The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-07-08
y MOUNTAIN MEADOW.
ONE OF THE ATROCIOUs CRIMES OF
p TIE WEST.

bly, SIutiIated, Etc.
In work relating to Indian history,
by j. p. Dunn, Jr., recently published
by the Harper's, the author gives vivid
and authentic sketch of the ntrocious
Mountain Meadow massacre, the thought
of which cXcitcs burning Indignation
to-day, although nearly thirty years have
passed since this dark stain on American
annals. AS illustrating the savage spirit
which melted this horrible crimo, the
writer quotes from sermon of Brigham
Young. published in the Dcscrtet News
lust prior to the wholesale murders.
Young tells his congregation: 81 could
refer you to lots Of instances where men
have been righteously slain i'll order to
atone for their sins. | have seen scores
and hundreds Of people for whom there
would have been chance Gin tho last
resurrection there will bc) if their lives
had been taken and their blood spilled
on the ground rs Il smoking Incense to
the Almighty, but who arc now angels to
the devil until our elder brother, Jesus
Christ, raises them up, conqucrs death,
hell and tho grave. 1t is truo that the
blood of tho Son of God was shed for
our sins, but men commit sins which it
can never remit"
thus wrought among his fanatics that
the massacre occurred. During the sum-
mer of 1857 Captain Fanchcrs train,
numbering tifty-siX men and siXty-two
women and children, most of whom were
from northern counties Of Arkansas, at
tempted to cross the mountains cn route
to California. At Salt Lake City the
train was joined by several disaflcctcd
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 arc located. In these meadows
they campcd on the 4th Of September.
Here il, 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 Cali
mia, their 'promised land" On Monday
morning, September 7, rs they were
gathered about the camp fires, vollcy
of muskctry blazcd from the gullcy
through which ran the stream that
watered the meadows. Seven of the OK
pectant travellers were slain and sixteen
wounded at the first fire. The men had
been fronticrmcn too long to
BECOME PANIC STRICKEN.
The women and children hurried to
cover md the men returned the fire,
much to tho surprise of the masking
assailants, who had expected to enjoy an
unresisting massacre. The assailants
were mado up of Mormons masked as
Indians Of Pah, Utter, Upper PLEADS
and Lower PLEADS, and all led by John
ID. Lee, Mormon cider. The response
that the bloody wrctchcs received to their
fire drove them back and they sent after
reinforccmcnts, and while waiting for
the same amused themselves by pitching
quoits, and occasionally shooting the
cattle and firing upon the wagons, which
the travellers had to draw around them
as barricadc and defense. On We'd
nesday q young man named Alden, q son
of Kentucky physician, together with
q companion, succeeded in Guiding the
vigilance of the masked savagcs and get
ting out of the meadows on their way to
Cedar City, where they hoped to secure
aid At Richards Springs they met
three Cedar City men, William G. Stew
art, Joel White and Benjamin Arthur.
AS they stopped to water their horses,
Stewart
SHOT AND KILLED ALDEN,
and White attempted to kill the COM
panion, but succeeded only in wounding
him, when he escaped and made his way
back to camp. His report filled tho
cmigrants with despair. Aden's father
was known to have saved the life Of
Mormon bishop, and yet his son had
been assassinated by Mormon. Already
they had pierced the masks worn by
many of their assaIants to discover that
they were white mcn--wcrc indeed Mor~
mons, fifty-four in number. The Indians
numbered 200. The bcsicgcd prepared
q statement of their desperate condition,
giving as their belief that the Mormons
were their real hcsicgCrs, directing it to
Masons, Odd Fellows and leading rcligi
ous denominations. With this statement
they dispatched three of their best scouts,
directing them to California. The scouts
did not succeed in Guiding the vigilance
of the mrrdcrcrs. They were run down
by Ira Hatch, n Mormon and q leader of
band of Indians, in the Santa Clara
mountains.
TWO OF THEM WERE MURDERED
as thoy slept and the third was wounded
and few days afterward assaSsinatcd.
While the MOrmOns were awaiting re-
Inducements they knclt and formed a
prayer circle and asked for divine guild
ancc. A1tef prayer ono OF tllclf lcitdcIS,
Mayor Higbee, said: 81 have the evil
dence of Gods approval Of ouw mission.
1t is Gods will that we carry out our in
structions to the letter."
In carrying out these instructions they
found it necessary to mako use Of the
basest treachcry. This they did by means
OF white flag borne by Lee and William
Bateman' '"rhey represented to the be-
sleged that the Indians were terribly ex-
cited and thirsted for revenge because of
the loss OF some of their cattle, and thew
promised protection to the omio1nnts i
they would Internationally surrender,
There was 70 alternative. Tho supplies
of the emigrants were giving ont md
inasmuch as the Mormons were the oniV
white people in Utah, there was no hone
for mercy from any othcr source, ThC
terms were accepted, and OH tho morn.
ing of Friday September II, thov 0ovo
up all their guns and ammunition, md
then placed themselves wholly in tho
power of those whose appetite for blood.
shed had but just been whetted. Thoy
malcned out from behind