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 | Tuesday, Aug 3, 2004, at 12:58 PM Mountain Meadows Film Pulled From Idaho Festival Posted By Anonymous MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
From The Salt Lake Tribune:
It's the professor vs. Mary Ann.http://www.sltrib.com/ci_2384399 |
| | Wednesday, Feb 9, 2005, at 01:30 AM Mountain Meadows Massacre TV Show Posted By Anonymous MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
From The Albuquerque Tribune:
It tells how more than 120 pioneers, families traveling from Arkansas to California in 1857, were attacked and slaughtered by Mormons at Mountain Meadows, a grassy oasis in southern Utah.Continue Reading Story |
| | Friday, Mar 11, 2005, at 07:54 AM A Pattern Of Mormons Disguised As Indians Attacking Wagon Trains Posted By Randy Jordan MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| Two months before the MMM, the "Alta California" newspaper referred to the anger of Utah Mormons upon learning of the murder of Parley P. Pratt in Arkansas in June:
"Whether the hot blood which must now be seething and boiling in the veins of Brigham Young and his satellites in Salt Lake is to be cooled by the murder of Gentiles who pass through their territory, whether the destroying angels of Mormondom are to be brought into requisition to make reprisals upon travelers, whether, as has been done before, saints disguised as Indians are to constitute themselves the supposed ministers of God's vengeance in this case, we are not informed, but have no doubt that such intentions are prevalent among those saintly villains, adulterers, and seducers of Salt Lake." (July 9, 1857.) This one statement, published two months before the MMM, is more than enough to show that the attack on the Fancher train was not an isolated incident perpetrated by "renegade Mormons" acting out of revenge for alleged wrongdoings of the Fancher party, as Mopologists deceitfully continue to assert. When this article was written, the Fancher train was traveling across the Great Plains, and yet a newspaper in California predicted the fate of such passing emigrants and the method by which the Mormons would exact vengeance for Pratt's murder: "Mormons disguised as Indians" made the initial attack on the Fancher train. Southern Utah Mormons in cahoots with Indians also attacked the Dukes train, which had preceded the Baker/Fancher train through southwestern Utah. A member of the Dukes train, S. B. Honea, stated "that he passed through Great Salt Lake City on August 17, that he saw everywhere preparations for war, that the company were harassed by Indians all the way, that in southern Utah they hired Mormon guides and interpreters to the sum of $1,810, and then were robbed on the Muddy [River] of 375 head of cattle. [George B.] Davis described the Indians who stole the cattle as having among them some with light, fine hair and blue eyes, and light streaks where they had not used sufficient paint. He gave the number of cattle taken as 326 head.....On October 17, the first members of the Duke train of emigrants arrived half-starved at San Bernardino with the Mormon theft of their cattle to add to the tale of the massacre." (Juanit Brooks, "The Mountain Meadows Massacre," pp. 125, 126, 146.) From Josiah Gibbs' 1910 book "Mountain Meadows Massacre": "(Note - Charles Fancher was the son of Capt. Charles Fancher, who was in command of the train, and was 11 years old. He was small for his age. He had a brother about 9 years of age, who was also small for his years, and which, no doubt, was the reason for their escape from the fate of those who were believed to be over 8 years old. Mormon children are baptised at 8 years, when, from the Mormon viewpoint, they reach the age of responsibility. Thus it was that the emigrant children under 8 years were not regarded by the Mormon priests as being responsible for the sins of their parents, who were murdered in obedience to the endowment oath to 'avenge the blood of the (Mormon) prophets and martyrs.' It was from the lips of Charley Fancher, soon after his arrival from the vicinity of the tragedy, that I heard the first story of the massacre. In his childish way he said that 'some of the Indians, after the slaughter, went to the little creek, and that after washing their faces they were white men.' During his stay in Salt Lake City I frequently played marbles with Charley Fancher on First South, a half block or so west of Main street. - The Author.)" |
| | Wednesday, Apr 13, 2005, at 09:59 AM MMM Was Not The Only Massacre That Mormons Did Posted By Flew The Coop MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| The Mountain Meadow Massacre wasn't the only Massacre that Utah Mormons did…
Following is an excerpt from "A History of Paiute Country" by Linda King Newell which was published in 1999 with a grant from the State of Utah Centennial History Project. Newell is co-author of "Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith". You can check this book out of about any library in Utah. I'm not sure of its availability outside the state. In April 23, 1866 an unknown number of friendly and innocent Paiute Indians were taken into custody in Circleville Utah for their own "protection". Although there were Indian problems with the Utes during this time period, the Paiutes of Circleville were a peaceful band that tried to live peacefully among the Mormons (kind of like some of us ex-mormons are trying to do). From the James Munson and Oluf Larsen journals: They (the Mormon townspeople) sent messengers requesting that the Paiutes go into town and hear a letter read to them. Many did. They gathered in the meetinghouse to hear Bishop William Allred address them. According to a previous plan, the Circleville men who outnumbered the Indians three to one came in unarmed and intermingled with them. The bishop read the message from Fort Sanford, stressing that the settlers wanted only peace with their band, but the Indians would have to help by lending them their guns. In return, the Paiutes could work for the whites and be paid in goods. When the Indians showed reluctance to give up their weapons, the settlers acted: "each man knowing his place and what was expected of him, grabbed hold of his Indian… to disarm [him]. They all showed resistance but their bows and arrows and knives were taken from them." Next, "their arms were tied to a stick which was passed behind their backs and under their arms." Bishop Allred would later put his own twist to the incident in his report to LDS church authority George A. Smith, writing that it took some time to convince the Indians, but they "reluctantly surrendered their weapons". Captain James Allred (Mormon army) and his men went to the camp to apprehend those who had earlier refused the "invitation"… The rest of the Paiutes were taken to the meetinghouse, where the women and children were separated from the men and taken to an unused cellar that had been dug for a proposed flourmill. The prisoners numbered about sixteen men and probably about as many women and children (undetermined- I think many more). Rex Fullmer's account from James Munson's journal: "Towards evening…some of the [captives] succeeded in getting loose and commenced an attack upon the guard, knocking two of them down. The guard was afraid of a general break… hence the guard opened fire and shot two of the Indians. ….after a short consultation it was decided that the settlement would be in danger if the Indians were allowed to escape. Though the people loathed the thought of killing them, it was nevertheless concluded to do so." Although no account tells who gave or carried out the instructions no decision of this sort would have been without the knowledge and consent of those in charge, namely Captain James Allred and Bishop William Allred. Fullmer estimated that about a dozen Paiute men remained in the meetinghouse. One by one the guards began taking them outside, leading them around to the side of the building, where one person clubbed them in the back of the head, stunning them, then another cut their throats with "a large sharp knife"…. Once the Paiute men were dispatched the settlers began taking the women and older children from the cellar, killing them by the same method. Fullmer wrote that," A number of children were spared alive, and also an older boy, who however, was killed the next day as he was considered dangerous to the peace of the settlement." After the carnage, the settlers placed all the bodies in the cellar and filled it with dirt. Nothing today remains to mark the common grave…. Flew the Coop continues: This tragic event near Utah highway 89 probably will never be marked with a historic marker like other historic spots in Utah. Perhaps when we drive through Circleville on the way to Lake Powell or Arizona, we can pause for a moment of silence for these murdered innocents and vow to ourselves to not let the sordid history of these extreme religionists be forgotten. |
| | Thursday, Aug 11, 2005, at 07:32 AM Voight, Davidovich Stormin' Mormon Drama - Mountain Meadows Massacre Movie To Be Made Posted By Anonymous MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Jon Voight and Lolita Davidovich are starring in "September Dawn," an indie Western written and directed by Christopher Cain, the father of actor Dean Cain.
"Dawn" is a love story set against the 19th century massacre of a wagon train of settlers in Utah at the hands of a renegade Mormon group. Voight plays the leader of the renegade Mormon faction, while Davidovich is a member of the wagon train who stands up to Voight's threats. The feature, which sources said is budgeted in the $11 million range, started shooting this week in Alberta, Canada. Cain is no stranger to Westerns, having directed "Young Guns" and 1998's "Magnificent Seven" TV series. Oscar winner Voight will appear in the upcoming "Glory Road." Davidovich last appeared in "Hollywood Homicide" and "Dark Blue." She is best known for her title role in "Blaze" opposite Paul Newman. http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsA... |
| | Thursday, Aug 11, 2005, at 07:38 AM Thoughts From The Mountain Meadows Massacre Posted By Anonymous MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| The first time I recall reading or hearing anything about Mountain Meadow Massacre was a couple of years ago, during my "awakening." I read the 19th Wife by a divorced wife of BY. What was her name.... Eliza or Ann Webb??? Anyways, the narrative in that book on MMM stems primarily from J.D. Lee's Confession. As I understand it, although Lee's confession brought to light important information, the details lack some credibility. Bagley essentially states that because the only information we have from the situation comes from the people who perpetrated the murders, including Lee, we will never really know the full scope of what happened. Anyways, when I read the 19th Wife, the walls came tumbling down for me. The impact of the MMM as a singular event was lost for me in the crumbling of my faith.
