The Mormon Prophet and His Harem: Or, An Authentic History of Brigham Young, His Numerous Wives and ChildrenWaite, C. V. (Catherine Van Valkenburg)
History
The Mormon Prophet and His Harem: Or, An Authentic History of Brigham Young, His Numerous Wives and Children
Waite, C. V. (Catherine Van Valkenburg)
Latter Day Saint churches; Young, Brigham, 1801-1877
"The scene of this horrible massacre at the Mountain Meadows
is situate about three hundred and twenty miles west of south
from Great Salt Lake City, on the road leading to Los Angelos,
in California. I was the first federal Judge in that part of
the Territory after the occurrence,--my district extending
from a short distance below Salt Lake City to the south end of
the Territory. I determined to visit that part of my district,
and, if possible, expose the persons engaged in the massacre,
which I did in the early part of the year 1859. I accordingly
embraced an opportunity of accompanying a small detachment of
soldiers, who were being sent to that section by Gen.
Johnson,--having requested the Marshal of the Territory to
accompany, or to send a deputy. He accordingly sent deputy
William H. Rodgers, who went with me.
"The command went as far south as the St. Clara, twenty miles
beyond the Mountain Meadows, where we camped, and remained
about a week. During our stay there I was visited by the
Indian chiefs of that section, who gave me their version of
the massacre. They admitted that a portion of their men were
engaged in the massacre, but were not there when the attack
commenced. One of them told me, in the presence of the others,
that after the attack had been made, a white man came to their
camp with a piece of paper, which, he said, _Brigham Young had
sent_, that directed them to go and help to whip the
emigrants. A portion of the band went, but did not assist in
the fight. He gave as a reason, that the emigrants had long
guns, and were good shots. He said that his brother [this
chief's name was Jackson] was shot while running across the
Meadow, at a distance of two hundred yards from the corral
where the emigrants were. He said the Mormons were all
painted. He said the Indians got a part of the clothing; and
gave the names of John D. Lee, President Haight, and Bishop
Higbee, as the big captains. It might be proper here to remark
that the Indians in the southern part of the Territory of Utah
are not numerous, and are a very low, cowardly, beastly set,
very few of them being armed with guns. They are not
formidable. I believe all in the southern part of the
Territory would, under no circumstances, carry on a fight
against ten white men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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