Open Letter to Brigham Young - 1871

The Weekly Reporter – July 22, 1871

Mountain Meadows Massacre
_______

Salt Lake City, July 22, 1871.    
An Open Letter to Brigham Young.

SIR: In my last, we left the emigrants of Mountain Meadow memory at Fillmore. Their store of provisions were too scanty to allow of delay; and so soon as they found they could do no trading there they moved on, and in due course reached Corn Creek. Here they saw the first kindly look and heard the first friendly word since they left the Jordan. And, strange to say, those friends were Indians! They sold the emigrants 30 bushels of corn – all they had to spare – and sent them away in peace. And sir, these were the very Indians whom you afterward represented in the papers of California and elsewhere as having pursued this company and massacred them at the Mountain Meadows, alleging that the emigrants had poisoned an ox and certain springs which had caused the death of certain of their band.
BRIGHAM AS A LIAR.

This lie, like other fabrications of yours, has done you some service; but the old settlers know it to be a falsehood. There was a company of men who started from Salt Lake City for Los Angeles about three weeks after the Arkansans had left the Jordan. This company had trouble with the Corn Creek Indians. And I am well persuaded that said trouble was another little trick of yours, to put them out of the way. They were driven from Salt Lake City. Some had been merchants there. You were preparing your campaign against the Government troops under Johnson. These Gentiles had to leave. But no sooner had they gone than you received the news of the massacre at the Mountain Meadows. It would not do for them to see the horrible sight presented there, and state the truth to the press of California. These are, I believe, the reasons why they had trouble with the Corn Creek band, and why the savages followed them as far as Parowan, expecting help from the Mormons to “wipe them out.” But Colonel Dame had got an overdose of your Mormonism. He had sickened on the massacre, so most of this company were saved, but were not allowed to go by the way of the Meadows. (Peter’s Leap) They were compelled to make a rough and tedious detour via Washington settlement, avoiding the Meadows, so that when they arrived at Los Angeles they could give no certain intelligence concerning the massacre. There is not a particle of evidence to show that any Corn Creek Indian was in Lee’s fight with the emigrants.
THE TRIALS OF THE EMIGRANTS

The Arkansas company passed on from Corn Creek, and, reaching Beaver, they found the same order of non-intercourse, the same prohibition as to trading as before; and, passing on, they came to Parowan, but were not permitted to enter the town. Now be it known, and the books will show, that the General Government had paid twenty-five thousand dollars in gold coin for the surveying and opening of this road which passed directly through the town of Parowan, and upon which this company was traveling and had traveled all the way from Salt Lake City, passing through American Fork, and all the principal settlements on the route. They had through those settlements without let or hinderance; but here they were forced to leave the public highway and pass around the west side of the fort wall. When they reached the stream abreast of the town they encamped, and tried, as before, to trade for food and fresh cattle, but failed. There was a little Englishman who was determined to sell them some provisions; but Bishop Lewis’ son and Counsellor advanced before him, and pressing the edge of a Bowie knife against his throat, compelled him to retreat without realizing his humane intentions. There was a grist-mill at Parowan, the first the company had “struck” since they left Corn Creek. They made application to have the corn ground which they had bought of the Indians, but were flatly refused.
A PERTINENT QUESTION

Now, sir, why were these emigrants refused permission to enter and pass through Parowan? …You are quite competent to give the answer, so is your Aid-de-camp and Brigadier-General, George A. (Smith). So is Wm. H. Dame, the Colonel of the regiment forming a part of the militia under your supreme command – that same regiment that afterward fell upon the same unoffending company at Mountain Meadows and destroyed them. But you will not answer until compelled. Then let me suggest that Parowan was the legitimate head quarters of that particular regiment; that it was the place of residence of Col. Dame; that there was a certain military appearance inside the walls that it would not be prudent for the emigrants to see or suspicion, for their destruction had been decreed, and they must be taken at a disadvantage…
OPINION OF AN OLD PIONEER

Now, sir, I have consulted with one of the old pioneers of the road from Cedar City to the Mojave River, one whose judgment and experience are worthy of respect; one who saw that company in Utah as they were passing along on the Territorial road, and knew the condition of their teams. I asked him how long it would have taken them to go from
Cedar to the Mojave? He reflected, then answered, “Sixty days.” From there to San Bernardino would have taken six to ten days. Here was a company made up of men, women and children, with at least one child to be born on the road, whose mother would require a little rest and at least some comfort, forced to undertake this journey under circumstances beyond their control, but altogether under yours, who were obliged to put themselves on short allowance on the start. Think of that, sir, and say, whose fault it was! But methinks I hear you say, “We did not mean to starve them. We had intended to provide so bountifully at the crossing of the Clara, that they would hunger and thirst no more forever”…
During their journey to Cedar, and upon their arrival there, no person had been killed or suffered harm; they had stolen nothing, they had not meddled with your concerns, had created no riots, and, indeed, their whole conduct had been inoffensive and irreproachable, except the, to you, unpardonable offense of giving shelter and passage to at least one apostate Mormon. Do not be impatient, sooner that you wish, you shall hear again from. - Argus

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