Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-04-06
THE UTAH MASSACRE.

John ID. Lee, the Mormon, who was shot
at Mountain Meadow, Utah, March 80,
for his participation in the massacre at
that place in 1857 The crcumstantial
manner with which Lee details the facts
give 60 the confession an air Of truthful.
ness, but what he says in extenuation of
his own conduct and relation TO the
terrible tragedy will receive little Gre
dence. According to the evidence elic-
tied on his trial Lee was not only a
prime instigator of the massacre, but one
of the most active and hloodthirsty par
ticipants There were 1873 victims of this
unparalleled crime.
THE CONFESSION.
In the NORTH OF September, 1857, the com
pany of emigrants known MS "The Arkan-
sas Company" arrived in Parowan, Iron
County, Utah, on their way to California.
At Parowau young Alden, one of the com
pany, saw and recognized one William Lancy,
a Mormon resident OF Parowan. Alden and
his father had rescued Laney from an anti.
Mormon mob in Tennessee several yeaTs be-
fore and saved his life. He [Laneyl, at the
time he was attacked by the mob, was a Nor
mon missionary in Tennessee Laney was
glad to see his friend and bcncfactor, and
invited him TO his house and gave him some
garden sauce TO take back to the camp with
him. The same evening 10 was reported to
Bishop Colonel Dame that Laney had given
potatoes and onions to the man Alden, one
of the emigrants. When the report was
made to Bishop Dame he raised his hand and
crooked his little finger in significant man
ner to one Barney Carter, his brother -in-law,
and one uf the "Angcls of Death,h Carter,
without another word, walked out, went to
Laney's house with long picket in his
hand, called Laney out, aud struck him a
heavy blow on the head, fracturing his skull,
and left him on the ground for dead. G Y.
Webb and Isaac Newman, President of the
"High Council' both told me they saw
Dances mancuvcr. James McGuilee, who
was then a resident of Parowan, but through
oppression has been forced to leave there and
is now merchant in Pahranagat Valley, near
Phoebe, New, knows these facts.
About the last of August, 1857, some ten
days before the Mountain Meadow massacre,
a company OF emigrants passed through
Cedar City. George A. Smith, then First Coun-
sclor in the church, and Brigham Young
right-hand man, came down from Salt Lake
CITY, preaching TO different settlements. !
was at that time in Washington County,
near where st. George now stands He sent
for me. ] went to him and he asked me TO
take him TO Cedar City by way of Fort Clara
aud the Plato settlements, as he was on bust
ness and must visit all the settlements. We
started on the tour up through the canyon.
We saw herds of Indians, and he George A,
Smith) remarked to me that these Indians,
with the advantage they had of rocks, could
use up very large company OF cmigrants,
or make 1t very hot for them. After pausing
for short time he said to me: Brother
Lee, what do you think the brethren would
do IL a company OF emigrants should come
down through here making threats? Don't
you think they would pitch into themYh
replied that they certainly would. This
seemed to please him, and he again said To
me: And you really think the brethren
t,I, ~ nj, do,
was my reply, land you had better instruct
Col. Dame and Haight to tend to it that the
cmigrants are permitted to pass IL you
want them tospass unmolestcd." He con
tinued: 81 asked Isaac (meaning Haight
the same question, and he answered me jus
as you do, and l expected the boys woulC
pitch into them" | again said to him ht
had better say TO Gov Young that il hi
wanted the emigrant companies to pass with
out molestation he must instruct Col. Dame
or Mai Haight to that effect, for IL they were
not ordered otherwise they would use them uJ
by the help of the Indians. He told the peo
pie at the Clara not to sell their grain to the
emigrants nor to feed it to their animals, ai
they might expect a big fight next spring
with the United states. President Young
did net intend to let troops in the Territory
He said: 1--WE are going to stand up for oul
rights, and will no longer be imposed upor
by our enemies, and want every man to be or
hand with his gun in good order and his pow
der dry and instructed the people to par
with nothing that would sustain life from
the LIST to the 10th of September 1857.
A messenger came TO me-his name was
Sam Woodland told me that President Isaac
G.. Haight wanted me to he at Cedar City thai
evening without fail This was Saturday
He told me that large company OF emf
grants had gone south. then lived at Har
mony, twenty miles south of Cedar City.
obcyed the summons, and President Haight
met me. 1t was near sundown. We spent
the night In an open house on some blank
cts, where We talked most all night. He told
me that a company of emigrants had passed
through some two days before, threatening
the Mormons with destruction, and that one
of them said he had helped to kill old Joe
Smith and his brother Hyrum; that Other
members of the company of emigrants had
helped drive the Mormons out of Missouri
that Others had said they had come to help
Johnson's army clear the MoTmons out OF
Utah; that they had the halters ready to
hang old Brigham and Heber, and would
have them strung up before the snow blew;
that one of the emigrants called one of his
oxen "a pair OF stags) BRIG" and the other
" Hebern and that several OF the emigrants
had used all kinds Of threats and profanity
John NJ, Higbee, City Marshal, had informed
them that 1t WAS a breach OF the city oTdi.
nance to use profane language, whereupon
one of them replied that he did not care
that they had fought their way through
tile Indians and would do Il through the
Mormons, and II their god, old Brigham, and
their priests would not sell their provisions
they would take what they wanted any way
they could get 1t; that, thus raging, one OF
them let loose his long whip and killed two
chickens and threw into his wagon; that
Widow Evans said: "Gehtlemen, these are
my chickens; please don't kill them; am o
poor widow; that they ordered her to shut
up or they would blow her brains out, etc.
that they had been raising trouble with ali
the settlements and Indians on their way;
that we were threatened on the north by
Johnson's army. and that now our safety de.
pended on prompt and immediate action
that company of Indians had already gone
south from Parowan and Cedar City TO sur.
prise the emigrants who were then al
Mountain Mea6ows, and he wanted me to re
turn home in the morning lSuDdayl and
send Carl Shurt1 an Indian interpreter from
my homo HARMONY to raise the Indians
south, at Harmony, Washins ston, and Santa
Clara, To join the Indians from the north
aud make an attack upon the emigrants at
Isaid 10 him: "Would IL not be well %
hold council OF the brethren before making
q move 7" He replied that every Latter. Day
Saint that regarded their covenants knew
well their duty, aud that the company OF
emigrants had forfeited their lives by their
acSi ana that " BISHOP I. h Smith (klin-
gen smith) and Joel White had already gone
by the way OF Plato 10 raise the Indians In
that direction, and those that have gone from
Parowan aud here will make the attack and
may be fepulsed. We can't now delay for a
council ofthe brethren; return Immediately
and start Carl Shurtz. Tell him that / or
dered you TO tell him 10 go, and want you
10 NY and get there before the attack Is
made, and make plan for the Indians, and
j VIII send Neph. johnson, the Interpreter,
TO the Meadows as soon as he can be got, TO
help Carl shnrtz manage the Indians" did
just as j vac ordered. The Indians from the
north and about Harmony had already
started for the Meadows before / reached
home. shurtz started Immediately TO do his
part. j arrived al home In the night and re-
mained TIL morning. / thought over the
matter. and the more l thought the more my
teelings Teyolted against such hOrrid deed.
sleep had ned from me. / talked 10 my
wife Rachel about IL, and she felt as ! did
about jt. She advised me 10 let them do
their own dirty work, and said IL things did
not go Just 10 suit them the blame would be
laid on me. she never did believe In blood
atOnement and said II was from the devil,
aud IN Il she would rather break such a
covenant, II she had 10 die for so doing, than
10 live aud be guilty OF doing such an act