Before Captain Van Vliet had left, he promised to hasten to Washington and speak in our favor. President Young told him that the Lord would bless him in so doing, for he felt that He had sent him to Utah. On his return, the Captain endeavored to persuade the army to remain at Ham's Fork for the winter, but the Tenth regiment swore it would come on at all hazards. The Captain then informed them that if they did, they would get a different reception from anything they had ever encountered before.
Just at this time, when the advance of the army was the all-absorbing topic and the dangers of its approach weighed heavily upon the leaders, John D. Lee added to their distress the news of the Mountain Meadow massacre. He had reached Salt Lake City from his home in Harmony on the 29th of September, 1857.
At this place in his record and at this time, Apostle Woodruff gives the account of the Mountain Meadow massacre which John D. Lee gave to President Young: "A company of California emigrants of about 150 men, women, and children, many of them belonging to the mobbers of Illinois and Missouri, had been massacred. They had many cattle and horses with them. As they traveled along south, they went damning Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and the heads of the Church, saying that Joseph Smith ought to have been shot long before he was. They wanted to do all the evil they could, so they poisoned beef and gave it to the Indians and some of them died. They poisoned the springs of water and some of the Saints died. The Indians became enraged at their conduct and surrounded them on a prairie. The emigrants formed a bulwark of their wagons, but the Indians fought them five days until they killed all their men—about 60 in number. They then rushed into the corral and cut the throats of their women and children, except some eight or ten children which they brought with them and sold to the whites.
"The Indians then stripped the men and women of their clothing and left them in the broiling sun. When Brother Lee found it out, he took some men with him to the place and buried their bodies. It was a horrible task. The whole air was filled with an awful stench. The Indians obtained all their property, cattle, horses, wagons, etc. There was another large company of emigrants who had 1,000 head of cattle. They were also damning both Indians and Mormons, but were afraid of sharing the same fate. Brother Lee had to send interpreters with them to the Indians to try to save their lives."
The foregoing statement from the journal of Elder Woodruff which was recorded at that time is of special importance in view of the fact that the enemies of the Church for years endeavored to fasten upon President Young some responsibility for that awful affair. There is nothing in the statement whatever which bears the least semblance of deception. It was one of those straightforward records which characterize Elder Woodruff's journal from beginning to end. Then the character and integrity of the man are both guarantees of the truthfulness of the statement made by John D. Lee to President Young as recorded in Elder Woodruff's journal.
If President Young neglected at this time to give the report of John D. Lee as much attention as it perhaps should have received, and if an investigation was not immediately instituted, there is ample excuse to be found in the circumstances of those times. The army was pressing upon the people and uttering dire threats as to what would take place when it reached the Valleys.
Immediately following the record of John D. Lee's visit, Elder Woodruff says in his journal: "An express came in at night saying that the troops were near Bridger and had formed into three bodies while traveling. General Wells sent word to President Young to let them come on to Echo Canyon and there give them battle. At 6 o'clock on the morning of the 30th the drums beat, and an army of soldiers, some 400 in number, paraded the streets. They were in readiness to march at a moment's notice to the seat of war. We had at this time about 800 men in the mountains. It was a solemn time; for the armies of the Gentiles were making war upon us because of our religion, and we had to defend ourselves against a nation of 25,000,000 people, and the war had just commenced. We had to trust in God for the results. We resolved to do what we could and leave the work in His hands. All were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the express. I told President Young that I was on hand at any moment to go into the mountains when he would say the word. I went up in the evening to the President's office and learned that the California mail had arrived. I heard some letters read. One stated that the government had made arrangements to send light draft boats up the Colorado with men and arms against us from that point.
"Next morning, Oct. 1st, I arose early and looked for an express signal flag but saw none. There was a great deal of anxiety throughout the day while we were waiting, for the express had arrived late. Word came from General Wells respecting the conditions existing at the seat of war."
The time for conference was now approaching, but the agitation among the people about the approach of the army was so great, and there were so many of the men absent, that the meetings were not largely attended. The conference continued only two days, the time being occupied by President Young and members of the Twelve.
On Oct. 8th an express arrived with the news that Captain Lot Smith had burned up fifty of the government wagons, but gave to the teamsters all their arms and ammunition. One deserter from the army came in reporting that rations were short among the soldiers. To each man, he said, there was allowed only three biscuits, two cups of coffee and a small piece of beef per day. Elder Woodruff writes: "The enemy is in a close place. Their provisions are rapidly diminishing and there are prospects of starvation. We have prayed that the Lord would lead them into the pit which they had prepared for the Saints, and the Lord heard our prayers and our enemies are now in a trap and are suffering humiliation without us harming a hair of their heads."