Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-03-30
FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 80, 1877.
John D. Lees Confession.

PRESS, FR1DA1
John D. Lees Confession.
now TIE FOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE WAS
PLANNED.
The telegraph gave US briet abstract oil
the confession of John ID. Lee. From the
full document, as given in dispatches 20 the
New York Herald, We copy the following
passages:
Asa duty to myself and mankind | now
confess all that know and all that did at
the Mountain Meadows massacre, without
auimoslty to any one, shielding none. CIV
ing facts as they existed. Those with me ON
that occasion were acting under orders from
the church of Jesus Christ OF Latter Day
Saints The horrid deeds then committed
were done as duty which We believed We
owed TO God and our church. We were all
sworn to secrecy before and alter the HAS
sacre. The penalty for giving information
concerning the same was death. a. am
to suffer death for what ! then did and
have been betrayed. both by those who gave
me the orders to act and the most active ol
my assistants, now give the world the true
facts.
The Mountain Meadows massacre was the
result of the direct teachings OF brigham
Young, and it was done by the order OF
those high in authority in the Mormon
community. The immediate order for the
massacre was issued by Col. Dame, Lieu
tenant. Colonel Isaac G. llaight and the
council at Cedar City, Utah. held no po
sition either il the civil or military depart
ments, or in the church at that time.
About September eth ] went to Cedar
CITY, where met Isaac &. llaight. Presi-
dent or Governor Of that stake of Zion, and
also leutenant-colonel of the Iron county
Mormon militia. This was on a Sunday.
Lieutenant Colonel Haight was the leader
there in all things, civil, clerical or mill
tarv. 1t was crime punishable by death
to disobey bis orders. Lientcnant-Colonel
IIaight gave mo full account of the emf
grants who were coming. We slept in the
iron works all that night and arranged our
plans. Lieutenant Colonel llaisht said the
emigrants we're rough set; that they were
bad men, robbers and murderers, and had
helped to kill tho Mormon prophets. he
!ieved him. was ordered to raise the In
dians to attack the train and run off the
cattle and to have the Indians kill the cmi
grants.
On my way home passed many Indians
out on The war path. | promised To JOIN
them the next day. On Tuesday morning
the Indians attacked the tram, Just at day
light, and killed seven ana wonnueu sixteen
emigrants. The Indians lost some OF their
warriors. Inc emlsrahts theh iort'ne9
their position, ana the inuiahS SURROUNDED
them and sent Tor me. Inc ~hoie county
was aroused, both whltcs anu ihuians ,ush-
ing to Mountain Meadows from All n,rec-
tions. l arrived at the camp late on tues
day afternoon ana iouhu the ihdiahS IN
large iorce lhey 1einahueu 'hat shouiu
lead the attack i reuseu untii iui'ner
orders. calnped there tiat high' anu on
wednesday sent u man ~ 'eua' WY 'o'
further orders.
On Thursday the orders came ny MAJOR
Highly. There were % whites anu ABOUT
500 Indians there. men major hisoy
made speech and said that the cmisrants
were all to be Killed VINO couiu taiK tna'
We must get them out OF inc lor,inraliohs
by treschcry' was 10 ioiio" tno nag Vi
truce and make treaty win 'he pcs.eseu,
and promise protec'loE: l Sas aiso 70 set
the arms OF the eHisiah'S anu 'ne sieA anu
wounded, anu ai,o thc oni'uren nv ."o
wagons ineh 'uo uooP'' uhuoi ~
Higby, "oulu meet 'ne oniisIan my
inui'n' aho,J Tha In5;ons
women were 10 20 ahcau. me ne inu ii9.i'
were then TO XIII inc women, me ne ai
were to XII inc men, anu anu 'no n', w.,
were 10 XIII tne "ou r, anu 'N 'n"'
were IN the wagons. lnch we naa prayer
meeting, ana speeches. were maui, ihu II
was agreed ny HI paI''es 'hat ~ W. .io
Will OF uou ior US 10 10 as We "eio "'ueisu
On Friday morning, inc finisrah t nau y
white nag nyihg anu 'ne -noi MN -. ..,s'.
again assembled. Ine n's Vi uuoo Ma
then sent FORWARD; IL was .aiii1 '9 ny VI
liam batemah. nc wa nv LIZ nai va, ~
the emigrants' anu 'ney neiu pd',es vi
him. Bateman theh re'ulneu anu iepoi.eu
that the emigfan.s "puiu h utfe r, .ne,'
arms ana DO rs tney hau oeeu
The Mormon soiuieIs tneh maioaeu o%s W
within 2oO YARDS oil tne emiglah.S' iney
next took wagons anu "eht u T rue
camp, ana stated thcir ora1is ,ha Inc
cmlgrants then sutrenueIcu anu put 'u 'h
arms, the SICK anu tne "1 Wh.' ,t anu eno
children INTO INC "asohs. "n'io .ney w
buryins thelr ueau hen W. enu' sand
bursts into tears anu saiu tney Iealeu
treachery. As soon as inc IVA Sasons WEI
loaded the tram was s'arleu. ino ''iiiE, " us
marched In sihRIe me- ,ho "onen . anu Wv
large chiiureh Doing ancau INT" '"e mt"
came. A.,
When inc Wagons m WIZ nai' III; III III . ~
hire commenceu. u M n' M Ma "a nv
women hnu a rha drivers nth me killed
killed the men Inc drivers W Nun nie h,ieI
the sick and the "oanueu. We sa'eu - .,
the children !no ueau VIZ ~, ',r ~ tsId
mutilateu anu 'he .oipe ieI' vi s"' s-ii
The Mormons campeG on INT heiu
The next day, Lieut. Noi. iaisn.' E r1'W1,
lDAmO anu Quiet th"t WV"
they quarrelleu' Lieut. WI u
to Col. Dame lou orucrGu ~, ~ a,u uaa lii
you, 1t IL TOO iate " 70 paeh Dame s"'t
he did NOT kho" 'uei 80 d ~
them. ouiieu ,ne u."N All e., 49,,
cattle to tbs lron spiins a ri, '"o 80.
and other property VIZ eou III
City by the order Oh lne .nT i.' t aua ~
All oil these otueis VIZ iuiiS "" ~
horrors attending tne ina.s"oio % ."e yum
grants were Deyonu any uoa.i
Col. Haisht tnen seu. ino " ~ bH:
City tor the purpose Vi reporting W nis
ham Young, anu ho nv
celestial as my ie"aru I'r mnat nau
done. went 10 oait LAKE wy anu iiauo
my report to brigham iouhg ten uays a''e-
the massacre toid MIN all e'erSthinS-
who were there, VINO were guiity' anu WIN
were active IN kiiilns inc ehiSrahts III
fact. all l knew. l saiu 10 NM iou
must sustain us or reieise US from inc en-
dowment oath To avehsc inc uea'h o' thc
prophets -
Brigham Young saiu, VIII comhiu-
nicate with God went BACK the next
when Young SAID, brOther Lee
not drop 81 innocent blood mas Dcen
shed. have gone 10 "ou IN prayer, you
has shown me II was just act. me poo
Pile did right, but were only niue nasty
| have direct evidence from uou that inc
act was Just one, that IL was IN accoiu
with God = Will. l sustain you anu inc
brethren IN all that you dld; All lear
is treachcry On the part Oi the brethren con-
cerned. TO home anu tell tho brethren
sustain them. Keep all secret As the grave
Never tell any one, ana write me letter
laying all the blame on the lhliahS. Will
thon report 10 the uhiteu oia'cs govern
ment that 1t was an Indian massacre
Brigham Young was then and Tor many
years after iuily satisfied with me and my