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

 

THE LATE MASSACRE OF EMIGRANTS IN THE MORMON SETTLEMENTS— 

An officer of the army who was stationed nearly a year in Utah, and who passed over the Spanish trail—from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles in command of a detachment of United States troops in 1855—informs us that he camped for several days at Mountain Meadows, the scene of the late horrible massacre of over one hundred emigrants, and that there is no room for the shadow of a doubt but that the Mormons were cognizant of and instigated this horrible butchery. The Indians in the vicinity of Fillmore, Parowan, and all the southern settlements extending to the Virgin river, are entirely under the control of the Mormons; the chiefs are recognized member of the Mormon church, and missionaries are constantly residing with them. He further informs us that it would be impossible for the Indians to plan an attack upon even a single train, for years no small party of Americans has ever been safe in travelling this route. As a matter of necessity, all small trains have assumed the name of Mormons to travel safely. These Indians are well armed with rifles, and supplied with ammunition by the Mormon, and at the time of the passage of the United States troops through their country in 1855 every effort was made by the Mormons to induce the Indians to attack them—and they were only prevented from so doing by the superior strength and great precaution shown by the troops. This fact was communicated to the War Department at the time in an official report.—N. Y. Jour. of Com.