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==Fancher party== ==Fancher party==
] ]
In the spring of 1857 approximately forty families of European ancestry, mostly from Marion, Crawford, Carroll, and Johnson counties in ], assembled into a ] at Beller’s Stand, south of Harrison, Arkansas for the purpose of emigrating to southern ]. This group was initially referred to as both the Baker train and the Perkins train but after being joined by other Arkansas trains and making its way west, was soon called the Fancher train (or party) after "Colonel" ] who, having already made the journey to California twice before, had become its main leader.<ref>Bagley (2002), pp. 55-68; - The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture.</ref> By contemporary standards the Fancher party was prosperous, carefully organized and well-equipped for the journey. They were subsequently joined along the way by families and individuals from other states, including ].{{fact}} In the spring of 1857 approximately forty families of European ancestry, mostly from Marion, Crawford, Carroll, and Johnson counties in ], assembled into a ] at Beller’s Stand, south of Harrison, Arkansas for the purpose of emigrating to southern ]. This group was initially referred to as both the Baker train and the Perkins train but after being joined by other Arkansas trains and making its way west, was soon called the Fancher train (or party) after "Colonel" ] who, having already made the journey to California twice before, had become its main leader.<ref>Bagley (2002), pp. 55-68; - The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture.</ref>


==Travel through Utah== ==Travel through Utah==
They arrived in Utah Territory in July with over 900 head of ] but were running low on some supplies and reached ] in early August, only days after ] leader ] had declared ] in response to potential hostilities with the ] government.<ref>Bagley (2002), pp. 95-99; Denton (2003), pp. 114-115.</ref> The Fancher party set out on the northern route to California, but because of the lateness of the season turned back and took the southern route, which led them into southwestern Utah. The ]s they encountered along the way were wary and declined to trade with them for several reasons including: Young's declaration of martial law; Young's orders discouraged trading food with immigrants; and his orders forbidding people from traveling through the territory without a pass, which the Fancher party did not have.{{fact}} They arrived in Utah Territory in July with over 900 head of ] but were running low on some supplies and reached ] in early August, only days after ] leader ] had declared ] in response to potential hostilities with the ] government.<ref>Bagley (2002), pp. 95-99; Denton (2003), pp. 114-115.</ref>


Moreover, popular Mormon leader ] had been murdered in Arkansas a few months earlier and news of this had only recently begun to arrive in Utah.<ref>Bagley (2002), pp. 68-72, 80-81.</ref> Finally, the United States Army was advancing troops towards Utah. Rumors of taunting and misconduct by members of the Fancher Party against Mormons and Native Americans circulated through Mormon communities.{{fact}} These rumors, martial law, threats of war and limited supplies all likely influenced the individual Mormons who didn't sell food to the Fancher party. Moreover, popular Mormon leader ] had been murdered in Arkansas a few months earlier and news of this had only recently begun to arrive in Utah.<ref>Bagley (2002), pp. 68-72, 80-81.</ref>

===Cedar City meetings===
As the Fancher party approached Mountain Meadows, several meetings were held in Cedar City and nearby Parowan by local LDS leaders pondering how to implement Young's declaration of martial law.{{fact}} They decided to "eliminate" the Fancher wagon train, but hesitated and sent a rider to Salt Lake City (a six day round trip on horseback) for Brigham Young's advice. Meanwhile, organization among the local Mormon leadership reportedly broke down.{{fact}}


==Mountain Meadows== ==Mountain Meadows==
The hungry, somewhat dispirited Fancher party found water and fresh grazing for its livestock after reaching grassy, mountain-ringed Mountain Meadows, a widely known stopover on the old Spanish Trail, in early September. They anticipated several days of rest and recuperation there. On September 7 the party was attacked by a group of ] ]s and Mormon militiamen dressed as Native Americans. {{fact}} The Fancher party defended itself by encircling and lowering their wagons, wheels chained together, along with digging shallow trenches and throwing dirt both below and into the wagons, which made a strong barrier. Seven emigrants were killed during the opening attack and were buried somewhere within the wagon encirclement. Sixteen more were wounded. The attack continued for five days, during which the besieged families had little or no access to fresh water or game food and their ammunition was depleted. {{fact}} The hungry, somewhat dispirited Fancher party found water and fresh grazing for its livestock after reaching grassy, mountain-ringed Mountain Meadows, a widely known stopover on the old Spanish Trail, in early September.


