Today some records and tales relate a story about one large wagon
train, and the men, women, and children who were murdered at
Mountain Meadows, which is often referred to collectively as the
Baker-Fancher Train. This is not accurate. This designation
developed in 1990, intended as a recognition that there was more
than one wagon train involved in the massacre. In addition to the
Fancher Train which is the most remembered, there were many other
wagon trains that joined up along the way, broke off, or joined up
again. Those other wagon trains included the Poteet-Tackett-Jones
Train, the Crooked Creek Train, the Campbell Train, the Parker
Train, the Baker Train, and others. (Some of these trains escaped
the Massacre.) The Baker Train, named for Captain John Twitty
Baker, was the last to arrive in Utah of those who had chosen to
join up and travel south together through Utah. Each Spring,
thousands of wagon trains left for California and the
story of the Arkansas Emigrants and the Mountain Meadows Massacre
has incorrectly morphed into one large, all-inclusive, "Baker-Fancher Train" that
departed from Caravan Springs, Carroll County, Arkansas. Such
a Train never existed.
The
Fancher Train, under the leadership of Captain Alexander Fancher,
left from Benton County, Arkansas. The Huff Train also left from
Benton
County. The Poteet-Tackett-Jones Trains (all relatives)
originally left from Johnson County and traveled up through
Washington
County. The Baker Train left from
Carroll
County,
near present day Harrison. The Cameron and Miller
Trains (previously from the Osage area) left from Johnson County,
while the Mitchell, Dunlap and Prewitt Trains departed from Marion
County. These trains all left at different times and were under
the organization of each individual wagon train master. There were
probably individuals and elements of other wagon trains that
joined these trains along their journey, as was the custom at that
time. Because of this, it will never be known with certainty the
names of all of those who were members of the trains on the
fateful day they reached Mountain Meadows, in the Utah Territory.
(From the upcoming book "1857: An
Arkansas Family Primer To The Mountain Meadows Massacre", by
Lynn-Marie Fancher and Alison Wallner. Copyright 2006.
Re-printed here with the permission of the authors.)
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