Accordingly, I went to Salt Lake City to report. I started about
a week or ten days after the massacre, and was on the way about
ten days. When I arrived in the city I went to Brigham's house
and gave him a full, detailed statement of the whole affair. He
asked me if I had brought a letter from Brother Haight, with his
report of the affair. I said:
"No, Brother Haight wished me to make a verbal report of it, as I
was an eye-witness. Brother McMurdy, Brother Knight, and myself
killed the wounded men in the wagons, with the assistance of the
Indians. We killed six wounded men."
Brigham asked me many questions, and I told him every particular
- everything I knew. I described everything very fully. Brigham
then said:
"Isaac [referring to Haight] has sent me word that if they had
killed every man, woman, and child in the outfit there would not
have been a drop of innocent blood shed by the brethren; for they
were a set of murderers, robbers, and thieves."
While I was talking with him some men came into his house to see
him, and he requested me to keep quiet until they left. I did as
he directed. As soon as the men went out I continued my recital.
I gave him the names of every man that had been present at the
massacre. I told him who killed various ones. In fact, I gave him
all the information there was to give. When I had finished
talking, he said:
"This is the most unfortunate affair that ever befell the Church.
I am afraid of treachery among the brethren that were there. If
anyone tells this thing so that it becomes public, it will work
us great injury. I want you to understand now, that you are never
to tell this again, not even to Heber C. Kimball. It must be kept
a secret among ourselves. When you get home I want you to sit
down and write a long letter, and give me an account of the
affair, charging it to the Indians. You sign the letter as Farmer
to the Indians, and direct it to me as Indian Agent. I can make
use of such a letter to keep off damaging and troublesome
inquiries." He then said: "If only men had been killed, I would
not have cared so much. I suppose the men were a bad set, but it
is hard to kill women and children for the sins of the men. I
must have time to reflect upon it."
Brigham then told me to withdraw and call next day, and he would
give me an answer. I said to him:
"Brother Brigham, the people all felt, and I know that I
believed, I was obeying orders, and acting for the good of the
Church, and in strict conformity with the oaths that we have
taken to avenge the blood of the Prophets. You must either
sustain the Danites in what they have done, or release us from
the oaths and obligations we have taken." The only reply he made
was:
"Go now; come in the morning, and I will give you an answer." I
went to see him again in the morning. When I went in he seemed
quite cheerful. He said:
"I have made that matter a subject of prayer. I went right to God
with it. I have evidence from God that He has ruled it all for
good, and the action was a righteous one. The brethren acted from
pure motives. The only trouble is they acted prematurely; they
were a little ahead of time. I sustain you and the brethren in
what was done. All I fear is treachery on the part of someone who
took a hand with you, but we will look to that."
Then I was again cautioned and commanded to keep the whole thing
a sacred secret, and again told to write the report as Indian
Farmer, laying the blame on the Indians. That ended our
interview, and I left him and started for my home at Harmony.
When I reported my interview to Brother Haight, and give him
Brig- ham's answer, he was well pleased; he said I had done well.
I remember a circumstance that Brother Haight then related about
Brother Dan McFarland. He said:
"Dan will make a great warrior."
"Why do you think so?"
"Well," returned he, "Dan came to me and said, 'You must get me
another knife, because the one I have has no good stuff in it,
for the edge turned when I cut a fellow's throat at the Meadows.
I caught one of the devils that was trying to get away, and when
I cut his throat it took all the edge off my knife.' I tell you
that boy will make a warrior."
Next I wrote the letter to Brigham and laid the massacre to the
Indians. It was as follows:
Harmony, Washington Co., U. T., November 20th, 1857. To His
Excellency, Gov. B. Young:
Dear Sir: My report under date May 11th, 1857, relative to the
Indians over whom I have charge as farmer, showed a friendly
relation between them and the whites, which doubtless would have
continued to increase had not the white men been the first
agressors, as was the case with Capt. Fancher's company of
emigrants, passing through to California about the middle of
September last. When they were on Corn Creek, fifteen miles south
of Fillimore City, Millard County, the company poisoned the meat
of an ox, which they gave the Pah Vant Indians to eat, causing
four of them to die immediately, besides poisoning a number more.
The company also poisoned the water where they encamped, killing
the cattle of the settlers. This unguided policy, planned in
wickedness by this company, raised the wrath of the Indians,
which soon spread through the southern tribes, firing them for
revenge till blood ran in their path, and as the wrong, according
to their tradition, was a national one, any portion of the white
nation was liable to atone for that offense. About the 22d of
September, Capt. Fancher and company fell victims to the Indians,
near Mountain Meadows; their cattle and horses were shot down in
every direction, their wagons and property mostly committed to
the flames. Had they been the only ones that suffered we would
have less cause of complaint. But the next company passing
through had many of their men shot down near Beaver City, and had
it not been for the interposition of the citizens at that place
the whole company would have been mas- sacred by the enraged Pah
Vants. From this place they were protected by military force, by
order of Bishop Dame, who also provided the company with
interpreters, to help them through to the Los Vaagus. On the
Muddy some three to five hundred Indians again attacked the
company, and drove off several hundred head of cattle, telling
the company that if they fired a single gun they would kill every
soul. The interpreters tried to regain the stock, or a portion of
it, by presents, but in vain. The Indians told them to mind their
own business, or their lives would not be safe. Since that
occurrence no company has been able to pass without carrying
along some of our interpreters to explain matters to the Indians.
