Who was Responsible for the massacre at Mountain Meadows?
Who was responsible for the Mountain Meadows massacre? There on September 11, 1857 in a remote “mountain meadow” more than one hundred Arkansas born emigrants on their way to California were brutally murdered. A Mormon militia in what was then the Utah Territory carried out these murders. The Fancher train, named after the leader Captain Alexander Fancher, consisted of approximately fifty men, forty women, fifty children and 1200 cattle and horses. The Fancher train left Arkansas on March 29, 1857 headed for California. From there they expected to stop in Salt Lake City to stock up on supplies. When they reached Salt Lake City they were repeatedly denied trade and supplies, instead they were told to continue on. Finally, in the early days of September in 1857, the Fancher train reached Mountain Meadows. There they set up camp for a few days to let their cattle eat on the meadows before they journeyed into the desert. A few days later, bullets and arrows from what they thought were Paiute Indians besieged them. [1] The Standoff lasted five days until, under a flag of truce and a promise of safety they were bru
Another source of evidence that links Brigham Young and the Mormon Church to the massacre was the words and writings of John Doyle Lee. Lee was in fact an important part of the church hierarchy. Being the adopted son of Brigham Young, Lee served as Farmer to the Indians and was helpful in securing Indian allies for the attack. In Lee’s own journals he incriminates other high church officials for their knowledge and parts in the massacre. In one these journal entries Lee tells about two high church officials who traveled through the towns near and around Mountain Meadows threatening those who had “belched out filth and corruption” to the authorities investigating the massacre. [5] Also, in a letter Lee wrote to his wife, he talks about the “one-eyed pirate” that directed potential witnesses in Lee’s trial to swear against him. Lee also wrote that the “one-eyed pirate” also advised potential jury members to render a Lee guilty of murder in the first degree. [6] The facts are obvious that Brigham Young and the Mormon Church had knowledge of the plan to massacre the Fancher train. Brigham Young’s own
Some topics in this essay:
Mountain Meadows,
Massacre Bringham,
Doyle Lee,
Farmer Indians,
Paiute Indians,
Lake City,
Mormon Church,
Brigham Young’s,
Alexander Fancher,
Church Brigham,
mormon church,
john doyle,
fancher train,
doyle lee,
mountain meadows,
john doyle lee,
church officials,
salt lake city,
brigham young’s,
son brigham,
adopted son,
salt lake,
september 11 1857,
brutally murdered mormon,
adopted son brigham,
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Approximate Word count = 757
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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