The New York Herald - September 14, 1872
A MORMON MONSTROSITY.
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Letting In Light on the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
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A Participant in the Slaughter Confesses.
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Men and Women Were Murdered in Cold Blood --
Only the Children Spared.
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A DEMON'S FLAG OF TRUCE.
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Horrible Record of Bloodthirstiness
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SALT LAKE CITY, Sept
13, 1872.
The following is the affidavit in full by one of the least guitly
among the participators In the affair, showing conclusively that the
terrible Mountain Meadows massacre was the act of the Mormon
authorities. It will be remembered that a large company of emigrants
on their way to California are known to have been all killed, with the
exception of the young children. When their massacre was discovered
tne Mormons set afloat the story that they had perished at the bands
of the Indians, but from time to time circumstantial evidence has
appeared indicating that they were
MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD
by the Mormons In revenge for previous outrages upon the latter
perpetrated In Illinois and Missouri. A competent witness now says
under oath that the Mormon millitia attacked the emigrants, and, alter
a flght of several days without result, sent a flag of truce offering
them protection if they would lay down their arms. The terms being
compiled with, the entire party was butchered by their captors.
PHILIP KLINGON SMITH'S AFFIDAVIT.
State or Nevada, County of Lincoln, ss. -- Personally appeared before
me, Peter B. Miller, Clerk of Court of the Seventh Judicial District
of the State of Nevada, Philip Klingon Smith, who being duly sworn on
his oath, says: -- My name Is Philip Klingon Smith. I reside in the
county of Lincoln, in the State of Nevada. I resided at Cedar City, in
the County of Iron, in the Territory of Utah from A. D. 1852 to A. D.
1859. I was residing at Cedar City at the time of the massacre at
Mountain Meadows, in said Territory of Utah. I had heard that a
company of emigrants was on its way from Salt Lake City, bound for
California. Said company arrived at Cedar City, tarried there one day,
and passed on for California. After said company had left Cedar City
THE MILITIA WAS CALLED OUT
for the purpose or committing acts of hostility against them. Said
call was a regular military call from the superior officers to the
subordinate officers and privates of the regiment at Cedar City and
vicinity, composing a part of the militia of the Territory of Utah. I
do not recollect the number of the regiment. I was at that time the
Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at Cedar
City. Isaac C. Haight was President over said Church at Cedar City and
the southern settlement in of said Territory. My position as Bishop
was subordinate to that of said President. W. H. Dame was President of
said Church at Parowan, in said Iron County. Said W. H. Dame was also
colonel of said regiment. Said Isaac C. Haight was lieut.-colonel of
said regiment, and John D. Lee, of Harmony in said Iron county, was
major of said regiment. Said regiment was duly ordered to muster,
armed and equipped, as the law directs, and prepared for field
operations. I had no command nor office in said regiment at that time,
neither did I march with said regiment on the expedition which
resulted in said company's being massacred at the Mountain Meadows in
said county of Iron. About four days after said company of emigrants
had left Cedar City that portion of said regiment then mustered at
Cedar City took up its line of march in pursuit of them. About two
days after said company had left Cedar City, Lieutenant Colonel I. C.
Haight expressed in my presence a desire that said company might be
permitted to pass on their way in peace; but afterwards he told me
that he had
ORDERS FROM HEADQUARTERS TO KILL ALL
of said company of emigrants except the little children. I do not know
whether said headquarters meant the regimental headquarters at Parowan
or the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief at Salt Lake City.
When the said company had got to Iron Creek, about twenty miles from
Cedar City, Captain Joel White started for the Pinto Creek settlement,
through which the said company would pass, for the purpose of
influencing the people to permit said company to pass on their way in
peace. I asked and obtained permission of said White to go with him
and aid on in his endeavors to save life. When said White and myself
got about three miles from Cedar City we met Major John D. Lee, who
asked us where we were going. I replied that we were going to try to
prevent the killing of the emigrants. Lee replied, "I have something
to say about that."
Lee was at that time on his way to Parowan, the headquarters of
Colonel Dame. Said White and I went to Pinto Creek, remained there one
night, and the next day returned to Cedar City, meeting said company
of emigrants at Iron Creek. Before reaching Cedar City we met one Ira
Alien, who told us that "the decree had passed
DEVOTING SAID COMPANY TO DESTRUCTION."
