The mountain meadows massacre book by juanita brooks. The mountain meadows massacre took place over the course of five days. If any miserable scoundrels come here, cut their throats. She writes, the church leaders decided to sacrifice lee only when they. American massacre by sally denton the mountain meadows massacre by juanita brooks white flag americas first 911 by wayne capurro american history revised. After reading michael richan on the event in one of his river books i had to.
The mountain meadows massacre was one of the worst acts of premeditated mass murder ever committed by americans against other americans. In september 1857, a wagon train passing through utah laden with gold was attacked. Known as the mountain meadows massacre, the history of this event continues to generate fierce controversy and deep emotions. The mountain meadows massacre was a mass slaughter of the fancherbaker emigrant wagon train at mountain meadows, utah territory, by a local mormon militia and members of the paiute indian tribe on september 11, 1857. Mountain meadows massacre mormonism, the mormon church. To understand properly the mountain meadows massacre, one must know something of the stormy history of the mormon church. Juanita brooks book was objective on both sides, pointing out the atmosphere among the lds people at the time of the mountain meadows massacre while also showing the inconsistencies in some of the lds explanations. I was lucky find relatives of captain lee with an emotional edge still in their. I was amazed to see the event took place on 9111857. 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.
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. This was the advice of brigham young too, lee wrote in a tell all book while. Visitor information mountain meadows, utah national historic landmark. It was a tragic event in mormon history many thought best forgotten. This book was the first to seriously attempt an honest investigation of the massacre, unflinchingly seeking the truth. If there is one clear point in the book it is that in times of prejudice and war, even good people will do horrific things. The aftermath of mountain meadows history smithsonian. Although thoroughness and candor were at the center of their research x, walker. A very sad book of the deaths of so many people at the mountain meadows massacre. The book concerns the 1857 mountain meadows massacre in southern.
The mountain meadows massacre by juanita brooks, paperback. On august 3, 1999, a backhoe began digging the foundation. 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. Discover mountain meadows massacre memorial in veyo, utah. Review of definitive new book, massacre at mountain meadows, august, 2008. The mormons believed that children became adult at the age of 8. Lee, the only militiaman executed, was effectively a scapegoat. 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. Massacre book a big bestseller, mormon times, november 29, 2008. 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. Mountain meadows massacre utah, united states 1857.
The mountain meadows massacre was the first work to fully document mormon involvement in the massacre. The mountain meadows massacre josiah francis gibbs. Jan 9, 2009 massacre at mountain meadows oxford university press is. George on september 11, 1857, and involved the slaughter of 120 californiabound emigrants, the fancherbaker train. Brigham young and the massacre at mountain meadows, by will bagley, university of oklahoma press, 2002, p.
Juanita brooks, a mormon, gave the incident its first thorough treatment in decades with her book the mountain meadows massacre in 1962. The mountain meadows massacre of 1857 and the trials of john. Restaurants near mountain meadow massacre memorial. Legacy of the mountain meadows massacre award winning dvd. Baker reportedly found nothing relating to the massacre, clearing the way for the construction of the new monument. View all restaurants near mountain meadow massacre memorial on tripadvisor.
Few people know the extent of the mormon colonization of what is today the western united states, mexico, and even canada. The mountain meadows massacre stands as one of the darkest events in mormon history. Jul 03, 2008 for many years the mountain meadows massacre was a taboo subject among mormons. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library, yale university, new haven, ct. The incident began as an attack, quickly turned into a siege, and eventually culminated in the murder of. One of the most controversial and highly debated events is the mountain meadows massacre. During years of research for their 2008 book massacre at mountain meadows. The leaders of the mormon church also counseled silence. A stoic rock cairn is all that remains to remember one of the more brutal instances of frontier treachery in american history. It occurred in southern utah between cedar city and st. 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. Joseph smith dean cain, the mormons are now on edge. The book provided an important history of early mormonism as well as offering lees somewhat selfserving account of the events leading to the mountain meadows massacre. 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 pivotal role of the bishops son, jonathan, was well played by trent ford. 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. On september 11, 1857, a wagon train traveling through utah was ambushed and its approximately 120 members killed in what is now known as the mountain meadows massacre. The book is a step by step, day to day eye witness of the slaughter of over 100 human beings, men, women, and children in wagons, searching for a new life searching for a new land, troubled by hundreds of cattle they brought to the west side of the united states, being taxed for grazing rights and then innocently slaughtered. Leonard were researching their book massacre at mountain meadows. During the mountain meadow massacre, in which the mormons of utah figured more or less prominently, martin florida was serving as united states marshal and had been pretty busily engaged in putting to rout the threecardmonte men and other gamblers and mischief makers whose traffic wrought much.
