Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-03-30


large and well appointed emigrant train
camped at Mountain Meadow, three hun
dred miles south Of Salt Lake city. The
emigrants numbered one hundred and
thirty-fvc souls from Arkansas and Missouri.
Witnesses have testified that the emigrants
were quiet, industrious, and peaceable
| people, that they were Sabbath-loving
| Christians, and held religious services fire.
quently. They had good Wagons, excellent
camp equipasc and large lot of valuable
horses, mules and cattle. They had passed
through Cedar City. The Mormons had
recently heard of the killing of one of their
missionaries who was trying to make con-
yerts in Arkansas. In former years the
Mormons lad met With bitter opposition in
Missouri, whence they removed to Nauvoo,
Ill. These two States they therefore regard
cd with hatred. Moreover, good mules.
horses and wagons were not as common
among the Mormons in 1857 as they are
now. Revenge on the one hand and desire
for plunder On the other, united with des-
perate determination to keep centiles and
outsiders from their domain, led them to
plot the destruction of the emigrants.
council of Mormon leaders was held, and it
is now believed that tie massacre was then
and there determined upon. On the same
night party of about sixty Mormons in
Indian disguise, besides larger number OF
real savages, followed the emigrant train.
They were reached in the morning while
eating breakfast in the meadow. Without
note of warning vollev was discharged in
their midst and ten or twelve persons killed
outright. The astonished emigrants hastily
recovered their surprise, and arranged their
wagons and threw up breastworks for de-
tense. For five days and nights they with
stood the attack, until finally the Mormons,
unable to overcome the emigrants, resolved
upon work of strategy. The firing was
suspended, and the Indians apparently dis
appeared. On the morning of the sixth day
the little party saw wagon-load of men
coming into the valley all were white
men, who unfurled the United States flag.
They were received by tho emigrants with
great coidiality rs their defenders. Among
the men in the wagon were John d. Lee
and Isaac c. IIaight. They at once charged
the emigrantS with having poisoned certain
spring from which Indians had drunk and
died-a spring which is so large and rapid
that one who has seen it says barrel of
arsenic could not have poisoned it. Lee and
Haight said this was the cause Of the attack
from the Indians that they were on friendly
terms with the sayages, and would conduct
a treaty. They retired, and in few hours
returned, saying the Indians were greatly
enraged; that their only terms were sur
render by the emigrants of all their proper
ty, especially their arms, and a return to
the East by the route they had taken in
coming Lee, with other Mormons in the
party, offered to make the delivery and
conduct the emigrants back. This proposal
was accepted, and the arms we're given up
with the Latter Day Saints as guide they
proceeded to the north on foot After
walking about a mile tho company entered
thicket of scrub oaks near a large pile of
rocks. In this thicket the Indians and dis
guised white men were concealed. John D.
Lee gave the signal, Halt" and the bloody
work began.
This terrible scene has been thus described |
by writer in the Sacramento Record Union:
Suddenly Lee brought his gun to his |
shoulder and fred at woman in the for |
ward wagon, killing her instantly. 1t was |
the signal for the massacre. Indians rose |
from behind bushes, painted Alormons |
stepped from behind conceslments, and all |
along the line the men and women were |
shot down like cattle in the shambles, while |
Lee and his aids dragged women and youths |
from tho wagons and cut their throats from |
ear to ear. 1t is the most heartless, cold |
blooded deed that ever disgraced the pages
of history. The venerable gray-headed |
eieiS meu, tHe Siuiuy ioihcis, tuo stthdrt |
young men, and the beardless youths-all |
were cut down one by one, and above their |
dead bodies waved the Stars and Stripes |
Sick women too i'll to leave the corral were
driven up to the scene of slaughter, butcher
ed, and stripped. Some Of the younger
men refused to JOIN in the dreadful
work. Jim Pearce was shot by his |
own father for protecting girl that
was crouchcd at his feet The bullet |
cut deep cash in his face, and the furrow
ed scar is there to-day Lee is said to have |
shot girl who was clingng to his son. A
score OF heartrending rumors are a0oat about |
the deeds of that hour. One rumor comes
from girl who lived in Lees own family |
for years. She told Mr.. Beadle, the author
of several works, that one young woman
drew dagger to defend herself against John
ID. Lee. and he killed her on the spot. A
young mother saw her husband fall dead. |
lie lay with his face upward, and the pur-
pie hic-blood crimsoned his pallid cheeks.
She sprapg to his side just as a great. brutal
rufiian attempted to seize her. LAYING her
tiny babe on her husbands breast, she drew
small dirk knife, and, like tigress at
bay, confronted the vile wretch. lie re-
coiled in terror, but the next instant man
stepped IN behind the brave woman and
drove a knife through her body. Without
struggle she fell dead across her husbands
feet Picking up the dirk she had dropped,
the fend deliberately pinned the little babes
body to its fathers, and laughed to see its
conyulsiye death struggles"
The property Of these murdered people
was quietly divided among tie Mormons
not until year afterwlrd was it known
that wlite men had anything to do with
he deed. Eight days after the massacre, a
man Visited the scene, and said at the trial
of Ice that lie saw the bodies of men,
and children strcwn upon thee
ground and heaped in piles. Some were
stabbed, others shot, and still others had
their thrOats cut. There was no clothing
left on man, woman, or child, except that a
torn stocking leg chung to the ankle Of one.
The wolves and ravens had lacerated every
one Of the c0rIees except one. There were
127 in all, and each bore the marks of
wolves teeth, except one. 1t was the body
Of a handsome, well formed lady, with a
beautiful face and long flowing hair. A
single bullet had pierced her side. Most of
the bodies had been thrown into three piles,
distant from each other about two
and a-haf rods Another man who was there
said he saw in December-three months
after the massacre-a quantity Of human
bones saw skulls of women and children,
the former with long tresses OF beautiful
hair attached. discOlored with blood and
dried up; remarked the skeleton of a child,
apparently 10 tic II years old also saw the
skeletons of women ; the bones had been
buried-covcred up with earth in holes and
gulles; the wolves had dragged them out