After the fight had been going on for three or four days a messenger
from Major Lee reached Cedar city, who stated that the fight had not
been altogether successful, upon which Lieutenant Colonel Haight
ordered out a reinforcement. At this time I was ordered out by Captain
John M. Higby, who ordered me to muster "armed and equipped as the law
directs." It was a matter of life or death to me to muster or not, and
I mustered with the reinforcing troops. It was at this time that
Lieutenant Colonel Haight said to me that it was the orders from
headquarters that all but the little children of said company were to
be killed. Said Haight had at that time just returned from
headquarters at Parowan, where a military council had been held. There
had been a like council held at Parowan previous to that, at which
were present Colonel Dame, Lieutenant Colonel I. C. Haight and Major
John D. Lee. The result of this first council was the calling out of
said regiment for the purpose already stated. The reinforcement
aforesaid was marched to the Mountain Meadows, and there formed a
junction with the main body. Major Lee massed all the troops at a
spring and made a speech to them, saying that his "orders from
headquarters were to kill the entire company except the small
children." I was not in the ranks at that time, but on one side
talking to a man named Slade, and could not have seen a paper in Major
Lee's hands.
THE DEVIL'S FLAG OF TRUCE.
Said Lee then sent a flag of truce into the emigrant camp, offering
said emigrants that "If they lay down their arms he would protect
them." They accordingly laid down their arms, came out from that camp
and delivered themselves up to said Lee. The women and children were
then, by the order of said Lee, separated from the men, and were
marched ahead of the men. After said emigrants had marched about half
a mile towards Cedar City the order was given to shoot them down. At
that time said Lee was at the head of the column. I was in the rear. I
did not hear Lee give the order to fire, but heard it from the under
officers as it was passed down the column.
THE EMIGRANTS WERE THEN AND THERE SHOT DOWN,
except seventeen little children, whom I Immediately took into my
charge. I do not know the total number of said company, as I did not
stop to count the dead. I immediately put the little children in
baggage wagons belonging to the regiment and took them to Hamlin's
Ranch and from there to Cedar City, and procured them homes among the
people. John Willis and Samuel Murdy assisted me in taking charge of
said children. On the evening of the massacre, Colonel W. H. Dame and
Lieutenant-Colonel I. C. Haight came to Hamlin's, where I had the said
children, and fell into a dispute, in the course of which said Haight
told Colonel Dame that if he was going to report of the Killing of
said emigrants "he should not have ordered it done." I do not know
when or where said troops were disbanded. About two weeks after said
massacre occurred said Major Lee (who was also Indian Agent) went to
Salt Lake City, and, as I believe, reported said fight and its results
to the commander-in-chief. I was not present at either of the before-
mentioned councils, nor at any council connected with the aforesaid
military operations, or with said company. I gave no orders except
those connected with the saving of the children, and those after the
massacre had occurred, and said orders were given as a Bishop and not
in a military sense. At the time of the firing of the first volley
I DISCHARGED MY PIECE.
I did not fire afterward, though several subsequent volleys were
fired. After the first fire was delivered I at once set about saving
the children. I commenced to gather up the children before the firing
had ceased. I have made the foregoing statement before the above
entitled Court for the reason that I believe that I would be
assassinated should I attempt to make the same before any Court in the
territory of Utah. Alter said Lee returned from Salt Lake City, as
aforesaid, said Lee told me that he had reported fully to the
President (meaning the commander-in-chief) the fight at Mountain
Meadows and the killing of said emigrants. Brigham Young was at that
time the commander-in-chief of the militia of the Territory of Utah;
and further deponent saith not.
PHILIP KLINGEN SMITH.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 10th day of April, A. D. 1871.
-- P. D. Miller, County Clerk.
[District court, Seventh Judicial district, Lincoln county, Nevada.
Copy of seal.]
Utah Territory, county of Salt Lake: --
I, O. F. Strickland, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Utah
Territory, hereby certify that I have carefully compared the foregoing
copy of affidavit with the original of the same, and that the
foregoing copy is a true literal copy of said original, and that such
comparison was made the 4th day of September, 1872. O. F.
STRICKLAND.
Territory of Utah, Salt Lake county: -- I, James B. McKean, Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of said Territory, do certify that I have
carefully compared the above copy of an affidavit with the original of
the same, and know the same to be in all particulars a true copy
thereof. Dated September 5, 1872.
JAMES B. McKEAN, Chief Justice, &c.
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The Mountain Meadows Massacre --
A Terrible Revelation.
Fifteen years ago a very wealthy train of emigrants left Arkansas for
California, there to seek new homes. From all reports it was
considered the most comfortably outfitted company of emigrants that
ever crossed the Plains. In addition to the usual wagons, freighted
with provisions, clothing and the portable valuables of their former
homes, together with the implements of agriculture and mechanics,
there were several carriages for the more convenient traveling of the
ladies, the young and the aged. Altogether, the appearance of the
train and the excellent conduct and pleasant associations of the
emigrants with one another bespoke the moving of farmers and
tradespeople in comfortable circumstances. They rested every seventh
day in their journey, and engaged in religious exercises in their own
way, as had been their custom at home. They appeared to be related to
each other by families or by marriage, and with the toddling infant
playing in the camp at night might be seen the venerable patriarch of
three score years and ten. All seemed happy together. Such was the
emigrant train that passed through Utah in 1857 and perished on the
Mountain Meadows, two hundred and fifty miles south of Salt Lake
City.
