The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-03-30

prayer-circle and then more speeches
were made, and it was agreed by all
parties that it was the will of God for us
to do as we were ordered.
flag of truce was then sent forward.
1t was carried by William Bateman.
He was met halfway by the emigrants,
and they held parley with him. Bate
man then returned and reported that the
emigrants would surrender their arms
and do as they had been requested. The
Mormon soldiers then marched out to
within 200 yards of the emigrants. They
next took the wagons and went to the
camp and stated their orders The emf
grants then surrendered and put their
arms, sick and wounded, and children
into the wagons. While they were bury
ing their dead mens the emigrants burst
into tears and said they feared treachery.
AS soon as the wagons were loaded the
train was started. The emigrants
marched in single file, the, women and
large children being ahead. Then the
men came. When the wagons were half
mile off the firing commenced. The
Indians killed all the women and large
children, the Mormons killed the men,
and the drivers with me killed the sick
and wounded. We saved seventeen
children. The dead were stripped and
field. The horrors attending the mas
sacre of the emigrants were beyond my
description. 1 went to Salt Lake City
and made my report to Brigham Young
ten days after the massacre. l told him
all, everything, who were there, who
were guilty, and who were active in kill
ing the emigrants; in fact, all knew. l
said to him, "You must sustain us, or
release us from the endowment oath
to avenge the death of the proph-
ets." Brigham Young said 81 will COM
municate with God" went back next
morning, when Young said Brother
Lee, not n drop of innocent blood has
been shed. have gone to God in prayer.
God has shown me it was a just act. The
people did right, but were only little
hasty. l have direct evidence from God
| that the act was q just one, and that it
was in accord with Gods 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"
CIRCUMSTANCES OF LEE HORRIBLE CRIME.
| From New York World Interview with Judge Nc
Kean, 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.
:" suppose your memory does not ex-
tend back to the time of the massacre it.
self, )" said Judge Mexican. +" It was in
| 1S57--toward the fall of that year, I
think. So you see it is almost twenty
years ago. President Pierce had APP
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 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
emigrants that ever started for the far
West. They came from Kansas and Mis-
souri,"
How many were there in the com
pany?
"Well, there were from 100 to 100
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 emigrant 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, pissed 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
withstanding 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"
g And it was there that they were at
tackled ?"
"While there they saw a 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 rifle 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. 1t was after
ward discovered, however, that there were
both Indians and white men present the