The Mountain Meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the Baker–Fancher emigrant wagon train, at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah. The attacks culminated on September 11, 1857, in the mass slaughter of the emigrant party by the Iron County district of the Utah Territorial Militia and some local Indians.
Initially intended to be an Indian massacre,Walker, Turley, Leonard 2008, pp. 137–140 two men with leadership roles in local military, church and government organizations, Isaac C. Haight and John D. Lee, conspired for Lee to lead militiamen disguised as Native Americans along with a contingent of Paiute tribesmenWalker, Turley, Leonard 2008, p. 265 in an attack. The emigrants fought back and a siege ensued. Intending to leave no witnesses of Mormon complicity in the siege and avoid reprisals complicating the Utah War, militiamen induced the emigrants to surrender and give up their weapons. After escorting the emigrants out of their fortification, the militiamen and their tribesmen auxiliaries executed approximately 120 women, children, and men. stated he buried over 120 skeletons); James Lynch (1859) reported there were 140 victims; in , Superintendent Forney reported 115 victims; a 1932 monument states about 140 were involved in the massacre less 17 children spared; while Brooks' (introduction, 1991) believes 123 to be exaggerated, citing several reports of less than 100. The 1990 monument lists 82 identified by careful research of descendants of survivor ( http://www.mtn-meadows-assoc.com/inmemory.htm ) and states that there are others still unknown. See also Seventeen younger children were spared.
Investigations, temporarily interrupted by the American Civil War, resulted in nine indictments during 1874. Of the men indicted, only John D. Lee was tried in a court of law. After two trials Lee was convicted and executed near the massacre site.
First attack and siege
During the early morning hours of Monday, September 7; the Baker–Fancher party was attacked by as many or more than 200 Paiutes Lee said the first attack occurred on a Tuesday and the Native Americans were several hundred strong. and Mormon militiamen disguised as Native Americans.
The attackers were positioned in a small ravine south-east of the emigrant camp. As the attackers shot into the camp, the Baker–Fancher party defended itself by encircling and lowering their wagons, along with digging shallow trenches and throwing dirt both below and into the wagons. Seven emigrants were killed during the opening attack and were buried somewhere within the wagon encirclement; sixteen more were wounded. The attack continued for five days, during which the besieged families had little or no access to fresh water and their ammunition was depleted.
Massacre
On Friday, September 11 two Utah militiamen approached the Baker-Fancher party wagons with a white flag and were soon followed by Indian agent and militia officer John D. Lee. Lee told the battle-weary emigrants he had negotiated a truce with the Paiutes, whereby they could be escorted safely to Cedar City under Mormon protection in exchange for leaving all their livestock and supplies to the Native Americans.Shirts, (1994) Paragraph 9
Accepting this, they were split into three groups. Seventeen of the youngest children along with a few mothers and the wounded were put into wagons, which were followed by all the women and older children walking in a second group. Bringing up the rear were the adult males, each walking with an armed Utah militiaman at his right. Making their way back northeast towards Cedar City, the three groups gradually became strung out and visually separated by shrubs and a shallow hill. After about , all of the men, women, older children and wounded were massacred by the Utah militia and Paiutes who had hidden nearby. A few who escaped the initial slaughter were quickly chased down and killed. Two teen-aged girls, Rachel and Ruth Dunlap, managed to clamber down the side of a steep gully and hide among a clump of oak trees for several minutes. They were spotted by a Paiute chief from Parowan, who took them to Lee. Eighteen-year-old Ruth Dunlap reportedly fell to her knees and pleaded, "Spare me, and I will love you all my life!"Gibbs (1910) p. 36. (Lee denied this). 50 years later, a Mormon woman who was a child at the time of the massacre recalled hearing LDS women in St. GeorgeSt. George is about 15 miles from the Mountain Meadows. say both girls were raped before they were killed.Gibbs (1910), Part 3 under heading "The Massacre", paragraphs 16-19
