The daily gazette., 1877-03-23
The Mormon Murderer's Con-
. fessiO9. tr

/ OF p ELar q Itn - a. r.. ...
BEAVER CITY, Utah, March 22.-John
d. Lee, ex-Bishop Of the Mormon Church
who is to be executed tomorrow for the
crime Of murder, committed by HMM the
part he took intthe Mountain. Meadows
massacre, in Utah, ON Sept. 16, 1857, at
which time 120 men, women and chill
dren were butchered in cold blood by
Mormons and their Indian allies, has
made the following confession: was an
honored man in the Church, fattered and
regarded by Brigham Young and the apos-
ties until 1866. when / was cut offfrom the
Church and selected as scapegoat to
suffer for and bear the sins ofmy people.
As a duty to myself and mankind now
confess all that know and all that did
at the Mountain Meadows massacre, with
out animosity to anyone, shielding none,
| giving facts as they existed. Those with
me ON that occasion were acting under
| order from the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints, Thshorrid deeds then
committed were done as duty which
we believed we. owed to God and our
Church. The massacre was the result of
the direct teachings of Brigham Young,
and it was done by the orders of those
highin authority in the Mormon COM
munity. The immediate orders from the
massacre were issued by Colonel Dame,
Lieutenant Colonel Isaac 9. Haight and
the Council at Cedar City, Utah. About
September 1 went to Cedar City, where
met Isaac G. Haight, President or Gov
ernor of that Stake of Zion, and also
Lieutenant Colonel of the Iron county
Mormon militia. Haight was the leader
there in all things, civil clerical and mill
tary. 1t was crime punishable by
death to disobey his orders. He gave me
full account Of the emigrants who were
coming. We slept in the iron works all
that night, and arranged our plans Il was
ordered to raise the Indians to attack the
train and run off the cattle and to have
the Indians kill the emigrants. 1 sent
Carl Shirts, my son-in-law to raise the
Southern Indians for the work. Nepi
johnson went to other tribes. On Monday
morning left the iron work to obey my
orders. Haight said; "We are acting by
orders--it is all right. We will let the
Indians bear all the blame" said we
are forbidden to shed innocent blood.
The reply of Haight was: "There is not
drop of innocent blood in the whole lot.
4
structions of those in authority. If you
are dutiful in this your reward shall be
great in the Kingdom of God, for God will
bless those who obey counsel and make
all things fit for the people of the Lord
in their days."
| On Tuesday morning the Indians at
tackled the train, just at daylight, and
killed seven and wounded sixteen emf
grants. The Indians lost some of their
warriors. The emigrants then fortified
their position, and the Indians surround
ed them and sent for me. arrived at the
camp late ON Tuesday afternoon and
found the Indians in large force. They
demanded that | should lead the attack
l refused until further orders were re-
ceived from Haight or Dame. On Thurs
day the orders came by Major Highly.
There were fifty-eight whites and about
500 Indians there. Then Highly made a
speech and said that the emigrants were
all to be killed who could talk; that we
must get them out of their fortifcation
by treachery. l was to follow a flag ot
truce and make treaty with the besieg-
ed, and promise protection. 1 was also
to get the arms of the emigrants and the
sick and wounded, and also the children
into wagons, when the troops, under
Highly, would meet che emigrants. The
Indians were to remain in ambush. The
women were to 60 ahead. The Indians
were then to kill the women. The militia
were to kill the men, and and the driv-
ers ofthe wagons were to kill the wound
ed and sick that were in the wagons. At
ter parley the emigrants surrendered
and put their arms, the sick and the
wounded and the children into the wa
gons. While they were burying their
dead men the emigants burst into tears
and said they feared treachery. When the
wagons were loaded the train was starteds
The emigrants marched in single file, the
women and the large children being
ahead; then the men came. When the
wagons were hall mile of, the fire COM
menced. The Indians kille,l all the wo-
men 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 mutilated and
the corpse left on the field. The Nor
mons camped on the field. The next day
Haight, Dame and other leaders came
over, and we buried the dead. I was
promised a crown celestial as my reward
for what had done. went to Salt Lake
City and made my report to Brigham
Young ten days after the massacre.
told him all, everything-who were there
who were guilty, and who were active
in killing the emigrants; in fact, all I
knew. said to him, you must sustain
us or release us from the endowment
oath to avenge the death of the prophets. ,
Brigham Young said, 81 will communi-
cate with God" went back the next
morning, when Young said, Brother
Lee, not drop of innocent blood has
been shed. have gone to God in prayer.
God has shown me it was a, just act. The
people did right, but were only a little
hasty. have direct evidence from God
that the act was just one, that it was in
accord with Gods will. sustain you
and the brethren in all that you did. All
1 tear is treachery on the part of the
brethren concerned. Go home and tell
the brethren 1 sustain them. Keep all
secret as the grave. Never tell any one
and write me a letter laying all the blame
on the Indians. 1 will then report to the
Irr n Al "a