Mountain Meadows Massacre
(This article was submitted by happy@redrock.net
for posting on this web site. If you have questions or comments regarding this
page please feel free to contact him directly.)
A list
of those who were killed and those who survived the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
THIS HISTORY IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOST ....EMBARRASSING ..HUMILIATING..
DEMORALIZING .....LEAST KNOWN ... ACT OF ...VENGEANCE ...AND ....HATRED... THE
MORMON CHURCH EVER COMMITTED IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES DURING IT'S SO CALLED
MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT IN THE NEW ZION. AND ALL IN THE NAME OF GOD...
Before I start my story I would like to give a short history and story of
our exodus out of Mormonism. We are five generation Mormons and were very active
in the L.D.S church for thirty six years. When we first became active in the
church we had had one of our children killed in a freak accident in Idaho. She
was, at the time of her death, five years old. We had not been attending church,
or very little. My wife and I were were both from L.D.S parents who did not
believe the church was true. Religion meant very little to us. But upon the
death of our five year old daughter we began to try and find out why God had
taken this special spirit away from us, in such a devastating manner. We wanted
answers. Shortly after her death we became active in the Mormon church.
We jumped in, hook, line and sinker.We believed everything that was taught
about where she was and how we could be with her again.. But there was a catch,
if only we were worthy and could get to the temple and be sealed together ,
that would give us a ticket,.... if you would.... To have our daughter, who
had been killed, and also our other living children sealed together, then we
would be together forever. Well we fell for all the Mormon doctrine never looking
back, we were going to do whatever it took to have that blessing in our lives,
so as we thought?
Then as the years went by, we began to question many things about the church.
We would ask our friends and church leaders questions about what we were finding.
Their reply would be, well, we don't have the answers for some of those questions.
You need to live on faith and some day you will know . We always said well o.k,
and let it go unanswered. We wanted to be together as a family. I started to
think about that family togetherness, and what it meant. Low and behold I began
to realize that it was not going to happen as the church leaders had portrayed
to us.. So think about this..My wife and I leave this life and we go to another
earth to start our own world. First.. my wife will need to be content, with
me having many, many,more wives. That alone makes me very sick, and I know she
would not put up with it anyway. I would not put her through that abuse for
anything. I have studied, read stories, journals and diaries, of my family and
others, who had practiced polygamy, with that knowledge alone I can see that
the church is not true. The Lord would not do that to any of his daughters,
if so, I do not want to live with the ...Mormon God.... But any way getting
back to the family unit. We are on that new planet, starting a new world together
and we want our children to be with us. That's what the church teaches. We will
all be together. Well guess what, our children are on another planet, starting
their new world and the same for their children. We as couples are so busy having
all these children, to populate our new earth, that we will never see our parents,or
the children we have now, let alone any of our past relatives or future ones..Furthermore
me as the priesthood holder and the god of that new world, is getting very tired
... to say the least of... sexual intimacy..., that I am ready to die, just
trying to get it populated..
Well we began to recognized that that was not going to be, and we started
our own research of the ..other.. history of the church, that the church leaders
have been hiding,ever since the beginnings of Mormonism. The more research we
got involved in, the worse it got. To us the church definitely was no longer
....true.... not now.... not ever. It was somewhat difficult, to say the least,
coming out of the deceit and lies that had been given us.. We were also very
uncomfortable with the....holier than thou attitude.... of the Mormon church..
If you want to read our whole story go to Eric A. kettunen, Mormon Recovery
page on the internet (
http://caladan.chattanooga.net/~erickett/index.htm) and go to recovery number
twenty five. It will tell more about our lives and experience.
The mountain meadows massacre was one of many problems, we found with the
Mormon church. That will be the story I will share with you in the following
pages. It will be very difficult to let you see the whole story in just a short
history, but to the end I will make some references as to where you may do your
further research..
