Shining new light on the mountain meadows massacre. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The historical fact of the mountain meadows massacre should cause all latterday saints to ask how religious men could have thought up this scheme, decided to go forward with it after debate, and chosen not to wait for word from brigham young about whether they should proceed with their plan or not. During the past two decades, descendants and other relatives of the emigrants and the perpetrators have at times worked together to memorialize the victims. This book is written by three lds historians who claims that they had the full support of their church in writing about this incident. The mountain meadows massacre book by juanita brooks. This church had its beginnings in western new york during the revivalist period of the early 1800s, when preachers stirred whole counties into frenzy with their lurid eloquence, and sporadic sects sprang up over the. The mountain meadows massacre by juanita brooks, paperback. An american legend and a monumental crime, on attack on wagon train by pahute indians and mormons. The mountain meadows massacre church of jesus christ.
Massacre at mountain meadows is a book by latterday saint historian richard e. Selected trial records and aftermath, are now available from the university of oklahoma press and amazon. She specifically noted that the doomed fancherbaker company had arrived. The details of the mountain meadows massacre have been repeatedly told. On september 11, 1857, a wagon train of 120 immigrants bound for california were slaughtered under a white flag by utah mormons in one of the worst massacres in american history. As the title states, im looking for a book on the mountain meadows massacre, in which 120 emigrants who were traveling through utah were slaughtered by a local contingent of members of the church of latter day saints. In transcribing the scores of letters and drafts in the augusta adams cobb files, archived in the theodore schroeder collection on mormonism at the wisconsin historical society, i found an undated draft of a letter pdf of the holograph document here, which may be the earliest written account of the massacre at mountain meadows in september 1857. The booty stolen from this train alone most likely built the temple in salt lake city. The mountain meadows massacre of 1857 and the trials of john. They were camped near what is the presentday town of enterprise when they were besieged by what they thought were indians. Juanita brooks famed account of the mountain meadows massacre has stood the test of time as a well researched explanation of the atrocity that does not shy away from blaming prominent mormon figures, despite belonging to the lds church herself.
No one can speak responsibly about the details of this event without consulting these newly discovered documents. Brigham young and the massacre at mountain meadows univ. This book was the first to seriously attempt an honest investigation of the massacre, unflinchingly seeking the truth. I was amazed to see the event took place on 9111857. Collected legal papers, initial investigations and indictments, and mountain meadows massacre. On september 11, 1857, a band of mormon militia, under a flag of truce, lured unarmed members of a. 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. With marina atherton, david chambers, nick hamilton, john stewart. This massive slaughter claimed nearly everyone in the party from arkansas and is the event referred to as the mountain meadows massacre. The survivors mountain meadows massacre descendants.
A series of attacks was staged on the bakerfancher wagon train around mountain meadows in 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. The book covers the subject of mountain meadow massacre that took place in sept 1857 where 120 white settlers of a wagon train passing through utah were murdered by white mormons. This is a transcription of a fair conference presentation by gene sessions. The lds church and the mark hofmann case, massacre at mountain meadows. In the fall of 1857, some 120 californiabound emigra.
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. Produced in cooperation with the church of jesus christ of. Notice of reunion of the survivors of the mountain meadows massacre new york times, new york city, new york, october 10, 1893. The most complete study of the 1857 massacre of a nonmormon wagon train passing through utah territory. Descendants get first look at alleged mountain meadows. Juanita brooks in september 1857, one of the worst atrocities in the history of the westward movement occurred when the fancher company was massacred with the exception of approximately eighteen small children. For our primary article, see mountain meadows massacre. The mountain meadows massacre occurred 11 september 1857, when some 50 to 60 local militiamen in southern utah, aided by american indian allies, massacred about 120 emigrants who were traveling by wagon to california. The victims were a group of emigrants mostly from arkansas who were traveling by wagon train north to south through utah on their way to california. Juanita brooks must be commended for writing as thorough a history of the mountain meadows massacre as she has. Book provides an unflinching look at mountain meadows massacre. The mountain meadows massacre of 1857 and the trials of. Here is a list of the victims of the mountain meadows massacre, september 11, 1857. Captain john jacktwitty baker lead a wagon train of arkansas immigrants to california in 1857.
