Eyewitnesses and Sources to the Mountain Meadows Massacre
Eyewitnesses and Sources to the Mountain Meadows Massacre
This list identifies eyewitnesses to the massacre or to important events concerning it or its aftermath.
Anonymous militiaman, witness, or participant at Mountain Meadows—interview, 1859 Anonymous "Santa Clara" (Southern Paiute) Indians, witnesses, Santa Clara—interviews, 1859 Anonymous Ute Indian, witness, central Utah—interview, 1857 Arthur, Christopher J., adjutant to Captain Edwards, Co. G, 3rd Bat.—interview, 1892 Ashworth, William B., witness—autobiography, undated Barton, William, 2nd lieutenant, Co. C, 1st Bat.—interview, 1892 Bradshaw, John, private, Co. F, 3rd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Bringhurst, John B., witness, Toquerville, 1873–74 (observations of Isaac Haight)—statement, 1928 Call, Anson, witness, Bountiful, 1857 (observations of John D. Lee)—affidavit, 1877 Chatterley, John, private, Co. F, 3rd Bat.—statement, 1919 Farnsworth, Philo T., captain, Co. A, 1st Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Campbell, Mary Steele, witness, Cedar City—interview, 1892 Clews, Joseph, private, Co. F, 2nd Bat.—statement, 1876 Coleman, Prime, private, Co. H, 4th Bat.—statement, 1859 Edwards, William, private, probably attached to Parowan unit—affidavit, 1924 Fish, Joseph, private, Co. C, 1st Bat.—autobiography, undated Haight, Isaac C., major, 2nd Bat.—interview, 1859 Hakes, Collin R., witness, Beaver and Mountain Meadows (Lee execution)—affidavit, 1907; statement, 1914; affidavit, 1916 Hamblin, Albert, witness, Mountain Meadows—interviews and statements, 1859 Hamblin, Jacob, 2nd lieutenant, Co. H, 4th Bat.—journal, 1857; interviews and statements, 1859; affidavits, 1859; statement, 1871; Lee trial testimony, 1876 Hamblin, Rachel, witness, Mountain Meadows—interviews and statements, 1859 Hamilton, John, Sr., private, Co. F, 3rd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Hamilton, John, Jr., 2nd lieutenant, Co. F, 3rd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Hancock, George W., witness, Payson—interview, 1857 Haslam, James H., regimental fifer—Lee trial testimony, 1876; affidavit, 1885 Hawley, John, sergeant, Co. I, 4th Bat.—autobiography, 1889 Henderson, John H., private, Co. C, 1st Bat.—interview, 1892 Higbee, John M., major, 3rd Bat.—interview, 1859; statement, 1894; statement, 1896 Higgins, Henry, sergeant, Co. G, 3rd Bat.—affidavit, 1859 Hoag, Annie Elizabeth, witness, Fort Harmony—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Hoops, Elisha, private, Co. A, 1st Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Jackson, Southern Paiute, witness—interviews and statements, 1859 Jackson, Samuel, private, Co. F, 3rd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Johnson, Nephi, 2nd lieutenant, Co. D, 2nd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1876; interview, 1895; affidavit, 1909; statement, 1910 Kershaw, Robert, private, Co. A, 1st Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Klingensmith, Philip, private, Co. D, 2nd Bat.—affidavit, 1871; interview, 1871; Lee trial testimony, 1875 Knight, Samuel, private, Co. H, 4th Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1876; interview, 1892; interview, 1895; affidavit, 1896? Lee, John D., major, 4th Bat.—interviews and statements, 1859; interview, 1872; plea bargain statement (partially extant), 1875; Confessions’ account, 1877; Lee-Howard account, 1877Macfarlane, John M., adjutant to Major Isaac C. Haight, 2nd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Macfarlane, Daniel, adjutant to Captain Joel White, Co. D, 2nd Bat.