I started reading Will Bagley's, The Blood of the Prophets this week. I have been impressed with the balance and objectivity that he brings to the work. As I read the book and went back and forth to the footnotes and bibliography, understanding the sources of who said what and what particular bias may exist in each statement, waves of grief came over me. As a man, I consider myself to be pretty ordinary. I am not particularly stoic, nor am I particularly prone to tears, but reading this book has had me in tears several times. It is heart wrenching to understand the circumstances that would lead a group of people to commit the atrocities and then to hide it so well. I kept asking myself, how could the Saints allow themselves then and now to give up their right and even obligation for individual moral decisions to a hierarchy of a church that has shown again and again and again that it will use lies of commission, lies of ommission, half truths, inuendo, etc. to avoid tarnishing the image of the organization leaders or the organization? How can the ends justify the means? Why don't we discuss this more openly so that people can take this information and use it to help themselves assess this line of perceived priesthood authority and apostolic succession? What is a prophet? If a prophet lies, does that invalidate his claim to status as prophet? I know that this post may properly fit in the closed "Angst" section, but I figured it may fit under support because I'm looking for someone to lean on. Understanding the MMM as a singular event has been devastating. I am only about half way through Bagley's book, but at this point, I cannot say enough about his clear writing, his objectivity, the clarity he brings to the potential distortions in the data, and ultimately laying out the conclusion that we will never know what really happened, we can only get closer to understanding what really happened. |
 | Friday, Oct 7, 2005, at 07:01 AM Reflections On Visiting The Site Of The Mountain Meadows Massacre Posted By Steve Benson MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| While still fresh in my mind, below are some lingering thoughts and images of my visit on October 3rd, 2005, to the site of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
The highway signs indicating one's approach to the Mountain Meadows Massacre site are innocuous and give absolutely no hint of the horrible atrocity that occurred there. The roadside signs, at both the one mile and half-mile mark on opposite sides of the highway, simply say, "Mountain Meadows." No mention of "Massacre." Once one leaves the highway to follow the "Mountain Meadows" sign, one enters a weathered asphalt parking lot. There are no parking lot lights in this area and a wooden, informational backboard covered with plexiglas at the parking lot site is completely empty of maps, brochures or any other informational material. From the parking lot, a narrow, asphalted footpath snakes up a small hill, with a sign indicating by arrow the direction to a "Mountain Meadows Monument." This sign, as well, makes no mention of a "Massacre." Ascending the small hill, one comes upon two small, black-colored, separate signs, mounted on bases at about waist level, on the left side of the trail. The signage indicates that local Mormon settlers, along with native Indians from the area, laid siege to the Fancher party for several days at the Fancher campsite, killing 15 men in that party during that initial period, then negotiating an arrangement with the Fancher party under which the migrants surrendered to the Mormons. The informational signage indicates that the Fancher migrants were led out by Mormon escort under a white flag and then, without warning, were shot and killed by their LDS escorts. The posted account records that a total of 120 members of the Fancher party were killed, that several surviving children of the Massacre were eventually returned to Arkansas and that at least one child from the Fancher group remained behind in Utah. The walkway information says that the Massacre occurred during the "so-called Utah War" and that the reasons for the Massacre's occurrence are not known to this day. One of the pathway signs indicates that the Massacre occurred on September 11, 1857. Someone has permanently etched a scratchy line in the metal under the date "September 11." Upon reaching the summit of the hill, one comes upon a granite plaque, several feet in length, upon which are listed in capital letters the names (in some cases, by first name only) and ages of the Massacre's murder victims. This plaque was erected by descendants of the Mountain Meadows Massacre victims in 1990. Some of the victims identified on the plaque are children, as young as five years of age. The plaque looks out on the Mountain Meadows Massacre site, which is located in a flat, wind-swept stretch of land that runs for what appears to be about two miles. The Meadow itself butts up against a backdrop ridge of low-lying, sage- and cedar-covered hills. The Meadow is on private property, with a few farm buildings dotting the area near the Massacre site. The Meadow features tall, bent-over grass and squatty brush, is rooted in rocky soil and shows some signs of farming. Close to the plaque, atop the hill, are three informational signs, facing outward toward the Meadow and located at approximately knee-high level, which provide details about the settlement of the area by the Mormons, together with maps of where the Fancher Party initially camped and faced siege, where from the campsite its ill-fated members were led away to be massacred and where the actual spot of the Massacre site is situated, together with locations of early memorials and burial plots for the victims. Also atop the hill are two fixed, simple pipes, attached to metal poles. Through the pipe on the left, one can view the Mormon Church-dedicated memorial site, established in 1999 at the site of initial siege at the Fancher campsite. Through the other pipe, one can see the actual site of the Massacre, which is out in the open Meadow, near the right sloping edge of the ridge. From the hill, one then descends by foot back to the parking lot and follows a vehicular dirt road down to the Mormon-dedicated site, which is also the burial spot for 29 victims of the Massacre. This site is flanked by a parking lot, with another wooden plexiglas-covered informational backboard that is completely devoid of any information. The LDS-erected memorial site is surrounded by a wrought-iron fence and gate with a heavy latch. A sign on the fence near the gate requests that one close the gate when leaving. An American flag snaps and flutters in the strong wind on a pole located outside the fence. The memorial site features a large mound of stones, approximately 15 to 20 feet tall, in the center of the fenced-in area. On opposite ends from each other, separated by this rock mound, are two informational stones at the base of the rock pile, on which are etched details, among other memorial-related points, of the eventual dedication of the site by Mormon Church President Gordon B. Hinckley on September 11th, 1999. In one corner of the enclosed memorial is a small, metal plaque, embedded at ground level, indicating in small print that the remains of 29 victims are actually buried at this site. (The remains of these murder victims are, in fact, entombed--along with some Arkansas soil--in a vault at this location after having been accidentally unearthed by a backhoe in the late 1990s during efforts to shore up a retaining wall that undergirds the memorial. Information on the hill up behind the memorial indicates that these victims were originally buried by Federal troops after the Massacre, before being inadvertently uncovered by the earthmover). Returning to the highway and heading north, the road skirts the area where the members of the Fancher party were actually massacred. After the Mormon attackers duped the Fancher migrants into surrendering, they were escorted by their Mormon murderers several hundred yards away to an area out of sight of the Fancher encampment and, there, brutally massacred. Although the highway runs very close to, and within clear line of sight of, the spot of the Massacre, there is no signage or other indicators provided to identify this spot from the roadway. As a personal afterthought, down from the Mormon Church memorial area, off-site, is a small stream, from which I collected three small stones by which to remember my visit. These stones had been washed clean through the years by the waters of that tiny tributary. The Mormon Church, in contrast, will never be able to wash the blood off its hands for what occurred on September 11th, 1857, at Mountain Meadows. |
| | Friday, Dec 2, 2005, at 08:20 AM Brigham Young Apologizes For Massacre Posted By Nightingale MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| I was just looking at an ad for Will Bagley’s book about the Mountain Meadows Massacre. There's an excerpt from the book’s dust jacket explaining the tragedy of MMM and citing evidence of Brigham Young’s involvement.
http://www.utlm.org/booklist/titles/b... "Title: Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows Author: Will Bagley Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press" "The massacre at Mountain Meadows on September 11, 1857, was the single most violent act to occur on the overland trails, yet it has been all but forgotten. Will Bagley’s Blood of the Prophets is the most extensive investigation of the events surrounding the mass killings since Juanita Brooks published her groundbreaking study, The Mountain Meadows Massacre, in 1950.I lost all my bookmarks the other day and when searching for this site found Mormonism.com instead where I saw, to my surprise, that BY was apparently sorry for what happened at MMM. Listed under "My Collection" on this site: http://www.mormonism.com A letter from Brigham Young giving his sympathies to the family of a victim of the Mountain Meadows Massacre Either sorry or a murderous hypocrite. Which one I wonder? |
| | Tuesday, Jan 3, 2006, at 07:55 AM Jaunita Brooks Destroyed Historical Documents, When Writing Her Famous Book On The Subject Of Mountain Meadows Mascare Because They Were "Too Incriminating To The Church" Posted By Randy J. MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| "Dudley Leavitt also was the grandfather of Juanita Brooks, whose 1950
benchmark book on the atrocity was the first attempt at exposing the covered-up
details. Yet Brooks, who three months ago was selected as one of the 20 most
influential Utahns of the 20th century, also was conflicted by her convictions
to her LDS faith and family in learning the awful truth.
