FEATURE — When considering the date it happened and the carnage that took place, one could call the Mountain Meadows Massacre the first 9/11. It was named for "Colonel" Alexander Fancher who, having already made the journey to California twice before, had become its main leader. [24] Carleton later said it was "a sight which can never be forgotten." Initial reports of the incident date back at least to October of 1857 in the Los Angeles Star. [87][88], The first monument for the victims was built two years after the massacre, by Major Carleton and the U.S. Army. Brigham Young to Isaac C. Haight, September. [61] As a result of this oath, several Mormon apostles and other leaders considered it their religious duty to kill the prophets' murderers if they ever came across them. [63][64][65][66][67], In Cedar City, the teachings of church leaders were particularly strident. Investigations, after interruption by the American Civil War, resulted in nine indictments during 1874. The attackers, promising safe conduct, persuaded the emigrants to lay down their arms. At sentencing, Lee chose to be executed by firing squad. See Patriarchal blessing of Philip Klingensmith, Anna Jean Backus, It is uncertain whether the Missouri Wildcat group stayed with the slow-moving Baker–Fancher party after leaving Salt Lake City. The prosecution called Daniel Wells, Laban Morrill, Joel White, Samuel Knight, Samuel McMurdy, Nephi Johnson, and Jacob Hamblin. When Smith returned to Salt Lake, Brigham Young met with these leaders on September 1, 1857, and encouraged them to fight against the Americans in the anticipated clash with the U.S. Army. Will Bagley describes John D. Lee’s role in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. After two trials in the Utah Territory, Lee was convicted by a jury, sentenced to death, and executed by Utah firing squad on March 23, 1877. Whatever the legal situation, she thought of herself as an unmarried woman. [38] This time, Lee was convicted. Then, as the band of 137 proceeded southward toward Cedar City, they were ambushed, and all except the young children were massacred. During the militia's first assault on the wagon train, the emigrants fought back, and a five-day siege ensued. Young issued various orders, urging the local population to prepare for the arrival of the troops. The Baker/Fancher Wagon Train consisted of more than 150 men, women and children. Seventeen of the children were later reclaimed by the U.S. Army and returned to relatives in Arkansas.[20]. The horrific crime, which spared only 17 children age six and under, occurred in a highland valley called the Mountain Meadows, roughly 35 miles southwest of Cedar City. In 1857, following the so-called Mountain Meadows massacre, when more than 100 non-Mormon settlers were murdered by a combined force of Mormons and Native Americans, Pres. Wilford Woodruff, who later became President of the Church, claimed that upon reading the inscription on the cross, which read, "Vengeance is mine, thus saith the Lord. The U.S. posted bounties of $500 ($10109[33] in present-day funds) each for the capture of Haight, Higbee and Stewart, while prosecutors chose not to pursue their cases against Dame, Willden and Adair. If the bones found in 1999 have been reinterred by official fiat, and most of the relics of the massacre remain undiscovered, the valley is still littered with the debris of unsettled history. The Mountain Meadows Massacre Utah is known as being the "Mormon State" because of its early American history of how it was settled. Mason: The Mountain Meadows Massacre was the tragic culmination of several different historical forces in early Mormonism. He claimed that he reluctantly participated in the massacre and only to bury the dead who he thought were victims of an Indian attack. By Sept. 11, the Mormons feared that the settlers had realized their identities. [68] Col. William H. Dame, the ranking officer in southern Utah who ordered the Mountain Meadows massacre, received a patriarchal blessing in 1854 that he would "be called to act at the head of a portion of thy Brethren and of the Lamanites (Native Americans) in the redemption of Zion and the avenging of the blood of the prophets upon them that dwell on the earth". Mormons were required to stockpile grain, and were enjoined against selling grain to emigrants for use as cattle feed. ", "Eyring expresses regret for pioneer massacre", LDS Church Apologizes for Mountain Meadows Massacre, "Mountain Meadows now a national historic landmark", "Archaeologist: Mountain Meadows Massacre graves found", "Voices of the Mountain Meadows descendants", "The Mountain Meadows Massacre: An Analytical Narrative Based on Participant Confessions", "Utah and the Mormons: a Speech on the Admission of Utah as a State", "The Paiute Tribe of Utah/The Mountain Meadows Massacre", "Fatal Convergence in the Kingdom of God: The Mountain Meadows Massacre in American History", "Mountain Meadows Massacre Trials (John D. Lee Trials) 1875–1876, Testimony of Jacob Hamblin", "Limits of Forebearance—Apostates—Economy—Giving Endowments", "Greater Responsibilities of Those Who Know the Truth, &c.", "Testimony of Philip J Klingensmith in the First trial of John D. Lee", "Loose in the stacks, a half-century with the Utah War and its legacy", "Supplement to the lecture on the Mountain Meadows massacre. (A Mormon who listened to a sermon by Young in 1849 recorded that Young said "if any one was catched stealing to shoot them dead on the spot and they should not be hurt for it"); See Patriarchal blessing of William H. Dame, February 20, 1854, in Harold W. Pease, "The Life and Works of William Horne Dame", M.A. Covered wagons traveling in Utah shortly before the Mountain Meadows Massacre, September 1857. When a signal was given, the militiamen turned and shot the male members of the Baker–Fancher party standing by their side. In 1858, Young sent a report to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs stating that the massacre was the work of Native Americans. [2] By contemporary standards the Baker–Fancher party was prosperous, carefully organized, and well-equipped for the journey. While the emigrants were camped at the meadow, nearby militia leaders, including Isaac C. Haight and John D. Lee, made plans to attack the wagon train. While on his return trip to Salt Lake City, Smith camped near the Baker–Fancher party on August 25 at Corn Creek, (near present-day Kanosh) 70 miles (110 km) north of Parowan. [30], Lee was arrested on November 7, 1874. [98][99], In 2011, the site was designated as a National Historic Landmark after joint efforts by descendants of those killed and the LDS Church. The men were paired with a militia escort. I do not think you can dissociate what happened at Mountain Meadows from the experience of the Saints earlier, before they got to Utah. The massacre occurred September 7–11, 1857 at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah, and was perpetrated by Mormon settlers belonging to the Utah Territorial Militia (officially called the Nauvoo Legion), together with some Southern Paiute Native Americans. Members of the militia were sworn to secrecy. Categories & Site Details: Gold, Gold & Doubloons, Lost Forgotten History, Massacre Sites, Mountain Meadows Massacre, Mysteries Mountain Meadows… The Utah War delayed any investigation by the U.S. federal government until 1859, when Jacob Forney,[23] and U.S. Army Brevet Major James Henry Carleton conducted investigations. As a result, militia commander William H. Dame ordered his forces to kill the emigrants. Lee told the battle-weary emigrants that he had negotiated a truce with the Paiutes, whereby they could be escorted safely the 36 miles (58 km) back to Cedar City under Mormon protection in exchange for turning all of their livestock and supplies over to the Native Americans. [46] The first detailed and comprehensive work using modern historical methods was The Mountain Meadows Massacre in 1950 by Juanita Brooks, a Mormon scholar who lived near the area in southern Utah. [76], Scholars have asserted that George A. Smith's tour of southern Utah influenced the decision to attack and destroy the Fancher–Baker emigrant train near Mountain Meadows, Utah. After arriving in Salt Lake City, the Baker–Fancher party made their way south along the Mormon Road, eventually stopping to rest at Mountain Meadows. These children were taken in by local Mormon families. The forensic evidence showed that the remains of the males had been shot by firearms at close range and that the remains of the women and children showed evidence of blunt force trauma. The events of the Mountain Meadows Massacre were absolutely appalling. The Mountain Meadows Monument Foundation has expressed their desire that the sites are conserved and given national monument status. Documented by Timothy Draper. [90] By some reports, the monument was destroyed in 1861, when Young brought an entourage to Mountain Meadows. [60] In their Endowment ceremony, faithful early Latter-day Saints took an oath to pray that God would take vengeance against the murderers. However, in Young's only known correspondence prior to the massacre, he told the Church leaders in Cedar City: In regard to emigration trains passing through our settlements, we must not interfere with them until they are first notified to keep away. Historians have ascribed the massacre to a number of factors, including strident Mormon teachings in the years prior