—affidavit, 1896 McMurdie, Samuel, sergeant, Co. E, 2nd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1876 Martineau, James H., regimental adjutant to Col William. H. Dame—numerous contemporary records, 1857; article, 1890; statement, 1890 ??? ; statement, 1907; autobiography, various dates Miller, John Calvin (variously identified as "Calvin," "John Calvin Sorel" or John Calvin Sorrow"), witness, Salt Lake City—interview, 1859 Morrill, Laban, private, Co. D, 2nd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875; autobiography, undated Morris, Elias, captain, Co. E, 2nd Bat.—interview, 1892 Nowers, Willson Gates, sergeant or private, Co. A, 1st Bat.—interview and statement, 1892 Pearce (Pierce), James, private, Co. I, 4th Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Pete, Indian boy, witness, Pahvant camp near Beaver—interview, 1857 Pitchforth, Samuel, witness, Nephi—diary, 1857 Platt, Benjamin, private, Co H, 4th Bat.—autobiography, undated Pollack, Samuel, sergeant, Co. E, 2nd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Ray, ? (identified as "Dr. Ray" – possibly John A. Ray), witness, Fillmore—interview, 1859 Riddle, Isaac, private, Co. H, 4th Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Roberts, William, private, Co. B, 1st Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Robinson, Richard, 2nd lieutenant, Co. H, 4th Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875; interview, 1892 Rogerson, Josiah, court reporter, Beaver and Mountain Meadows (Lee trials and execution)—stenographic record, 1875, 1876, 1877 Shelton, Marion Jackson, witness, Fort Harmony—diary, 1858–59 Sherrett, John, witness, Cedar City—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Shirts, Don Carlos (Carl), 2nd lieutenant, Co. H, 4th Bat.—interview, 1859 Smith, George A., general, Nauvoo Legion—journal and address, 1857; affidavit, 1875 Smith, Silas S., captain, Co. B, 1st Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Smith, Jesse N., captain, Co. C, 1st Bat.—journal, 1857; Lee trial testimony, 1875 Spoods, Ute Indian, witness, southern Utah—interview, 1857 Tate, William, captain, Co. F, 3rd Bat.—affidavit, 1896 Thompson, Edward W., 2nd lieutenant, Co. A, 1st Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Touche, "Pah-Ute [Southern Paiute] chief", witness—statement, 1859 Tullis, David W., private, Co. H, 4th Bat.—statement, 1859; interview, 1892 White, Joel W., captain, Co. D, 2nd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 and 1876, affidavit, 1896 White, Mary Hannah Burton, witness, Hamilton Fort—interview, 1892 Willden, Charles, private, Co. G, 3rd Bat.—affidavit, 1882 Willden, Elliott, private, Co. F, 3rd Bat.—interview, 1892 Willis, John Henry, 2nd lieutenant, Co. G, 4th Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Willis, Thomas T., private, Co. G, 3rd Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Young, William, private, Co. I, 4th Bat.—Lee trial testimony, 1875 Young, Mr., witness, near Washington—statement, 1859
Note: Where a position in a militia unit is identified, these are from the 1857 muster rolls of the Tenth Regiment or Iron Military District. This district covered the Mormon villages of Beaver, Parowan, Paragoonah, Cedar City, Washington, Pinto, and Gunlock and the small "fort" villages of Fort Johnson, Hamilton Fort, Fort Harmony, and Fort Clara. The regiment consisted of nine companies in four battalions. Each company had four to five platoons, but for simplicity's sake the platoons are omitted.
Source for Militia Units: Utah Territorial Militia (Nauvoo Legion), 10th Regiment Battalion and Company Muster Rolls, 10 October 1857, Utah State Historical Archives, Salt Lake City. This roster reflects the militia positions or offices as of September 1857 and has some slight changes from the previous militia roster in June 1857. The June 1857 Iron County Militia Roster is MSS 801, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Send questions or comments to editor@1857ironcountymilitia.com.