We have researched this massacre history very aggressively, and with many
tears. and deep hurting feeling for thoes with who may have been directly or
indirectly involved. We have visited the site many times. We found we had our
own pioneer families involved. We have direct family history and information
from many other writers who have tried to attempt to show the truth and involvement
of the Mormon church. The devastation of countless lives, and never any type
of "apology", from the Mormon Church..... The church has tried continually
to cover this up, and also other church history. They tried to blame the whole
affair on the Native American Indians. As far as the Mormon church is concerned,
it was all done, "In the name of God".. and that there need not be
any ..."apology"....
THE STORY
APOLOGY.. AND HISTORY..
If our ancestors... who were involved , or knew about, the mountain meadows
massacre... were here today, I'm sure they would say something like this.
First... A heart felt apology to my Father in heaven for thinking that you
would sanction the taking of innocent lives of men, women and children all in
the name of Deity.
I apologize... to my Savior, who taught me to love one another, and to value
all people, even to the point of sacrificing his own life for me.
I apologize... to my wife, children and family, I am so sorry that I was
involved in the treacherous murder of all thoes innocent people.
I apologize... for listening to priesthood leaders, who told me this was
the will of the Lord, so that his church could move foreword and avenge the
death of the prophet Joseph Smith.
I apologize... to the men who witnessed my part in what I did on that horrible
afternoon.
I apologize... to the children who witnessed the cruel, senseless murders
of their fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters.
I apologize... to the families of thoes who were brutally murdered by men
who were following orders from Mormon leadership. I do not, excuse myself for
participating in this horrible crime.
I apologize... to the American people for creating such an awful page of
history that will be there forever, to degrade what we call a free country.
In the spring of 1857 a excited but apprehensive group of American settlers
left Missouri to start a new life in the west, a place called California. They,
consisting of approximately 120 men, women and children.The immigrants headed
west with 34 wagons,with what was considered at that time, a very well equipped
and very well organized wagon train. It was estimated that they were carrying
a large sum of gold, so as to purchase land upon their arrival in California.
They also had about 600 head of choice livestock.The estimated value of the
wagon train was $70,000.00.
They arrived in Salt Lake City on or about the sixteenth of august, 1857.
There they purchased some needed supplies and rested. At this point there was
some concern as to the route over the sierra mountains, because of the possibility
of getting involved in a snow storm, as did the Donner party. To be on the safe
side they changed their plans and took the southern route through Utah, a more
favored route for westward travelers for that late in the season. So the decision
was finalized to travel south, which would take them through several Mormon
communities that had been settled for approximately six years. There were also
in Salt Lake City another group of emigrants, called the Missouri wildcats,
that decided to travel with the Fancher party, consisting of 28 more men women
and children, 40 additional wagons, plus additional livestock. The distance
they would travel from Salt Lake City, to mountain meadows would be over three
houndred miles.
After four days of travel from Salt Lake City they found themselves in a
real problem. The Mormon settlements would not sell them any necessary supplies.
The Mormon church president Brigham Young had sent, George A. Smith south ahead
of the wagon train, with instructions not to sell to the wagon train,which was
then called the Fancher party, any type of commodities. Also, the church leaders
were to instruct the members that under no circumstances were they to provide
any help to the wagon train, under penalty of possible harm or death to themselves
or their families. The church history says, that Brigham Young on September
4, 1857 had declared martial law throughout the entire territory, because of
the approaching Johnsons Army that was being sent from the east by orders of
the President of the United States. The purpose for the army coming to Utah
was to have Brigham Young removed as governor of the territory, and install
a new governor. There had been very serious problems with the Utah territorial
political leaders for eight years. There had been numerous complaints of political
abuse. These complaints had been sent to Washington. Church leaders were not
following the laws of the United States government. There was no separation
from church and state. What Brigham Young said and did was law. Brigham Young
stated in a conference talk......"It is reported that I have said that
whosoever the president appoints, I am still governor. I repeat it, all hell
cannot remove me. ....(.cries of amen)... I am still your governor... (cries
of glory to god).....I will still rule this people until god himself permits
another to take my place"... Other government officials had been sent to
Utah to serve in their political capacities to no avail. No one breathed without
Brigham young knowing it. He made all the decisions.