September dawn book by carole whang schutter burying the past documentary by brian patrick. 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. Brigham young and the massacre at mountain meadows, a book. The 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at. Accepting the facts but not the responsibility, august 15, 2008 at. The book covers the subject of mountain meadow massacre that. I may have grown tired of reading about the mountain meadows massacre after having read two thick, wellresearched meaty books on the subjectmatter the latter just finished now and having read it considering it far more exhaustive in its research than the prior work of nonfiction and a work of historical fiction, along with a chapter devoted to the massacre in a book on conspiracy theories.
During the mountain meadow massacre, in which the mormons of utah figured more or less prominently, martin florida was serving as united states marshal and had been pretty busily engaged in putting to rout the threecardmonte men and other gamblers and mischief makers whose traffic wrought much mischief among the camps of 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 book concerns the 1857 mountain meadows massacre in southern utah, and is the. That is cool front inscription, mountain meadows massacre mounment lds pictures, military. The ancient paths 7th interview with lds historian sandra tanner on the mountain meadows massacre duration. 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. Massacre at mountain meadows is a book by latterday saint historian richard e. The survivors mountain meadows massacre descendants.
The mountain meadows massacre, morning news, december 22, 2008. Throughout the book, the authors paint finely drawn portraits of the key players in the drama, their backgrounds, personalities, and roles in the unfolding story of misunderstanding, misinformation, indecision, and personal vendettas. Mountain meadows massacre memorial veyo, utah atlas. The mountain meadows massacre of 1857 and the trials of. Since that time, there have been some black marks on the churchs history. Captain john jacktwitty baker lead a wagon train of arkansas immigrants to california in 1857. It cleared up many misconceptions and stated the facts plainly. 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. On september 11, 1857, approximately 120 men, women, and children in a wagon train from arkansas were murdered by a band of mormons set on a holy vengeance. The bakerfancher wagon train consisted of more than 150 men, women and children. Eyewitnesses and sources to the mountain meadows massacre. 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 uncovered a great deal of information about the 1857 massacre, leading to a clearer understanding of how this tragedy happened.
With jon voight, trent ford, tamara hope, terence stamp. Lee shouted as he reached the edge of the border, one shot rung out and. See more ideas about oregon trail, mountains and ex mormon. It is speculated that they wanted no adult survivors who could give credible testimony to the heinous crimes committed. In the book, brooks demonstrated convincingly that the mormon militia was responsible for the massacre, and that john d. Committed by a force of mormon militia and southern piute indians, the tragedy has remained a topic of curiosity and controversy as mormons and historians struggle. He is the recipient of the 2017 genealogyhistory achievement award from the american library. Also deals with the lds efforts to hide the details and the eventual execution of lds leader john d. An american tragedy oxford university press, 2008, they discovered several oral interviews, written statements, and letters from some of those participants. In the fall of 1857, some 120 californiabound emigrants were killed in lonely mountain meadows in southern utah.
Leonardfor their book, massacre at mountain meadows, published in 2008. Mountain meadows mormon massacre smoking gun sermon 91857. A view of the terrain of the mountain meadows massacre site. The most complete study of the 1857 massacre of a nonmormon wagon train passing through utah territory. 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. She writes, the church leaders decided to sacrifice lee.
718 279 875 860 508 253 1432 1296 739 774 1043 1418 100 540 1022 1220 782 1455 890 1487 542 788 453 756 1145 611 1384 739 578 43 390 1167 617