Friday September 29 2006 - 23:09:05
Introduction
Welcome
to
The 1857 Iron County Militia Project
Introduction
In 1857, there were approximately 450 men in the Iron County militia. At the outbreak of the Utah War of 1857-58, rumors of invasion by the United States Army set the militia in motion. Militiamen were organizing, drilling, patrolling, scouting and carrying expresses. Infamously, about 100 militiamen were involved in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Who were the members of the 450 man militia? Who were those involved in the massacre? The site explores the events in southern Utah at the outset of the Utah War. It also provides biographical sketches of many of the militiamen. Our desire is to provide the most accurate information possible. We solicit feedback and corrections from our visitors. We will update the site with corrected information. We appreciate your comments and feedback. Thank you for visiting!
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Friday September 29 2006 - 01:35:49
What Did Militiamen Say About the Massacre?
What Did Militiamen Say About the Massacre?
The brief article on the fourteen militiamen who admitted being present at or involved in the massacre is here. It identifies and provides background on these fourteen militiamen. For individual articles on these fourteen militiamen including biographical sketches and a brief summary of their statements about the massacre, see Joseph Clews, William Edwards, John M. Higbee, Nephi Johnson, Philip Klingensmith, Samuel Knight, John D. Lee, Daniel Macfarlane, Samuel McMurdie, James Pearce, Samuel Pollock, Joel White, Elliott Willden and William Young.
Can we possibly rely on any of their statements? Here, as every detective, judge, criminologist and historian knows, the key is confessions combined with corroboration. The brief article, A Method for Sifting Militia Accounts, introduces some of the main issues in distinguishing confessions and incidental detail from a variety of more questionable or blame-shifting statements -- evasions, denials and accusations against others.
"Every Man His Own Historian," Carl Becker famously declared in 1931 to the American Historical Association. And certainly, on this continually controversial topic, it is necessary that every man and women be his or her own historian. Each one must weigh the controversies to get at the truth. The article, Historiography of the Massacre, briefly sketches some of the major treatments of the massacre in the past century and a half. But with the historical treatments at such variance with one another, you must be prepared to be your own historian -- to sift the evidence and draw your own conclusions.
Eyewintesses and Sources to the Mountain Meadows Massacre identifies the identity of the witnesses who offered written statements concerning the massacre or important particulars before or after it.
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The Editors On Monday May 12 2008 - 19:05:22 |
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