In a letter to her sister while she was compiling research, Brooks related that Dudley Leavitt apparently rode picket duty as the surrendering emigrants were being marched away from the valley. That would make him responsible for preventing anyone from escaping once the executions began. Brooks said her father "cautioned his children not to marry Higbees or Haights or Dames or Klingonsmiths because he believed the sins of the fathers would be visited upon the heads of the children until the third or fourth generations." Brooks once told a friend in St. George, current Washington County medical examiner Bart Anderson, that she even burned several important historical documents regarding Mountain Meadows. The flames in her fireplace, related Brooks, turned an eerie blue as she placed the old papers in the fire. "I asked her why she would ever burn such important documents," Anderson told reporter Smith recently. "And she told me, 'Bart, they were just too incriminating.' " In addition to the fact that Brooks admitted burning documents that were "too incriminating," Will Bagley points out in his "Blood of the Prophets" that Brooks didn't have access to Dimick Huntington's journal when she published her book. If she had, she certainly would have had a fuller picture of the councils Young held with Indians, and his orders therein, which revealed his direct orders to attack and plunder emigrant trains. In the final edition of her book, Brooks wrote in the preface: "Recently I was given access to an electrostatic copy of the daily journal of Brigham Young. Under date of September 1, 1857, the entry reads: 'Kanosh the Pavaunt chief with several of his band visited me gave me some council and presents. A spirit seems to be takeing possession of the Indians to assist Israel. I can hardly restrain them from exterminating the Americans.' "This seems very significant. The 'Journal History of the Church' under this same date tells of the visit of Jacob Hamblin and twelve Indian chiefs from the south. President Young talked with them all, but it seems that Kanosh was given private audience. He was the chief who had killed Captain John W. Gunnison and several of his men as they were camped on the Sevier River on October 28, 1853. Whether or not Kanosh and his band were at the Mountain Meadows we do not know, but we can now be certain that the Mormon war strategy was to use the natives as 'the battle-ax of the Lord,' as some of the early missionaries had stated." ("Mountain Meadows Massacre," Juanita Brooks, p.xiii.) After Huntington's journal had come to light in LDS archives later, Provo historian David Bigler fleshed out the details of that September 1 council: "Hamblin and some twelve Indian chiefs on September first met with Brigham Young and his most trusted interpreter, 49-year-old Dimick Huntington, at Great Salt Lake. Taking part in this pow-wow were Kanosh, the Mormon chief of the Pahvants; Ammon, half-brother of Walker; Tutsegabit, head chief of the Piedes;Youngwuds, another Piede chieftain, and other leaders of desert bands along the Santa Clara and Virgin Rivers. Little was known of what they talked about until recently when it came to light that Huntington (apparently speaking for Young) told the chiefs that he 'gave them all the cattle that had gone to Cal[ifornia by] the south rout[e].' The gift 'made them open their eyes,' he said. But 'you have told us not to steal,' the Indians replied. 'So I have,' Huntington said, but now they have come to fight us & you for when they kill us they will kill you.' The chiefs knew what cattle he was giving them. They belonged to the Baker-Fancher train." ("Forgotten Kingdom: The Mormon Theocracy in the American West," David Bigler, 1998, pp. 167-168.) Huntington's journal can be read at http://www.mtn-meadows-assoc.com Utah historian Hubert Bancroft shed further light on Dimick Huntington's activities: "Major Carleton, of the first dragoons. In a despatch to the assistant adjutant-general at San Francisco, dated Mountain Meadows, May 25, 1859, he says: 'A Pah Ute chief of the Santa Clara band, named Jackson, who was one of the attacking party, and had a brother slain by the emigrants from their corral by the spring, says that orders came down in a letter from Brigham Young that the emigrants were to be killed; and a chief of the Pah Utes, named Touche, now living on the Virgin River, told me that a letter from Brigham Young to the same effect was brought down to the Virgin River band by a man named Huntingdon.' A copy of the major's despatch will be found in the Hand-book of Mormonism, 67-9. Cradlebaugh says that after the attack had been made, one of the Indians declared that a white man came to their camp with written orders from Brigham to 'go and help to whip the emigrants.' " ("History of Utah," p. 561.) Juanita Brooks quoted from Young's letter to Jacob Hamblin of August 4, 1857: "Continue the conciliatory policy towards the Indians.....for they must learn that they have got to help us or the United States will kill us both......We have an abundance of 'news.' The government have appointed an entire set of officials for the Territory. These Gentry are to have a bodyguard of 2500 of Uncle's [Sam's] regulars." Of this excerpt, Brooks comments: "In the version of this letter.....printed in 'Jacob Hamblin, Personal Narrative,' by James A Little, the phrase 'for they must learn that they have either got to help us or the United States will kill us both' is not included. Neither is the entire paragraph which gives the 'abundance of news.' The reason for this deletion seems clear." (Brooks, p. 35.) The reason for the deletion of this passage in a pro-Mormon edition of Hamblin's narrative is INDEED clear: The passage clearly shows that Young instructed Hamblin to prepare the southern Indians to help the Mormons act against the U. S. government forces. The excerpt also makes clear that, contrary to some Mormon apologists' assertions that Young had no foreknowledge of why the Army was marching on SLC, and that therefore 'justified' Young in prosecuting his guerrilla war against Johnston's Army, Young in fact knew very well that the army was sent to depose Young as governor and escort the newly-appointed governor and "an entire set of officials" to replace the territorial judges who had fled Utah fearing for their lives at the hands of Young's "Danites." Young's foreknowledge of the army's mission means that his orders to prevent the army from entering the Salt Lake Valley constituted an act of treason against the United States, as also did his illegal declaration of martial law; so that is why Mormon apologists deceitfully omit this part of Young's letter when writing on the subject. Brooks further offers: "Jacob Hamblin.....decided to take a group of the chiefs to Great Salt Lake City for an interview with the great Mormon chief, Brigham Young. His handwritten diary, as yet unpublished, says: 'I started for Great Salt Lake City in company with Thales Haskell and Tutsegabit...He had felt anxious for a long time to visit Brigham Young. We fell in company with George A. Smith. Conosh [Kanosh, the Pauvant chief] joined us. Other Indian chiefs also joined our company. When we arrived in the city there were ten of them went up to see Brigham Young, the great Mormon chief. We encamped on Corn Creek on our way up; near a company of Emigrants from Arkansas, on the-----' "Here the account stops abruptly, for the next leaf is torn out.....What Brigham Young told the chiefs in that hour was not recorded, but we might hazard an opinion that it was not out of harmony with his written instructions that 'they must learn that they have got to help us or the United States will kill us both.'.....At that time Brigham Young had to be sure of his allies, for he was conducting a war against tremendous odds. The previous Mormon policy had been to keep the natives from stealing and plundering and to teach them the peaceful pursuits of farming and cattle raising, but now Brigham Young seemed determined that he would no longer "hold them by the wrist," as he told Captain Van Vliet a few days later. The Indians must have started back home immediately, for in seven days they were harassing the emigrants at Mountain Meadows, and in ten days they participated in the massacre of the company." (Brooks, pp. 40-42.) In light of this information, it doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to deduce what Young told the Indians in that meeting ten days before the MMM. It also doesn't take a great brain to understand why someone tore the next page out of Hamblin's diary: it probably gave more details of Young's "counsel" to Hamblin, Huntingdon, and the Indians as to what to do with the Baker-Fancher train. Bagley documents in "Blood of the Prophets" where pages of journals and other incriminating documents were torn out and destroyed, to eliminate the "paper trail" of evidence which points to Brigham Young's involvement in the MMM. But unfortunately for Young, Mormon apologists, and the church's claims of institutional innocence, Huntington's journal reveals the whole story that the church has tried to keep hidden for 145 years. |
| | Monday, May 22, 2006, at 07:59 AM My Visit To The Mountain Meadows Massacre Site Over The Weekend Posted By Mad Viking MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| My father did a pretty good job of explaining the MMM to the campers. Only a small handful of them actually went to the site. About 7 fathers and about a dozen children. As we climbed the trail at Sutter's Hill, we stopped to read the markers that told the condensed church version of the massacre. I could tell that a couple of the men had never heard of the MMM and were shocked by what they were reading. When we arrived at the 1990 memorial on top of Sutter's Hill, my father started to explain what occured there. Most of the kids were already climbing all over the memorial. I don't know why but I was very offended by this. More so, by the fact that the fathers did not tell them to get down.
