My time I find is getting short. To continue as I have the story
of the little details and what befell as we crossed the plains
for the promised land of Utah would need more days than I have
left me. I will go then direct to the story of the Mountain
Meadows troubles for which I am to die, as I desire that the
facts as they occurred should be known. As a duty to myself, I
purpose to give a statement of all I know in that affair. I did
not act alone; I had many to assist me at Mountain Meadows.
Those who were connected with the massacre, and took part in the
transaction, were moved by a religious duty. All were acting
under the orders and by command of their Church leaders. The
immediate orders for the killing of the emigrants came from those
in authority at Cedar City. I and those with me moved by virtue
of positive orders from Brother Haight and his associates.
Before I started on my mission to the Mountain Meadows I was told
by Brother Haight that his orders to me were the result of full
consultation with Bishop Dame and all in authority. The massacre
was decided on by the head men of the Church.
To approach this subject properly I must step backward several
years. After the destruction of Nauvoo, when the Mormons were
driven from the State of Illinois, I shared the fate of my
brethren, and partook of the hardships and trials that befell
them from that day until the time of the settlement of Salt Lake
City, in the then wilderness. After reaching Salt Lake I stayed
but a short time, when I went to live at Cottonwood, where the
mines were afterwards discovered by General Connor and his men
during the late war. I was just getting fixed to live there, when
I was ordered to go into the interior and aid in forming new
settlements and in opening up the country. I had no wish or
desire, save to know and do the will of Brigham, since I had
become his adopted son. I believed that Brigham spoke by
direction of the God of Heaven, and I would have suffered death
rather than disobey any request of his.
At the command of Brigham, I took one hundred and twenty-one men,
went in a southern direction from Salt Lake City, and laid out
and built up Parowan. George A. Smith was the leader and chief
man in authority in that settlement. I acted under him as
historian and clerk of the Iron County Mission, until January,
1851. I went with Brigham, acted as a committeeman, and located
Provo, St. George, Fillmore, Parowan, and other towns, and
managed the location of many of the settlements in southern Utah.
In 1852 I moved to Harmony, and built up that settlement. I
remained there until the Indians declared war against the whites
and drove the settlers into Cedar City and Parowan, for
protection, in the year 1853. I removed my then numerous family
to Cedar City, where I was appointed Captain of the Danites, and
commander of Cedar City.
After I had commanded at Cedar City about one year I was ordered
to return to Harmony and build the Harmony Fort. This order, like
all other orders, came from Brigham. When I returned to Harmony
and commenced building the fort, the orders were given by Brigham
for the reorganization of the Danites at Cedar City. The old men
were requested to resign and younger men were appointed in their
places.
About the 7th of September, 1857, I went to Cedar City from my
home in Harmony, by order of Brother Haight. I did not know what
he wanted of me, but he had ordered me to visit him, and I
obeyed. If I remember correctly, it was on Sunday evening that I
went there.
When I got to Cedar City I met Haight on the public square of the
town. Haight was then President of that Stake of Zion, and the
highest man in the Mormon Priesthood, and next to Bishop Dame in
southern Utah, and in the command of the Iron District. The word
and command of Haight were the law in Cedar City at that time,
and to disobey his orders was death; be they right or wrong, no
Saint was to question them; it was obedience or death.
When I met Haight I asked him what he wanted with me. He said he
must have a long talk with me on private and particular business.
We took blankets and went over to the old Iron Works, and lay
there that night, so that we could talk in safety.
After we got to the Iron Works Haight told me about the train of
emigrants. He said that the emigrants were a rough and abusive
set of men. That they had, while traveling through Utah, been
abusive to the Mormons. That they had insulted many of the Mormon
women. That the abuses heaped upon the people by the emigrants
during their trip from Provo to Cedar City had been constant and
shameful; that they had burned fences and destroyed growing
crops; that they had poisoned the water, so that all people and
stock that drank of the water became sick, and many had died from
the effects of the poison. That these vile Gentiles publicly
proclaimed that they had the very pistol with which the Prophet
Joseph was murdered, and had threatened to kill Brigham and all
of the apostles. That, when in Cedar City, they said they would
hang Brigham by the neck until he was dead, before snow fell in
the Territory. They also said that Johnston was coming with his
army from the East, and they were going to return from California
with soldiers, as soon as possible, and desolate the land and
kill every Mormon man, woman, and child they could find in Utah.
