  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 a hundred militiamen were involved in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Who were the members of the 450-man militia? Who were those involved in the massacre?
This site explores the events in southern Utah at the outset of the Utah War. The Iron County militia was the Tenth Regiment of the territorial militia and was also known as the Iron Military District. It was the local militia unit in southern Utah.
As word of the approach of the United States expeditionary army reached Utah, particularly southern Utah, it touched off fears of invasion and dispossession. This was due to the experiences of many Mormons in the Mid-West. Because of conflicts with the original settlers in these locales they were driven from their homes and lands, first in western Missouri, then in western Illinois.
 The misunderstanding over the intentions of the approaching army touched off a conflict known as the Utah War of 1857-58. By August 1857, the southern Utah militia had been reorganized and was on heightened alert. They undertook what seemed vital at the time: harvesting grain, caching foodstuffs, guarding the approaches to southern Utah, sending scouting parties in search of the approaching army and surveilling passing emigrant trains.
As this crisis broke, disaster befell the first passing train, the Fancher-Baker party, at Mountain Meadows. This site discusses the unfolding crisis and ensuing massacre. 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!
Send comments or corrections to editor@1857ironcountymilitia.com.
The EditorsonThursday April 22 2010 - 16:52:36   comment: 0 | Trackbacks: 0
A Word about ToneA Word About Tone
 Occurring at the outset of the Utah War of 1857-1858, the Mountain Meadows Massacre was an appalling war-time atrocity. Regardless of whether we categorize it as war crime, religiously-motivated revenge, or mass killing arising from war hysteria and moral panic, it is, from any vantage point, a horrific and unjustified slaughter.
From 1857 to the present, the fact that the wagon train was lured to its doom by deceptive promises of protection impresses us with the enormity of the crime while the fact that the large majority of the victims were women and children increases our sense of its outrageousness. Even the militiamen came to see it as a catastrophe and some saw in hindsight that their cynical deception was cowardly.
Yet at this site, as we portray the militiamen responsible for the massacre, every effort will be made to present their lives before and after the massacre in a neutral and dispassionate manner. After a century and a half the massacre is now history. Although many books, articles and websites still present the massacre with impassioned outrage, such passion frequently clouds judgment and detracts from the basic task of understanding the complexity of its origins and causes. Although we share with others a sense of its horrific enormity, the tone we strive for here is a dispassionate impartiality. Through this quiet, dispassionate approach we will be able to better comprehend how this frightful disaster occurred.
We leave it to you, the reader, to reach your own considered judgments about the origins, causes and conditions of the massacre. It is for you, the reader, to decide whether, and if so how, to judge the men involved in this calamitous disaster. The burdensome task of reaching provisional or final judgments is left to you.
The EditorsonThursday April 22 2010 - 13:38:12 comment: 2 | Trackbacks: 494
 Other Militiamen at the Massacre
Who Were the Other Militiamen
at the Massacre?
Who were the principal religious and military leaders in southern Utah involved in planning the events from the First Attack to the Final Massacre? The key five planners/leaders were Colonel William H. Dame, Major Isaac C. Haight, Major John M. Higbee, Major John D. Lee and Private (Bishop) Philip Klingensmith.
    
In the years following the massacre, many of the militiamen who were drawn into the disaster came to blame these five for initiating the First Attack and/or the Final Massacre. Clink on each name for their background.
Who were the other militiamen who participated, or at least were on the ground, at the time of the final massacre? Click on each of the following names for the background on the other militiamen involved in the massacre. For some of these men, their presence at Mountain Meadows at the time of the massacre is confirmed from multiple sources. Remember, however, that for others, only one source identifies them as participants. Thus, the reliability of these latter identifications is subject to some doubt. Bearing that caveat in mind, the other militiamen who have been identified as participants are George Washington Adair, Samuel Adair, Ira Allen, Andrew A. Allen, Benjamin A. Arthur, William Bateman, Thomas H. Cartwright, John W. Clark, Ezra H. Curtis, William R. Davies, Jabez Durfee/Durfey, Eleazer Edwards, Columbus R. Freeman, Oscar Hamblin, Richard Harrison, Ira Hatch, William S. Hawley, Charles Hopkins, John S. Humphries, George Hunter, Alexander G. Ingram, John Jacobs, Swen Jacobs, Samuel Jewkes/Jukes, Dudley Leavitt, Alexander H. Loveridge, John M. Macfarlane, James M. Mangum, John Mangum, Sims L. Matheny, James N. Mathews, Jabez Nowlin, Harrison Pearce, John Price, William S. Riggs, Don Carlos (Carl) Shirts, William R. Slade, William Slade, Joseph H. Smith, William C. Stewart, Anthony J. Stratton, William Tait, Amos G. Thornton, David W. Tullis, Oscar Tyler, John M. Urie, John Weston/Western, Robert Wiley, John Willden and James Williamson.