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 ].<ref> Lee was a scribe for the ] and a friend of both ] and ]</ref> 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. {{fact}} 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, all of the men, women, older children and wounded were massacred by almost 50 Mormon militia and 200 Paiutes who had hidden nearby. {{fact}} 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. 18 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 ] say both girls were raped before they 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 ].<ref> Lee was a scribe for the ] and a friend of both ] and ]</ref> 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. 18 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 ] say both girls were raped before they were killed.


== Historical Context ==
The many dozens of bodies were hastily dragged into gullies and other low lying spots, then lightly covered with surrounding material which was soon blown away by the weather, leaving the remains to be scavenged and scattered by wildlife. {{fact}}
The massacre occurred during ongoing hostilities between LDS Utah and the United States. ]

==Surviving children==
Seventeen children were deliberately spared because of their young ages. They were taken to surrounding towns and left with local Mormon families with whom they remained until federal authorities re-united the children with relatives in Arkansas.


==Aftermath== ==Aftermath==
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Carleton issued a scathing report to the United States Congress, blaming local and senior church leaders for the massacre, however years later only ] was charged with murder for his involvement in the massacre. Lee's first trial ended in a mistrial but he was convicted on re-trial and executed by firing squad at Mountain Meadows. Carleton issued a scathing report to the United States Congress, blaming local and senior church leaders for the massacre, however years later only ] was charged with murder for his involvement in the massacre. Lee's first trial ended in a mistrial but he was convicted on re-trial and executed by firing squad at Mountain Meadows.

==Public perception in the nineteenth century==
When the massacre became public in the decades after the incident, public outcry was widely heard. ] even gave an account, based on his perceptions about the attack, in appendix B of '']'', first published in 1872: <!--1891? 1871? were there different editions? -->

<blockquote> {{Cquote|The leaders of the timely white "deliverers" were President Haight and Bishop John D. Lee, of the Mormon Church. Mr. Cradlebaugh, who served a term as a Federal Judge in Utah and afterward was sent to Congress from Nevada, tells in a speech delivered in Congress how these leaders next proceeded: "They professed to be on good terms with the Indians, and represented them as being very mad. They also proposed to intercede and settle the matter with the Indians. After several hours parley they, having (apparently) visited the Indians, gave the ultimatum of the savages; which was, that the emigrants should march out of their camp, leaving everything behind them, even their guns. It was promised by the Mormon bishops that they would bring a force and guard the emigrants back to the settlements. The terms were agreed to, the emigrants being desirous of saving the lives of their families. The Mormons retired, and subsequently appeared with thirty or forty armed men. The emigrants were marched out, the women and children in front and the men behind, the Mormon guard being in the rear. When they had marched in this way about a mile, at a given signal the slaughter commenced. The men were almost all shot down at the first fire from the guard. Two only escaped, who fled to the desert, and were followed one hundred and fifty miles before they were overtaken and slaughtered. The women and children ran on, two or three hundred yards further, when they were overtaken and with the aid of the Indians they were slaughtered. Seventeen individuals only, of all the emigrant party, were spared, and they were little children, the eldest of them being only seven years old. Thus, on the 10th day of September, 1857, was consummated one of the most cruel, cowardly and bloody murders known in our history.}} </blockquote>


==Modern depictions in media== ==Modern depictions in media==

Revision as of 03:13, 4 January 2007

Template:Totally-disputed The Mountain Meadows Massacre was a mass killing of approximately 140 people, mostly from Arkansas, at Mountain Meadows, a stopover along the Spanish Trail in southwestern Utah, on Friday, September 11, 1857. The causes and circumstances remain highly controversial.

Fancher party

Map depicting Mountain Meadows and the surrounding region of southwestern Utah in 1857, showing path of the Spanish Trail

In the spring of 1857 approximately forty families of European ancestry, mostly from Marion, Crawford, Carroll, and Johnson counties in Arkansas, assembled into a wagon train at Beller’s Stand, south of Harrison, Arkansas for the purpose of emigrating to southern California. This group was initially referred to as both the Baker train and the Perkins train but after being joined by other Arkansas trains and making its way west, was soon called the Fancher train (or party) after "Colonel" Alexander Fancher who, having already made the journey to California twice before, had become its main leader.

