"Horrible Massacre of Emigrants!!" The Mountain Meadows Massacre in Public Discourse

 

Public Meeting of the People of Carroll County 

At a public meeting of the citizens of Carroll county, held in Carrollton, on the 1st day of February, 1858, in pursuance of public notice, the following proceeding were had:

On motion, John Crump, Esq. was called on and unanimously selected to act as president of the meeting, and John Haggin was appointed secretary.

On motion, it was determined that the president should appoint a committee of three to draft suitable resolutions for the occasion, and such as would be expressive of the feelings and sense of the meeting.

Thereupon, the following named gentlemen were appointed such committee, to wit: Bryce Byrne, W. W. Watkins and John Haggin. The committee after deliberating and considering of their duty, reported the following preamble and resolutions which were unanimously concurred in and adopted:

WHEREAS, The painful intelligence has reached us that, in July last, an emigrant train with 130 persons from Arkansas was attacked by the Mormons and Santa Clara tribe of Indians near the rim of the Great Basin, and about fifty miles from Cedar City, in Utah Territory, and that all of the emigrants, with the exception of 15 children, were then and there massacred and murdered—that the children thus saved from the dreadful fate of their parents and the rest of their company were delivered over to the custody of the Mormons of Cedar city; and that among those who were with the said train at the time of the massacre were John T. Baker and sons, George and Able, Charles and Joel Mitchell, sons of Col. Wm. C. Mitchell, of Marion county, Allen Derhazo, George Baker's wife and four children , Charles Mitchell's s wife and child, Milam Jones and his brother, and his mother-in-law and family , Pleasant Tacket and family , Alexander Fancher and family , Wm. Cameron and family , widow Huff (whose husband, Peter Huff, died after they had started on the route) and some others—all of whom were our neighbors, friends and acquaintances, and their families, and the same persons who constituted the company that left Carroll county in April last, for California, and which was known as Baker's company. And whereas it appears from many other instances of atrocity and crime which could be recited, that the Mormons are instigating the Indians to hostilities against our citizens, and are and have been as a community, systematically engaged in the infamous work of robbing and murdering peaceful wayfarers and emigrants and resisting the authority and laws of the United States-and in short of rebellion and treason against the general government; therefore be it

Resolved: That we, the people of Carroll county, feeling deeply aggrieved in consequence of the many and continued outrages committed upon the persons and property of our citizens, by the Mormons and Indians, acting under their instigation, and especially on account of the loss of such a number of our most estimable citizens, countrymen and friends, and their wives and children in the late massacre of an emigrant train near Cedar city, in Utah Territory , do hereby petition, and call upon the government of the United States to have thoroughly investigated the affair of said dreadful tragedy, and deal out retributive justice to the parties guilty of the monstrous deed.

Resolved, That as it appears from reliable information, there were spared and saved from destruction as many as fifteen infant children, in said massacre, that we hereby call on the general government for assistance and aid in rescuing said children from their captors, and restoring them to their relations and friends in Arkansas .

Resolved, That we request our representatives and senators in congress to use their influence and best exertions to have passed an act making an appropriation for the purpose of defraying the expenses which it may be necessary to incur in order to reclaim and bring home to their relations the children which were as aforesaid saved from the massacre.

Resolved, That we offer our condolence and sympathy to the distressed parents and immediate relations of the unfortunate adventurers who met on plains, as aforesaid, such a lamentable fate.

Resolved, That in our opinion the government should immediately adopt decisive measures for subduing the spirit of insubordination and treason, that is now rife amongst the Mormons, and to that end should call on Arkansas for volunteers, and that we, the people of Carroll county, hold ourselves ready to respond to any such call for volunteers, by tendering the services of at least four companies.

Resolved, That the True Democrat and the Gazette and Democrat, are hereby requested to publish the proceedings of this meeting.

JOHN CRUMP, President. JOHN HAGGIN, Secretary.