Also there were complaints with problems of polygamy. Anyway the church leaders
took Johnsons army as a real threat. The Mormons said that they were not going
to be run out of their communities any more. They were ready to stand up and
fight. Also, another dilemma with the saints was that Brigham Young had started
what he called the reformation, and blood atonement, which had very much upset
the Mormon people. The reformation was to reform the saints. It was a time of
concession, ....repentance..., and.... renewal of covenants....Disharmony, lack
of faith, cheating, stealing and abuse to each other, that brought the reformation
about. This also included some church leaders. Brigham Young wanted it stopped.
So hence, a reformation that all was to reform and be rebaptised. The preaching
of the blood atonement, whole different story, was in effect at this time...1856-1857....The
blood atonement created a atmosphere of hysterical repentance. If any member
of the church had committed certain crimes, that were unforgivable, then the
only way to have repentance was by the voluntary shedding of your own blood,
in order to have complete forgiveness in the next life. The saints were afraid,
because they knew that the Danites or Brighams destroying angels would see to
it that Brighams will would be carried out.
Another problem that complicated the matter was that Brigham Young had preached
a violent sermon in which he said that ..."There is not a man or woman
who violates the covenants made with their God in the Mormon temple, that will
not be required to pay the debt. The blood of Christ will never wipe that out.Your
own blood must atone for it, and the judgments of the almighty will come, sooner
or later, and every man or woman will have to atone for breaking their covenants".....
journal of discourses vol .111 page 247.
One of the covenants in the temple was that each person going through a session
would toward the end of the endowment stand and raise their right hand to the
square and promise and covenant to god,and swear to avenge the death of their
prophet Joseph Smith. That part of the temple ceremony was started shortly after
Josephs death in 1844 and went until right after the mountain meadows massacre
in 1857, at which time Brigham Young figured that the prophets death had been
avenged, and it was then removed from the temple ceremony. So there was great
termoil in and out of the church, which helped lead up to the problems, facing
the saints and those traveling with the wagon train.
As the wagon train moved south through the settlements there was great uneasiness
on both sides. The Fancher party unable to receive help, and the saints mad
because , there had been rumors that the wagon train had some members with them
that had killed the prophet and that there were among them some who had killed
some of their family members at The Hawns Mill Massacre in Missouri. Other rumors
also made the whole affair very unfortunate. As the train passed through Utah
the emigrants had also been charged with poisoning some of the watering holes.
It was said that some of the saints livestock had drank from the pools and the
livestock had died and Indians had ate the flesh of the dead animals and themselves
died. If the Fancher party had had room to carry with them gallons and gallons
of poison, which it would have taken to have done that, then it could have been
substantiated. It never was. Just another rumor. The train stopped at the fort
in Parowan to rest and let their animals feed, when one of the members of the
train recognized one of the men at a fort. He had been friends with him in Missouri.,
his name was William DeLaney. He went to talk to him and his family and as they
approached the farm house they noticed some onions growing in the front yard
and ask if some could be purchased. The reply was, yes indeed to a friend. the
wife, of William A. Aden, went and pulled half of a sack onions, and gave them
to there friends. A few days later the church leaders found out about it and
sent two Danites or priesthood brothers to the farm and very seriously beat
up the farmer in front of his two wives. He was beaten so bad with a club as
to maim him severely for the rest of his life. He had gone against Brigham Youngs
order, not to give, to the train any type of help what so ever.
On the 7 th, of September, the wagon train continued south to what was called
mountain meadows which was about straight west of Cedar city twenty five miles.
They decided to rest themselves and their livestock and prepare themselves for
the treacherous journey that they had heard lay ahead over the Nevada and California
desert. This was one of the major stopping places for westward travelers. There
was good water to replenish their needs and lots of lush grass to feed their
animals in preparation for the long journey. Little did they know of their ..."fate"....
which lay ahead.
