About daybreak in the morning, I heard the voices of Col. Dame and Isaac C. Haight. I heard some very angry words pass between them, which drew my attention. Dame said he would have to report the destruction of the emigrant camp and company. Haight said, “How, as an Indian massacre?” Dame said he did not know so well about that. This reply seemed to irritate Haight, who spoke quite loudly, saying, “How the —— can you report it any other way without implicating yourself?” At this Dame lowered his voice almost to a whisper; I could not understand what he said, and the conversation stopped.
I got up, saw the children, and among the others the boy who was pulled by the hair of his head out of the waggon by the Indian and saved by me; that boy I took home and kept until Dr. Forney, Government agent, came to gather up the children and take them East; he took the boy with the others; that boy’s name was William Fancher; his father was captain of the train; he was taken East and adopted by a man in Nebraska, named Richard Sloan; he remained East several years, and then returned to Utah, and is now a convict in the Utah Penitentiary, having been convicted the past year for the crime of highway robbery. He is now known by the name of “Idaho Bill,” but his true name is William Fancher. His little sister was also taken East, and is now the wife of a man working for the Union Pacific Railroad Company, near Green River. The boy (now man) has yet got the scar on his chin caused by the cut on the waggon-box, and those who are curious enough to examine will find a large scar on the ball of his left foot, caused by a deep cut made by an axe while he was with me.
I got breakfast that morning. Then all hands returned to the scene of the slaughter to bury the dead. The bodies were all in a nude state. The Indians, through the night, had stripped them of every vestige of clothing. Many of the parties were laughing and talking as they carried the bodies to the ravine for burial. They were just covered over a little, but did not long remain so; for the wolves dug them up, and, after eating the flesh from them, the bones laid upon the ground until buried, some time after, by a Government military officer. At the time of burying the bodies Dame and Haight got into another quarrel. Dame seemed to be terror-stricken, and again said he would have to publish it. They were about two paces from me. Dame spoke low, as if careful to avoid being heard. Haight spoke loud, and said, “You know that you counselled it, and ordered me to have them used up.” Dame said, “I did not think that there were so many women and children. I thought they were nearly all killed by the Indians.” Haight said, “It is too late in the day for you to back water. You know you ordered and counselled it, and now you want to back out.” Dame said, “Have you the papers for that?” or “Show the papers for that.” This enraged Haight to the highest pitch, and Dame walked off. Haight said, “You throw the blame of this thing on me, and I will be revenged upon you, if I have to meet you in hell to get it.” From this place we rode to the waggons; we found them stripped of their covers and every particle of clothing, even the feather beds had been ripped open and the contents turned upon the ground, looking for plunder. I crossed the mountains by an Indian trail, taking my little Indian boy with me on my horse. The gathering up of the property and cattle was left in the charge of Bishop P. K. Smith. The testimony of Smith in regard to the property and the disposition of it was very nearly correct.
I must not forget to state, that after the attack a messenger by the name of James Haslem was sent with a despatch to President Brigham Young, asking his advice about interfering with the company, but he did not return in time. This I had no knowledge of until the massacre was committed. Some two weeks after the deed was done, Isaac C. Haight sent me to report to Governor Young in person. I asked him why he did not send a written report. He replied that I could tell him more satisfactorily than he could write, and if I would stand up and shoulder as much of the responsibility as I could conveniently, that it would be a feather in my cap some day, and that I would get a celestial salvation, but that the man who shrank from it now would go to hell. I went and did as I was commanded. Brigham asked me if Isaac C. Haight had written a letter to him. I replied, not by me, but I said he wished me to report in person. “All right,” said Brigham; “were you an eye-witness?” “To the most of it,” was my reply. Then I proceeded and gave him a full history of all except that of my opposition. That I left out entirely. I told him of the killing of the women and children, and the betraying of the company. That, I told him, I was opposed to, but I did not say to him to what extent I was opposed to it, only that I was opposed to shedding innocent blood. “Why,” said he, “you differ from Isaac (Haight), for he said there was not a drop of innocent blood in the whole company.” When I was through, he said that it was awful; that he cared nothing about the men, but the women and children was what troubled him. I said, “President Young, you should either release men from their obligation or sustain them when they do what they have entered into the most sacred obligations to do.” He replied, “I will think over the matter, and make it a subject of prayer, and you may come back in the morning and see me.” I did so, and he said, “John, I feel first-rate; I asked the Lord if it was all right for that deed to be done, to take away the vision of the deed from my mind, and the Lord did so, and I feel first-rate. It is all right. The only fear I have is of traitors.” He told me never to lisp it to any mortal being, not even to Brother Heber. President Young has always treated me with the friendship of a father since, and has sealed several women to me since, and has made my house his home when in that part of the territory, until danger has threatened him. This is a true statement according to the best of my recollection.
