Massacre at Mountain Meadows

On September 11, 1857 a wagon train of emigrants bound for California was wiped out by a group of Mormons, aided by Indians.  Of the 140 original travelers, only 20 survived, all children too young to bear tales.  The event was not sanctioned by the Mormon church but was the result of President Buchanan's decision to send federal troops to Utah and the bad feeling between Mormons and Gentiles...mostly of Young's making.

When Brigham Young heard that the troops were on their way and had reached the Mormons, he forbade his people to sell water, food or supplies to the Gentiles and fanatical preachers roused the people to hysteria.

Along came the Fancher wagon train, probably oblivious to the President's action, and certainly unaware of the Mormons feeling about their traveling through Utah.  Half of them were respectable settlers from Arkansas, the rest were a group of self-styled "Missouri Wildcats" who boasted of having been a part of the attack and murder of Joseph Smith...not a good combination.  When refused supplies they resorted to robbery and vandalism on Mormon property. They threatened to round up and lead an anti-Mormon army back from California. 

The Mormons of southwest Utah incited the local Indians to attack the wagon train as it camped in Mountain Meadows.  The campsite "forted up" and beat off the attack for 5 days until the ammunition began to run out.  They then accepted the Mormon promise of safe conduct.  They piled their weapons in the wagons and under the Mormons military protection began to walk away and start on their journey.  Hidden in nearby brush, the Mormons shot the unarmed men while the Indians killed the women and most of the children. 

Fearing the church and government reprisals (you think?), the Mormons blamed the massacre on the Indians and hushed up the whole matter.  Not until 1872 - 15 years later, when John D Ice, a participant was brought to trial, was the event even known about.  He faced a firing squad in 1877, by the way, on the very site of the massacre at Mountain Massacre.

Next time...The Ruin of James Marshall
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On this Day in Pioneer History: "On June 26, 1876, following Lieutenant Colonel George Custer’s death the previous day in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Major Marcus Reno takes command of the surviving soldiers of the 7th Cavalry.

The Conclusion of Mountain Meadows

So, the Fancher wagon party is resting in Mountain Meadows valley, preparing to travel on toward California.  Unfortunately, the Paiute Indians and Mormons have not been welcoming.  After days of fighting the Paiutes, several Fanchers went for help and were shot and killed by Mormons.  A militia rode out to Mountain Meadows where things were quickly getting out of control.

One story says that John D Lee talked to the pioneers and promised to convince the Indians to let the party pass through, if they left all their wagons and supplies behind.  To lose all worldly goods this far along the trail was not an option for the weary settlers, but Lee is said to have convinced them, so the party prepared to leave, sending the children and wounded ahead.  Lee had instructed them to walk single file.  According to legend someone called out "Do your Duty" at which point both militia and Indians opened fire on the settlers.  More shocking are the archeological evidence that the settlers were shot execution style in the head while kneeling.

Brigham Young's answer arrived soon after saying simply "let them go in peace".  Too late.  John Lee told young the Paiutes were the ones who massacred the 120 settlers.  Eventually an official investigation was held and John D. Lee caught most of the blame for the crime.  The jury was hung on his first trial, but he was found guilty the second time and executed by firing squad March 23, 1877, 20 years after he decided that 120 people should be killed in cold blood.

There are few records of this tragedy in history because those involved were sworn to secrecy.  It seems panic by the Mormons, arrogance and insult by the settlers, and bullying by the Indians fueled the situation.  With 600 miles round trip between the settlers and Brigham Young's location - it is unlikely he even knew what was happening until it was too late.  The children left orphaned were taken in to the local people until a federal investigation returned them to families back in Arkansas. 

Mountain Meadows remains a black mark on the history of the American West.  We will probably never know all the details on what happened that day - but no one won that bloody day in history.

Next time...more myths and mysteries of the American West.

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On This Day in History:  On April 16, 1881, famous western lawman and gunfighter Bat Masterson fights the last gun battle of his life on the streets of Dodge City. 

The "True" Story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre

Location:  Southern Utah, quiet valley
Time: August 1857
What: 120 men and women in route to California were executed in cold blood, children captured.
Who and Why?   Let's find out...

Mountain Meadows was a Mormon settlement called Deseret, an independent republic.  The Mormons were prospering under Brigham Young until lJuly 24, 1857, when news reached them that the U.S.Army was marching toward them.  The reason?  Politics.  The Mormon territory was staunchly anti-slavery.  It was believed that by wiping out the Mormons the US Government could direct the national attention away from the issue of slavery.  The government replaced Brigham Young with Alfred Cummings without informing the Mormons of their switch.  A large army was sent instead to intimidate the church into submission. The Mormons prepared for war - stockpiling supplies and planning battle tactics, but keeping the neighboring Indians neutral and at peace with the Mormons...just in case they needed them.

Meantime, back in Arkansas, the Fancher party of settlers set out on their wagon train journey much later than normal for California via Salt Lake City.  The train consisted of 40 wagons, 100s of horses, 1000 cattle and by August had reached just outside Salt Lake City.  Hesitant to continue via the Donner Pass after the history of that route that late in the year, the Fancher party decided to follow the southern route through Mormon territory where they could replenish their supplies for the winter portion of the trip. 

Arriving at Salt Lake they found all the stores closed and the Mormons unwilling to offer any supplies for sale.  Western hospitality was such that any traveler was welcome to food and shelter, supplies and help.  It was expected and  depended on by settlers traveling in wagon trains.  Not this time.  No Mormon would open their store or offer any help.

Legend says that the party got angry, rude and boisterous when refused supplies, and it didn't help
that Captain Fancher bragged about driving the Mormons out of Illinois, or that he was there when Joseph Smith was killed. The party headed out without supplies and ran into the Paiute Indians whom they also argued with. 

Enter Mormon John D Lee to talk to the Indians who were bent on attacking the wagon train.  Brigham Young was contacted via letter (taking 6 days) for adivce and Fancher led his party about 30 miles further on the trail to a place of good water and grass, called Mountain Meadows.  It was here they were attacked.  After a few days, a handful of men were killed and a couple of Indian chiefs. 

One of the biggest mysteries of the American West followed...
Did the Indians ask the Mormon for help to defeat the settlers?
Or did John Lee encourage the Indians to attack?
Did the Paiutes threaten the Mormon unless they did help defeat the wagon train?

Next time..what really happened a Mountain Meadows (we think)

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 On This Day in History:  On April 13, 1866, Butch Cassidy, the last of the great western train-robbers, is born in Beaver,  Utah Territory