On September 4 th, Brigham Young sent a request to all of the leaders of
the Indian tribes in the Utah territory,to come to Salt Lake City, as soon as
possible. He met with them and told them that ,the U.S.Government was sending
troops to Utah for the purpose of exterminating the Mormons and also, all the
Indian tribes in the territory. So it was necessary for them to join in with
the Mormons, to help fight them off, and save there own people, it created such
a frenzy among the Indian chiefs, that they promised to join in and help the
saints. Brigham Young also met with the chief Kanosh and had a private meeting
with him,he was the Indian chief that was accused of killing Captain John Gunnison
and his men on oct.28 th, 1853, they were in Utah at the time, surveying for
the U.S.Government. There was testimony that the massacre was committed by white
men dressed up as Indians, in the book called The Unsolicited Chronicler by
Robert K.Fielding. It is believed at in that meeting Brigham Young gave chief
Kanosh the order to exterminate the emigrant wagon train,and his reward for
the extermination would be part of the booty and some of the cattle to help
feed his people. At that time Brigham Young also met with George A.Smith, and
gave him the responsibility of making a trip south to warn the settlements and
priesthood leaders of the approaching wagon train, and informing that chief
Kanosh was going to attack the wagon train. But as the story unfolds the Indians
was not capable of doing the deed themselves,so hence the Mormons was left to
finish the job.Then it became the responsibility of George A. Smith to meet
with the priesthood leaders and John D. Lee to make arrangements to wipe out
the Fancher wagon train.
The agreement between Brigham Young with the Indians leaders in Salt Lake
City, was made and put into movement. On the morning of the September 11 th,
1857, the first attack on the train was made at mountain meadows. The members
of the train were not expecting any trouble. They were sitting down to breakfast,
all was very peaceful, then all of a sudden there came from around the small
hills war hoops and cracking of rifles. More than fifty Indians fell upon the
wagon train. The screaming and cries of women and children raged in their mist.
The Indian war hoops were coming from all around them, several of the immigrants
fell dead or mortally wounded. The men secured their arms. Three Indians were
killed and others wounded. The Indians had been promised an easy victory over
the white men, by the big chief in Salt Lake City, Brigham Young, that none
of their people would be injured by the... "enemies of the Lord"...
Naturally the Indians were surprised, as well as frightened at the result, and
hastily withdrew, carrying with them their dead and wounded. They retreated
over the hill. The frightened and angry braves immediately went to John D. Lee
and demanded him to come to the meadows which he did. Upon Lee's arrival the
discontented Indians showed Lee the dead braves and told Lee that failing to
help the Indians would wreak vengeance on the Mormon people. So Lee sent a message
to Saint George, Cedar City, and surrounding towns, to have every available
man come to the meadows immediately. Within twenty four hours there were 55
or more men and some younger boys there to help. Meanwhile the wagon train had
fortified themselves by moving their wagons into a circle and digging in for
protection. Through a chain of events, John D. Lee had been told by his superiors
in the church, and George A. Smith,that he was to do whatever he felt necessary
to appease the Indians, and wipe out the train. His orders were to kill everyone
that was on the wagon train, except small children who he felt were not old
enough to remember what had happened, so as not to tell no tails. His superiors
from Cedar City were Isaac C. Haight, stake president, with John.M.Higby as
his first counselor,second counselor Elias Morris. Bishop of Cedar City at that
time was, Phillip Killingsmith. William. H.Dame. Dame was in charge of the military
over the southern District.
The evening of the 13th, Charles Fancher had sent William A. Aden and two
other young men, from the wagon train for help, they were able to sneak past
the Indians, and rush toward Cedar City , in hopes that the leaders would send
immediate help to the wagon train, to warrant off the Indians. The two men traveled
about 7 miles to a watering hole called Leachey springs, their met up with twenty
men on their way to join in with John D. Lee , at the massacre. Aden approached
the Mormon men and ask for help. Immediately William C. Stewart took out his
rifle and shot and killed William A. Aden, shooting and wounding the other two.
They were able to get back on there horses and return back to the wagon party
and told what had happened, and that there would be no help coming.