That they violated the ordinances of the town of Cedar, and had,
by armed force, resisted the officers who tried to arrest them
for violating the law. That after leaving Cedar City the
emigrants camped in the company, or cooperative field just below
Cedar City, and burned the fencing, leaving the crops open to the
herds of stock. Also that they had given poisoned meat to the
Corn Creek tribe of Indians, which had killed several of them,
and that they and their Chief, Konosh, were on the trail of the
emigrants, and would soon attack them. These things, and much
more of like kind, Haight told me as we lay in the dark at the
old Iron Works.
Brother Haight said that unless something was done to prevent it
the emigrants would rob every one of the outlying settlements in
the south, and that the whole Mormon people were liable to be
butchered by the troops the emigrants would bring back with them
from California. I was then told that the Council had held a
meeting that day, to consider the matter, and it had been decided
by the authorities to arm the Indians, give them provisions and
ammunition, and send them after the emigrants. The Indians were
to give them a brush, and if they killed part or all of them, so
much the better.
"Brother Haight, who is your authority?" I said.
"It is the will of all in authority," he replied. "The emigrants
have no pass to go through the country, and they are to be killed
as common enemies, for the country is at war now. No man has a
right to go through this country without a written pass."
We lay and talked much of the night, and during that time Haight
gave me instructions as to what to do, and how to proceed in the
affair. He said he had consulted with Bishop Dame, and everyone
had agreed to let the Indians use up the whole train if they
could. Haight then continued:
"I expect you to carry out your orders."
Then I knew I must obey, or die. I had no wish to disobey, for my
superiors in the Church are the mouthpieces of Heaven, and it is
an act of godliness to obey any and all orders given by them,
without asking questions.
My orders were to go home to Harmony and see Carl Shirts, my son-
in-law, an Indian interpreter, and send him to the Indians in the
south, to notify them that the Mormons and Indians were at war
with the "Mericats" (as the Indians called all whites that were
not Mormons), and bring the southern Indians up and have them
join with those from the north, so their force would be
sufficient to make a successful attack on the emigrants.
It was agreed that Haight would send Nephi Johnson, another
Indian interpreter, to stir up what other Indians he could find,
so that we might have a large enough force to give the emigrants
a good hush. In conclusion Haight said to me:
"These are the orders that have been agreed upon by the Council,
and it is in accordance with the feelings of the entire people.
Some of the Indians are now on the warpath, and all of them must
be sent out; all must go, so as to make the thing a success."
It was then intended that the Indians should kill the emigrants,
and make it an Indian massacre, and not have any whites interfere
with them. No whites were to be known in the matter; it was to be
done by the Indians, so that it could be laid to them, if
questions were asked. We agreed upon the whole thing, how each
should act, and left the Iron Works, and went to Haight's house
and got breakfast. After breakfast I made ready to start, and
Haight said to me:
"Go, Brother Lee, and see that the instructions of those in
authority are obeyed; and as you are dutiful in this, so shall
your reward be in the Kingdom of God, for God will bless those
who willingly obey counsel, and make all things fit for the
people in these last days."
At this time the Mormons were at war with the United States, and
the orders to the Mormons were to kill and waste away our
enemies, but lose none of our own people These emigrants were
from the section of country most hostile to our people, and it
was the will of every true Mormon that the enemies of the Church
should be killed as fast as possible, and inasmuch as this lot
had men among them that had helped kill the Prophets in the
Carthage jail, the killing of them would be keeping our oaths and
avenging the blood of the Prophets. I will give my talk with
Brother George A. Smith.
In the latter part of the month of August, 1857, about ten days
before the people of Capt. Fancher, who met their doom at
Mountain Meadows, arrived at that place, Gen. George A. Smith
called on me at one of my homes in Washington City, Washington
County, Utah Territory, and wished me to take him round by Fort
Clara, via Pinto Settlements, to Hamilton Fort and Cedar City. He
said:
"I have been sent down here by Brigham, to instruct the brethren
of the different settlements not to sell any of their grain to
our enemies. And to tell them not to feed it to their animals,
for it will all be needed by ourselves. I am also to instruct the
brethren to prepare for a big fight, for the enemy is coming in
force to attempt our destruction. But Johnston's army will not be
allowed to approach our settlements from the east. God is on our
side, and will fight our battles for us, and deliver our enemies
into our hands. Brigham has received revelations from God, giving
him the right and the power to call down the curse of God on all
our enemies who attempt to invade our Territory. Our greatest
danger lies in the people of California - a class of reckless
miners who are strangers to God and His righteousness. They are
likely to come upon us from the south and destroy the small
settlements. But we will try and outwit them before we suffer
much damage. The people of the United States who oppose our
Church are a mob, from the President down, and as such it is
impossible for their armies to prevail against the Saints who
have gathered here in the mountains."
