Mountain Meadow Massacre

There are people in this world who are evil, and they come from all walks of life, from all occupations, and from all religions or the lack thereof. One of those evil men was a man named John Doyle Lee, a pioneer and early prominent leader of the Mormon church in Utah. He was also a leader in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and he was the only man ever to be punished for the 120 people who were slaughtered on September 11, 1857. On that day, approximately 120 – 150 men, women, and children in a wagon train from Arkansas were murdered by a band of Mormons set on a holy (or unholy) vengeance. This vicious massacre became known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and the story of this event continues to generate fierce controversy and deep emotions to this day.

In April of 1857, the wagon train assembled near Crooked Creek, Arkansas, approximately four miles south of present-day Harrison. They were California-bound. In addition to the people, the group included hundreds of draft and riding horses and about 900 head of cattle. When the train began its journey, it was called the Baker train, but while they were en route, it became known as the Fancher train.

This trip took place during a time of unrest among the Mormon people of Utah. President James Buchanan was receiving distorted reports of terrible activities in the state, so he sent a new governor to replace Brigham Young, the Mormon governor in office. At the same time, there were widely reported news reports that President Buchanan had ordered a large contingent of the US Army to Utah to suppress what he believed was a “Mormon rebellion.” Whether they were true reports or rumors, made no real difference, the result was the same. Tensions mounted, and it was a recipe for disaster.

Because they didn’t know who might be coming or by what means, a general distrust of outsiders and non-Mormons began, as the Mormon people feared their destruction by the federal government. Brigham Young proclaimed martial law on August 5 and forbade people from traveling through the territory without a pass. He also discouraged the people of Utah from selling food to immigrants, especially for animal use. It was into this climate that the trail weary emigrants arrived in Salt Lake City on August 10, 1857. At a critical stop, the wagon train members needed to repair their equipment, refresh themselves and their stock, and replenish their supplies. The once friendly Mormons, usually eager to trade agricultural commodities for manufactured goods, were now hostile and reluctant to trade.

As the left the city, they were told to take the southern route, because the northern route was dangerous due to Indian attacks and the potential for severe winter weather, while the southern route provided more fodder for their stock and was less dangerous. The train’s leaders decided to listen to the suggestions and retrace their steps and take the southern route. However, some in the group decided to continue along the path along the Humboldt River. The train was then divided with the understanding that it would later be reunited. Most of the train members headed southward, and it is believed that the group could easily have made the northern trek with little difficulty. Those who did, including Malinda Cameron Scott, her children, the Page Family, and others, made the trek and arrived safely in California in October 1857. Still, there was no guarantee of safe passage…either way.

The Fancher train moved south without a pass from the Mormons, which placed them in a very precarious position, because contact with the local settlers became more abrasive. There were rumors circulating that among the Fancher party were members of a mob that had killed Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr years previously. Of course, that made the situation highly explosive. The rumors grew more outlandish with each telling, and reports of gross misconduct were believed by the time the wagon train reached Cedar City. With hungry bellies and injured feelings, the Fancher train proceeded westward through Cedar City as the locals held meetings to determine what would be done about the interlopers.

As the train reached the edge of the desert between Utah and California, about 35 miles southwest of Cedar City, the wagon train stopped to rest and recuperate for several days in a meadow surrounded by numerous springs. The militia in Cedar City was growing increasingly agitated in the meantime, and they decided that the Fancher train should be eliminated. At dawn on September 7, 1857, the travelers were besieged by Mormon-allied Paiute and militiamen disguised as Indians. In an effort to make a strong defensive barrier, the wagons were drawn into a circle, nevertheless, seven were killed and 16 wounded in the first assault. The siege continued for the next five days while the wagon train resisted.

On Thursday evening, September 10, Major John M Higbee handed John D Lee orders from Colonel Isaac C Haight in Cedar City to “decoy the emigrants from their position and kill all of them that could talk.” On Friday morning, September 11, 1857, John D Lee carried a flag of truce to the encamped wagon train. Because they were low on water and ammunition, the party welcomed the militiamen, believing they had arrived to save them. The emigrants were offered to leave all their possessions with the Indians and be safely transported back to Cedar City. They eagerly accepted the conditions, and the small children and wounded were placed in the wagons. They were followed by the women and older children, who walked in a group. The men followed the women, walking alongside their armed militia protectors. After traveling about a mile and a half, Major John M Higbee rose in his stirrups and shouted, “Do your duty!” After that, all but the young children were slaughtered, either by their armed escorts or by hidden Paiute. An estimated 120 unarmed men, women, and older children were killed. All of the 17 younger children under the age of seven were spared. It was thought they wouldn’t remember the ordeal.

No effort was made to bury the dead, and over the next two years, foraging animals scattered the bones over a great distance. Two days after the massacre, a messenger from Salt Lake City arrived with Brigham Young’s advice to let the wagon train pass without molestation. The two wagonloads of children who had not been killed were adopted into Mormon homes. I suppose the people felt remorse, but then adopting the children whose parents they had murdered doesn’t seem right either.