters of the
indian Agency Of Utah Territory, was
Smiths Nauvoo Legion numbering
300 strong. BY these "Avenging
Angels the cmigrants were refused
admittance TO the city and ordered to
push on past it, which they did, halt
ing only upon their arrival at tho
Mountain Meadows--an oval shaped
basin about one and one half miles
long by one mile wide, gradually
sloped from the base Of precipitous
mountain to level plain north and
west. Their choice of the Meadows
as resting place was not, however.
entirely OF their own suggestion, as
will probably appear in evidence ere
the close ofthe trial now in progress.
An cmploye OF The NoNrARElL, who
was In Salt Lake at tho time, asserts
positively that it was we'll known
there aftcrward that Smith. in order
to disarm the emigrants Of any sus-
picion OF evil that might be created in
their minds by his refusal TO allow
them to enter Parowan. and to make
more certain the success of his we'll
laid plans for their destruction, re-
commended the Meadows 10 them as
suitable place to recruit their OK
hausted strength.
1t was while their tents were pitch
ed on this lonely spot, fifty miles dis
tant from Parowan, and three hun
dred and fifty from Salt Lake, that the
inoffensive and comparatively helpless
emigrants were rudely awakened at
daybreak on Monday, September 7th,
by the roar and rattle of musketry.
As soon as the firing ceased, which it
did after the discharge of few vol
leye, it was discovered that six Of the
party had been killed and thirteen
wounded-all males. Improving the
lull that followed, the remainder of
the emigrants hastily wheeled their
wagons into line, and throwing up a
rude line of earthworks, entrenchcd
themselves to await the Transportation
of events. For six long days and
seven terrible nights, suffering from q
lack of water and of rest, disheartened
by their experiences in the past and
harrassed by we'll founded fears for
the future, did the homeless wanderers
Withstand the siege 90 unexpectedly
and so relentlessly waged against
them, losing only fifteen killed and
about dozen wounded in all that
time. OF those thus foully murdered,
several persisted while making futile
attempts to obtain q supply of water
from an adjacent spring guarded by
Mormon sharpshooters. In one in
stance woman vcntured out, think
ing her sex would be respected, but
she was instantly shot dead. AS a last
resort, two little girls, under six years
of age, were clothed in pure white,
and, hand in hand, they started to the
spring, but their little bodies were at
once riddled with bullets. That night
three emigrants ran the blockade,
with the hopes of gaining succor, but
they were subsequently captured and
killed, one OF the number being burned
at the stake.
On the seventh day of the siege the
emigrants entertained terms of capitu-
lation, and Lee, accompanied by few
United States militia, with the Nauvoo
Legion in the distance, appeared on
the scene. Not snspecting treachery,
the emigrants felt that the hour OF
their deliverance had come. Lee
listened to their sufferings, and offered
them protection from the indians" il
they would continue on their journey
and not further modest the natives.
Lee retired, ostensibly to hold coun-
Gil with the Indians, and soon return
ed, saying that the Indians were 10th
to make peace but finally consented if
the emigrants would surrender their
arms.
The scene that ensned was sufficient
to make the stoutest heart faint. For
the graphic description that follows
we are indebted to a correspondent of
of the Chicago Times, writing from
Beaver City in April inet, from whose
letter, thoughtfully preserved and
partially reproduced by a State ex-
change, many of the facts detailed
above have been condensed. He thus
depicts it:
"Foolishly they gave to their execu-
TONERS their rifles, revolvers and an
munition, and willingly marched out
of their only place of safety, to DO
mercilessly shot down like cattle in
slaughter-pen. About fifty armed
militia under John ID. Lee were
drawn up as a guard of safety at the
entrance of tho emigrants' camp. Be-
tween this guard of soldiers, facing
in open rank, the now unarmed men
marched out from behind their de-
lenses, the women came next, and the
children followed lastly. The separ-
alton of the men and women was d
preconcerted arrangement made by
their captors in order to better carry
out their fiendish designs. The pro-
cession of death had reached only
about 100 yards when 1t was halted, aud
John d. Lee, an officer under the
United States Government, and o
Major of the Territorial militia, gave
the order, snake ready-aim-fire 7"
which was simultaneously repeated by
the other officers down the line. With
agonizing shrieks and piteous appeals
to Heaven for mercy, men women and
children in all parts of the huddled
group fell bleeding to the earth, pierre
ed with bullets thick as hail the lead
en- missiles poured in upon them-gray
haired sires, with uplifted hands ap-
pealing to the Throne of Grace, fell
dead across the bodies of their muir
dered sons and daughters defenseless
women. crazed with fear. clinoinu