Also deals with the lds efforts to hide the details and the eventual execution of lds leader john d. In april 1857 a californiabound wagon train estimated at 40 wagons, 120 to 150 men, women, and children, and as many as 900 head of beef cattle, in addition to draft and riding animals, assembled near the crooked creek, approximately four miles south of presentday harrison, arkansas. A book of narrow but dramatic interest, massacre at mountain meadows contains the most complete historical record of one of the bleakest events in the history of the mormon settlement of the west. The mountain meadows massacre 1950 by juanita brooks was the first definitive study of the mountain meadows massacre juanita brooks, a mormon historian trained in historical methods, was discouraged from studying the incident, and she suffered some ostracism from fellow mormons after its publication. Mountain meadows massacre mountain meadows massacre. The mormon war was just starting and buchanan had sent an army to quash the mormon rebellion. In the fall of 1857, some 120 californiabound emigrants were killed in lonely mountain meadows in southern utah. The sites could hold the bodies of men, women and children killed more than 150 years ago. Church officials and three organizations of descendants the mountain meadows monument foundation, mountain meadows association and mountain meadows massacre descendants have worked to heal old wounds. Lee remained a fugitive until november 1874 and went on trial for murder the next year. The earliest written account of the mountain meadows massacre. Mountain meadows massacre 187576 called the darkest deed of the nineteenth century, the brutal 1857 murder of 120 men, women, and children at a place in southern utah called mountain meadows remains one of the most controversial events in the history of the american west. The mountain meadows massacre by juanita brooks goodreads.
There were a lot of things that happened that led to this horrible end. The new book, massacre at mountain meadows, published by oxford university press, is not a church production but was coauthored by. The aftermath of mountain meadows history smithsonian. Christopher kit carson fancher mountain meadows massacre. Reconciliation, alongside justice, is often elusive in the long wake of mass murder. There are also a couple of places where the original recording was inaudible. The event was the apex of decades of violence, mistrust, and fear.
Mountain meadows massacre utah, united states 1857. Mountain meadows massacre of 1857 the vintage news. A new book, massacre at mountain meadows, tries to explain what happened that day and why. Apr 01, 2003 the mountain meadows massacre was a horrible atrocity, and the conduct of some mormons involved in it was deplorable. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the mountain meadows massacre. The mountain meadows massacre of 1857 remains one of the most controversial events in the history of the american west, and it is called the darkest deed of the 19th century. Mountain meadows massacre mormonism, the mormon church. Agencies of which the massacre was the logical result doctrine of blood atonement and its results the doomed arkansas company conditions in southern utah personnel of the leading assassins route of the emigrants the mountain meadows the conspiracy the attack emigrants heroic defense assembling of white assassins the.
After reading michael richan on the event in one of his river books i had to read the true story on the event. The mountain meadows massacre josiah francis gibbs. As with most transcriptions, this one includes artifacts of speech that are not always included in written material. The mountain meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the bakerfancher emigrant wagon train at mountain meadows in southern utah. Leonard, and their colleagues discovered a great deal of information about the 1857 massacre, leading to a clearer understanding of the tragedy. Juanita brooks book, the mountain meadows massacre is an early historical attempt to explain why this horrible event happened. Her mountain meadows massacre, published in 1950 and updated in 1962, carefully outlined a set of causes within the broader context of time and place. Although its research and scholarly perspectives now seem dated, the book helped create a new climate of openness in mormon studies. Linda niksich bass and vocals david nelson guitar dean miles drums. I read this book not knowing much about the southern utah mountain meadows massacre. The definitive study of when an emigrant wagon trail crossing southern utah was attacked by mormons and indians, where all of the emigrants, with the exception of a few children, were slaughtered. Revisiting the massacre at mountain meadows 3 that to have this history both advocate and defend this new dispensation, it must be kept honest and fearless and full as well when the tide of events were not favorable for the church and also when the tides seemed to run against it.
