Mountain Meadows Massacre
On a crisp September morning in 1857, the silence of Mountain Meadows, a verdant valley nestled in the southwestern reaches of Utah Territory, was shattered by the echoes of violence. The Mountain Meadows Massacre, a chilling episode in American history, unfolded on September 11, 1857, claiming the lives of approximately 120 men, women, and children, emigrants hailing primarily from Arkansas. This horrific event, shrouded in controversy and marred by conflicting accounts, continues to resonate with profound sorrow and raises difficult questions about religious fervor, wartime paranoia, and the capacity for human cruelty.
The story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre begins months earlier, in the spring of 1857. A wagon train, initially known as the Baker train but later as the Fancher train, coalesced near Crooked Creek, Arkansas. This assemblage of pioneers, numbering between 120 and 150 individuals, represented a cross-section of American ambition, seeking new opportunities and a fresh start in the burgeoning lands of California. Accompanying them were hundreds of draft and riding horses and nearly a thousand head of cattle, a testament to their hopes for prosperity in the West.
As the Fancher train slowly made its way westward, an atmosphere of increasing tension gripped the Mormon settlements of Utah. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, under the leadership of Brigham Young, had established a thriving, albeit isolated, community in the Great Salt Lake Valley. However, relations between the Mormons and the United States government were rapidly deteriorating. President James Buchanan, fueled by exaggerated reports of Mormon defiance and potential rebellion, appointed a new non-Mormon governor to replace Brigham Young. Simultaneously, news spread that Buchanan had dispatched a large contingent of the U.S. Army to Utah, ostensibly to quell the perceived unrest.
These federal actions stoked deep-seated distrust and suspicion among the Mormon populace. Haunted by memories of past persecution and fearful of potential annihilation at the hands of the U.S. government, the Mormons viewed outsiders, especially non-Mormons, with increasing hostility. In response to the perceived threat, Brigham Young declared martial law on August 5, 1857. This decree restricted travel through the territory without official permission and discouraged the sale of food and supplies to immigrants, particularly for the sustenance of their livestock.
It was against this backdrop of fear and animosity that the weary Fancher train arrived in Salt Lake City on August 10, 1857. The emigrants, in dire need of supplies, rest, and equipment repairs, hoped to replenish their resources in the bustling city. However, they encountered a starkly different reception than anticipated. The once welcoming Mormon community, previously known for its willingness to trade agricultural products for manufactured goods, now displayed a palpable hostility and reluctance to engage in commerce.
Faced with this unwelcoming environment, the Fancher train sought guidance on the safest route westward. A Mormon guide advised them to take the southern route, citing the dangers of Indian attacks and harsh winter conditions along the northern path. The southern route, it was suggested, offered better grazing for their livestock and posed a lesser risk. The train’s leaders ultimately decided to heed this advice, retracing their steps and heading south. However, a portion of the original group opted to continue along the Humboldt River, leading to a division of the wagon train with the understanding that they would reunite later.
While most historians believe the entire party could have safely traversed the northern route, those who did so, including the Malinda Cameron Scott family and the Page family, successfully reached California in October 1857. However, for those traveling south, the situation deteriorated rapidly. Without the required Mormon pass, interactions with local settlers became increasingly strained. Rumors, fueled by prejudice and misinformation, began to circulate that members of the Fancher party were implicated in the murder of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Mormon Church. These rumors, amplified with each retelling, painted a picture of the emigrants as lawless and dangerous individuals. By the time the wagon train reached Cedar City, the local Mormon community was consumed by suspicion and resentment, prompting meetings to decide the fate of these perceived interlopers.
Exhausted and disheartened, the Fancher train finally reached Mountain Meadows, a verdant oasis situated approximately 35 miles southwest of Cedar City, near the edge of the arid expanse separating Utah and California. The meadow, with its numerous springs and ample grazing, offered a welcome respite for the weary travelers. Unbeknownst to them, however, their arrival at Mountain Meadows marked the beginning of their end. While they rested and recuperated, the Mormon militia in Cedar City, led by individuals like Isaac C. Haight, were plotting their demise. The decision was made: the Fancher train was to be eliminated.