All of the Mormon participants in the massacre were then sworn to secrecy.Shirts, (1994) Paragraph 11 The many dozens of bodies were hastily dragged into gullies and other low lying spots, then lightly covered with surrounding material which was soon blown away by the weather, leaving the remains to be scavenged and scattered by wildlife.Shirts, (1994) Paragraph 10
List of victims List of Mountain Meadows Massacre VictimsName Age at timeof massacre Listed on monument A childsurvivor Last First 1955 1990Aden,William Allen19YesYesBaker,George W.27YesYesBaker,Manerva A. Beller25YesYesBaker,Mary Levina7YesYesBaker,Mary Elizabeth5YesYesYesBaker,Sarah Frances3YesYesYesBaker,William Twitty0(9 months)YesYesYesBaker,John Twitty52YesYesBaker,Abel19YesYesBeach,John21NoYesBeller,David W.12YesYesBeller,Melissa Ann14YesYesCameron,William51YesYesCameron,Martha51YesYesCameron,Tillman24NoYesCameron,Isom18NoYesCameron,Henry16NoYesCameron,James14NoYesCameron,Martha11YesCameron,Larkin8NoYesCameron,Nancy12NoYesCoker,Edward27NoNoCoker,Charity Porter37NoNoCoker,Unknown7+?(Child)NoNoCoker,Unknown7+?(Child)NoNoCooper,William E.29NoNoCooper,Abbey29NoNoDeshazo,Allen P.20YesYesDunlap,Jesse, Jr.39YesYesDunlap,Mary Wharton39YesYesDunlap,Ellender18NoYesDunlap,Nancy M.16NoYesDunlap,James D.14NoYesDunlap,Lucinda12NoYesDunlap,Susannah12NoYesDunlap,Margerette11NoYesDunlap,Mary Ann9NoYesDunlap,Rebecca Jane6YesYesYesDunlap,Louisa4YesYesYesDunlap,Sarah Ann.1YesYesYesDunlap,Lorenzo Dow42YesYesDunlap,Nancy Wharton39NoYesDunlap,Thomas J.17NoYesDunlap,John H.16NoYesDunlap,Mary Ann13NoYesDunlap,Talitha Emaline11NoYesDunlap,Nancy9NoYesDunlap,America Jane7NoYesDunlap,Prudence Angeline5YesYesYesDunlap,Georgia Ann1(18 months)YesYesYesEaton,William M.Unknown,adultYesYesEdwards,SilasUnknownNoYesFancher,Alexander45YesYesFancher,Eliza Ingrum32YesYesFancher,Hampton19YesYesFancher,William17YesYesFancher,Mary15YesYesFancher,Thomas14YesYesFancher,Martha10YesYesFancher,Margaret A.8YesYesFancher,Sarah G.8YesYesFancher,Christopher "Kit" Carson5YesYesYesFancher,Triphenia D.1(22 months)YesYesYesFancher,James Mathew25YesYesFancher,Frances "Fanny" FulferUnknownNoYesFancher,Robert19YesYesGresly,John21NoNoHamilton,Thomas?UnknownYesYesHuff,Saladia Ann Brown38YesYesHuff,John14NoYesHuff,William C.13NoYesHuff,ElishaUnknownNoYesHuff,Mary E.11NoNoHuff,James K.8NoYesHuff,Nancy Saphrona [Cates]4YesYesYesHuff,Unknown SonUnknownNoNoJones,John Milum32YesYesJones,Eloah Angeline Tackitt27YesYesJones,Unknown DaughterUnknownYesYesJones,Felix Marion1(18 months)YesYesYesJones,Newton23NoYesMcEntire,Lawson A.21YesYesMiller,Josiah (Joseph)30YesYesMiller,Matilda Cameron26YesYesMiller,James William9NoYesMiller,John Calvin6YesYesYesMiller,Mary4YesYesYesMiller,Joseph1YesYesYesMitchell,Charles R.25YesYesMitchell,Sarah C. Baker21YesYesMitchell,John1?(Infant)YesYesMitchell,Joel D.23YesYesPrewit,John20YesYesPrewit,William18YesYesRush,Milum Lafayette28YesYesStallcup,Charles25NoYesTackitt,Cynthia49YesYesTackitt,William H.23NoNoTackitt,Marion20YesYesTackitt,Sebron18NoYesTackitt,Matilda16NoYesTackitt,James M.14NoYesTackitt,Jones M.12NoYesTackitt,Pleasant25YesYesTackitt,Armilda Miller22YesYesTackitt,Emberson Milum4YesYesYesTackitt,William Henry1(19 months)YesYesYesWilson,Richard27YesYesWood,Solomon R.20YesYesWood,William Edward26YesYes
Lists of perpetrators
Although the principal aggressors and organizers in the massacre were the white, Mormon militiamen, some members of the Coal Creek and Ash Creek bands of the Southern Paiute tribe were recruited and participated.