During years of research for their 2008 book massacre at mountain meadows. As historian will bagley noted, lee reconstructed his chronology to distance himself from the initial attack and provided blistering attacks on the men who testified against him. Carleton, special report on the mountain meadows massacre. The mountain meadows massacre kindle edition by brooks, juanita, shipps, jan. Through the actual testimony of a young girl who survived, interviews with descendants, and forensic investigations. This is the historical site where 123 people in a wagon train from arkansas were killed by mormon setlters in 1857. To understand properly the mountain meadows massacre, one must know something of the stormy history of the mormon church. September dawn book by carole whang schutter burying the past documentary by brian patrick. Did the mormons really believe they could keep wholesale mass murder a secret. The mountain meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the baker fancher emigrant wagon train at mountain meadows in southern utah. The children who died in the mountain meadows massacre. The mountain meadows massacre 1950 by juanita brooks was the first definitive study of the mountain meadows massacre. Drawn from documents previously not available to scholars and a careful rereading of traditional sources, this gripping narrative offers fascinating new insight into why mormons settlers in isolated southern utah deceived the emigrant party. 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.
Rev of william wise book massacre at mountain meadows. The juanita brooks lecture series presents the 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at mountain meadows by glen m. Anyone who reads it will be shaken up by the history of the mormon church and what it has sanitized. Two days after the massacre, brigham youngs messenger finally arrived at mountain meadows with the orders to let the wagon train pass. American massacre by sally denton the mountain meadows massacre by juanita brooks white flag americas first 911 by wayne capurro american history revised. Massacre at mountain meadows this is the second book about moutain meadows massacre ive read. What amazes me most about the evolution of the story of the mountain meadows massacre is that 150 years it was about blood atonement, hatred of gentiles and robbery. The 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at mountain. The 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at. The leaders of the mormon church also counseled silence. The church, which owns much of the massacre site land, announced its plans to seek national landmark status in 2008. The first was the seminal work by juanita brooks the mountain meadows massacre in 2016.
Mormon historians and subsidized writers have submerged the truth and endeavored to shift the burthen of the terrible crime to the indians. William allen aden 19 traveling alone, aden was already in utah when the wagon train arrived. Mountain meadows massacre archaeology magazine archive. Descendants get first look at alleged mountain meadows massacre graves. Brooks honest examination of a topic many considered a taboo made the mountain meadows massacre, like brodies book no man knows my history 1945, a milestone.
Shining new light on the mountain meadows massacre fairmormon. First to examine the causes of the massacre in a thorough, professional manner was mormon scholarwriter juanita brooks. A very sad book of the deaths of so many people at the mountain meadows massacre. The mountain meadows massacre is something most people have probably never heard of before unless youre a mormon or had ancestors who were part of the massacred fancher wagon party. The story began long before the killing of 120 innocent arkansan men, women, and children. Few people know the extent of the mormon colonization of what is today the western united states, mexico, and even canada.
Muchanticipated book on mountain meadows massacre to. On september 11, 1857, some 50 to 60 local militiamen in southern utah, aided by american indian allies, massacred about 120 emigrants who were traveling by wagon to california. 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 mountain meadows massacre happened on september 11, 1857. An american tragedy, which was perpetrated by a group of mormons with the aid of a few paiute native americans on 9111857 in utah territory. 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. The mountain meadows massacre has long stained brigham youngs reputation and that of his church, partly because young afterwards showed little indication of wanting the perpetrators punished. Massacre at mountain meadows audiobook by ronald w. Muchanticipated book on mountain meadows massacre to hit. It was a murder of 120 men, women, and children, ordered and planned by southern utahs mormon settlers members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. What is the mountain meadows massacre mountain meadows. 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. Shining new light on the mountain meadows massacre editors note.
This book was the first to seriously attempt an honest investigation. After years of research and writing, the book on the mountain meadows massacre from latterday saint historians is about to reach bookstores. The book spoke more of human nature and religion than of murderers. The mountain meadows massacre has continued to cause pain and controversy for 150 years. Embittered mormon apostates and greedy romancers have distorted the awful incidents. Massacre at mountain meadows offers the most thoroughly researched account of the massacre ever written. Mountain meadows, utah is located just off state route 18, an hour north of st. But the stain of the mountain meadows massacre was not so easily erased. The mountain meadows massacre site in washington county, utah, marks the location of the september 11, 1857, massacre of 120 emigrants by militiamen associated with the church of jesus christ of latterday saints.
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