Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-03-28
Confession Of John ID. Lee.


TESS all that know and all that did at the Noun
tain Meadow massacre, without animosity TO
any one, shielding none, giving facts az thew
existed Those with me on the occasion wereaot
ing under orders from the Church of Jesus Christ
Of Latter Day Saints The horrid deeds then COM
mtted were done az a duty which we believed we
owed to God and our church We were all sworn
to secrecy before and after the massacre. The
penalty for giving information concerning the same
was death. The immediate orders for the massa-
ere were issued by Colonel Dame, Lieutenant
Colonel Isaac c. Haight and the Council ut Cedar
City, Utah.
about September 9TH went to Cedar City,
where | met Isaac c. IIaight, President or Gov
ernor of that state of Zion, and also lieutenant
colonel of the Iron county Mormon militia This
was on Sunday. Leutenant-C oonel Ilaight was
the leader there in all things, civil, clerical and
military. 1t was a crime punishable by death to
disobey his orders was ordered to raise the In
dians to attack the train and run off the CATTLE
and to have the Indians kill the emigrants. |
sent Carl Shirts my son-n-aw, to raise the South
ern Indians to the work. Nephi johnson went to
other tribes. said we were forbidden to shed in
nocent blood The reply of Haght was, There
is not drop OF innocent blood in the whole lot
those in authority II you are dutful in this your
reward shall be great in the kingdom Of God for
God will bless those who obey counse and make all
things fit for the people of the Lord in their days
"Iarrved at the camp late on Tuesday after
noon and found the Indians in large force. They
demanded that should lead the attack re-
fused until further orders were received from
Ilaght or Dame. On Thursday the orders came
bv Mai Ii~hv ph
and about five hundred Indians there. Then Ma
ior Highly made speech and said that the emf
grants were all to be killed who could talk that
we must get them out OF the Notifications by
treachery Several other men then made speeches
Then we had prayer circle, and then more
speeches were made, and it was agreed by all
parties that it was the will OF God for us to do as
we were ordered. Major Highly concluded as fol-
lows Our orders from leaders, who
| speak with inspired tongues, and their words are
| the will Of good men You have no right to ques-
ton them You must obey as you are commanded.
| " The flag of truce sent forward 1t was
carried by William Bateman. He was met half
way by the emgrants, and they held a parley
with him Bateman then returned and reported
| that the emigrants would surrender their arms
and do as they had been requested The Mormon
|
yards of the emigrants They next took wagons
and went to the camp and stated their orders.
The emigrants then surrendered and put their
| arms the sick and the wounded and the children
into the wagons. While they burying their
dead men the emigrants burst into tears and said
they feared treachery. As soon as the wagons
were loaded the train started. The emigrants
marched in single file, the women and the large
| ola hpfu a. tha
the wagons were half a mile off the fire
menced. The Indians killed all the women and
large children The Mormons killed the men.
The drivers with me killed the sick and the
wounded We saved seventeen of the children.
The dead were stripped and mutated and the
corpses left on the field The Mormons camped
on the field.
"The next day Lieutenant-C Colonel Haight Colo
mel Dame and other leaders came over. Finally
they quarreed Lieutenant-C Colonel Haight said
to Colonel Dane: You ordered it, and damn
you, it is too late to 90 back Dame said he did
not know there were so many of them. We
buried the dead and drove the cattle to the Iron
Springs Colonel Haght then sent me to Salt
Lake City for the purpose of reporting to Brigham
Young, and he promised me crown celestial as
my reward for what had done. | went to salt
|
ten days after the massacre. told him ALL every
thng-who were there, who were guilty and who
we're active in killing the emigants; in fact all /
knew said to him, You must sustain re-
} ease us from the endowment oath to avenge the
death of the prophet.
brigham Young said / will communicate
with God went back the next morning, when
Young said Brother Lee not drop of innocent
. | l. ,rl l,u-n CD -,
prayer God has shown me it was just act.
The people did right, but were only little hasty.
| have direct evidence from God that the act was
just one; that it in accord with Gods will.
sustain YOU and the brethren in all that you did
All fear is treachery on the part of the brethren
concerned Go home and tell the brethren sus-
tain them. Keep all secret as the grave. Never
tell any one, and write me letter laying all the
blame on the Indians | will then report to the
United States government that it was an Indian
massacre
- Brigham Young was then and for many years
after, fully satisfied with me and my act He
gave me three wives after that, and appointed me
probate judge of Washington county. Nothing
but cowardce has made him desert me now. Az
ter reported to Brigham Young, went home
and met Leutenant-C olonel Haight and gave him
, full report of Youngs statement. Iiaight said,
Well done, faithful servant; you shall receive a
, celestial reward for your services You have de-
served well OF God and the church.
al next went To work to write up an account OF
the massacre, laying it to the Indians. | wrote a
3 long letter. the same as has been introduced in
evidence against me. Brigham Young knew that
it false and written to save the Mormon
church. His report TO the government was a part
, of the plan to save the Mormons from blame. II
was the first plan to have none but the Indians
take part in the massacre, but William C. Stewart
Joel White and Benjamin Arthur were coming to
Mountain Meadows on Wednesday night; they
met young Alden and another man going from the
emgrants to Cedar City for help. They told OF
the Indian attack and asked aid from the settlers
, The only reply was shot from Stewart, which
n killed Alden The other man was wounded by
. White and Arthur, but escaped, and carried word
that the whites had come to help the Indians. Az
/, ter this the authorities said that there was nc
safety except in killing all who could talk. VIII
n liam c, Stewart the most bloodthirsty OF any
: one there He cut threats just for amusement
q Kingensmith, the Bishop at Cedar City, killed a
man Every one there took part in killing men,
f women and children as a religious duty.
: ave were at that time in the midst of the ex-
clteinent OF the reformation, ana were maze u
believe, by the teachings OF our leaders, that the
fulness of the time had come--that the Mormons
were to conquer the world at once and inherit all
( the wealth OF the universe; that Christ was to
= come and rule for one thousand years, and that
the Mormon doctrine was to be universally ac-
cepted We were followers of false teachers
: have fallen a victim to the arts of foolish and
A wicked men that once believed were divine.
1 have had eighteen wives. Eleven OF them have
> been divorced by Brigham Young three still re-
main true to me, and have chung to me during my
= Imprisonment am the father OF sixty-four chill
A dren. Ten are dead fity-four are still living.
A MY journals and private writings have been
i destroyed by order of Brigham Young. have
nothing left but my memory to give as my ac-
count of the foul deeds done, in Gods name, dur
, ing the years when Brigham Young was chief ru-
: Ter of Utah
81 know Of many other murders, mutilations
o and robberies committed by order of the priest
!. hood all of which have fully stated in my writ
ings delivered to my attorney, W W. Bishop.
- 81 have told the whole truth, and the God an
l. soon to meet, face to face, knows that my asser
1t tons are nothing but the truth, JONI d. LEE."