Like I said, my dad did a very good job (for a believer) of explaining the events. There were many details he left out (we were only there 30 minutes tops), but he didn't shy away from calling the MMM a "black mark on our history". He mentioned the context of the time. Things like "blood atonement", the "Reformation", religous zealotry, etc. were all things he breifly mentioned. He repeated a few rumors that arent true like, the emigrants causing trouble, poisoning some indians, having the gun that killed JS, etc., but he commented that most of those were just rumors to justify what happened. He talked about apostate historians trying to implicate BY, but not really being able to. There was one guy who kept putting his two cents worth in. He was repeating faith promoting rumors he had read on the internet. I interjected when I thought a well placed detail might cause people to think. I reminded them that John Lee was BY adopted son by sealing, and that he was fully reinstated by the church in 1961. While at the 1999 memorial this same dufus made a statement commending Hinkley's 1990 statements regarding the MMM, and the legalistic terms in which Hinkley spoke (never accepting blame for the massacre). He said this was good because the church should not be legally liable for reimbursing the descendants. I could't take this guy and longer. I finally spoke directly to him and said, "They ought to be reimbursed. All the victim's property ended up in the Tithing house in Cedar City." He looked like a deer caught in the head lights. Finally, he said, "Yeah but, a lot of these guys remembered what happened to the Saints in Missouri." To which I responded, "What do people from Arkansas, have to do with what happened in Missouri?" I walked off at this point. I am not sure if anyone sense my irritation by I clearly was. The whole time, the men kept speaking in terms of "us/we" and "them", as if the actions of the mormons and the church were their actions. One of the greatest things I ever heard was at the 1999 Mogatsu Creek memorial. My 5 yr old asked me "Who is buried on this big pile of rock?" I said, "A group of pioneers that got killed." She asked, "How did they die?" I replied, "They were shot with guns." She asked, "Who killed them?" I replied, "A group of Mormons." She asked, "What is a Mormon." No lie! That is what she said. She goes to church almost every week with he mom. I smiled at her and gave her a big hug. I took some pictures but they aren't anything more that what you can already find on the net. |
| | Tuesday, Jun 20, 2006, at 07:44 AM Mountain Meadows Massacre Literature Posted By et in Utah ego MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| As some may remember, I'm writing up a proposal for a paper on representations of the MMM in literature for an academic conference this fall (on Religion and Violence). Thanks to everyone who helped me compile a reading list a month or so ago.
In case you are interested, here's what I've amassed/read/may use/ etc and some comments (I'm just compiling a list of ficitional works that treat both/either the MMM or mormon/danite violence in general):
Also I just skimmed thru Leonard Arrington's "Perpetuation of a Myth: Mormon Danites in Five Western Novels, 1840-90," Brigham Young University Studies 23 (Spring 1983): 147-65--and found it on first read to be pretty much utter shite. Too bad I need to look at his "Intolerable Zion: The Image of Mormonism in Nineteenth Century American Literature," Western Humanities Review 22 (Summer 1968): 243-60. Oh and I made myself read "The function of mormon literary criticism at the present time" or whatever that peice is called, by Michael Austin. Oh brother! It attempts a rational middleground...oh I can't go on...it gave me a headache in my heart. |
| | Friday, Aug 25, 2006, at 07:01 AM Unbelievable! Two More Mountain Meadows Massacre Novels Turn Up Posted By et in Utah ego MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| Just yesterday afternoon, after I'd posted my update, I ran across two more MMM novels. One, I had run across before in a general search and had dismissed, wrongly, as a mislabled children's book. It's "Redeye," by Clyde Edgerton. I have no idea what its deal is, but the two industry reviews of it on Amazon.com have glaring errors in them. Both get the date of the MMM wrong (one could be a typo); let's hope Edgerton doesn't.
The other is something I haven't actually found yet. I just saw it listed on some MMM resource page that randomly turned up. Apparently Burr Fancher has written a novel called "Westward With The Sun." I'm assuming it's MMM related, but I can't find any info on it yet. Burr Fancher is a descendant and is also the head of the Mountain Meadows Massacre Monument Foundation--some folks I should talk a little bit about. This group is opposed to the Mountain Meadows Massacre Association, also a group of emigrant descendants, primarily Ron Loving, who cooperated with the mormon church both over the design of the current monument AND the decision to quickly rebury the incriminating bones that turned up in 1999. The MMMM Foundation wants the area to be granted National Monument status, meaning the monument and environs would be the property of the the federal government---a public place----instead of the LDS Church, in other words, private property. Their argument is: "There will never be closure on Mountain Meadows until the graves are in hands other than an organization involved in the massacre." a sentiment I agree with completely. I am writing to Burr Fancher about his book (is it even fiction? I don't really know what it is) as well as about the MMMM Foundation which I am joining and sending my dues to today. One of the MMMM Foundation projects was the construction of a replica of the original Carleton cairn. Here is a photo of it: http://1857massacre.com/MMM/Images/cr... and you can read more about it on Frank Kirkman's MMM website: http://1857massacre.com/MMM/siteindex... His website has an enormous amount of information...its worth perusing at length. His rhetoric is heated--is Brigham Young really the most evil criminal in United States history? Well, maybe one of them, but... However, the fact that he titles his list of mormon participants in the massacre, "List of Shooters and Clubbers," brings a smile to my face. |
| | Tuesday, Sep 5, 2006, at 07:51 AM From The Life And Confessions Of John D. Lee Posted By John D. Lee MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| From The Life and Confessions of John D. Lee - Written by John D. Lee, May 17, 1877:
I am not a traitor to my people, nor to my former friends and comrades who were with me on that dark day when the work of death was carried on in God's name, by a lot of deluded and religious fanatics. It is my duty to tell facts as they exist, and I will do so. I have said that all of the small children were put into the wagons; that was wrong, for one little child, about six months old, was carried in its father's arms, and it was killed by the same bullet that entered its father's breast; it was shot through the head. When we had got out of sight, as I said before, and just as we were coming into the main road, I heard a volley of guns at the place where I knew the troops and emigrants were. Our teams were then going at a fast walk. I first heard one gun, then a volley at once followed. McMurdy and Knight stopped their teams at once, for they were ordered by Higbee, the same as I was, to help kill all the sick and wounded who were in the wagons, and to do it as soon as they heard the guns of the troops. McMurdy was in front; his wagon was mostly loaded with the arms and small children. McMurdy and Knight got out of their wagons; each one had a rifle. McMurdy went up to Knight's wagon, where the sick and wounded were, and raising his rifle to his shoulder, said: "0 Lord, my God, receive their spirits, it is for thy Kingdom that I do this." He then shot a man who was lying with his head on another man's breast; the ball killed both men. Knight then shot a man with his rifle; he shot the man in the head. Knight also brained a boy that was about fourteen years old. The boy came running up to our wagons, and Knight struck him on the head with the butt end of his gun, and crushed his skull. By this time many Indians reached our wagons, and all of the sick and wounded were killed almost instantly. I saw an Indian from Cedar City, called Joe, run up to the wagon and catch a man by the hair, and raise his head up and look into his face; the man shut his eyes, and Joe shot him in the head. The Indians then examined all of the wounded in the wagons, and all of the bodies, to see if any were alive, and all that showed signs of life were at once shot through the head. Just after the wounded were all killed I saw a girl, some ten or eleven years old, running towards us, from the direction where the troops had attacked the main body of emigrants; she was covered with blood. An Indian shot her before she got within sixty yards of us. That was the last person that I saw killed on that occasion. About this time an Indian rushed to the front wagon, and grabbed a little boy, and was going to kill him. The lad got away from the Indian and ran to me, and caught me by the knees; and begged me to save him, and not let the Indian kill him. The Indian had hurt the little fellow's chin on the wagon bed, when he first caught hold of him. I told the Indian to let the boy alone. I took the child up in my arms, and put him back in the wagon, and saved his life. This little boy said his name was Charley Fancher, and that his father was Captain of the train. He was a bright boy. I afterwards adopted him, and gave him to Caroline. She kept him until Dr. Forney took all the children East. I believe that William Sloan, alias Idaho Bill, is the same boy. After all the parties were dead, I ordered Knight to drive out on one side, and throw out the dead bodies. He did so, and threw them out of his wagon at a place about one hundred yards from the road, and then came back to where I was standing. I then ordered Knight and McMurdy to take the children that were saved alive, (sixteen was the number, some say seventeen, I say sixteen,) and drive on to Hamblin's ranch. They did as I ordered them to do. Every witness that claims that he went to the Meadows without knowing what he was going to do, has lied, for they all knew, as well as Haight or any one else did, and they all voted, every man of them, in the Council, on Friday morning, a little before daylight, to kill all the emigrants. While going back, to the brethren, I passed the bodies of several women. In one place I saw six or seven bodies near each other; they were stripped perfectly naked, and all of their clothing was torn from their bodies by the Indians. I walked along the line where the emigrants had been killed, and saw many bodies lying dead and naked on the field, near by where the women lay. I saw ten children; they had been killed close to each other; they were from ten to sixteen years of age. The bodies of the women and children were scattered along the ground for quite a distance before I came to where the men were killed. I do not know how many were killed, but I thought then that there were some fifteen women, about ten children, and about forty men killed, but the statement of others that I have since talked with about the massacre, makes me think there were fully one hundred and ten killed that day on the Mountain Meadows, and the ten who had died in the corral, and