The day of the 14th, Lee walked across the meadows to a small hill overlooking
the wagon train, as Lee said ..."to look over the situation"... he
was noticed by some members of the train, they put up a white flag and Charley
Fancher, son of the wagon leader and another boy were immidatly sent out to
talk to Lee, Lee ran and hid from them, because he had not yet decided what
there approach would be. There was no chance for the emigrants, to sneak away
in the night. There was no place to go,only maybe into the hot dry desert, and
they knew that they would parish there, or that the Indians would surely hunt
them down, and kill them, so they had no choice other than to dig in and try
to defend themselves.
With all of what was going on you can imigame the horror and fear on those
women and small children, the crying and despair,the fear within the fathers
for the protection of there families. It must have been a seen even the savior
himself would have had to go away and hide his face and cover his eyes and ears,
so as not to witness. Those people were god fearing people, just wanting to
start a new life in the west..
On the morning of September 15, the Mormon melisha, was called to a prayer
meeting, by John M. Higby. Under the beautiful serenity of heaven,with which
the angles must have looked down with infinite sorrow on the hellish seen, thoes
wretched victims of unquestioning obedience, of superstition and fanaticism,
knelt in a form of a ...prayer circle..
With heads bowed in abject prayer, to an alien god, and each right arm raised
in the form of a square, thoes unhappy dupes listening, while one of .....the
servants of the lord...asked the blessing of there god upon the deeds they were
about to enact, and for divine protection while they were ...avenging the blood
of the prophets, who died in the carthage jail...and the saints who perished
in Missouri and Illinois...the invocation ended, the brethren covented together
with ...council.
The church claims that a messenger by the name of Haslem was sent to Brigham
Young, by priesthood leaders from cedar city, to Salt Lake City, to ask him
what should be done with the wagon train, his response was, return to the meadows
, spare no horse flesh, let the wagon train pass. There was testimony from others
that this was a cover up, to protect Brigham Young, from any involvement in
the massacre.
On the morning of the 15 th, Samual knight was at Jacob Hamblins ranch near
by, was ask to take his two wagons over to the meadows, which was a couple miles
away, he tried all he could to plead, not to go there, he knew what was going
to happen,he said that his wife was ill, and he needed to stay home and take
care of her. But if a leader speaks in mormondom the priesthood member acts..
now...so he did as he was ask,and took the horses and wagons to the meadows.
The massacre was to begin at 2 P.M. on the 15 th,,of September. John D, Lee
and William Bateman,walked toward the circled wagon train, with a white flag
in hopes they could get the immigrants to surrender, if they would then Lee
promised them that he would keep them from harm from the Indians and take them
to cedar city in safety. If they would give up there arms and surrender. The
leaders in the train were very reluctant to do what was ask because of lack
of trust, in the Mormon leaders. but what choice did they have, they were at
the mercy of the Mormon church leaders. The decision was made with reluctance.
The agreement was made to surrender. Lee then called in the wagons from the
Hamblins ranch, and entered into the corraled wagon train. As they entered the
emigrants, were in the process of burying two of the men who had died from there
previous wounds.
John D. Lee describing in his own words from the second trail the incident
as follows...."As I entered the fortifications, men women and children
gathered around me in wild consternation. Some felt that the time of their happy
deliverance had come,while others, although in deep distress and terror.....describing
his sensations,Lee continues.....My position was painful,trying and awful; my
brain seemed to be on fire; my nerves were for a moment unstrung; humanity was
overpowered, as I thought of the cruel, unmanly part I was acting.....I knew
that I was acting a cruel part and doing a damnable deed. Yet my faith in the
godliness of my leaders was such that it forced me to think that I was not sufficiently
spiritual, to act the important part I was commanded to perform"...The
immigrants were ordered to put there guns and ammunition into the wagon, also
ordered the children and the wounded to be put into the other wagon. They told
them, that if they did not hurry ,the Indians would get excited and attack.
The Indians were at that point some 100 strong.
