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

 

ARRIVAL OF THE SALT LAKE MAIL. 

The Salt Lake mail, (per carriers Messrs. John Hunt and John Mayfield.) arrived yesterday, in its usual excellent condition. They left Great Salt Lake city on the 5th instant, at 11 o’clock A.M., and reached this place of the 30th at 11 o’clock A. M., being twenty-four days, traveling time—making the trip in the common good season. This mail, owing to the ability and promptness of those in whose charge the proprietors have always succeeded in placing it to be conducted across the plains, has never as yet been behind its time one hour. One circumstance, which is characteristic of this mail, and no other upon a similar rout on this continent, and particularly since it has been under the direction of the present conductor, is it never has made a failure, nor been molested.

The carriers report everything quiet in Utah—say the people are very industriously engaged in taking care of their crops, which are remarkably fine, and that they seem to know nothing about Uncle Sam’s coming in there, to “tote them out on two chips.” I learned no further particulars about the “massacre;” neither have I obtained any further intelligence in relation to the cattle lost on the road by the late emigrants. More than two of the Cheyenes, at the crossing of the Muddy, informed the carriers of their having eighty or one hundred head below the road, near the junction of the Rio Virgin and Muddy. These Cheyenes also said that Isaac, the Santa Clara chief, had “lots of cattle.” It seems that some of the Santa Clara Indians were with those at the Muddy when the stock was run off, having followed the train over to that place. They heard from some of the interpreters—they are all supposed to have got in without being molested by the Indians.

Yours truly, J. WARD CHRISTIAN