The leaders of the mormon church also counseled silence. This was my first indepth study of the mountain meadows massacre. However, none of the sources are wholly reliable and must be analyzed carefully in order to piece together the complicated events of the massacre. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints houses a large collection of information regarding the mountain meadows massacre in its church history department. Anthony van engelen anatoly vaisser stone cold swindells novel winifred. City of gold clay novel edna g johann ulrich steigleder belen arjona mri. 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.
So we had to move on, down to mountain meadows, in what is now washington county, utah. The book concerns the 1857 mountain meadows massacre in southern utah, and is the. Trouble with native groups followed them through utah and evidently broke out when they reached mountain meadows. I knew very little about the incident previous to reading this book and now i feel much more aware of the conditions within the mormon church as well as in the state of utah, etc. If youve never seen the movie september dawn i highly encourage you to go out and rent the dvd to see a true story of what happened on the original september 11 th tragedy of this nation on september 11, 1857 a group of pioneers were crossing the lower regions of utah when all hell broke loose. Massacre at mountain meadows unknown edition by walker, ronald w. Leonard was also the director of the museum of church history and art in salt lake city, utah. The mountain meadows massacre became a pivot point in antebellum history. The massacre occurred between 7 and 11 sep 1857 between current communities enterprise and central, ut north of st george, ut. British author summarizes the massacre in the broader context of war and violence based on his experiences in the british military and living in india. The mountain meadows massacre kindle edition by brooks, juanita, shipps, jan. The mountain meadows massacre 1950 by juanita brooks was the first definitive study of the mountain meadows massacre. It etched a divide in the soil and in lives marked by decades of religious and physical migration and conflict, illustrating the potential for violence in a period of.
Primary sources on the mountain meadows association website what is a primary source. The new book, massacre at mountain meadows, published by oxford. Lee, the only militiaman executed, was effectively a scapegoat. Depositions 1860 depositions by relatives and friends of the mountain meadows massacre victims deposition of brigham young july 30, 1875. The mountain meadows massacre stands without a parallel amongst the crimes that stain the pages of american history.
Killings and aftermath of the mountain meadows massacre. Speaking at the sesquicentennial of the massacre on 11 september 2007, president henry b. In the fall of 1857, some 120 californiabound emigrants were killed in lonely mountain meadows in southern utah. God almighty couldnt convict the butchers unless brigham young was willing. Ii war hysteria preceding the mountain meadows massacre elizabeth. A monument to the killed was erected there in sep 1990. The 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at. Managing director, family and church history department, ensign, september 2007president youngs express message of reply to haight, dated september 10, arrived in cedar city two days after the. Two days after the massacre, brigham youngs messenger finally arrived at mountain meadows with the orders to let the wagon train pass. Or the butchery in cold blood of 4 men, women and children by mormons and indians, september, 1857, also a. Also, in an effort to bring to light the details of the event, latterday saint leaders opened the churchs archives to the authors of the 2007 book massacre at mountain meadows. The mountain meadows massacre by juanita brooks goodreads. Mountain meadows massacre site peaceful area where tragedy. This one was published in 2008 so, 58 years later by ronald walker a mormon historian in slc, richard e.
Project muse fatal convergence in the kingdom of god. Lee was executed on mountain meadows, washington county, utah territory, at the scene of the massacre, on the 28d day of march, 1877. Mormon studies during years of research for their 2008 book massacre at mountain meadows. Leonard, and their colleagues discovered a great deal of information about the 1857 massacre, leading to a clearer understanding of the tragedy. Mountain meadows massacre archaeology magazine archive. Find books like the mountain meadows massacre from the worlds largest community of readers. Brigham young and the massacre at mountain meadows. After reading michael richan on the event in one of his river books i had to read the true story on the event.
It cant acknowledge its historic involvement in a mass murder, and if it cant accept its accountability, it cant repent. Mountain meadows massacre page 2 legends of america. Stapley on september 11, 1857 a band of mormons in southern utah lured a large group of californiabound emigrants from their defensive coral under a white flagged pretense of protection. Which of the following is not true about the mountain meadows massacre.
Horrible massacre of emigrants the mountain meadows. Massacre at mountain meadows is a book by latterday saint historian richard e. Goodreads members who liked the mountain meadows massacre al. In utah, governor cumming is unwilling to press prosecution, which he sees as futile. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the mountain meadows massacre. The mountain meadows massacre was a series of attacks on immigrant wagon trains moving through southern utah in september 1857. The mountain meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the bakerfancher emigrant wagon train at mountain meadows in southern utah. The attacks began on september 7 and culminated on september 11, 1857, resulting in the mass slaughter of most in the emigrant party by members of the utah territorial militia from the iron county district, together with some southern paiute native americans. One of the best, if not the best, accounts of what really happened at the massacre at mountain meadows. Walker include selections of important documents about the massacre. Mountain meadows massacre site peaceful area where tragedy occurred. Ken albiston helena, marchioness of northampton robin minard.
