One of the dread
mysteries of Mormondom which the U.S. Judges in Utah are
endeavoring to unravel, greatly to the consternation of
the Saints, is the horrible massacre at Mountain Meadows,
of one hundred emigrants, on their way from Arkansas to
California. At the time, we were told that the unfortunate
victims fell under the weapons of the Canosh band of
Paravant Indians; but various subsequent developments have
established the conviction that these were merely tools in
the hands of the Mormons themselves. An eye-witness of the
transaction has been found, at last, and we have received,
from an official source in Salt Lake, a statement of his
account of the affair. He says the massacre was designed
and carried into execution for mere purposes of plunder,
to get possession of the thirty wagons and seven or eight
hundred head of cattle belonging to the emigrants. It will
be remembered that our Salt Lake Correspondent, last
summer, presented some evidence sustaining this view but
still the subject was left partially in doubt. Now, the
whole fearful truth stands revealed, present one of the
most shocking cases of cruelty and crime that has ever
stained the records of a civilized community. The witness
says:
While I was
residing at Cedar City, I was called upon by Messrs. Isaac
Hight, John D. Lee, and John Higbee all three Mormon
military officers to go a few miles out south of the city,
which I did. There I found 30 or 40 others, selected from
different settlements. We were addressed by the above
officers, who told us that they had sent Canosh, the
Paravant Chief, with his warriors, to destroy the Arkansas
company, and that if he had not done it we must; and that
if any of us refused, or betrayed them to the Americans,
they would take good care of him hereafter. Here we were
all ordered on the quick march to the Mountain Meadows,
where we found the emigrants, with their wagons formed
into two circles, with their families in the midst, trying
to defend themselves against the merciless and
blood-thirsty savages, who lay around in ambush, killing
them as opportunity presented.
Hight and Lee
formed their men into two companies, and made a
precipitant rush at the poor defenceless victims. The men
inside of the circles rose up, but instantly fell dead or
mortally wounded, under the fire of the wretched who so
cruelly sought their lives. Nothing remained to be done,
except to kill the frightened females and their innocent
children clasped in their arms. Others clung with
desperation to their bleeding dying husbands, pleading in
vain for mercy at the hands of the Christians who
controlled the no more savage Indian assailants.
John D. Lee now
sent to the Indian chief, and his men in ambush, to come
out and finish the survivors, directing him to spare only
the little children, who could not talk. The savages came
instantly, with knives drawn, and speedily finished the
bloody work. The scene beggars description. The demoniac
yells of the savage monsters, mingled with the shrieks and
pray(er)s of helpless mothers and daughters, whilst the
death-blows were dealing with unflinching hands, and
scalps were torn from hears which bloomed with beauty and
innocence but a few hours before. Now the work of
butchering ended. The murderers threw the dead into two
heaps, covered them slightly with earth, and left them, to
feed the wolves and birds of prey; and returned home with
their booty of cattle, and wagons, and a great quantity of
goods, etc.
The narrator of
the above facts, also furnished the following statement of
crimes within his knowledge. He says:
G. D. Potter,
William Parrish, and Beetson Parrish, were all murdered on
the road to Springville, in the month of March, 1857. All
that is requisite to bring the murderers to justice, is a
thorough investigation by the United States Court.
Henry Forbes came
into Springville last winter, from California, and put up
with J. A. Terry, one of our Bishop’s policemen. A short
time after he was missing, and has never returned. His
horse, saddle and revolver were sold by Terry, and put to
his own use. (This case was mentioned by our Salt Lake
correspondent last summer, but at that time the name of
the missing man could not be ascertained. E