There happened to be a father and son that came up from st George to help
John D. Lee with the massacre, the son told his father upon arrival that he
just could not be involved in this inhumane murder,the boy started to run in
the opposite direction of the massacre site, and the father, told him to return
immediately. For fear of knowing what the church leaders would do to him if
he disobeyed, the priesthood orders. The boy turned around to leave, and the
father shot him in the ear and took off part of his ear, the father knew that
his sons life would be taken, if he disobeyed.
One of the wagons was loaded with the guns, and ammunition, the other with
two wounded men, and some of the small children, thoes that were young enough,
"to tell no tails". They were taken out and started up the road,the
women were next to line they were to follow, behind the first wagon. The men
unarmed were next, they were to follow behind the women single file, 4 feet
apart from each other, the idea was to have the Mormon militia, in a line single
file, up the road waiting. As the emigrants approached the Mormon militia the
order was given by Higby, ...."Do Your Duty".... then each of the
militia was to do there ...."Priesthood Duty".....which they did,
instantly killing each and every one of the men. the Indians was further up
the road and they were instructed to kill all the women and children that were
old enough to remember. It was done at the same time as the men were shot to
death. The women and the children who were on foot ran forward some two hundred
yards, screaming ....Help Us... they were quickly over taken by the Indians
among whom were some, Mormons disguised as Indians. The women fell on their
knees, and with clasped hands pleading in vain for mercy; clutching the garments
of there murders, as they grasped them by the hair, children pleated for life,
meeting with the steady gaze of innocent childhood the demoniac grin of the
savages, who brandished over them with uplifted knives,and tomahawks. There
skulls were battered in, there throats cut, from ear to ear,and while some still
alive, there scalp was torn from there heads. Some of the little ones met with
a more merciful death, one an infant in arms, being shot through the head by
the same bullet that pierced its mothers heart. Of the women none were spared,
and of the children only thoes, who were thought to be no more than 7 years
old.
Two of Lee's men, Samual McMurdy and Samual Knight had the duty of killing
the two wounded men in the wagon. Carrying out there orders, with loaded rifles,
they approached the wagons, where the wounded men lay, calling out..."O
LORD MY GOD"....he exclaimed,... "Receive there spirits,".. raised
there rifles, then shot through the brain of a wounded man, who was laying with
his head on a sick comrade's breast, killing both men. There was one little
girl who was laying on top of her mother, still alive, with one arm clutching
around her mothers neck, crying and her other arm shot mostly off. Most of the
children witnessed the murders of there fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters.
There were two girls one sixteen and, one eighteen, they ran and hid in the
oak brush. The Indian chief found the two girls and brought them to John D.
Lee and said, that they are to pretty to kill. There names were Rachel, and
Ruth Dunlap. It was reported that the girls pled for mercy and told Lee, that
they would work for him, and love him all his life, and serve his needs as to
whatever he wanted them to do, but the girls were both..... Sexually Abused
....and afterwards there throats cut from ear to ear .... There was personal
testimony at the 2ND trial of John D Lee from Jacob Hamblins 15 year old Indian
boy, whom Hamblin had adopted, testified that he sat on the hill above where
the girls were hiding, and wittinessed the sexual abuse and murder of the Dunlap
girls, by John D.Lee.
A survivor, by the name of Charley Fancher the son of the wagon leader was
near the meadows a few years later, and in his childish way said...(some of
the Indians, after the slaughter, went to the little creek, and that after washing
there faces they were white men.)
Dead bodies were striped naked, men, women, and children, mutilated and scalped,
the bodies were taken to a gully and stacked one upon another, and left to the
wolves and the elements.
Now the massacre was over, the men were ordered to come together in a circle,
and was ask to raise there right hand to the square and make packs of secrecy
and life threatening promises to god, that at the peril of their lives was never
to tell or discuss, the incident with anyone, not even there own families. They
were told by priesthood leaders that ..."The will Of The Lord Had Finally
been Appeased."
After the massacre the booty was divided up among the Indians and the Mormons,
they even took the dresses and under clothing right off the dead bodies, and
took it home and washed it and used all of it, The cattle were also divided.
The Mormons received there share and they all returned to there homes to ponder
and suffer all the problems and emotional stress, that was to come..