to the massacre, war hysteria, and alleged involvement of Brigham Young. "[26] Possibly as a protective measure against the mistrusted federal court system, Mormon territorial probate court judge Elias Smith arrested Young under a territorial warrant, perhaps hoping to divert any trial of Young into a friendly Mormon territorial court. [35] This trial led to a hung jury on August 5, 1875. [101] Other descendant groups have been more hesitant in accepting the sites as legitimate grave markers. In 1867 C.V. Waite published "An Authentic History Of Brigham Young" which described the events. As soon as Church leaders were made aware of the truth of what happened, they took action against those involved. At the time of the Fanchers' arrival, the Utah Territory was organized as a theocratic democracy under the lead of Brigham Young, who had established colonies along the California Trail and Old Spanish Trail. There is no evidence to support this. See. Some of the property of the dead was reportedly taken by the Native Americans involved, while large amounts of their valuables and cattle were taken by the Mormons in Southern Utah, including John D. Lee. Carleton invited readers to consider a potential explanation for the rumors of misdeeds, noting the general atmosphere of distrust among Mormons for strangers at the time, and that some locals appeared jealous of the Fancher party's wealth. [13] The Baker–Fancher party defended itself by encircling and lowering their wagons, wheels chained together, along with digging shallow trenches and throwing dirt both below and into the wagons, which made a strong barrier. [42][43]A notable report on the incident was made in 1859 by Carleton, who had been tasked by the U.S. Army to investigate the incident and bury the still exposed corpses at Mountain Meadows. The massacre has been treated extensively by several historical works, beginning with Lee's own Confession in 1877, expressing his opinion that George A. Smith was sent to southern Utah by Brigham Young to direct the massacre.[45]. [11] What Haight told Lee remains a mystery, but considering the timing it may have had something to do with Council's decision to wait for advice from Brigham Young. This resulted in an order to kill all the emigrants,[16] with the exception of small children. [40] Brigham Young stated that Lee's fate was just, but not a sufficient blood atonement, given the enormity of the crime.[41]. As the Baker-Fancher train camped at Mountain Meadows, some of the residents of Cedar City and the surrounding areas determined that some action needed to be taken against the emigrants. [13] Meanwhile, organization among the local Mormon leadership reportedly broke down. Forney concluded that the Paiutes did not act alone and the massacre would not have occurred without the white settlers,[23] while Carleton's report to the U.S. Congress called the mass killings a "heinous crime",[9] blaming both local and senior church leaders for the massacre. The Mountain Meadows Massacre happened on September 11, 1857. [26] Cradlebaugh attempted to arrest John D. Lee, Isaac Haight, and John Higbee, but these men fled before they could be found. In 1872, it excommunicated some of the participants for their role in the massacre. This group was initially referred to as both the Baker train and the Perkins train, but after being joined by other Arkansas trains and making its way west, was soon called the Baker–Fancher train (or party). He met with many of the eventual participants in the massacre, including W. H. Dame, Isaac Haight, John D. Lee and Chief Jackson, leader of a band of Paiutes. Initially, the LDS Church denied any involvement by Mormons, and was relatively silent on the issue. He issued a report in May 1859, addressed to the U.S. Assistant Adjutant-General, setting forth his findings. Mountain Meadows Massacre, (September 1857), in U.S. history, slaughter of a band of Arkansas emigrants passing through Utah on their way to California. James Buchanan, believing the Mormons to be in a state of open rebellion, ordered some 2,500 soldiers to Utah to replace Young, who had…. Haight and Dame were, in addition, the senior regional military leaders of the Mormon militia. Important additional testimony recently received", "Eleanor McLean and the Murder of Parley P. Pratt", "LDS 'Headquarters Culture' and the Rest of Mormonism: Past and Present", Malinda (Cameron) Scott Thurston Deposition, "Shining New Light on the Mountain Meadows Massacre (2003 FairMormon Conference)", "Proclamation of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints", "Instructions to the Bishops—Men Judged According to their Knowledge—Organization of the Spirit and Body—Thought and Labor to be Blended Together", "To