young Aden killed by Stewart at Richards' Springs, would make the total number one hundred and twenty-one. When I reached the place where the dead men lay, I was told how the orders had been obeyed. Major Higbee said, "The boys have acted admirably, they took good aim, and all of the damned Gentiles but two or three fell at the first fire." He said that three or four got away some distance, but the men on horses soon overtook them and cut their throats. Higbee said the Indians did their part of the work well, that it did not take over a minute to finish up when they got fairly started. I found that the first orders had been carried out to the letter. Three of the emigrants did get away, but the Indians were put on their trail and they overtook and killed them before they reached the settlements in California. But it would take more time than I have to spare to give the details of their chase and capture. I may do so in my writings hereafter, but not now. After the dead were searched, the brethren were called up, and Higbee and Klingensmith, as well as myself, made speeches, and ordered the people to keep the matter ,a secret from the entire world. Not to tell their wives, or their most intimate friends, and we pledged ourselves to keep everything relating to the affair a secret during life. We also took the most binding oaths to stand by each other, and to always insist that the massacre was committed by Indians alone. This was the advice of Brigham Young too, as I will show hereafter. After breakfast we all went back in a body to the Meadows, to bury the dead and take care of the property that was left there. When we reached the Meadows we all rode up to that part of the field where the women were lying dead. The bodies of men, women and children had been stripped entirely naked, making the scene one of the most loathsome and ghastly that can be imagined. Colonel Dame was silent for some time. He looked all over the field, and was quite pale, and looked uneasy and frightened. I thought then that he was just finding out the difference between giving and executing orders for wholesale killing. We then went along the field, and passed by where the brethren were at work covering up the bodies. They piled the dead bodies up in heaps, in little gullies, and threw dirt over them. The bodies were only lightly covered, for the ground was hard, and the brethren did not have sufficient tools to dig with. I suppose it is true that the first rain washed the bodies all out again, but I never went back to examine whether it did or not. We then went along the field to where the corral and camp had been, to where the wagons were standing. We found that the Indians had carried off all of the wagon covers, and the clothing, and the provisions, and had emptied the feathers out of the feather-beds, and carried off all the ticks. After the dead were covered up or buried (but it was not much of a burial,) the brethren were called together, and a council was held at the emigrant camp. All the leading men made speeches; Colonel Dame, President Haight. Klingensmith, John M. Higbee, Hopkins and myself. The speeches were first--Thanks to God for delivering our enemies into our hands; next, thanking the brethren for their zeal in God's cause; and then the necessity of always saying the Indians did it alone, and that the Mormons had nothing to do with it. The most of the speeches, however, were in the shape of exhortations and commands to keep the whole matter secret from every one but Brigham Young. It was voted unanimously that any man who should divulge the secret, or tell who was present, or do anything that would lead to a discovery of the truth, should suffer death. The brethren then all took a most solemn oath, binding themselves under the most dreadful and awful penalties, to keep the whole matter secret from every human being, as long as they should live. No man was to know the facts. The brethren were sworn not to talk of it among themselves, and each one swore to help kill all who proved to be traitors to the Church or people in this matter. It was then agreed that Brigham Young should be informed of the whole matter, by some one to be selected by the Church Council, after the brethren had returned home. It was also voted to turn all the property over to Klingensmith, as Bishop of the Church at Cedar City, and he was to take care of the property for the benefit of the Church, until Brigham Young was notified, and should give further orders what to do with it. - Lee, John Doyle. The Life and Confessions of John D. Lee, the Mormon. Philadelphia, Barclay, and Co., 1877, 46 pages; (187?), 64 pages. |
| | Thursday, Oct 26, 2006, at 07:25 AM Perverse Mormon Pr: Covering (up) The Corpses Of Mountain Meadows Massacre Victims With The American Flag Posted By Sourcerer MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| At the site of the Mountains Meadow Massacre where, on September 11th, 1857, 120 men, women and children in an immigrant wagon train were slaughtered by murderous Mormon marauders, is an American flag--part of an LDS-erected memorial site/public relations ploy to downplay the Mormon role in, and cover-up of, the atrocity.
The flagpole boasting the Stars and Stripes is positioned near the fenced-in memorial area, where the skeletal remains of 29 victims of the Massacre are buried--bodies that were accidentally unearthed in the 1990s by a backhoe making badly-needed repairs to the neglected site. The remains were quickly reburied, under intense pressure from then-Utah governor Mike Leavitt, who is a descendant of one of the Massacre participants. Leavitt "encouraged state officials to quickly rebury the remains, even though the basic scientific analysis required by state law was unfinished. . . . The end result may be another sad chapter in the Massacre's legacy of bitterness, denial and suspicion. (Salt Lake Tribune, March 12, 2000, p. A-1)" Leavitt's Mormon-protecting haste to literally cover up the crime is further detailed as follows: "Utah state law required that the bones be studied, a job that went to forensic anthropologist Shannon Novak from the University of Utah. Novak and her colleagues found entrance and exit holes in the skulls of men that could only have come from gunshots fired at close range, while most women and children found died of blunt force. "In her analysis of more than 2,600 bone fragments, Novak found no evidence of knives used to scalp, behead, or cut the throats, as well as no evidence of trauma from arrows. Although the study cannot determine what weapons Paiutes might have used in the Massacre (if they were involved), it brings up the possibility that white men murdered all of the victims, contradicting John D. Lee's testimony accusing Native Americans of slaughtering the women and children. "To Shannon Novak, the bones could provide information that incomplete or biased histories could not. 'Prior to this analysis, what was known about the massacre was often based on second-hand information, polemical newspaper accounts, and the testimony of known killers,' said Novak. 'Furthermore, what had come to be merely an abstract historical event, the "tragedy at Mountain Meadows," now became a mass murder of specific men, women, and children with proper names and histories.' "The analysis of the remains questioned the accuracy of the historical accounts and stirred up many emotions. After five weeks, Novak's analysis was cut short by an order from the governor of Utah, Mike Leavitt, that the bones be re-interred in time for the September [1999] anniversary. . . . "Leavitt, whose grandfather participated in the Massacre, circumvented the law and ordered that the bones be re-interred before the minimum required study was finished because he 'did not feel that it was appropriate for the bones to be dissected and studied in a manner that would prolong the discomfort' (Salt Lake Tribune, March 2000)." http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/m... http://www.archaeology.org/online/fea... _____ God bless Mormon America. As one looks at the American flag fluttering in the wind, casting its shadow over the scene of a bloodbath perpetrated by conspiring Mormon religious fanatics, it would do well to remember the words of American historian Howard Zinn: "There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people." |
| | Thursday, Nov 16, 2006, at 06:54 AM We're Still Waiting For The Mopologists To Publish Their "Most Extensive Research Ever Conducted" On The Mountain Meadows Massacre Posted By Randy J. MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| While searching for something else, I came across this 3-year-old article on the church's website:
http://www.lds.org/newsroom/mistakes/... Note the final paragraph: "Finally, the actions of the modern Church seem anything but a struggle to suppress its history, as Denton alleges. My co-authors, Richard E. Turley Jr. and Glen M. Leonard, and I have received full Church cooperation for what must be the most extensive research ever conducted on this episode. That research will be published in 2004 by Oxford University Press, and will shed more light and understanding on the event than any other previous publication." Ronald W. Walker, Professor of History - Brigham Young University - 3 June 2003"Hmmmmm, I must have missed it. Does anybody know if such a work has been published? Strange---Will Bagley published his book on the MMM in 2002, and Sally Denton's followed soon after. Considering the exhaustive detail in those books, what further research do Walker & Co. need to conduct before they can publish their (supposed) rebuttal? Surely, if there is information out there which contradicts the documented evidence which shows that Brigham Young planned and approved the attack on the Baker/Fancher train, these eminent historians would have rushed it out to the world in short order, to save their pioneer forefathers' reputations. What's the holdup, fellas? Facts got yer tongue? |
| | Wednesday, Nov 29, 2006, at 08:20 AM Yee Haww!!! It's A Mountain Meadows Massacre Bonanza!!! Posted By et in Utah ego MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| I've hit a very rich vein in the research mine the last couple of days. Some unbelievable finds~