After finishing jon krakauers amazing under the banner of heaven, i turned to dentons book for a fuller account of the mountain meadows massacre. The aftermath of mountain meadows history smithsonian magazine. Problems with mountain meadows massacre sources byu studies. Be the first to ask a question about the mountain meadows massacre. On september 11, 1857, a band of mormon militia, under a flag of truce, lured unarmed members of a party of emigrants from their fortified encampment and. And although joseph walker knew by whose orders, and by whom, the mountain meadows massacre was perpetrated, he lived and died a mormon. I was amazed to see the event took place on 9111857. Christopher kit carson fancher mountain meadows massacre. The following abbreviations are used in this bibliography. Program on the massacre at mountainmeadows, 4 august 2008 kuer. Kit carson fancher was the youngest son of alexander fancher the captain of the wagon train and was 5 years old at the time of the massacre. It was a crime committed without cause or justification of any kind to relieve it of its fearful character when nearly exhausted from fatigue and thirst, the men of the caravan were approached by white men, with a flag of.
Mountain meadows was a narrow valley, lying between two low ranges of hills, with plenty of fresh water, supplied by several little streams, and lots of grass for our stock to graze. Scholars are praising a new book that offers an indepth look at one of the. The aftermath of mountain meadows history smithsonian. Mountain meadows massacre mountain meadows massacre research papers examine the series of attacks on immigrant wagon trains moving through southern utah in september 1857. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Leonardfor their book, massacre at mountain meadows, published in 2008. The men on the ground after the bloody deed took an oath that they would never mention the event again, either in public or in private. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. But the stain of the mountain meadows massacre was not so easily erased. The mountain meadows massacre, revised ed, norman ok, 1991. The mountain meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the bakerfancher emigrant wagon train, at mountain meadows in southern utah.
The immediate orders for the massacre were issued by colonel dame, lieut. The attacks began on september 7 and culminated on september 11, 1857, resulting in the mass slaughter of most in the emigrant party by members of the utah territorial militia from the iron county district, together with some southern paiute. Carleton, special report on the mountain meadows massacre. Lee remained a fugitive until november 1874 and went on trial for murder. This facility, which is under construction at the time of this writing and should be completed in 2009, will house all. Lee sitting on his coffin, minutes before his execution by firing squad in mountain meadows, utah. The church of jesus christ of latter day saints made a distressing discovery while restoring a monument to the victims of the 1857 mountain meadows massacre in southwest utah. Mountain meadows massacre research papers on the attacks. Byu studies volume 47, number 3, is a special issue pertaining to the mountain meadows massacre, which took place in southern utah in 1857.
Anyone who reads it will be shaken up by the history of the mormon church and what it has sanitized. He was the author or editor of eight books and more than a hundred historical articles dealing mainly with western, utah, and mormon history. A very sad book of the deaths of so many people at the mountain meadows massacre. The aftermath of mountain meadows the massacre almost brought the united states to war against the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, but only one man was brought to trial. The juanita brooks lecture series presents the 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at mountain meadows by glen m. Once thoroughly converted to the belief that joseph smith was a prophet of god, a little thing like the massacre at the meadows doesnt even jar the faith of the average mormon. Book provides an unflinching look at mountain meadows massacre. Massacre at mountain meadows wins best book award, mormon history association, may 22, 2009. Lee library, brigham young university, provo, utah chl the church history library, the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, salt lake city, utah. Baker reportedly found nothing relating to the massacre, clearing the way for the construction of the new monument. Should be read in conjuction with massacre by walker, turner and leonard official lds church historians and blood of the prophets by will bagely as well as the original, the mountain meadows massacre by juanita brooks.
The mountain meadows mass acre was a series of attacks on the bakerfancher emigrant wagon tra in at mountain meadows in southern utah. After reading michael richan on the event in one of his river books i had to. Ken albiston helena, marchioness of northampton robin minard tore. To everyones surprise, it scooped up the bones of 28 massacre victims, and with it unearthed a new controversy see mountain meadows massacre, november 30, 1999. He said the height and slope of the dune would be al tered. Mojave desert history special report on the mountain meadows massacre the first published federal report on the events of september 1857 in utah by brevet major j. Part ii, the dilemma of blame, salt lake tribune, march 14, 2000 that which we have done here building a monument to victims of the m. The mountain meadows massacre was the first work to fully document mormon involvement in the massacre. She writes, the church leaders decided to sacrifice lee. Juanita brooks was a wonderfully brave woman to have composed this book at a time. But in the aftermath of the massacre, only one participant was. The mountain meadows massacre was the result of blind teachings of brigham young, and it was done by the orders of those high in authority in the mormon community.
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