Gen. Smith held high rank as a military leader. He was one of the
twelve apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, and an inspired man. His orders were sacred commands,
which it was my duty to obey, without question or hesitation.
The day we left Fort Clara, then the headquarters of the Indian
missionaries under the presidency of Jacob Hamblin, we stopped to
noon at the Clara River. While there the Indians gathered around
us in numbers, and were saucy and impudent. Their chiefs asked me
where I was going and whom I had with me. I told them that he was
a big captain.
"Is he a Mericat captain?"
"No," I said, "he is a Mormon."
The Indians then demanded to know more. They wanted to have a
talk. The General told me to tell the Indians that the Mormons
were their friends, and that the Americans were their enemies,
and the enemies of the Mormons, too; that he wanted the Indians
to remain the fast friends of the Mormons, for the Mormons were
all friends to the Indians; that the Americans had a large army
just east of the mountains, and intended to come over the
mountains into Utah and kill all the Mormons and Indians in Utah
Territory; that the Indians must get ready and remain ready for
war against the Americans, keep friendly with the Mormons and do
what the Mormons told them to do - that this was the will of the
Great Spirit; that if the Indians were true to the Mormons and
helped them against their enemies, the Mormons would keep them
from want and sickness and give them guns and ammunition to hunt
and kill game with, and also help the Indians against their
enemies when they went into war.
This talk pleased the Indians, and they agreed to all that I
asked them to do. I saw that Gen. Smith was nervous and fearful
of the Indians, notwithstanding their promises of friendship. To
relieve him of his anxiety I hitched up and started on our way as
soon as I could do so without rousing the suspicions of the
Indians. We had ridden along about a mile or so when Gen. Smith
said:
"Those are savage fellows. I think they would make it lively for
an emigrant train if one should come this way." Then the General
fell to a deep study for some time, when he said: "Suppose an
emigrant train should come along through this southern country,
making threats against our people and bragging of the part they
took in killing our Prophets, what do you think the brethren
would do with them? Would they be permitted to go their way, or
would the brethren pitch into them and give them a good
drubbing?" I reflected a few moments, and then said:
"You know the brethren are now under the influence of the late
reformation, and red-hot for the gospel. The brethren believe the
Government wishes to destroy them. Any train of emigrants that
may come through here will be attacked and destroyed. I am
particularly sure they will be wiped out if they have been making
threats against our people. Unless emigrants have a pass from
Brigham, they will never get safely through this country."
My reply pleased him, and he laughed heartily, and then said:
"Do you believe the brethren would make it lively for such a
train?"
"Yes, sir," I replied, "I know they will, unless protected by a
pass, and I wish to tell you, and you must inform Brigham, that
if he wants emigrants to pass without being molested he must send
orders to that effect to Bishop Dame or Brother Haight, so that
they can give passes to the emigrants; their passes will insure
safety, but nothing else will, except the positive orders of
Brigham, as the people are bitter against the Gentiles, full of
religious zeal, and anxious to avenge the blood of the Prophets."
The only reply he made was to the effect that on his way down
from Salt Lake he had had a long talk with Haight on the same
subject, and that Haight had assured him, and given him to
understand, that emigrants who came along without a pass from
Brigham could not escape from the Territory. We then rode along
in silence for some distance, when he again turned to me and
said:
"Brother Lee, I am satisfied that the brethren are under the holy
influence, and I believe they will do just as you say they will
with the wicked emigrants that come through the country, making
threats and abusing our people."
Thereupon I repeated my views to him, but at much greater length.
I went into a statement of the wrongs of our people, and told him
that the people were under the blaze of the reformation, full of
wildfire, and that to shed the blood of those who would dare
speak against the Mormon Church or its leaders would be doing the
will of God, and the people would do it as cheerfully as they
would any other duty. That the Apostle Paul was not more sincere
than was every Mormon who lived in southern Utah. My words served
to cheer up the General; he was delighted, and said:
"I am glad to hear so good an account of our people. God will
bless them for all they do to build up His Kingdom in the last
days."
On my way from Cedar City to my home in Harmony I came up with a
band of Indians under Moquetas and Big Bill, two Cedar City
chiefs; they were in their paint, and fully equipped for battle.
They halted when I came up and said they had had a big talk with
Haight, Higbee, and Klingensmith, and got orders from them to
follow up the emigrants and kill them all, and take their
property as a spoil.
These Indians wanted me to go with them and command their forces.
