Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-07-03
MOUNTAIN MEADOW.
One of the Most Atrocious Grimes in the
History of the West.
Nearly One Hundred Emigrants Slaught-
cred and $4,000 Worth of Prop
erty Stolen.
Tho Radios Hnrr,hlu N,+,I;otoJ auI Ioe.
The Bodies Horribly Hutiliated and Left
on the Field.

ny u 4 buhn' j., recently puDt1sleu
by the Harpers, the author gives IA
vivid and authentic sketch of the
! atrocious Mountain Meadow massacre,
the thought of which excites burning
Indignation to-day, although nearly
thirty years have passed since this dark
stain on American annals. As Illus
trating the savage spirit which melted
this horrible crime, the writer quotes
from a sermon of Brigham Young, pub
lished in the Deseret News just prior to
the wholesale murders. Young tells
his congregations: Il could refer you
to lots of instances where men have
been righteously slain in order to atone
for their sins. | have seen scores and
hundreds of people for whom there
would lave seer a chance lin the last
resurrection there will be) if their lives
had been taken and their blood spilled
on the ground AS n smoking incense to
1.-The Almighty, bat who are now angels
TO the devil, until our elder brother,
Jesus Christ, raises them up, conquers
death, hell and the grave. 1t is true
that the blood of the Son of God was
shed for our sins, but men can commit
sins which it ear never remit"
1t was during the zeal which Young
thus wrought among his fanatics that
the massacre occurred. During the
summer Of 1857 Captain Fancher's
train, numbering tifty-siX men and six
tv-two women and children, most of
whom were from northern counties of
Arkansas, attempted to cross the noun
tains en- route to California. At Salt
Lake City the train was joined by sew
eral disaffeeted Mormons. In the train
were thirty good wagons, as many
mules and horses and 600 cattle. Their
route lay through southwestern Utah,
where the Mountain Meadows are To-
Gated. In these meadows they campcd
on the 4th of September. Here is the
national divide. They were on the
edge of the Pacific slope. They Just
began TO realize their hopes, for they
could almost look over into California.
their promised land On Monday
morning. September Z, as they were
gathered about the camp fires, Il vollcy
of musketry blaZed from a gullcy
.l,L.l ,-l,.h r,n +l, -, ylnt
watered the meadows. Seven of the
expectant travellers were slain and six
teen wounded at the first fire. The
men had been fronticrsmen too long to
BECOME PANIC-sTRICKEN.
The womcn and children hurried to
cover and the men returned the fire,
much to the surprise of the masking
assailants. who had expected TO enjoy
an unresisting massacre. The asSail-
ants were made up of Mormons masked
as Indians of Pah. Utter, Upper Pi-
Eads and Lower Pleads, and al led
by John ID. Lee, a Mormon elder. The
response that the bloody wretcheS re.
ceived to their fire drove them back
and they sent after reinforcements, and
while waiting for the same amused
themselves by pitching quoits, and oc
c~asionally shooting the cattle and firing
upon the wagons, which the travellers
had to draw around them rs n BARR
cade and defense. On Wednesday ;
young man named Alden, Il son of ;
Kentucky physician, together with ;
companion, succeeded in Guiding tho
x;sI,,,,. "a ~, ,,a.lnl ,,,v,r, mn,
getting out of the meadows on theil
way TO Cedar City, where they hopeC
to secure aid. At Richards Springs
they met three Cedar City men, VIII
lam G. Stewart, Joel White and Ben
jamin Arthur. As they stopped tC
water their horses Stewart
SHOT AND KILLED ALDEN,
nd White attempted to kill the com
panion, but succeeded only in wound,
inc him. when he escaped and made
his way back TO camp. His report filled
the emigrauts with despair. Aden's
father was known to have saved the
life of q Mormon bishop, and yet his
son had been killed by a Mormon. AL,
ready they had pierced the masks worn
DN t1clT dSSdlldlilS w hlSCoNti ila 1H'N
were white men-were indeed Nor
mons, ffty-four in number. The In
dams numbered about 200. The be
sieged prepared a statement OF their
desperate condition, giving as their be-
lief that the Mormons were their real
b~esiecers, directing it to Masons, Odd
Fellows and leading religious denomi-
nations. With this statement they dis
patched three Of their best scouts. di-
recting them to California. The scouts
did not succeed in eluding the vigilence
of the murderers. They were run down
by Ira Hatch, a Mormon and "A leader
of a band of Indians, in the Santa Clara
Aountains.
TWO OF THEM WERE MURDERED
rs they slept and the third was wound
ed, and a few days aftcrward assassin
ated.
While the Normons were awaiting
reinforcements they knelt and formed a
PRAYER circle and asked for Divine
guidance. After prayer n OF their
leaders, Mayor Higbee, said: 81 have