The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-03-28
The Mormon Massacre.
Vengeance is Nine, | Will Repay,
Saith the Lord.
JUSTICE OVERTAKES A CRIMINAL
AFTER ESCAPING 20 YEARS.
John D. Lee ConfsSses the Blood
Curdling Crime, and Pays the
Penalty.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
PIocHE, New, 81, 1877.
John D. Lee was indicted with several
others by the Grand Jury Of Beaver
county, Utah Territory, on September
2i, 1871, for the crime of murder commit
ted by him in the part he took ut the
Mountain Meadows massacre i'll WASH
ington county, Utah Territory, on Sep
tcmbcr IL, 1857, mt which time 100 men,
women and children, known as tho Az
kansas cmigrant train, passing through
the Territory on their way to California
were attacked by the Indians at the i'll
stigation of the Mormons, and at this
attack seven of the cmigrants were killed
and sixteen wounded. The emigrants
now cntrcnchcd themselves, and the In
dams surrounded them and sent for Lee,
who arrived at the camp late on Tuesday
afternoon and found the Indians in large
force. They demanded that he should
lead the attack. Lee and his cOunsellors
became convinced that it would bo hard
to whip them in their entreanchment and
determined upon trcachcry to get them
out. Accordingly 4 flag of truce was
then sent forward. 1t was carried by
William Bateman. Ha was met half
way by the emigrantS, and they held a
parloy with him. Bateman then return
ed and reported that the emigrants would
surrender their arms and do as they had
been requested. The Mormon soldiers
then marched out to within POO yards OF
the cmigrants.
II SURRENDER.
The emigrants her surrendered and
put their arms, the sick and the wounded
and their children into the wagons
While they were burying their dead men
the cmigrants burst into tears and said
they feared t%reachery. AS soon as the
wagons were loaded the train was started.
The emigrants marched i'll single file, the
women and the large children being
ahead then the men came.
TIE BUTCHEIY.
When the wagons were half q milo GU
of the entrcnchmlent the firing comInenc-
ed. The Indians killed all the women
and large children. The Mormons Elllet
the men. The drivers with Lee killed tho
sick and the wounded. S"cvenenteen OF
the children were saved. The dead were
stripped and mutilated and the corpscs
left on the field, to the number Of 10
Out of the whole number Of emigrants
all persisted except the small chill.
dren who wero supposed to be too young
to be able to give information OF The
the massacre.
SELLING THE sPoILs.
All the wagons and their property con-
sfsting in part, of $40 head of cattle were
sold III Cedar City by the order Of the
Church authorities. All Of these orders
! were fully obcyed. The bloody clothing
of the murdered victims was also taken
to Cedar City and sold for the benefit o.
the Mormon Church.
In order that our readers should bt
able to appreciate the horrible fanaticisn
OF the muruerous crew, we make tho 1ol
lowing extracts from the order given by
Brigham Young, the Mormon High
Priest and King, under which the massa'
ere was committed, and also the rewards
which he promised his bloody allies ant
tools.
EXTRACT FROM LEES CONFESSION,
Major Highly the deputy of Brigham
Young, just previous to the massacre
concluded his harangue to the assassin:
rs follows: .
He spoke Of the character of no m
grants. He said that the Church authori
tics of Southern Utah were all there, AT
that we were acting as a church for the
sake of Christ. We were then told w
were there to do a duty we owed as goot
church people. That the orders of thost
in authority were that all Of the emf
grants that could talk must die. "Out
| orders are from our leaders, we Speal
with inspired tongues, and their word:
are>the will Of good men. You have NJ
right to question them. You obey
as vou'are c~olnlnandcd.' Tho brethren
were sworn again to secrecy. This wa
also done by orGer OF the Church, which
was then at war with the United States
FHL,, ,.o hol n ,,,,,,nr dir
Gle, and then more speeches were made
and it was agreed by all parties that i
was the will of God for us to do as W.
were ordered. Then followed the mas
SacrC.
Lee was then sent to Salt LAX
City to report to Bringham Young tin
details of the massacre, and Young
promised him Il crown CELESTIAL as Il re
ward for what he had done.
LEE CONTINUED:
I went to Salt Lake City and made M,
report to Brigham Young ten days ate
the massacre. l told him all, everything
who were there, who were guilty aEt
who were active in killing the e%lniSrants
in fact, all I knew. l said to him, "Yol
must sustain us or release US from the en-
dOwmcnt oath to avcngc the death Of TIT
prophets.'
BRIGHAM YOUNG'S B~LASPNEMY.
Brigham Young said, II will comnun
icate with God" ! went back nextmorn
ing, when Young said, "Brothcr Lee, no
a drop Of innocent blood has been shed
I have gone to God in prayer. God ha!
shown me it was a just act. The peopl.
did right, but were only a little hasty.
have direct evidence from God that tho &c
was a just one, that it VAS i'll accord will
Gods will. 1 sustain you and the breth
rem in all that you did. All 1 fear i!
treachcry on the part Of the brethr II con
ccrned. Go ho,Eeand tell tho brethren
sustain them. Keep all secret as thu
grave. Never tell any one, and write nj
a letter laying all the blame on the In
dams. I will thel report to the United
States government that it was an 1ndiaI
massacre"
Brigham Young was then and for man
years after fully satisfied with me and my
act. He gave NE three wives after tina
and appointed me Probate Judge o
Washington county. Nothing but cow
ardice has made him desert he now. HI
preached afterwards, on II occasion, n
Cedar City, and said about the emigrants
-"Do you know who they We're? I vii
tell you. They were the fathers, moth
ers, brothers, sisters, unclcs, aunts ant
children of The men who killed the saints
in Jackson county, and afterwards killed
the Prophets in Carthage Jail. Thcil
children are in the poorhouse their rela,
tivcs refuse them because they arc thu
children of thieves, outlaws and murder
ers. l have been told there are many
brethren who are willing to inform OF
those who did this thing. I hope there i,
no truth in the rumor. I hope no sucl
person lives.
A TERRIBLE THREAT.
"If there is, l tell you what your fate
will be. Unless you repent at once, kecI
secret all that You know and protect eacf
ether, you will die q dogs death. You
will soon 90 to hell as damned, lost souls
Let nc hear no more of treachery among
my people. Any n who had proved
traitor there would have met the destroy,
ing angel at once"
As q reason for this wholesale Slaught.
or. Lee SAYS: We were at that time in tho
midst of the excitement of the rct0rma,
ton, and were made to believe by tho
teachings of our leaders that the ~ftlllncs>
of time had come-that the Mornions were
to conquer the world at once and inherit
all the wealth of the universe; that Christ