First off, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody acted in a popular stage play based on the Mountain Meadows Massacre. It was titled, "May Cody; or Lost and Won" and it premiered on September 3, 1877 at the Bowery Theatre here in NYC. The story seems to have involved him (ahistorically) rescuing his real-life sister from the massacre. I doubt any script or text still remains, but I should have a few reviews in my hands soon. All I really know about it right now is that a bear apparently made an appearance on stage during the proceedings. I like that idea---a bear just rambling through the Mountain Meadows melee, maybe swiping at a Mormon or two as he goes by. After all, as Gordon Hinckley says, we can never truly know what happened on that fateful day. Who's to say a bear wasn't there? And, a poster advertising the play was found in 2002 in Jamestown NY. You can read more about that here: http://www.reglenna.com/buffalobill_p... I also stumbled on two more contemporary novels about the Mountain Meadows Massacre. "Fire in the Desert" by D.B. Newton, 2002 and "The Storm Testament IV" Lee Nelson, 1985. Judging the books by their covers they both look like generic "historical" western hooha---but my guess is that "Storm Testament IV" (of apparently NINE Storm Testaments) will turn out to be the worst. Why do I think this? Because of the following description of the author: "Lee Nelson's historical novels have sold hundreds of thousands of copies since his first novel was released in 1981. Nelson has also published a score of non-fiction works including the top-selling Beyond the Veil series. Nelson is widely respected for his historical research which includes killing a buffalo from the back of a galloping horse with a bow and arrow. Nelson is probably the most serialized author in modern times with weekly installments of his stories appearing in over a hundred newspapers in the United States and Canada. Nelson was born in Logan, Utah, but spent most of his childhood in California. After serving an LDS mission in Germany, he earned a bachelor's degree in English and a Masters Degree in Business, both from Brigham Young University. He was a speech writer in Philadelphia and a car dealer in Montana before beginning his career as an author. Every spring Nelson takes fans on wilderness horseback adventures, visiting many of the remote settings described in his books. He is also a much sought after public speaker-his favorite engagements are prisons and junior high schools. His hobbies include team roping and wilderness horseback packing with his children." What an asshole. His claim to fame is killing a buffalo (for research purposes!!!) and ranting at the captive audiences in prisons and junior high schools (which as everyone knows are the same thing). Wouldn't you just love going on a horseback adventure with him? But wait...it gets better. How about a piece of juvenile fiction about the Mountain Meadows Massacre? Such is "Out of a Clear Sky," by Merritt Parmalee Allen (1938). Its gonna take a while to get my hands on that one, but I can't wait. Just hope its illustrated. I also found another play, "God's Clay: A Play in 9 Acts" by Grant H. Redford, 1956. Doubtful if it was ever performed since WORLDCAT lists it as thesis/archival material. This one will be hard to track down... Another vanity press horror is, "The Mormon and Mr. Sullivan" by Hugh F. Wynn, 2002. DO NOT LOOK AT THE COVER (but you can find it on Amazon.com if you have to). And finally, an 1885 cyclorama about the Mountain Meadows Massacre! "Utah Defiant: Awake! Ye Slumbering Americans! The treasons and slavery of the Mormon Church exposed by George M. Mann's thrilling Cyclorama." If you don't know about this 19thC panorama entertainment form, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycloram... I love cycloramas and I've PRAYED (not really) to find one about the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Unfortunately, all I found reference to was a poster in the Beineke Library Americana collection, and not the actual cyclorama paintings. |
| | Friday, Dec 1, 2006, at 07:54 AM Returning And Reporting On Shannon Novak's Forensic Study Of Mountain Meadows Massacre Remains Posted By et in Utah ego MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| A few weeks ago during a thread speculating on whether mormons had blood atoned some of the emigrants at the Mountain Meadows (specifically the women and children), the forensic work of Shannon Novak was alluded to. Outside of her report for the state (which I haven't received yet), she published her findings in an article in Historical Archaeology: "To Feed a Tree in Zion: Osteological Analysis of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre."
Its a very fascinating essay. I think its inconclusive in regards to the blood atonement scenario, though. While she finds no evidence of "sharp force trauma," she also notes that she is looking at a very small selection of the total bodies (out of around 120 killed, Carleton buried 34 bodies and Novak could only recreate 28 partial skeletons from that) and that the bones which might register throat slitting (neck vertebrae) are often the ones hardest to recover (animals chew the neck first, vertebra are small and "dissolve" faster, etc). To me then, that's still an open question, but I'm not really interested in addressing that issue in this post. What I'm writing about instead is the identification of specific individuals that Novak was able to make. Over the years, in all my research and reading about the Mountain Meadows Massacre, I've always been drawn to two girl's names from the list of victims: America Jane and Vina Baker. America Jane because its such a f*ing great pioneer name---of course that's what you name your child when you think the whole wide West is yours! And Vina because she was the older sister of two surviving orphans who hoped she too had survived since they saw her being "led away" from the slaughter. Cranium #5 is probably either America Jane or Vina. Oh, and remember John D. Lee talking about a 14-year-old boy making a run for it? Only to be stopped by Samuel Knight braining him with the butt of his rifle? Lee describes Knight clubbing the kid twice, too, once in the front of his head and once in back. I'm looking at his skull right now: "A blunt linear object created a lesion in the left frontal of Cranium #2 that caused a rectangular section of bone to be removed. Another blow from this same type of weapon resulted in a smaller linear wound in the back of this same individual's head." I guess this brought things to an even sadder level for me, which I had not thought possible. A few days ago, I was looking at my photos of the site. On all the plaques and signage throughout the place, only one individual gets his name mentioned not once, but three times. Can you guess who it is? Its not America Jane - it's Gordon B. Hinckley. |
| | Tuesday, Jan 23, 2007, at 06:49 AM Mountain Meadow Massacre Posted By Sandra Tanner MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| The Mountain Meadows Massacre, told by Sandra Tanner. Parley P. Pratt's murder in Arkansas. Also noted is Scott Fancher, the Mountain Meadow Massacre Mounument Foundation.
The Francher Party left Arkansas in April of 1857 in route to California. On September 5th, the Party was attacked and held under siege for 5 days. John D. Lee approached the camp in a flag of truce. The truce was a lie. When the Party gave up their weapons and lined up their wagons, the Mormons executed the entire party, including women and children. In a few minutes, 120 human beings were massacred. Today the site is marked with plaques and signs - but only one name is mentioned - Gordon B. Hinckley. |
| | Monday, Feb 5, 2007, at 12:42 PM 1859 Federal Report On Mountain Meadows Posted By History Buff MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| The first official federal report, apparently:
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/proje... This is from a law professor's website of "Famous Trials" in American history; it's from the section on the trial of John D. Lee. Includes some interesting primary source documents. |
| | Tuesday, Apr 17, 2007, at 07:45 AM Virginia Tech's Atrocious Murder Spree Notwithstanding, The Mountain Meadows Massacre Appears To Remain Posted By Steve Benson MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| Virginia Tech's atrocious murder spree notwithstanding, the Mountain Meadows Massacre appears to remain standing as the largest U.S. domestic gunshot murder crime committed against civilians in the nation's history.
While the massacre of some 33 innocent victims at Virginia Tech is truly a gruesome and horrible atrocity, contrary to current media reports it does not appear to represent the single deadliest gunshot mass murder committed against civilians on American soil in U.S. history. That notorious distinction still, unfortunately, seems to belong to the Mountain Meadows Massacre, perpetrated by fanatical Mormon conspirators, arguably under orders from (or at least with the ultimate sanction of) then-LDS Church president Brigham Young. Below are excerpted accounts strongly indicating that a significant number, if not a majority, of the Mountain Meadows Massacre victims appear to have been killed by gunfire: "Single-file, the [Arkansas] immigrants [were] marched out of their haven. Marching beside them was a group of about 30 armed Mormons. When the women had gone about 500 yards, the men who were still able to walk followed them out, each man with a 'bodyguard' next to him. The youngest children and the wounded men were loaded into a wagon driven by a Mormon. "Gibbs provides some of the best insight into the mood of the procession and the thoughts the immigrants must have had as they walked to their doom. 'The arrangements were made and carried out with all the precision of a legalized execution. There can be not the slightest doubt that the men knew the meaning of the peculiar formation of the procession. If there were danger of an attack by the Indians why was it, they thought, that they were not permitted to retain their firearms and aid in the protection of their wives and children? But, through unparalleled treachery, they were then powerless, and there was probably the hope that those so dear to them might be spared. That no word of protest was spoken is the strongest commendation of their heroism and evidence of their resignation.' . . . "The final massacre took a surprisingly short time, considering so many people had to be killed individually. The macabre parade marched nearly a mile before Major Higbee halted the procession and ordered 'Do your duty!' Immediately, shots rang out as each Mormon turned on the immigrants who had given themselves over for protection. "[Samuel] Knight then shot a man with his rifle; he shot the man in the head," Lee recalled. 'Knight also brained a boy that was about fourteen years old. The boy came running up to our wagons, and Knight struck him on the head with the butt end of his gun, and crushed his skull. By this time many Indians reached our wagons, and all of the sick and wounded were killed almost instantly. I saw an Indian from Cedar City, called Joe, run up to the wagon and catch a man by the hair, and raise his head up and look into his face; the man shut his eyes, and Joe shot him in the head. The Indians then examined all of the wounded in the wagons, and all of the bodies, to see if any were alive, and all that showed signs of life were at once shot through the head.' "Survivors, witnesses, and participants all told similar stories of cold-blooded murder, cruelty, and inhumanity. 'The Mormon apostate refugees . . . were 'blood atoned' by the ritual slitting of throats,' [Sally] Denton writes in her book. "'I wouldn't do this to you,' a wounded apostate pleaded with the man he recognized as a Cedar City elder. 