Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-04-05
CONFESSION OF JOHN D. LEE.

md the leader OF the baf nd OF Brigham
Young's followers who, on the 10th OF
1857, massaacred a party OF
unoffendipg emigrantss in cold blood at
Mountain Meadows, was executed on
the Esd, at the scenea of his crimes, In
of the sentence of the Court
in which he was found guilty. The
choice of death which he made was by
shooting-a right he had under the
laws of the Territory. The details OF
his crime have heretofore been given.
He prepared a. confession while IN
durance, last February, a synopsis OF
which is given ais follows:
In the month of September, 1887, the company
of emigrants known as the Arkansas Company
arrived in Parowan, Iron County, Otan on tneH
way to CALIFORNIA;. At ParoWan young Aoen,
one of the Company, saw and recognized one
William Laney a Mormon resident of Parowan.
Alden and his father had rescued Laney from an
before. Laney was glad to see his friend and
benefactor, and invited him to his house, and
gave him some garden sauce to axe BACK 70 tne
camp with him. The same evening 1t was re-
ported to Bishop Col. Dame. When the report
was made to Dame he raised his hand and crook
ed his little finger in a significant manner TO one
Barney Carter, his brother in law. and one OF
the ''Angels of Death" Carter, without an
other word. walked out west to Laney's house,
with a long picket in his hand; called Laney out
and struck him a heavy blow on the head, frac-
turing his skull, and left him on the ground for
dead. G. q. Webb and Isaac Newman, Presl-
dent of the High Council, told me they saw
Danes maneuvers.
George A. Smith told the people not to sell
their grain to the emigrants, nor to feed it to
their animals. as they might expect a big fight
next spring with the United States. President
Young did not intend to let troops pass into the
Territory; he said: "We are going. to stand up
for our rights and will no longer be imposed up
on by our enemies, and want every man to be
on hand with bis gun in good order and his pow
der dry, % and instructed the people to part with
nothing that would sustain lite. When 1t was
decided by the Saints to follow the emigrants,
who had left the city on their way westward, we
made fer Mountain Meadows: In the
taken by a band Of Indians and attacked, at the
instigation OF GOV. Young and other Saints, but
had been repulsed by the emigrants. The Nor
mons, meanwhile, agreed upon a plan to meet
the emigrants with a flag of truce, tell them that
the Indians were determined upon their destruc-
ton; that we dare not oppose the Indians, for
we were at their mercy; that the best we could
do for them tthe emigrants) was to get them and
what few traps we could take on wagons;
and lay their arms in the bottom Of the wagons,
cover them up in bed clothes, and start for the
settlement as soon as possible and trust them
selves in our hands. The small children and
the wounded were to go with the two wagons,
and men next; the troops were to stand in readi-
ness at the east side of the road to receive them.
Shurtz and Nephi johnson were to conceal the
Indians in the brush and rocks till the company
was strung out on the road to a certain point,
and at the watchword ''Halt! do your duty /"
each man WAS W COfcI u5 bCS6lOA IL AiO-
| johnson and ShultZ were to rally the Indians and
rush upon and dispatch the women and larger
children. 1t was further told me that President
Haight said that If we were faithful In carrying
out Instructions we would all receive a celestial
reward.
pushed their Indians the better to deceive the
emigrants. About IL O'Clock a. m. the troops
under Major Higbee took their position in the
road. The white nag was still kept up in the
corral. Higbee called William Batemen out of
the ranks to take the flag Of truce TO the corral.
He was met about half way with another white
flag from the emigrants' camp. They had a talk
the emigrants were told we had come to rescue
them if they would trust us. Both men, with
Eags, returned to their respective places and re-
ported, and were to meet again and bring word.
Higbee called me out to go and inform them the
conditions, and if accepted Dan Mcfarland.
brother to John Mcfarland. lawyer, who acted
as aid de camp, would bring back word, and
then two wagons would be sent for firearms,
s%Aildren, clothing, etc. obeyed, and the terms
proposed were accepted, but not without dis
trust. had as little to say as possible. In fact,
nay tongue refused its office. / sat down on the
ground in the corral, near where some young
10 some person who had JUST died of a woand. A
large, heshy oldlady came to me twice, and talk
ed while | sat there. She related their troubles,
and said that seven of their number were killed
and Al wounded in the first attack; that several
had died since. She asked me if l was an Indian
agent. l said, in one sense l am; as the GOV
eminent has appointed me farmer to the Indians.
| told her this to satisfy her. | heard
that same question was asked and answered in
| BIC 6hLilC lbhAG Wy NIUE al IbAluF VIM hINk OCCh
sent by Highbee to the corral to hurry me up,
for fear that the Indians would come back and be
upon them. When all was ready samuel Nc
Murdy, counselor to Bishop p. K Smith, and
Klingen Smith, drove out on the lead. His
wagon had the seventeen children, clothing and
arms. Samuel knight drove the other team q,
with five wounded men and one boy about Is
years sold. walked behind the front wagon, to
direct the course and shun being in the heat of the
slaughter, but this / kept to myself. When we
got turned fairly to the east l motioned to Nc
hurdy TO steer north, across the valley; l at the
same time told the women, who were next to the
wagon. to follow the road up to the troops, which
they did. Instead of saying to McMurdy not to
drive so fast, as he swore on the trial, l said to
the contrary, to drive on, as my aim was to get
out of sight before the firing commenced, which
we did. We were about half a mile ahead of the
company when we heard the first firing. We
a aad dGGye over Sn . a T ToR fat 2, rolling me gT 6ripG
was simultaneous along the whole line
The moment firing commenced McMurdy halted
and led his lines across the rod of his wagon
box, stepped down, coolly, with a double bar
} relied shot gun, walked back to Knights wagon
whe had the wounded men. and was about TWEEN
" feet in the rear. AS he raised his piece, he
said, lord, my God, receive their spirits, for
it is for the kingdom of Heavens sake that we
do this" He fired and killed two men. Sam
knight had a mu1zlc-loading rife, and he shot
and killed the three men, and then struck the
wounded boy on the head, who fell dead. In
the meantime l drew a fiye-shooter from my
belt, which accidentally went off, cutting across
McMurdy's buckskin pants IN front and below
the crotch. Mc:Iurdy said: brother Lee, you
are excited, take Things Coolly. lou were near
shooting me; look where the ball cut, - pointing
to the place in his pants. At this moment
heard the scream of a child. | looked up and
saw an Indian have a little boy by the hair of his
head, dragging him out of the hind end of the
wagon, with u knife in his hand ready to cut his
throat. | sprang for the Indian, revolver il
hand, and shouted to the top of my voice,
"Arick coma cot too sooet"-Stop. you fool
The child was terror stricken, his chin wat
bleeding, and l supposed it was a cut of the
knife, but learned that 1t was done
by the wagon box as the Indian yanked the boy
DOWN by the hair of the head. / had no sooner
rescued this child than another Indian seized $
little girl by the hair; l rescued her. AS soon u:
could speak / told the Indians they must not hur
children; that l would die before they should b.
hurt; that we would buy the children of them
Before this time the Indians had pushed Ill
around the wagon in quest of blood, and dis
patched the two remaining wounded men. Ii
justice to my statement, | would say, that if M
! shooter had not prematurely exploded / would
have had a hand in dispatching the five wounded
/ had lost control of myself, and scarce knew
what l was about. L saw an Indian pursue a lit
tie girl who was fleeing. He caught her abou
100 feet from the wagon and plunged his knit
through her. / said to McMurdy he had bette
drive the children to Hamblin's ranch and Civ,
them some nourishment while / would go dow
and get my horse at the camp. Passing alon;