Two years later,the U.S.Government under the leadership of Major Carelton
and his men, were sent, to gather up the immigrants remains, and give them a
proper burial. They gathered up body parts as far away as one mile, that the
wolves and coyotes had dragged away. They also erected a rock mound as a monument
to the Fancher party,there was a cross that stood ten feet high and six feet
wide, with the inscription ..."VENGEANCE IS MINE, AND I WILL REPAY, SAITH
THE LORD."
Within a couple of years Brigham Young visited the massacre site, on his
way to ST. George Utah, along with 30 or so other men, some church leaders.
He arrived at Mountain Meadows, got off his wagon, and walked around looking
at the monument and cross, then he ordered several of the priesthood leaders,
to completely destroy the cross and rock monument, as to be out of sight, out
of mind, and the words from him was..."VENGINES IS MINE, AND I HAVE TAKEN
IT"..... Later on September 10 th, 1937 a brass ingraved sign at the burial
sight was installed by the Utah Pioneer Trails And Land Association. It was
not until around 1960 that a beauitful monument was erected,with the names of
the emigrants, and a short story of the massacre, at the site.
There were 17 children that survived the massacre, and they were divided
among the Mormon settlers. Later U.S. Government officials was sent to the southern
settlements to gather up the children, and take them back to there extended
family and friends.
Through a chain of events on March 23 th,1877, John D. Lee was tried and
was to bare the blunt, of the massacre, and was later convicted for the murders,
taking the full responsibility of the Mormon leaders and Brigham Young. He was
taken to the Mountain Meadows and there shot and killed, in front of family
and friends. The body was taken to the Panguich cemetery, and there finally
put to rest. Lees final words before he died was...."I Have Been Sacrificed
In A Cowardly, Dastardly Manner, then he continued, ..I Am Ready To Die. I Trust
In God. I Have No Fear. Death Has No Terror... Finally he closed with the words,
Having said this, I feel resigned. I ask the lord, my god, if my labors are
done,to receive my spirit". No others were put on trial for there part
in the massacre. Brigham Young died just five months later,on August 29 1877,of
natural causes.
John D. Lee had in his life 18 polygamist wives and 60 children. Lee had
been sealed to Brigham Young in the temple, for time and all eternity. He was
dedicated to Brigham Young and the church. The church leadership on May 8 1960,
restored his membership and former blessings.
The tragedy of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, is one that is unforgivable,
and one we would all wish had never happened. But it demonstrates what we as
people in a church or churches of religious fanaticism, can allow the control
of our minds to become deceived and brainwashed, into doing things we would
not ordinarily participate in. Because we have, or have had, leaders who think
that they have Gods authority and permission and can say, God has commanded
it. Thoes men who were involved, in that horrible deed, would have never allowed
themselves to have done what they did, if church leaders had not have commanded
them to follow ....."Priesthood Leadership" ...."All in the name
of God.".....
We might ask ourselves the question today, would we, follow blindly, the
orders, of others, to commit such acts of ....."Inhumanity"........
I also have a list of most of the mormon mitilia and leaders, that was directly
involved in the massacre. If you want one, contact me (happy@redrock.net)
and I will send it to you.
References...
History of Utah 1540 to 1886.. Hubert Howe Bancroft.
History Of Utah 1847 to 1869.. Andrew Neff.
Personal History..
Mormons And Mormonism in The U.S. Government Documents..Fales and Flake.
John Doyle Lee.. Jaunita Brooks.
Mountain Meadows Massacre.. Jaunita Brooks.
Mountain Meadows Massacre.. Josiah F. Gibbs.
Lights And Shadows of Mormonism.. Josiah F. Gibbs.
John D. Lee Journals.. John D. Lee.
Mormonism Shadow Or Reality...Gerald And Sandra Tanner.
Rocky Mountain Saints...T.B.H. Stenhouse.
Mysteries And Crimes Of Mormonism... Beadle.
Utah State Historical Society... Salt Lake City Utah.
