MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE
December 6, 1898

E.M. Tackett who returned to Flagstaff last week, has the distinction 
of being one of the survivors of the famous Mountain Meadow Massacre 
in 1857.  A little previous to this a number of families living 
in northern Arkansas caught the gold fever and concluded to 
emigrate to California.  The older people will rmeember how this 
band of pioneers made their way westward, hoping to make their 
way to the gold fields.

When they reached Salt Lake City it was with difficulty they 
procured supplies for the people but at last succeeded by paying 
exhoribant prices.

They agin started on their way and at Mountain Meadows they were 
met by John D. Lee and a band of followers. They had been attacked 
by what they supposed to be a band of Indians and several were 
wounded. Lee went to them with a propsition that if they would 
give them their arms and ammunition he and his followers would 
conduct them in safety through that part of the country.  The 
immigrants innocnetly delivered their arms to Lee. Lee then placed 
one of his men with a gun at the head of each of the emigrants 
and marched them to a heavily wooded section and at the given 
signal Lee's men shot the emigrants.  They they went back to 
the wagons and cut the throats of the rest, taking with them all
the children they though were too young to remember the murder 
of their parents.  These children were after ransomed by the 
government and turned over to realtives and friends in Arkansas, 
except young Tackett and a boy named Miller who were taken to 
Washington to bear witness to their terrible tragedy.

USGenWeb Project NOTICE: 
In keeping with our policy of providing free information 
on the internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as
long as this message remains on all copied material. These 
electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for
profit, nor for commercial presentation by any other organization. 

Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must 
obtain express written permission from the author, or 
the submitter and from the 
listed USGenWeb Project archivist. 

submitted by burns@asu.edu