Travel through Utah

They arrived in Utah Territory in July with over 900 head of cattle but were running low on some supplies and reached Salt Lake City in early August, only days after Mormon leader Brigham Young had declared martial law in response to potential hostilities with the United States government.

Moreover, popular Mormon leader Parley P. Pratt had been murdered in Arkansas a few months earlier and news of this had only recently begun to arrive in Utah.

Mountain Meadows

The hungry, somewhat dispirited Fancher party found water and fresh grazing for its livestock after reaching grassy, mountain-ringed Mountain Meadows, a widely known stopover on the old Spanish Trail, in early September.

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. 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. 18 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.

Historical Context

The massacre occurred during ongoing hostilities between LDS Utah and the United States. Utah War

Aftermath

Two years later, Brevet Major James Henry Carleton arrived in the area to investigate the massacre. He and his troops gathered the scattered bones of victims and reburied them. They erected a rock cairn inscribed with the words, Here 120 men, women, and children were massacred in cold blood early in September, 1857. They were from Arkansas, along with a cross bearing the words, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Replica of the original Mountain Meadows Massacre Monument in Carrollton, Arkansas.

Carleton issued a scathing report to the United States Congress, blaming local and senior church leaders for the massacre, however years later only Lee was charged with murder for his involvement in the massacre. Lee's first trial ended in a mistrial but he was convicted on re-trial and executed by firing squad at Mountain Meadows.

Public perception in the nineteenth century

When the massacre became public in the decades after the incident, public outcry was widely heard. Mark Twain even gave an account, based on his perceptions about the attack, in appendix B of Roughing It, first published in 1872:

The leaders of the timely white "deliverers" were President Haight and Bishop John D. Lee, of the Mormon Church. Mr. Cradlebaugh, who served a term as a Federal Judge in Utah and afterward was sent to Congress from Nevada, tells in a speech delivered in Congress how these leaders next proceeded: "They professed to be on good terms with the Indians, and represented them as being very mad. They also proposed to intercede and settle the matter with the Indians. After several hours parley they, having (apparently) visited the Indians, gave the ultimatum of the savages; which was, that the emigrants should march out of their camp, leaving everything behind them, even their guns. It was promised by the Mormon bishops that they would bring a force and guard the emigrants back to the settlements. The terms were agreed to, the emigrants being desirous of saving the lives of their families. The Mormons retired, and subsequently appeared with thirty or forty armed men. The emigrants were marched out, the women and children in front and the men behind, the Mormon guard being in the rear. When they had marched in this way about a mile, at a given signal the slaughter commenced. The men were almost all shot down at the first fire from the guard. Two only escaped, who fled to the desert, and were followed one hundred and fifty miles before they were overtaken and slaughtered. The women and children ran on, two or three hundred yards further, when they were overtaken and with the aid of the Indians they were slaughtered. Seventeen individuals only, of all the emigrant party, were spared, and they were little children, the eldest of them being only seven years old. Thus, on the 10th day of September, 1857, was consummated one of the most cruel, cowardly and bloody murders known in our history.

Modern depictions in media

  • The play Fire In The Bones (1978) by Thomas F. Rogers is a depiction of the massacre from the perspective of John D. Lee, and is based heavily on Juanita Brooks' research.
  • The play Two-Headed (2000) by Julie Jensen depicts two middle-aged Latter Day Saint (Mormon) women reflecting on the massacre that occurred when they were children.
  • The film Burying the Past: Legacy of the Mountain Meadows Massacre (2004), directed by Brian F. Patrick, is a documentary of the event.
  • The film September Dawn (2006), directed by Christopher Cain, depicts a love story set at the time of the massacre.
  • the novel Red Water by Judith Freeman is a fictionalized account of John D. Lee's role in the massacre from the perspective of three of his nineteen wives.

Books and Articles

Notes

  1. Bagley (2002), pp. 55-68; Mountain Meadows Massacre - The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture.
  2. Bagley (2002), pp. 95-99; Denton (2003), pp. 114-115.
  3. Bagley (2002), pp. 68-72, 80-81.
  4. Lee was a scribe for the Council of 50 and a friend of both Joseph Smith, Jr. and Brigham Young

External links

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