List of Militia Perpetrators of MassacreName Age at timeof massacre Strongevidence Last First Adair,George Washington Jr.20YesAllen,Ira43YesArthur,Benjamin A.23YesArthur,Christopher Jones25NoBateman,William33YesCartwright,Thomas Henry42YesClark,John Wesley39YesClewes,Joseph25NoColeman,Prime Thornton25NoCurtis,Ezra Houghton35YesDame,William Horne38YesDickson,Robert50NoDurfee,Jabez29NoEdwards,William15YesFreeman,Columbus Reed19YesHaight,Isaac Chauncey44YesHamblin, Oscar 24 No Harrison, Richard 49 Yes Hatch, Ira 22 No Hawley, George 32 No Hawley, John Pierce 31 NoHawley, William Schroeder 27 Yes Higbee, John Mount 30 Yes Hopkins, Charles 47 Yes Humphries, John Samuel 31 Yes Hunter, George 29 Yes Jacobs, John 31 No Jacobs, Swen 33 Yes Jewkes, Samuel 34 No Johnson, Nephi 23 Yes Klingensmith, Philip 42 Yes Knight, Samuel 24 Yes Leavitt, Dudley 27 No Lee, John Doyle 45 Yes Loveridge, Alexander Hamilton 29 Yes Macfarlane, Daniel Sinclair 20 Yes Macfarlane, John Menzies 23 No McMurdy, Samuel 26 Yes Mangum, James Mitchell 37 No Mangum, John 40 Yes Mathews, James Nicholas 30 Yes Morris, Elias 32 No Pearce, Harrison 38 Yes Pearce, James 18 No Pollock, Samuel 33 Yes Reeves, Josiah 21 No Riddle, Isaac 27 No Robinson, Richard Smith 26 No Shirts, Don Carlos (Carl) 21 Yes Slade, William Rufus, Sr. 46 Yes Slade, William, Jr. 23 Yes Smith, Joseph Hodgetts 38 No Spencer, George 27 Yes Stewart, William Cameron 30 Yes Stoddard, David Kerr 27 No Stratton, Anthony Johnson 33 Yes Tait, William 38 Yes Thornton, Amos Griswold 24 No Tullis, David Wilson 24 Yes Urie, John Main 22 Yes Western, John 49 No White, Joel William 26 Yes White, Samuel Dennis 39 No Wiley, Robert 47 Yes Willden, Ellott 23 Yes Williamson, James 44 Yes Willis, John Henry 22 No Young, William 52 Yes
List of Native American Perpetrators of MassacreNameStrongevidence Agarapoots No Bill Yes Buck Yes Comanche Yes Chick-eroo No George No Hamblin, Albert Yes Hunkup, Isaac Yes Jackson Yes Joseph (Joe) Yes Kahbeets No Kanarra No Knight, John Yes Kwi-toos No Lee, Lemuel (Clem) Yes Moquetas Yes Myack No Non-cap-in No Seaman, John Yes Tau-gu (Coal Creek John) Yes Toanob Yes Tom Yes Tonche No Toshob No Tunanita'a Yes
Surviving children
Approximately seventeen children were deliberately spared because of their young ages. Multiple sources claim that Lee protested and prohibited the death of all children that were assumed to be too young to talk, and directed that they be placed in the care of one who was not involved in the massacre. Not all of the young children were spared, however; the infant John Mitchell was killed and Sarah Dunlap (1) had her arm shot off, but survived. In the hours following the massacre Lee directed Philip Klingensmith and possibly two othersJohn D. Lee's Confessions state that he directed Knight and McMurdy to take charge of the children as well to take the children (a few of whom were wounded) to the nearby farm of Jacob Hamblin, a local Indian agent.Testimony of Philip Klingensmith (July 23–24, 1875). First Trial of John D. Lee. Later, under the direction of Jacob Forney, the non-Mormon Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Utah, the children were placed in the care of local Mormon families pending an investigation of the matter and notification of kin. However, some accounts relate that Lee sold or bartered the children to whatever Mormon families would take them. Sarah Francis Baker, who was three years old at the time of the massacre, later said: "They sold us from one family to another."Brooks (1950), Appendix X
List of surviving children