[ Read the rest ... ] The EditorsonThursday April 22 2010 - 13:36:46 comment: 1 | Trackbacks: 0
 Corrections or Additions
Submitting Corrections or Additions
We appreciate your help in improving the database. For corrections and additions, please send us an email referencing photographs, journals, GEDCOM file or other information. Cite the correct data and if possible cite the primary sources, i.e., original sources, so that it can be checked and added to the database. If you have journals, photographs, etc., electronic versions would be helpful.
The EditorsonWednesday April 21 2010 - 22:52:26 Comments are turned off for this item | Trackbacks: 0
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Updates in April 2010April 2010 Updates
We've done some updating this month to the news items on the Front Page. But the main thing is some revisions, both major and minor, in the biographical sketches of individual militiamen.
The bios have been substantially revised for Alexander Loveridge, Augustus Allen, Benjamin Arthur, Columbus Freeman, Charles Hopkins, Dudley Leavitt, Daniel Macfarlane, Don Carlos (Carl) Shirts and David Tullis. I'll keep working through the other militiamen as I find the time. Also, some have suggested we include information on such figures as George A. Smith, Jacob Hamblin, etc. Great suggestion! I will add that over time.
We'll continue to add to these bios for the foreseeable future. We hope to locate additional photographs of the militiamen and historical photos or woodcuts depicting other details relevant to our subject matter. It's an ongoing process. If you have any, I'd be interested in hearing from you.
Here are some other ideas: - I have photographs of the dedications and programs at Mountain Meadows from 1999, 2007 and 2009. Some are quite good and help show some of the "reconciliation" efforts among various communities and peoples. Progress is always slow, but real progress has been made.
- Since 2007, officials of the Mormon Church have made important statements, acknowledgements and expressions of regret. Some know of these important statements, but many still are unaware. Another idea is to add a news section summarizing these statements and events.
- I hope to add some software upgrades so as to improve the appearance, features and functionality of the site. But of course I need someone half my age to help me make those upgrades!
We hope you enjoy the site and find it profitable. Some of you may have historical photographs, family histories, genealogical info or just interesting family lore about some of the subjects of our site. Please leave a comment or contact me via email at editor@1857ironcountymilitia.com. I'm interested in seeing what you have, exchanging info and comparing notes!
Best regards to all, Rob
The EditorsonSunday April 25 2010 - 05:09:32 comment: 0 | Trackbacks: 0
Militia Accounts of the MassacreWhat Did Militiamen Say About the Massacre?
For a Basic Account of the massacre see here. It is largely based on the confessions of fourteen militiamen who admitted being present at the massacre. The List of the Accused identifies more than sixty men and the sources connecting them to the massacre. Some identifications are certain, others are probable, still others are problematic.
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.
Eyewitnesses and Sources to the Mountain Meadows Massacre identifies the witnesses who offered written statements concerning the massacre or important particulars before or after it.
The EditorsonThursday April 22 2010 - 13:37:46 comment: 0 | Trackbacks: 0
Background of the MilitiamenOther Questions
What Was the Background of the Militiamen?
Now that we know the identity of the involved militiamen, how old were they and what was their social and familial relationships? What was their ethnic background? From what regions or countries did they come?
For the militiamens' ages and social backgrounds, see here.
For their regional or ethnic backgrounds, see here.
(Other topics and links are under construction)
The EditorsonThursday April 22 2010 - 13:36:08 comment: 0 | Trackbacks: 0
Col. William Dame The Editors LAN_NEWS_100 Monday May 12 2008 - 20:05:22 | comment: 0 |
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