Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-03-03
THE MOUNTAIN MEADOW MAS
SACRE.
A History of the Outrase-Ane Desec'
ton and Trial of the Assassin
Seutenced to be Shot,

A History of the Ouer"so
ton and Trial of the Assassin -Lee
Sentenced to be Shot,
Correspondence OF the Detroit Post.
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. IL, 1877.
Nearly 20 years have passed since was
nernetrated the Mountain Meadow mas
sacre. the most cruel, barbarous and
treacherous deed that blackens the an
mails of modern history.
In the summer of 1857 q large train of
emigrants from Arkansas, numbering
some 14O souls all told, We're on their way
to California.
DIR. Brewer, of the United States army,
who saw them last at O'Fallon's Bluffs
on the Platte, in July of that year. pro-
nounced it the finest train that ever
crossed the plains. 1t was owned by
men of wealth and was complete in all
its equipments, provided with fine STOCK
and with richly Ornamented carriages
for the use of the women and children
Reaching Salt Lake they were advised TO
take the southern route, as the old emil
grant trail was liable to be blOckaded by
snow by the time they would reach the
Sierra Nevada.
At Kanosh, 200 miles south of Salt
Lake, they inquired Of prominent Nor
mons as to where they would find good
range on which to recruit their stock,
and by them were directed to Mountain
Meadow, on the divide between the
Great Basin and the Colorado. This was
a beautiful upland meadow, five miles
long by one i'm width, 800 miles South OF
Salt Lake City. The day after the emf
grants left Cedar City a council OF Nor
mon leaders was held, and although all
the particulars of that council will prob
ably never be definitely known, 1t Is
known that the massacre OF the emil
grants was then and there determined
upon. A party of about 90 white men.
disguised as Indians, with much larger
number of real savages, started that
night. and creeping down narrow rl-
vine close to the emigrant camp, DIS
charged a deadly vOlley, killing III or II
at the first fire. Although the devoted
band were eating breakfast at the time,
and taken completely by surprise, they
hastily packed their wagons and threw
up earth breast-works for defense. With
the women and children lying in the
trenches they had made, they offered a
gallant resistance for five days and
nights. The first victim was young
man by the name of Alden, whose father
lives i'm Kentucky. and whose brother is
n merchant mt ST. Louis. He had gone
back for supplies and met the MOrmons
at Pinto Creek. William Stewart, one
of the leaders, murdered him at that
place. The writer is informed that the
relatives of Young Alden offer standing
reward of $1,000 for the scalp OF the
Mormon miscreant Stewart. who has
been. for several,years concealed In the
mountains. Meanwhile, ut Jake Hamb-
Inns ranch, within hearing OF the firing,
the Mormon leaders amused themselves
by pitching quoits, and by other pastimes
peculiar to the average Latter Day
Saint, and finding an unexpected and de-
termined resistance from the emigrants,
resolved upon strategy to accomplish
the end desired. Accordingly on the
morning of the sixth day the firing
ceased, and with feelings OF the deepest
Joy the little party beheld a wagon load
of auhite men coming down the valley
bearing white flag In the wagon
were John ID. Lee, Isaac G. Haight, and
other prominent Mormons. They were
admitted bv the emigrants, and accused
the latter of having poisoned a spring,
causing the death of several Indians,
which was the cause OF the present at
tack by the incensed savages. This the
emigrants indignantly denied. and with
truth, for the spring referred to can be
seen to-day, near Kanosh. running a
stream of water so large and strong that
q barrel of arsenic would have no effect
on it. The Mormons further stated that
they were on friendly terms with the
savages, and would intercede on behalf
of the emigrants.
After an absence Of two or three hours
they returned, stating that the Indians
were greatly enragsd, and would consent1
to the departure of their victims, only on
the ground of their delivering up all their
property. especially their arms, and going
back by the route they came. The Nor.
mons volunteered to take arms. and faith
fully promised to guard them back to
the settlements, in the event of the
terms being accepted. Not knowing the
treacherous nature of the Mormons, in
stilled into them from infancy, by the in
eendiary teachings of an Infamous priest
hood, and looking upon them as their
saviors, they gave up their arms, aband-
oned all their property, and escorted by
the Latter Day Saints, started nOrthward
on foot. About mile from their camp.
the road runs through thicket of scrub
oaks, and near large pile of rocks. At
this place were ambushed the Indian al
lies of the Mormons, and at the agreed
signal of shalt" given by John D. Lee.
the sickening work OF carnage began.
Pen cannot describe the details and hor-
rors of that Infamous deed. The Indians
and Mormons raked the doomed party
with a cross-fire. Those who did not
perish by the bullet we're finished by the
knife, or dubbed to death with the butts
of rifles. The saints and soUages We'd
with each other in tearing the jewelry
from the ears and fingers of the women,
and stamping in the faces of the dead
and dying. Several of the women were
outraged and then killed.. One man held
a child in his arms, and refusing to give
1t up, Lee killed both him and the child
with one shot. 1t is stated that one of
Lees sons interfered to save the life of a
young lady, but Lee, reaching over his
sons shoulder, shot her dead. He is also
accused of taking an infant by the heels
and dashing its brains out against the
rocks. In very short time not one of
that goodly company, who, but few
hours before were full OF life and hope,
was left to tell the tale with the excep-
ton Of IL small children. Some of these
were afterward quietly buried, because
they recognized articles of wearing APP
parel. etc., that had once belonged to
their parents The monster Klingen-
smith, one of the participators, admitted
to his mining partner, few years since
that he was obliged to take one of the
saved children to the mountains for a
load Of wood, and leare him there be-
cause ne knclu too much!
a. oaid Mrs. Klingensmith to the writer
A,ter the children We're brought in, I
LUX little girl only or. 9 months of
S86, 8QQ aS She WAS inst about the are of