Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-04-07
BISHOP LEE.s CONFESSION.

paper puolisne5 Wndt puTpOTts 10 Uc
condensation of the confession of John
d. Lee, the Mormon who is to be exc
cuted hy being shot at Beaver City,
Utah, March 23d, for the crime of mur-
der committed by him in the part he
took at the Mountain Meadows massa-
Gre in Washington County, Utah Terri
tory, on September l6, 1857, at which
time i20 men, women aud children,
known as the Arkansas emigrant train,
passing through the territory on their
way to California were, after several
days fighting, decoyed from their torti-
fications and butchered in cold blood
by Mormons aud Indians. Parties in
confidential possession of the original
confession to be published only after
the execution, deny that is true syn
opsis of the original, or has been made
therefrom. The published statement is
to the effect that Lee was born Septem-
Der 6, 1912, at Kaskaskia, H., was
married in 1888, and first took up Nor
mcnisn in 1887. He became promi-
nent Mormon aud held a number of
high places in the church. He has
been sealed to eighteen women, three
of whom were sisters, and one was the
mother of three Of his wives. He was
sealed to this old woman for her souls
salvation. They who were with him
in the Mountain Meadow affair were
acting under orders from the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The
deeds then committed were done as
duty, which they believed they owed to
God and their Church The narrative
then goes Oh TO speak of the massacre.
1t says they were all sworn to secrecy.
The massacre was the result OF the dI-
rect teachings OF Brigham Young. The
immediate orders for the massacre were
issued by Col. Dame, Col. Isaac c.
Haight, and the Council at Cedar City,
Utah. lie was ordered TO raise the ln-
dians TO attack the train and to run off
the cattle, and have the Indians to kill
the emigrants. The whole county was
aroused, bot hwhtes and Indians rush.
ing 10 Mountain Meadows from al di-
rections. There were tifty-eight whites
and about five hundred Indians there.
Then Maj Highly made speech, and
said that the emigrants were all to be
killed who could talk, and that We must
get them out of the Notifications by
treachery. On Friday, Sept. 18th, the
emigrants had white flag flying, and
the Mormon brethren again assembled,
speeches were made, aud all expressed
themselves as willing to act. NJ j. Hig
by harangued the party, saying that it
was the orders of the President that
the emigrants should be put out OF the
way. IL was duty they owed TO the
Church. The white flag OF truce was
then sent forward. The bearer was
met halfway by the emigrsnls, and
they held Il parlsy with him. He then
returned and reported that the emi-
grants would surrender their arms and
do as they had been requested. The
Mormon soldiers then marched out to
within 200 yards of the emigrants.
They next took wagons and went TO
the camp and started their orders. The
emigrants then surrendered and put
their arms, the sick and the wounded,
and the children into the wagons.
While they were burying their dead
men, the emigrants burst into tears,
and said they feared treachery. As
soon as the wagons were loaded the
train was started. The emigrants
marched in single file, the women and
the large children ahead; the the men
came. When the wagons were half a
mile of the fire commenced. The In
dians killed all the women and large
children. The Mormons killed the
men. The drivers, with Lee, killed the
sick and the wounded. We saved
seventeen of the children. Tue dead
were stripped and mutiated and the
corpses left on the field. The Mormons
calnped on the field. They buried the
the dead and drove the cattle TO the
Iron Springs. Brigham Young told
him (Lee) not drop of innocent blood
had been shed. He (Young) said he
had direct evidence from God that tue
act was just one, and ne would report
to the United States that it was an
Indian massacre. The narrative then
continues 10 show that the Mormon
leaders originated the massacre, and
the responsibility therefor it with them.
He Uee) only obeyed the orders Of his
superiors. Haight also told him he
had deserved well Of God and the
Church. VIM. 9. Stewart was the
most blood-thirsty Of any one there.
He cut throats just for amusement.
KIingensmith.the bishop at Cedar City,
killed man. Every one there took
part in killing men, women and chill
dren as religions duty. / am the faith
er of siIty-four children. Teu are
dead; fifty-four are still living. My
journals and private writings have been
destroyed by order OF Brigham Young.
| know of many other murders, castra-
tions and robberies committed by order
of the priesthood.
The story names about thirty whites
who were present, including Bishop
Smith, of the Mormon Church. In a
sermon at Cedar City subsequent 20
the massacre Brigham Young said if
any one informed on the authors they
would 60 to hell and be damned at lost
souls.
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A Card 10 the Public.
For many years we have made two
medicines suited TO the ailments Of q