Mountain Meadows Massacre

Mountain Meadows Massacre

Though the vast majority of the train members headed southward, most historians believe today that the group easily could have made the northern trek with little difficulty. And in fact, those that did, including Malinda Cameron Scott, and her children, along with the Page Family and others, did successfully make the trek, arriving safely in California in October, 1857.

As the Fancher train moved south without a pass from the Mormons, contact with the local settlers became more abrasive. Rumors began to circulate that among the Fancher party were members of a mob that killed Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr. years previously. The rumors were embellished with each telling and by the time the wagon train reached Cedar City, reports of gross misconduct were believed. With hungry bellies and injured feelings, the Fancher train proceeded through Cedar City westward as the locals held meetings to determine what was to be done about the interlopers.

At the edge of the desert between Utah and California, about thirty-five miles southwest of Cedar City, the wagon train stopped to rest and recuperate for several days in a meadow surrounded by numerous springs. In the meantime, the militia back in Cedar City had decided that the Fancher train should be eliminated.

At dawn on September 7, 1857 the travelers were besieged by Mormon-allied Paiutes and militiamen disguised as Indians. Though the wagons were drawn into a circle, making a strong defensive barrier, seven were killed and sixteen wounded in the first assault. For the next five days the siege continued while the wagon train resisted.

On Thursday evening, September 10th, 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. The party, low on water and ammunition, welcomed the militiamen believing that they had arrived to save them. The emigrants were made an offer to leave all of their possessions to the Indians and be conducted safely back to Cedar City.

Eagerly accepting the conditions, the small children and wounded were placed in the wagons, followed by the women and older children walking in a group. The men trailed the women, walking alongside their armed militia protectors.

After having traveled about a mile and a half, Major John M. Higbee rose up in his stirrups and shouted "Do your duty!", whereupon all but the young children were slaughtered, either by their armed escorts or by hidden Paiutes. An estimated 120 unarmed men, women and older children were killed; 17 of the younger children under the age of seven were spared.

John D. Lee

Brigham Young between 1855 and 1865.

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and downloads HERE!

No effort was made to give the bodies a decent burial 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.

Appalled by what had been done, and in fear of possible repercussions, Brigham Young led a church cover-up, saying that the Paiutes were responsible for the massacre. He wrote that the pioneers had caused the death of a number of Indians by giving them poisoned meat, and by poisoning some of their wells. The cover-up continued to be maintained for the next few years in the face of outside outrage and investigation.

Continued Next Page

"The scene was one too horrible

and sickening for language to describe. Human skeletons, disjointed bones,

ghastly skulls and the hair of women

were scattered in frightful profusion

over a distance of two miles."

- A traveler passing through the

area in 1859

From the cover of Harper's Weekly, August 13, 1859

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