Friendly feelings yet remain between the natives and settlers and
I have no hesitancy in saying that it will increase so long as we
treat them kindly, and deal honestly with them. I have been blest
in my labors the last year. Much grain has been raised for the
Indians. I herewith furnish you the account of Bishop Dame, of
Parowan, for cattle, wagons, etc.
Furnished for the benefit of the Chief Owanup (ss.),
for Two yoke of oxen, $100 each, one wagon and chain $75.
Total.....................................................$275.00
Two cows $30 each, for labor $80...........................140.00
----------
$415.00
P. K. Smith, Cedar City, Iron County:
For two yoke cattle $100 each, and Mo. 2 Weekses Band.....$200.00
One cow $35, do one wagon $80, total.......................115.00
----------
Total.....................................................$315.00
Jacob Hamblin's account for the benefit of Talse Gobbeth Band,
Santa Clara, Washington Co. (ss.): Two yoke of cattle,
$100 each, do one wagon, two chains, $100, total..........$300.00
Two cows $35 each, total....................................70.00
----------
Total.....................................................$370.00
Henry Barney's account for the benefit of Tennquiches Band,
Harmony (ss.): For two yoke cattle $100...................$200.00
Do one wagon $100, do one plow $40, total..................140.00
Do four cows at $35 each, total............................140.00
For labor in helping to secure crops, etc...................40.00
----------
Total.....................................................$520.00
For my services the last six months, and for provisions,
clothing, etc........... $600.00
----------
Sum total...............................................$2,220.00
From the above report you will see that the wants of the natives
have increased with their experience and practice in the art of
agriculture. With sentiments of high consideration.
I am your humble servant,
John Doyle Lee, Gov. B. Young. Farmer to Pah Utes Indians.
Having signed, I forwarded that letter, and thought I had managed
the affair nicely. I put in this expense account of two thousand
two hundred and twenty dollars just to show off, and help Brigham
to something from the Government. It was the way his Indian
farmers all did. I never gave the Indians one of the articles
named in the letter. No one of the men mentioned had furnished
anything to the Indians, but I did it this way for safety.
Brigham never spent a dollar on the Indians while he was Indian
Agent. The only money he ever spent on the Indians was when we
were at war with them. Then they cost us some money, but not
much.
Brigham, knowing that I wrote this letter solely for the
protection of the brethren, used it in making up his report to
the Government. I obeyed his orders in this, as I did at the
Mountain Meadows. I acted conscientiously, and have nothing to
blame myself for.
The following winter I was a delegate to the Constitutional
Convention that met in Salt Lake City to form a constitution
preparatory to the application of Utah for admission into the
Union. I attended during the entire session, and was often in
company with Brigham at his house and elsewhere, and he treated
me with kindness and consideration.
At the close of the session of the Convention I was directed by
Brigham to assume charge of the cattle and other property
captured from the emigrants, and take care of it for the Indians.
When I got home I gathered up about two hundred head of cattle
and put my brand on them, and gave them to the Indians as they
needed them, or rather when they demanded them. I did that until
all of the emigrant cattle were gone.
The taking care of that property was unfortunate, for afterward
when the Indians wanted beef they thought they owned everything
with my brand on. So much so, that I quit branding my stock. I
preferred leaving them unbranded, for everything with my brand on
would be taken by the Indians. I know it has been reported that
the emigrants were very rich. That is a mistake. Their only
wealth was in cattle and teams. The people were comfortably
dressed in Kentucky jeans and lindsey, but they had no fine
clothing that I ever saw. They had but few watches.
While in Cedar City Brigham preached one night. In his sermon,
when speaking of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, he said:
"Do you know who those people were that were killed on the
Mountain Meadows? I will tell you who those people were. They
were fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins,
and children of those who killed the Saints and drove them from
Missouri, and afterwards murdered our Prophets in Carthage jail.
And yet after all this, I am told there are some of the brethren
who are willing to swear against those who were engaged in that
affair. I hope there is no truth in this report. I hope there is
no such person here, under the sound of my voice. But if there
is, I will tell him my opinion of him, and the fact so far as his
fate is concerned. Unless he repent at once of that unholy
intention, and keep the secret, he will die a dog's death, and go
to hell. I must not hear of any treachery among my people."
These words of Brigham gave great comfort. They insured our
safety and took away our fears.