The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-03-29

was LII accord W1Cn UOU S Will. sustain
you and all your brethren in all you did.
All [ fear is treachery on the part of the
brethren concerned Go home and tell
the brethren [ sustain them. Keep all
secret as the grave. Never tell any one,
and write me letter laying all the blame
to the Indians. ] will then report to the
United States Government that it was an
Indian massacre"
From New York World Interview with Judge Nc
Mean, of Utah.
Learning that Judge Mexican, of the
United States District Court for Utah,
was stopping at the Astor House, a
World reporter questioned him as to the
circumstances of the Mountain Meadow
massacre.
Sc suppose your memory does not ex-
tend back to the time of the massacre it.
self, said Judge Mexican. SIT was in
1657-toward the fall of that year. I
think. So you see it is almost twenty
years ago. President Pierce had ap-
pointed Brigham Young to be Territorial
Governor, and when Buchanan came in
he appointed man named Cummings to
succeed him. Brigham Young rebelled
against this and prepared to prevent
Cummings from taking possession of the
Government. Col. Albert Sidney John
ston, who was already known as an ex-
cellent, brave officer, was marching across
the plains at the head of the United
States troops, under orders to suppress
any forcible resistance that might be Of
fered against the new Governor. About
this time it happened that a very large
company of emigrants, who were on their
way to California, stopped at Salt Lake
City for supplies. This was one of the
largest and best equipped companies of
emlgrants that ever started for the far
West They came from Kansas and Mis-
souri,.
Glow many were there in the com
pany?"
"Well, there were from 12O to 1870
killed, and fifteen or seventeen children
besides, who were saved, but the exact
number of the whole company before the
massacre is not known AS [ was telling
you, the emigrants put in at Salt Lake
City for supplies, but were refused all
facilities to procure them. After SOM
delay they left the city and started off on
their long march across the plains. A
few days afterward George A. Smith,
generally recognized as Brigham Young's
right-hand man, also left Salt Lake
City, passed the emigrant train, visited
the settlements through which it would
have to pass, and gave orders forbidding
anybody to furnish the emigrants with
supplies upon any consideration. Not
w1thstanding these hardships, the emf
grants pushed on till they came to the
Mountain Meadows, in the southwestern
corner of the Territory. There they
made halt to feed their CATTLE
"And it was there that they were at
tackled ?"
"While there they saw company of
horsemen advancing toward them, and,
fearing that it was an enemy, they hasti-
ly formed corral of their wagons and
baggage, within which they gathered
their company and effects, and prepared
to defend themselves. They were pretty
well armed When the advancing party
had come within rife shot they appeared
to be all Indians, and for many years
after the massacre it was generally be-
heved that there were no white men
among the murderers. It was after
ward discovered, however, that there were
both Indians and white men present, the
whites being disguised as Indians. The
attacking party Immediately opened fire.
The emigrants returned it, and as often
as they got an opportunity they scooped
out holes In the ground and let down the
wheels OF their wagons so that the boxes
would make better defense. The emf
grants could not have been overcome by
such force if the enemy had not resort
ed to strategy. There was spring near
by where the emigrants were corralled,
and the enemy soon took measures to
cut off the supply of water. Having
been compelled to suffer the pangs OF
thirst for long time, they finally clothed
number of their little girls in white,
and started them off to fetch water from
the spring. The murderers opened fire
on the children, and they were obliged
to put back. Still the emigrants main
tanned strong defense, and at last two |
or three from the attacking parry APP
preached them under flag of truce. |
Some of the emigrants went out and a
parley was held. The leader of the at
lacking party, who, although dressed
like an Indian, spoke English fuently,
demanded surrender, promising to