During the past fifteen years this Mountain Meadows massacre has been
frequently charged to the Mormons, but with unyielding pertinacity
they have denied the implication, and with the boldness of their
assertions they have managed to induce even astute Congressmen to
believe that the massacre was the work of the Indians. But, singularly
enough, on the fifteenth anniversary of that foul and treacherous
deed, in which one hundred and twenty men, women and children were
murdered, there comes to us from the city of the Prophet Brigham the
full and frank confession of one of his own bishops that the bloody
work was ordered by the Mormon leaders and executed by their militia.
Philip Klingon Smith makes oath before the Clerk of the Circuit Court
of the Seventh Judicial district of the State of Nevada that the
massacre of the large body of Arkansas emigrants on their way to
California was perpetrated by the Mormon militia, and by order of the
Mormon authorities at "headquarters." We need not recite the
horrifying story as related in Smith's affidavit, for that can be seen
by our readers. Smith was a bishop in the Mormon Church, and was a
member of the force sent by the Mormon authorities to massacre the
Arkansas emigrants. There seems to be no reason to doubt the statement
he makes under oath, and he was certainly in a position to know the
facts. We would willingly believe if we could that no people claiming
to bo civilized could be guilty of such a horror and base treachery as
he describes; but the details are so circumstantial, and the crime was
so much in accordance with the fanaticism and revenge of the Mormons
generally at that period that the statement cannot be doubted. The
motives given for this dreadful butchery are many. One is that it was
conceived and carried out in revenge for the injuries sustained by the
Mormons in Missouri and Illinois; another is that it was to revenge
the killing of a Mormon some time previous in Arkansas by the husband
of a woman whom the Mormon had carried off. Of course there would be
no justification either of the crime of the Mormon in taking another
man's wife or or the husband in taking the life of the wife stealer;
but that the Mormons wrought their vengeance on a body of innocent
emigrants because they happened to be from the same State as the
murderer makes a shallow excuse which the most confessedly brutalized
wretches in the world could not expect to pawn off as the true cause.
It was, undoubtedly, the desire of the Mormon leaders in carrying out
the atrocity to strike such a deadly fear into emigrants that the
route across the Territory would be looked on as a grave. They wanted
no knowledge of the Territory to go abroad, and they wanted no
settlements within, it, save such as filtered through the Mormon
Church. This is nakedly what the order to exterminate the Arkansas
emigrants meant, no matter what other pretences may have been
cunningly circulated to account for it, even among the ignorant
Mormons, who would do for revenge what they might fear to do in
furtherance of such a bloody policy.
What makes it more horrifying is that after these brave emigrants had
fought successfully against their assassins, the Mormon militia, for
four days, they were treacherously entrapped by a flag of truce and
induced to lay down their arms under a promise of security, and then
mercilessly butchered. None but the small children were spared, and
these only, perhaps, because the treacherous and brutal Mormons
thought they could appropriate persons of such tender years to their
own use. There is nothing in the history of civilized countries more
fearfully atrocious than this massacre, and no act of treachery
dastardly than that by which the emigrants were induced to lay down
their arms.
It is an awful confession, and one that will awaken the whole United
States to demand that this dark page in our history be illuminated by
a full investigation and the prompt punishment of the guilty wretches
who slew innocent and unoffending men, women and children. It was with
this confession before them that a few honorable citizens of Utah
asked Congress, during its last session to so provide for the holding
of courts that the murders in Utah could be properly investigated and
the guilty brought to punishment. Brigham Young, who knew what was
hanging over his head, sent a deputation of two Mormon Gentiles and
their wives, together with his favorite Apostle Cannon, to lobby and
corrupt where they could, to prevent legislation. And while that was
natural enough for Brigham Young to do, it was currently reported that
his financial agent at the seat of government had permanently secured
in the judiciary committees of both the Senate and the House all the
influence necessary to frustrate every measure that promised the
dreaded investigation.
With such a record now sworn to by an eyewitness and a participator in
the foul deed it will be interesting to watch the action of the
Government. Even at this late day it should promptly investigate tho
whole matter and bring the guilty wretches to condign punishment A
people who could commit such a crime, and a community that would
tolerate and cover it up are unfit to be recognized. as civilized.
Fortunately, the frightful ulcer of Mormonism in Utah is in process of
being eradicated, and the sooner it is completely removed the better.
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