In the summer of 1857, a company of emigrants passed through Utah, _en
route_ for California. They took what is known as the southern route,
and while going through some of the settlements in Southern Utah, they
were both impertinent and abusive. They poisoned several springs, and
also the carcass of an ox which had died. Several Indians drinking the
water and eating the carcass died from the effects. The result was that
the Indians became enraged, and being joined by a few white men--among
them John D. Lee--who, unfortunately, were Mormons, the entire
company, excepting a number of children, were cruelly and inhumanly
murdered. This horrid crime has been charged upon the Mormon Church,
and especially upon the leading Elders. The charge is not true. It is
wickedly and maliciously false; was proven to be so by repeated failure
of the efforts of his enemies to fasten the crime upon Brigham Young.
John D. Lee had two trials for complicity in the horrid affair. In the
first trial the jury disagreed. At the second trial, one James Haslam
gave the testimony which I here introduce. It is taken from the records
of the court. But that the reader may understand its force, I may
briefly explain that in 1857, upon the misrepresentations of a United
States judge, the United States authorities at Washington had rashly
ordered armed forces to Utah to put down a supposed {188} rebellion
of the Mormon people, and in consequence of that "army" approaching
Utah, there was considerable excitement throughout the Territory. This
fact made the emigrants passing through Utah both arrogant and abusive
to the people of the "Mormon" settlements, and a council of leading
men in those settlements was held to determine upon the course to be
pursued towards the emigrants, and it was decided to send a messenger
to Brigham Young to learn his views upon it. That messenger was Haslam;
but before he returned the massacre had taken place--John D. Lee having
led the Indians to the attack. This is the testimony as it appears on
the court records:--
"James Haslam, of Wellsville, Cache Valley, was sworn. He lived
in Cedar City in 1857; was ordered by Haight to take a message to
President Young with all speed; knew the contents of the message:
left Cedar City on Monday, September. 7, 1857, between 5 and 6 p.m.,
and arrived at Salt Lake on Thursday at 11 a. m.; started back at 3
p.m., and reached Cedar about 11 a. m. Sunday morning, September 13th;
delivered the message from President Young to Haight, who said it was
too late. Witness testified that when leaving Salt Lake to return,
President Young said to him, 'Go with all speed, spare no horseflesh.
The emigrants must not be meddled with, if it takes all Iron County
to prevent it. They must go free and unmolested.' Witness knew the
contents of the answer. He got back with the message the Sunday after
the massacre, and reported to Haight, who said, 'it is too late.'"
In opening the case of the second trial of John D. Lee, Mr. Sumner
Howard, Ex-Chief Justice of Arizona, and the United States prosecuting
Attorney said:--
"He proposed to prove that John D. Lee, without any authority from
any council or officer, but in direct opposition to the feelings and
wishes of the officers of the Mormon Church, had gone to the Mountain
Meadows, where the Indians were then encamped, accompanied only by one
little Indian boy, and had assumed command of the Indians, whom he had
induced, by promises of great booty, to attack these emigrants; that
in his attack on the emigrants he was repulsed; that finding he could
not get the emigrants out, he sent word to the various settlements
of Southern Utah for men to be sent to him, representing that the
men were needed for various purposes, to some saying the Indians had
attacked the emigrants, and it was necessary to have men sent to draw
off the Indians, to others that men were necessary to protect the
emigrants, and still others that the emigrants were all killed, and
that they were required to bury the dead; these men went in good faith
to perform a humane act; that he had arranged with the Indians to bring
the emigrants out from their corral, or fort, by means of a flag of
truce; that by this act of perfidy he had induced the emigrants to
give up their arms and place themselves under his protection, loading
the arms and the wounded with the helpless children into two wagons,
which he had ordered for the purpose; that he then started the wagons
ahead, following them himself, and the women following next, the men
bringing up the rear in single file; that Lee, after having traveled
from three-quarters of a mile to a mile, gave the order to fire, and
the slaughter commenced; that Lee shot one woman with his rifle, and
{189} brained another woman; then drawing his pistol, shot another,
and seizing a man by the collar and drawing him out of the wagon, cut
his throat; that he gathered up the property of the emigrants and took
it to his own place, using and selling it for his own benefit and use.
All these charges against John D. Lee, he (District Attorney Howard)
proposed to prove to the jury by competent testimony beyond reasonable
doubt, or beyond any doubt, and thought no appeal to the jury would
be required to induce them to give a verdict in accordance with the
evidence."