On the morning of September 7, 1857, the tranquility of Mountain Meadows was shattered by a brutal attack. A combined force of Mormon-allied Paiute Indians and Mormon militiamen, some disguised as Native Americans, descended upon the unsuspecting emigrants. Despite forming a defensive circle with their wagons, the Fancher train suffered heavy losses in the initial assault, with seven killed and sixteen wounded. The siege continued for five agonizing days, as the outnumbered and outgunned emigrants desperately fought to defend themselves and their families.
As the siege dragged on, desperation grew within the Mormon ranks. Concerns arose about the potential for the emigrants to escape and report the attack to federal authorities. On the evening of September 10, Major John M. Higbee, acting on orders from Colonel Isaac C. Haight, instructed John D. Lee to devise a plan to lure the emigrants from their fortified position and kill all who could talk, effectively silencing any witnesses.
The following morning, September 11, 1857, John D. Lee, under the guise of a peace emissary, approached the besieged wagon train carrying a white flag. Desperate for water and running low on ammunition, the weary emigrants cautiously welcomed the militiamen, believing they had come to offer salvation. Lee proposed a deceptive offer: the emigrants would surrender their weapons and possessions to the Indians and, in return, be safely escorted back to Cedar City.
Hopeful for survival, the emigrants reluctantly agreed to the terms. The wounded and young children were placed in wagons, followed by the women and older children, who walked in a group. The men, unarmed and trusting, followed behind, accompanied by their armed Mormon militia escorts. As the procession moved about a mile and a half from the encircled wagons, Major John M. Higbee, acting as the signal, rose in his stirrups and bellowed, "Do your duty!" At that prearranged signal, the militiamen turned on their defenseless charges, initiating a massacre of unspeakable brutality. The men were shot down by their escorts, while the women and older children were slaughtered by hidden Paiute Indians. Only seventeen young children, deemed too young to recount the events, were spared.
The bodies of the victims were left unburied, exposed to the elements and scavenging animals. Over the following two years, their remains were scattered across the landscape, a grim testament to the barbarity of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Two days after the carnage, a messenger arrived from Salt Lake City bearing Brigham Young’s belated counsel to allow the wagon train to pass unmolested. The two wagonloads of children who had been spared were taken into Mormon homes and adopted.
The Mountain Meadows Massacre left an indelible scar on the American psyche. The event sparked outrage and disbelief, leading to investigations and demands for justice. However, in the immediate aftermath, the Mormon Church, under the leadership of Brigham Young, engaged in a systematic cover-up, attributing the massacre solely to the Paiute Indians. Young even went so far as to claim that the emigrants had poisoned local water sources and given poisoned meat to the Indians, further fueling the false narrative.
In the years following the massacre, a rock cairn was erected at the site, bearing a stone inscription that read, "Here lie the bones of one hundred and twenty men, women and children from Arkansas, murdered on September 11, 1857." An officer added a cross-line beam above the cairn, inscribed with the words, "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I will repay." Captain James Lynch of the U.S. Army took custody of the surviving children and returned them to their relatives in Arkansas, two years after the tragedy.
Despite numerous investigations, justice remained elusive for two decades. Finally, John D. Lee, a Major in the Fourth Battalion of the militia at Harmony, was excommunicated from the Mormon Church and ultimately held accountable for the Mountain Meadows Massacre. He was tried twice, convicted, and executed by firing squad at the massacre site on March 23, 1877.
Before his execution, Lee penned a detailed confession, admitting his involvement but claiming he was a scapegoat for the many other Mormons, including leaders like George A. Smith and Isaac C. Haight, who were ultimately responsible for the massacre. In a controversial move, the Mormon Church posthumously reinstated Lee’s membership in May 1961.
The full truth of the Mountain Meadows Massacre remains shrouded in mystery. Many documents and diaries belonging to the participants were destroyed, obscuring the complete picture. The extent of Paiute involvement and the degree of Mormon culpability continue to be debated by historians. Some argue that Mormon militiamen disguised themselves as Native Americans, while others question whether Brigham Young could have prevented the massacre had his response been timelier.
In 1999, a new memorial was erected at Mountain Meadows, Utah, by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as a somber reminder of this tragic event. The site, located approximately 35 miles west of Cedar City on state highway #56, then south on highway #18, stands as a place for reflection, remembrance, and a solemn plea for understanding and reconciliation. The Mountain Meadows Massacre remains a potent reminder of the dangers of prejudice, the consequences of unchecked power, and the enduring need for compassion and empathy in the face of human conflict.