Know God is Eternal Life—God the Father of Our Spirits and Bodies—Things Created Spiritually First—Atonement by the Shedding of Blood". He recorded Hamblin's account that the train was alleged to have poisoned a spring near Corn Creek; this resulted in the deaths of 18 head of cattle and two or three people who ate the contaminated meat. Scott G. Kenney, ed., Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 9 vols. They anticipated several days of rest and recuperation there before the next 40 miles (64 km) would take them out of Utah. [100], In 2014, archaeologist Everett Bassett discovered two rock piles he believes mark additional graves. [11] The Council resolved to take no action until Haight sent a rider, James Haslam, out the next day to carry an express to Salt Lake City (a six-day round trip on horseback) for Brigham Young's advice, as Utah did not yet have a telegraph system. Of the men indicted, only John D. Lee was tried in a court of law. As Frank implies in … “The Mountain Meadows Massacre,” Ensign, Sept. 2007). Brigham Young sought to enlist the help of Native American tribes in fighting the "Americans", encouraging them to steal cattle from emigrant trains, and to join Mormons in fighting the approaching army. "[91][92] In 1932 citizens of the surrounding area constructed a memorial wall around the remnants of the monument. [73] They were also affected by the report to Brigham Young that the Baker–Fancher party was from Arkansas where Pratt was murdered. In 2005 a replica of the U.S. Army's original 1859 cairn was built in Carrollton, Arkansas; it is maintained by the Mountain Meadows Monument Foundation. Brigham Young removed some participants including Haight and Lee from the LDS Church in 1870. War hysteria preceding the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Conspiracy and siege of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Killings and aftermath of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Investigations and prosecutions relating to the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Mountain Meadows Massacre and Mormon public relations, Mountain Meadows Massacre and Mormon theology, Brigham Young and the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Remembrances of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Utah State Division of Parks and Recreation, Burying The Past: Legacy of The Mountain Meadows Massacre, American Massacre: The Tragedy At Mountain Meadows, September 1857, National Register of Historic Places portal, List of National Historic Landmarks in Utah, National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Utah, "Jacob Hamblin: A Narrative of His Personal Experience Fifth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series (Chapter VI)", "Laban Morrill Testimony—Witness for the Prosecution at Second Trial of John D. Lee September 14 to 20, 1876 (Mountain Meadows Massacre Trials (John D. Lee Trials) 1875–1876)", "Mountain Meadows Massacre Site in Utah by Phil Konstantin", "Mountain Meadows Massacre, Affidavit of Philip Klingensmith", "Visit of the Superintendent of Indian Affairs to Southern Utah", "Charge (Orally delivered by Hon. In particular, they were officially expelled from the state of Missouri during the 1838 Mormon War, during which prominent Mormon apostle David W. Patten was killed in battle. The Mountain Meadow Massacre was a tragedy that should not have happened. After gathering up the skulls and bones of those who had died, Carleton's troops buried them and erected a cairn and cross.[24]. The victims, most of them from Arkansas, were on their way to California with dreams of a bright future. Lee. The remaining personal property of the Baker–Fancher party was taken to the tithing house at Cedar City and auctioned off to local Mormons. You must not meddle with them. However, in May 1857, just months before the Mountain Meadows massacre, apostle Parley P. Pratt was shot dead in Arkansas by Hector McLean, the estranged husband of Eleanor McLean Pratt, one of Pratt's plural wives. The Mountain Meadows Massacre was a series of attacks which resulted in the mass murder of 120 members of the Baker–Fancher emigrant wagon train. The Native American chiefs were reluctant, and at least one objected they had previously been told not to steal, and declined the offer.[79]. Check out our previous conversations with historian Will Bagley. Brigham Young to Isaac C. Haight, 10 September 1857, Letterpress Copybook 3:827–28, Brigham Young Office Files, LDS Church Archives. [39] In his final words before his sentence was carried at Mountain Meadows on March 23, 1877, Lee professed that he was a scapegoat for others involved. 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