I told them I could not go with them that evening; that I had
orders from Haight, the Big Captain, to send other Indians on the
warpath to help them kill the emigrants, and must attend to that
first; that I wanted them to go where the emigrants were and camp
until the other Indians joined them; that I would meet them the
next day and lead them. This satisfied them, but they wanted me
to send my little Indian boy, Clem, with them. After some time I
consented to let Clem go with them, while I returned home.
When I got home I told Carl Shirts what the orders were that
Haight had sent to him. Carl being naturally cowardly was not
willing to go, but I told him the orders must be obeyed. He
started that night, or early next morning, to stir up the Indians
of the south, and lead them against the emigrants. The emigrants
were then camped at Mountain Meadows.
The Indians did not obey my instructions. They met, several
hundred strong, at the Meadows, and attacked the emigrants
Tuesday morning, just before daylight, and at the first fire
killed seven and wounded sixteen of the emigrants. The latter
fought bravely, and repulsed the Indians, killing many of them
and breaking the knees of two chiefs, who afterwards died.
The news of the battle was carried over the country by Indian
runners, and the excitement was great in all the small settlements.
I was notified of what had taken place early Tuesday morning, by
an Indian who came to my house and gave me a full account of what
had been done.
The Indian said it was the wish of the Indians that I lead them,
and I must go back with him to the camp. I started at once, and
taking the Indian trail over the mountain I reached the camp by
going twelve miles. To go round by the wagon road would have been
between forty and fifty miles.
When I reached the camp I found the Indians in a frenzy of
excitement. They said they had been told that they could kill the
emigrants without danger to themselves, but they had lost numbers
of their bucks, and others were wounded, and unless they could
kill all the "Mericats," as they called them, they would declare
war against the Mormons and kill everyone in the settlements. I
did as well as I could under the circumstances. My talk served to
increase their excitement. I told them I would go south and meet
their friends, and hurry them up to help them.
At first the Indians would not consent, but they finally said I
might go and meet their friends. I then got on my horse and left
the Meadows and went south. I had traveled about sixteen miles
when I met Carl Shirts with one hundred Indians and a number of
Mormons from the southern settlements. They were going to the
scene of conflict. How they learned of the emigrants being at the
Meadows I never knew, but they did know it, and were coming
armed, and determined to obey orders.
Among those that I remember to have met there were Brothers
Samuel Knight, Oscar Hamblin, William Young, Carl Shirts,
Harrison Pearce, James Pearce, John W. Clark, William Slade, Sr.,
James Matthews, Dudley Leavitt, William Hawley, William Slade,
Jr., George W. Adair, and John Hawley.
The Mormons camped that night with me, but most of the Indians
rushed on to their friends at the camp on the Meadows. I reported
to the brethren what had taken place at the Meadows, but none
were surprised in the least. I spent much of the night in prayer.
I wrestled with God for wisdom to guide me.
In the morning we agreed to go on to Mountain Meadows and camp
there, and then send a messenger to Haight. We knew that the
original plan had been for the Indians to do the work, and the
Mormons to do nothing beyond plan for and encourage them. Now we
saw the Indians could not do the work, and we were in a fix. I
did not then know that a messenger had been sent to Brigham for
instructions. Haight had not mentioned it to me; James Haslem, a
Danite, was sent to Brigham.
We went to the Meadows and camped at the springs, about half a
mile from the emigrant camp. There were a larger number of Indian
there - fully three hundred, and I think as many as four hundred
of them. The two chiefs who had been shot were in a bad way. The
Indians had killed a number of the emigrants' horses, and about
sixty or seventy head of cattle were lying dead on the Meadows,
which the Indians had killed for spite and revenge.
Our company butchered a small beef for dinner, and after eating a
hearty meal we held a council and decided to send a messenger to
Brother Haight. The messenger started for Cedar City, from our
camp on the Meadows, about 2 o'clock, p. m. We stayed on the
field, and I tried to quiet and pacify the Indians, by telling
them that I had sent to Haight, the Big Captain, for orders, and
when he sent his order I would know what to do. This appeared to
satisfy the Indians, for said they:
"The Big Captain will send you word to kill the Mericats."
Along toward evening the Indians again attacked the emigrants.
This was Wednesday. I heard the report of their guns, and the
screams of the women and children in the corral. I ran with
Brothers William Young and John Mangum, to where the Indians
were. While on the way to them they fired a volley, and three
balls from their guns cut my clothing. One ball went through my
hat and plowed through my hair. Another ball went through my
shirt and leaded my shoulder, another cut my clothes across my
bowels. I thought this was rather warm work, but I kept on until
I reached the place where the Indians were in force.