'You would have done the same to me or just as bad,'" she reports the man saying as he drew his knife across his victim's throat. "Two sisters, Rachel and Ruth Dunlap, attempted to flee and made it about 30 yards to a copse of trees, where they hid. An Indian participating in the slaughter saw them and brought them back to Lee, who ordered them slain. "Divining the sentence pronounced by Lee, the elder girl dropped to her knees and with clasped hands cried out: 'Spare me, and I will love you all my life!' But she died, as her sister had died, and at Lee's hands," Gibbs wrote. For the rest of his life, Lee vehemently denied killing the girls. "Within a matter of minutes, the extermination of more than 120 men, women and children was over." http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious... ***** "The Mountain Meadows massacre was a mass killing of Arkansas emigrants by Mormon militia and Paiutes on Friday, September 11, 1857. "The murders took place at Mountain Meadows, a stopover along the Old Spanish Trail in southwestern Utah. Sources estimate that between 100 and 140 men, women and children were killed. . . . "On Friday, September 11, two Mormon militiamen approached the 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. "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 of the Fancher party, each walking with an armed Mormon 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 2 kilometers the prearranged order, 'Do Your Duty!' was given. Each Mormon then turned and killed the man he was guarding. "All of the men, women, older children and wounded were massacred by Mormon militia and Paiutes who had hidden nearby. A few who escaped the initial slaughter were quickly chased down and killed. Two teenaged 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!' (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. George say both girls were raped before they were killed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain... ***** "Thus it was that on September 11, a flag of truce was carried to the Baker-Fancher party by William Bateman. He was met outside the camp by one of the emigrants, a Mr. Hamilton, and an arrangement was made for John D. Lee to speak to the emigrants. Lee described to them a plan to get them through the hostile Indians. "The plan involved the emigrants giving up their arms, loading the wounded into wagons, and then being followed by the women and the older children, with the men bring up the rear of the company in a single-file order. In return for compliance with these terms, the white men would give the emigrants safe conduct back to Cedar City where they would be protected until they could continue their journey to California. "The emigrants agreed, the wagons were brought forward and loaded with the wounded and the weapons, and the procession started toward Cedar City. Within a short distance, one armed white man was positioned near each of the Baker-Fancher party adults, ostensibly for protection. When all was in place, a pre-determined signal was given and each of the armed white men turned, shot, and killed each of the unarmed Baker-Fancher party members. "Within three to five minutes the entire massacre of men, women, and older children was completed. The only members of the original party remaining were those children judged to be under eight years old, numbering about 17 persons." http://www.fairwiki.org/index.php/Mou... ***** " . . . [W]ritten accounts [of the Mountain Meadows Massacre] generally claim the women and older children were beaten or bludgeoned to death by Indians using crude weapons, while Mormon militiamen killed adult males by shooting them in the back of the head. "However, [Univeristy of Utah forensic anthropologist Shannon] Novak's partial reconstruction of approximately 20 different skulls of Mountain Meadows victims show: "--At least five adults had gunshot exit wounds in the posterior area of the cranium--a clear indication some were shot while facing their killers/ One victim's skull displays a close-range bullet entrance wound to the forehead; "--Women also were shot in the head at close range. A palate of a female victim exhibits possible evidence of gunshot trauma to the face, based on a preliminary examination of broken teeth; "--At least one youngster, believed to be about 10 to 12 years old, was killed by a gunshot to the top of the head. "Other findings by Novak from the commingled partial remains of at least 29 individuals--a count based on the number of right femurs in the hundreds of pieces of bone recovered from the gravesite--back up the historical record; "--Five skulls with gunshot entrance wounds in the back of the cranium have no "beveling," or flaking of bone, on the exterior of the skull. This indicates the victims were executed with the gun barrel pointing directly into the head, not at an angle, and at very close range; "--Two young adults and three children--one believed to be about 3 years old judging by tooth development--were killed by blunt-force trauma to the head. Although written records recount that children under the age of 8 were spared, historians believe some babes-in-arms were murdered along with their mothers . . . " http://www.cesnur.org/testi/morm_01.h... ***** "Utah state law required that the bones [of victims unearthed at the Mountain Meadows Massacre site] be studied, a job that went to forensic anthropologist Shannon Novak from the University of Utah. "Novak and her colleagues found entrance and exit holes in the skulls of men that could only have come from gunshots fired at close range, while most women and children found died of blunt force. "In her analysis of more than 2,600 bone fragments, Novak found no evidence of knives used to scalp, behead, or cut the throats, as well as no evidence of trauma from arrows. "Although the study cannot determine what weapons Paiutes might have used in the massacre (if they were involved), it brings up the possibility that white men murdered all of the victims, contradicting John D. Lee's testimony accusing Native Americans of slaughtering the women and children. "To Shannon Novak, the bones could provide information that incomplete or biased histories could not. 'Prior to this analysis, what was known about the massacre was often based on second-hand information, polemical newspaper accounts, and the testimony of known killers,' said Novak. 'Furthermore, what had come to be merely an abstract historical event, the 'tragedy at Mountain Meadows,' now became a mass murder of specific men, women, and children with proper names an histories.' "The analysis of the remains questioned the accuracy of the historical accounts and stirred up many emotions. After five weeks, Novak's analysis was cut short by an order from the governor of Utah, Mike Leavitt, that the bones be re-interred in time for the September anniversary." http://www.archaeology.org/online/fea... ***** "Four miles south of Harrison in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas stands a historical marker dedicated to 'The Boone County Caravan.' The plaque refers to one of the worst mass murders in the history of the United States, an event virtually unknown to all but descendants of the victims and perpetrators. "The inscription reads: 'Near this spring in September 1857 gathered a caravan of 150 men, women and children who here began the ill-fated journey to California. The entire party, with the exception of 17 small children, was massacred at Mountain Meadows, Utah, by a body of Mormons disguised as Indians.' http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi... ***** "Dr. Shannon Novak, a University of Utah forensic anthropologist, has worked long hours pouring over the physical evidence of remains found in the old burial site. Among other revelations, she found some (including women and children) has been shot point blank between the eyes and not in the back, as earlier accounts had claimed." http://www.bchrs.org/collections/hist... ***** "In all, 120 men, women and children of the wagon train were killed. 17 children under the age of 10 were considered 'too young to tell,' and were spared. Brevet Jamor J.H. Carleton noted in his investigation of the tragedy 'that about one third of the skulls were shot through with bullets and about one third seem to be broken with stones.'" http://www.religioustolerance.org/lds... ***** "On Sept. 11, 1857, a group of California-bound pioneers camping in southern Utah were murdered by a Mormon militia and its Indian allies. The massacre lasted less than five minutes, but when it was over, 120 men, women and children had been clubbed, stabbed or shot at point-blank range. Their corpses, stripped of clothes and jewelry, were left to be picked apart by wolves and buzzards. "It was one of the worst American civilian atrocities of the 19th century. 'The whole United States rang with its horrors,' Mark Twain recalled years later. . . . "The massacre stands out not only for its gruesomeness but also for the act of treachery that preceded it. After enduring a four-day gun battle with their attackers, the pioneers accepted a truce that turned out to be a deadly ploy. Promised safe passage from the area in exchange for surrendering their weapons, the besieged group complied only to be systematically slaughtered. Seventeen children, all under 7 years old, were spared. . . ." http://www.mazeministry.com/mormonism... ***** "'All accounts agree that it [the Mountain Meadows Massacre] was quickly over,' wrote Mormon historian Juanita Brooks in her landmark 1950 study, "The Mountain Meadows Massacre." "'Most of the emigrant men fell at the first volley, and those who started to run were quickly shot down by Mormons or by Indians. . . . ' "No Knives: Novak's study of the bones . . . found no evidence of sharp-force trauma, such as that caused by a blow from a knife or hatchet. "The researcher notes that 'skeletal trauma only records lesions that penetrate to the bone.' "The majority of gunshot wounds were in the heads of young adult males, although one child, aged 10-15, also was shot in the head. That gunshot victim 'suggests the killing of women and children may have been more complicated than accounts described in the diaries,' wrote Novak . . . "Another indication of women and children being executed is the fractured palate of a female, aged 18-22. The pattern of the bone fracture, along with the blackened and burned crowns of the woman's teeth, is consistent with a gunshot wound. "Suggestions that most emigrant men were shot in the back of the head and from the rear while fleeing also are questioned by bullet trajectories through the skulls. Six individuals were shot in the head from behind, while five were shot in frontal assaults. "Recognizing the new scientific evidence is bound to prompt a reassessment of long-held views of Paiute Indian involvement in the massacre, Novak cautioned: 'Obviously, skeletal trauma cannot corroborate ethnically who was responsible for the shooting and whom for the beating.' "No Role: Still, Paiute leaders say the forensic evidence supports their oral traditions that tribal members had little or no role in the killings. In 1998, tribal researchers interviewed elders about the massacre and the Utah divisions of History and Indian Affairs recently published some of those accounts in the new book edited by Cuch, 'A History of Utah's American Indians.' "'Many Paiute leaders (among others) believe and claim that, contrary to most published accounts, Indians did not participate in the initial attack on the wagon train nor in the subsequent murder of its inhabitants,' wrote Weber State University cultural anthropologist Ron Holt and Paiute Tribe Education Director Gary Tom. 'Accounts collected by the Paiute Tribe call into question this recounting of events, claiming that in great part Paiutes have been wrongfully blamed for assisting in something that was not of their making.'" http://www.wovoca.com/hidden-history-... |
| | Wednesday, May 9, 2007, at 08:17 AM Here Is What Every Mormon And Ex-Mormon Needs To Know About The Mountain Meadows Massacre Posted By Randy J. MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
| Perhaps the most frequently asked question is, did Brigham Young's policies and/or orders factor in to the crime? The following comments and links are intended to lay out for newbies to the subject the documentation about who said and did what and when.
