The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-03-25
MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE.
History of the Mormon Butchery
Managed by John D. Lee, Who Was
Shot Last Friday

Shot Last Friday
The story of the execution of John
D. Lee, the Mountain Meadows butcher,
was told yesterday. The trial of
Lee, embracinga period of almost three
years, has attracted widespread atten-
tion. The massacre had almost been
forgotten when Lee was arrested in
1874. Indeed, the facts in the case
were never developed until after his
trial was begun, and even now there
seem lurking mysteries which it was
hoped that he would explain before his
death.
The butchery at Mountain Meadows
occurred in tae spring of 1857, just
about twenty years before his execu-
tion. The party who were made to
suffer at the hands of the Latter Day
Demons numbered about 140 people
who had started late in 1855 from Ar
kansas to go to California. The paSty
was led by few men who had visited
the Pacific coast during the early dis
coveries, and is said to have been one
of the most completely equipped that
attempted the journey in those days.
1t attracted the attention of the avar-
icious Mormons, and they feeling a
deep grounded spite at all mankind
outside the pale of their church, de-
termined to have the property and the
lives of the emigrants. They pretended
that at that time of the season, the emf
grants could not go by the usual route
over the Sierra Nevada mountains,
and gave them directions for following
path further south which would lead
them to Los Angeles. The advice was
accepted, and the emigrants passed
quietly along through Utah for several
days, until they came to a beautiful
green spot in tine mountains with which
they were so delighted that they deter
mined to camp for while. This was
Mountain Meadows, then and now a
most enti6 ing spot, the scene of one of
most brutal human slaughters on
record.
The emigrants had been in camp but
few days when they were attacked by
band of men whom they supposed to
be Indians. They were, however, mis-
taken in this supposition, as the Indian
garb was only assumed by the Nor
mons with the hope of covering for all
time to come with the war paint the
track of their high-handed lawlessness.
The emigrants prepared to defend
themselves by packing their wagons
into piles as Notifications and leaving
Way open to obtain water and fuel.
The besiegers mafie several sallies, but
succeeded in doing no further damage
than that occasioned by the lodging of
~ ~,
and the loss of some of their animals.
The siege was kept up for five days
without any definite result. All this
time the appearances indicated that the
attacking party were savages. They
were dressed and painted like Indians,
and initiated their ways so well as to
completely deceive the emigrants. But
while there were probably few Indians
among the lot, the majority of those
who harrassed the unfortunate travel
ers were members of the Utah militia,
headed by Major John d. Lee. While
the siege lasted some of these fiends
amused themselves by pitching quoits
and indulgiug in other pastimes when
temporarily relieved from duty. AT
last, finding the work tor slow, Lee sent
word back that his fight was not wholly
successful. On receiving this informa-
tion, Lieut.. Colonel Isaac e. IIaight,
of the militia, ordered out reinforce
ments, with Instructions t, those going
to Lees assistance that s'all but the
little children of the party were to be
killed" Haight at this time had just
returned from military headquarters"
at Parowan, where military council
had beeu held, and he was but giving
utterance to the DEGREES of the
Z" Church, :" devoting the company
to destruction. When the rein
forcements joined Major Lee he
massed all the troops near little spring
and made them speech, telling them
''his orders from headquarters were to
kill all but the little children" Then
at the head of his command he ap-
preached the emigrant camp, most of
his mock Indians having meanwhile
discarded paint and feathers. AS he
advanced he sent out flag of truce, to
the great joy of the emigrants, who
dressed pretty young girl of their par
ty all in white and placed her outside
their defenses, to show that they, too,
were disposed to be friendly. Then fol-
lowed parley, and Lee told the emf
grants the hills were alive with Indians.
He advised them to leave their arms as
measure of safety, as the Indians
wanted plunder and not blood, and his
men would protect them back to the
Mormon settlements. The emigrants
at irst objected. but finally consented,
and marched out of their Notifications
without the least apprehension of dam
ger from their professed friends. Not
an Indian was in sight at this time. By
Lees order the men were separated
from the women ard children, the lat
ter going to the front. Half mile the
devoted band had scarcely gone from
the camp when, at the monster Lees
command, they were shot dead, every
one except the seventeen little children
of the party whose lives the "council'
had ordered should be spared.
One hundred and twenty men women
and children were slain in cold blood.
Before the women of the party had
all been killed, one young girl is re-
ported to have rushed from the crowd
toward Lee. She first threw herself
on her knees before him and begged
him to let her live. She then rose up
and, twining her arms about his neck,
cried to him to spare her; that she