This is a list of those who were killed and those who survived the Mountain
Meadows Massacre that occured in Southern Utah in September of 1857. They were
attacked by Mormon Pioneers and Indians. All adults and children down to the
age of seven were killed. We know that there were more, but because of the circumstances
of the massacre there was a lot of names and information that was hidden or
destroyed by the Mormon leaders, .... The Church of Jesus Christ Of latter day
saints....We have tried to reasearch all we can to make this list complete.
The complete list of those who died may never be known, or all the names of
the survivors.
If you can add to this list with your information please contact James at
engineer_my_dna@mindspring.com
Leaders of the wagon Train - Capt John T. Baker & Capt Alaxander
Fancher
William Allen Aden - age 19
George W. Baker - 27
Manerva A. Beller Baker - 25
Mary Lovina - 7
Melissa Ann Beller - 14
David W. Beller - 12
John T. Baker - 52
Able Baker - 19
John Beach - 21
William Cameron - 51
Martha Cameron - 51
Tillman Cameron - 24
Isom Cameron - 18
Henry Cameron - 16
James Cameron - 14
Martha Cameron- 11
Larkin Cameron - 9
William Camerons Niece...Nancy - 12
Allen P. Deshazo - 20
Jesse Dunlup Jr- 39
Mary Wharton Dunlap - 39
Ellender Dunlap - 18
Nancy M. Dunlap - 16
James D. Dunlap - 14
Lucinda Dunlap (Twin sister) - 12
Susannah Dunlap Twin sister) - 12
Margerette Dunlap - 11
Mary Ann Dunlap - 9
Lorenzo Dow Dunlap - 42
Nancy Wharton Dunlap - 42
Thomas J. Dunlap - 17
John H. Dunlap - 16
Mary Ann. Dunlap - 13
Tilitha Emaline Dunlap - 11
Nancy Dunlap - 9
America Jane Dunlap - 7
William M. Eaton
Silas Edwards - ?
Alexander Fancher - 45
Eliza Ingram Fancher - 32
Hampton Francher - 19
William Francher - 17
Mary Francher - 15
Thomas Francher - 14
Martha Francher - 10
Sarah G. Francher - 8
Margaret A. Francher - 7
James Mathew Fancher - 25
Frances Fulfer Fancher - ?
Robert Fancher - 19
Saladia Ann Brown Huff - ?
William Huff - ?
Elisha Huff - ?
Two other Huff sons names unkown or ages.
Peter Huff and Wife name unkown
Francis Huff - ?
Angeline Huff - ?
Annie Huff - ?
Sophronie Huff - ?
Mary Huff - ?
John Milum Jones - 32
Eloah A. Tackitt Jones - 27
One daughter name and age unkown.
Newton Jones - ?
Lawson A McIntire - 21
Josiah or Joseph Miller - 30
Matilda Cameron Miller - 26
James William Miller - 9
Charles R. Mitchell - 25
Sarah C. Baker Mitchell - 21
John Mitchel ... infant
Joel D. Mitchell - 23
John Prewit - 20
William Prewit - 18
Milum L. Rush - 18
Milum L. Rush - 28
Charles Stallcup - 25
Cynthia Tackitt - 49
Marion Tackitt - 20
Sebron Tackitt - 18
Matilda Tackitt - 16
James M. Tackitt - 14
Jones M. Tackitt - 12
Pleasant Tackett - 25
Armilda Miller Tackett - 22
Richard Wilson - ?
Solomon R. Wood - 20
William Wood - 26
Others unkown ?
Childern Known to have survived...
Children of George and Manerva Baker:
Martha Elixabeth Baker - 5
Sarah
Francis Baker - 3
Daughters of Jesse and Mary Dunlup:
Rebecca J. Dunlup - 6
Louisa
Dunlap - 4
Sarah E. Dunlap - 1
Three more children names unkown.
Mountain Meadows Massacre
Last Updated June 24, 1998
Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998 All Rights Reserved.
Created by James David, engineer_my_dna@mindspring.com
URL: http://www.mindspring.com/~engineer_my_dna/mormon/
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