I'll put this info in the form of "assertion of Mormon apologists versus documented fact." I'll provide links to some of my old posts from alt.religion.mormon which include documentation from various historical sources and historians. Apologist assertion: President James Buchanan unjustifiably sent federal troops to Utah because false reports had alleged that Brigham Young and other church leaders were defying and harrassing federal officials and engaging in an insurrection against the government. Government officials didn't tell Young why the troops were coming, so that's why he ordered that the army be prevented from entering the territory. Fact: The reports of the Mormon lawlessness and insurrection were true. Young's plea of ignorance as to the purpose of the army's mission was a lie on his part. See details at http://groups.google.com/group/alt.re... Apologist assertion: Mormon apologists typically claim that the MMM was a single, isolated incident committed by unauthorized, "rogue" Mormons, and that such activity was not a product of the institutional church. Fact: The MMM was merely one of many incidents of the time wherein Mormons conspired with various Indian tribes to attack and plunder emigrant trains. See details at http://groups.google.com/group/alt.re... Apologist assertion: Some members of the Baker-Fancher train committed atrocities against southern Mormons and local Indians, such as poisoning cattle or springs, insulting church leaders, boasting that they were amongst the murderers of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, etc. Those acts incited the rage of the local Mormons to the point of massacring the emigrants. Fact: Historical research shows that such reports of atrocities were concocted by Mormons in order to explain and justify the massacre. See details at http://groups.google.com/group/alt.re... Furthermore, as Utah historian Will Bagley noted, "all information about the emigrants' conduct came from men involved in their murder or its cover-up...In light of their origins, all reports of the reckless behavior of a company composed mostly of women and children must be regarded with profound skepticism...these impressions of the Fancher party's behavior were based on hearsay. Reliable accounts consistently identified the company's large cattle herd, not intentional insults, as the main cause of friction...Such confusion [in the Mormons' allegations of atrocities] led historian Josiah Gibbs to conclude that the poison stories were sheer nonsense...without the poison tales, there is no proof the Fancher party did *anything* to provoke Utah's Indians." (Excerpts, "Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows," pp. 99-110.) Apologist assertion: Brigham Young did not know about, nor approve of, the attack on the Baker-Fancher emigrant train beforehand. Fact: Brigham Young clearly planned and approved of the specific attack on the Baker-Fancher train, during a war council which he held with 12 southern Indian chiefs six days before the attack. Some of the documentation for that is in the above link. Here's more info on it: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.re... The relevant portions of Brigham Young's Indian interpreter Dimick Huntington's journal, which detailed Young's remarks in that meeting, are on-line at http://www.mtn-meadows-assoc.com/Depo... Apologist assertion: Brigham Young sent a letter to southern Mormon leader Isaac Haight instructing him to not meddle with the emigrant train; this is evidence that Young didn't approve of the attack, and therefore Young was innocent of wrongdoing. Fact: Since multiple documentation shows that Young planned and approved the attack, the meaning of his remarks in his letter to Haight reflected what was planned in that September 1 war council: Young originally planned for *only* the Indians to attack and plunder the emigrant train. He didn't want any Mormons to personally help in the crime, because he wanted to be able to "plausibly deny" any Mormon involvement in such incidents in the event of future investigations. See details at http://groups.google.com/group/alt.re... Mormons were forced to aid in the destruction because a) The Indian attack failed because the emigrants fortified themselves b) the Mormons feared that some of the emigrants would be able to identify white men amongst the Indian attackers if they were allowed to live (and some of the youthful survivors indeed did just that later on.) The Mormons also feared that some of the emigrants might escape at night to seek rescue along the trail. So that's why the Mormons decided to go ahead and massacre all those whom they believed were "above the age of accountability" (age eight in Mormon dogma,) without waiting for Young's reply to arrive. Apologist assertion: After the massacre, Brigham Young tried to help the government to bring the perpetrators to justice. Fact: Young and other church leaders pretended to help government officials in prosecuting the killers, but in actual fact, they helped to protect the criminals for about 20 years. Young's true attitude towards the crime and its victims is displayed by his own words which are documented at http://groups.google.com/group/alt.re... That's enough for one post. Hopefully, this will help clear up some confusion and misinformation on the subject. |
| | Wednesday, Oct 7, 2009, at 08:06 AM Why The Mountain Meadows Massacre Matters - The Exoneration Of Brigham Young Posted By JW the Inquizzinator MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE -Guid- | ↑ |
Daniel C. Peterson wrote:
I didn't see it and hadn't heard that it was going to be shown last night, but I did see a thread on the oddly-named "Recovery" board in which several of those "recovering," plainly inflamed by the show into even more vigorous "recovery," expressed contempt for Rick Turley and the other authors of Massacre at Mountain Meadows for failing to deal with the aftermath of the Massacre (e.g., Brigham Young's alleged cover-up, and the like).I can't imagine why so many of you have a poor opinion of this ambassador of the Lord. I answered this with the following: I am certainly aware that the trembling trio's work (Massacre at Mountain Meadows--a book by LDS historian Richard E. Turley, Jr. and two Brigham Young University professors of history, Ronald W. Walker and Glen M. Leonard) detailed that "too much information existed for a single book", and that the second half of the story would be written in a future volume. This is contained in the introduction. There was, strangely enough, sufficient space to include details of Lee's execution. An obvious ploy to assuage the fears of the lds faithful that justice was indeed served on the guilty leader of a rogue band of zealots. I will tell you why they didn't want to include the details of the Massacre's aftermath. Details like the circus that was the trial proceedings. Details like the victims' remains were not properly interred (by the 'rogue' lds members or 'non-rogue' members). Like the fact that no effort was made by lds leaders to either inform the victims' families back in Arkansas or return the children. Like the fact that Brigham Young ordered the only marker--the cairn erected by Gentiles (since no lds members had bothered to mark the site)--to the victims be razed. Fearful that an actual timeline with accompanying actions/inactions of the lds leadership (and 'faithful' membership) in the aftermath of the Massacre could cause a tsunami of member resignations (and tithing revenue reductions), the "historians" decided that breaking the story into two volumes would be "better". I suspect they believe a little "breathing room" between the works may soften the "blow to the head" that is the details of the lds church's actions/inactions after the Massacre (all the way to present day). I also suspect the three may even secretly wish that they may escape to the afterlife before volume #2 has to be produced. After all, the "definitive" work has been done....the lds members can now proudly point to the "already put to bed" analysis that "conclusively" shows that the heinous crime was the result of a rogue band of jack mormons who acted on their own and that the leader of that band was summarily executed.....and that their beloved prophet Brigham Young had absolutely nothing to dowith it. Of course the facts...yes, THOSE stubborn facts...point in a different direction. After all, a prophet who razes graves is hard to defend. The trail of the facts--especially the facts of the aftermath--point to complicity. Complicity in the pre-massacre events, complicity in the execution of the massacre (pun intended), and complicity in the cover-up. The complicity extends far beyond a small, rogue band of southern utah zealots. The sticky web of this complicity starts with Brigham Young, extends through the twelve, and stretches through the 19th, 20th, and into the 21st century....culminating (at least for the time being) in the novel "Masscare at Mountain Meadows". The intended purpose of the novel was to exonerate Brigham Young...period. Brother Brigham's actions in the massacre's aftermath are damning--a fact the trembling trio chose to side-step. I submit one question as evidence: How many of the 'rogue band' that pulled the triggers were excommunicated? Danny, do you have the number handy? To finish the logic trail, I submit the following. If BY was complicit [and I submit the facts point plainly to that conclusion] in the planning, execution, and cover-up of the massacre, then the LDS faithful would have to face up to some 'other' truths. Here's a few:
So you can see how a complicit prophet poses a significant issue for the lds church. Not solely because it shows BY in a bad light [and that is waaaay too kind].....it questions his legitimacy as prophet in the first place. Tying BY to MMM means the "Succession Crisis of 1844" comes into play. It means members of the Utah church are really Brighamites and the RLDS/Community of Christ is right. It means there is a university named after a mass murderer. It means crisis. It means Turley, Walker, and Leonard had but one purpose.... And that's why MMM matters. |