John D. Lee.
KILLING A RIVAL PROPHET.
Enough has been already written to satisfy all with whom facts have any weight that the Mormonism which claims in Europe to be “of Christ,” is in Utah a despotism of the harshest character, allied to falsehood, murder, and the worst of crimes that degrade human nature. And here would I rest my pen; but it seems that one other episode in Utah life should still be added, showing as it does the intolerance of the ruling Mormon Priesthood when their own sway is challenged.
Thirty-five miles north of Salt Lake City—a short distance from where the Union Pacific debouches from Weber Canyon—a Welchman named Joseph Morris had found eager listeners to new revelations. The Bishop of Kington Fort, Richard Cook, formerly a noted Missionary in Manchester, England, and a number of intelligent men and women, received gladly the new prophet who had been raised up by “the Lord” to “deliver Israel from bondage.” Numerous believers in a very short time gathered from various parts of the territory, and Kington fort, on the Weber, became an important place. Morris abounded with revelations. His “gifts” exceeded in profusion those of all who had ever gone before him. The founder of Mormonism was nothing in comparison with his disciple from Wales. The adherents of the new prophet were perfectly overjoyed at the abundance of light that now shone upon their path, and some very intelligent men gathered to the Weber. Three English and three Danish clerks were daily employed in writing the heavenly communications from the mouth of the new prophet. Brigham had been barren—Morris was overflowing. The new disciples “consecrated” all they possessed to a common fund. Christ was seen to descend among them, and their wants would only be of short duration. As “the Lord” tarried, the enthusiasm of some of the converts cooled, and here began the difficulty with the new prophet. It became a question how much of their property they could reclaim. It had all been “consecrated.” The leading men of the sect decided to let them peacefully retire; but it was expected that they would honestly meet their accrued share of the obligations of the little colony. Some of them proved dishonest, and attempted to take away better cattle than they had brought, and they refused to make allowance for the support they had derived from the property of others. A feud arose, the dissenters applied to the Mormon Courts, and the latter were pleased with the opportunity afforded. Writs were issued, served and repulsed. The dissenters waited for the chance of seizing the moveable property of the colony, and as wheat was sent to mill they pounced upon it, and took teams and waggons as well. On one occasion the Morrisites arose early in the morning, and spread themselves over the country, keeping within view of the advancing teams. As the dissenter and two others pounced upon the convoy the second time, up sprang the Morrisites from places of concealment, and took them prisoners. They were taken to Kington Fort and imprisoned. The friends of the captured men sought their release ineffectually, for the Sheriff in that country could do nothing. One or two of the wives of the prisoners went to Brigham, but he refused to interfere. He was too shrewd to meddle directly in the affair. Justice Kinney was next visited. As judge of that judicial district a petition was filed before him, setting forth that these men were kept in close confinement and heavily ironed by order of Joseph Morris, John Banks, and Richard Cook. On the 24th of May, 1862, a writ of habeas corpus was issued to the Territorial Marshal, and by his deputy served, but no attention was paid to it. On the 11th of June a second writ was issued and was also disregarded. Kinney was intensely indignant, and insisted upon the militia being called out as a posse comitatus to accompany the Territorial Marshal. Acting Governor Fuller issued the necessary order. The Morrisites had been warned by the “Lord” that the “Brighamites” were plotting their destruction, and accordingly purchased all the rifles and ammunition possible. Early on the morning of the 13th of June an armed posse were seen on South Mountain overlooking the Morrisite community, and the following proclamation was sent to the Morrisites by one of their herd-boys: