Today In Western History | The Mountain Meadows Massacre
In 1857, what will be known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre takes place in Utah. A group of 120 immigrants from Arkansas were passing through southern Utah on their way to California. They were part of Baker-Fancher wagon train.
John D. Lee
It is widely believed they were killed by a group of Mormons with the help of local Paiute Indians and that they were led into the ambush by Mormon zealot, John D. Lee, who led them to believe they could trade with the Indians for safe passage. Mormon doctrine made shedding innocent blood an unforgivable sin, and anyone under the age of 8 was by definition “innocent blood,” but despite that ‘forgiving’ philosophy the Mormons actually killed at least six children no older than 8 years old, but at the same time sparing 17 of the children between in-fancy and age 6, believing they would be too young to be credible witnesses but all the adults are killed. Twenty years later, when he was arrested, Lee claimed he was ordered to spare only children” who were so young they couldn’t talk.” The children were taken into Mormon homes and raised as Mormons. John Lee was the only one brought to trial and executed for the massacre.To purchase a signed copy of Larry Auerbach’s novel “COMMON THREADS”, Click Here
Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com
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