A very sad book of the deaths of so many people at the mountain meadows massacre. The following publications provide further information about this topic. I am not a mormon, but i have read several books about the mountain meadows massacre, and this is, by far, the best. After finishing jon krakauers amazing under the banner of heaven, i turned to dentons book for a fuller account of the mountain meadows massacre. Ashby, sarah married charles roark mitchell in 1856. The mountain meadow massacre chapter 20 mountain meadows massacre by josiah f. The book sheds light on factors contributing to the tragic event, including the war. Throughout the book, the authors paint finely drawn portraits of the key players in the drama, their backgrounds, personalities, and roles in the unfolding story of misunderstanding, misinformation, indecision, and personal vendettas.
Brooks notable books on mormon history include the mountain meadows massacre 1950 and john d. Book provides an unflinching look at mountain meadows massacre copied to clipboard the new book, massacre at mountain meadows, published by oxford university press, is not a church production but was coauthored by mormon historians ronald w. Brigham young and the massacre at mountain meadows to see what they have added and how the story has progressed these last couple decades. The tragedy at mountain meadows, september 1857, published by knopf. For anyone who is interested in learning about the complexity, as well as the tragedy that is the mountain meadows massacre this is the book for you. Revisiting the massacre at mountain meadows 5 know the complicated man john d. The leaders of the mormon church also counseled silence. One of my familys best kept secrets by sandra tanner. Im looking for a relatively nonbiased and objective account of the factors leading up to the massacre and the fallout from. If there is one clear point in the book it is that in times of prejudice and war, even good people will do horrific things. The mountain meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the bakerfancher emigrant wagon train at mountain meadows in southern utah. My husband and i just finished reading a book about the mountain meadows massacre and today we visited the sacred site.
Johnson, and lajean purcell carruth on september 11, 1857, a group of mormons aided by paiute indians brutally murdered some 120 men, women, and children traveling through a remote region of southwestern utah. Ok fine, please read massacre at mountain meadows by r. This book is written by three lds historians who claims that they had the full support of their church in writing about this incident. To understand properly the mountain meadows massacre, one must know something of the stormy history of the mormon church. A book of narrow but dramatic interest, massacre at mountain meadows contains the most complete historical record of one of the bleakest events in the history of the mormon settlement of the west. Massacre at mountain meadows this is the second book about moutain meadows massacre ive read. But we cant underappreciate the influence that juanita brooks had on mormon history.
Massacre at mountain meadows mountain meadows massacre. On september 11, 1857, a band of mormon militia, under a flag of truce, lured unarmed members of a party of emigrants from their fortified encampment and, with their paiute allies, killed them. Rev of william wise book massacre at mountain meadows. It was the first comprehensive account of the incident using modern historical methods. Massacre at mountain meadows is a book by latterday saint historian richard e. Immediately following the regular church service, a special meeting was called of the stake high council. The mountain meadows massacre stands as one of the darkest events in mormon history. Leonard was also the director of the museum of church history and art in salt lake city, utah. Leonard this book covers what was going on in utah 3 mo.
It is a bit dated, so i will next need to read massacre at mountain meadows and blood of the prophets. The book covers the subject of mountain meadow massacre that took place in sept 1857 where 120 white settlers of a wagon train passing through utah were murdered by white mormons. Peace and violence among 19thcentury latterday saints, gospel topics essays, topics bibliography. Produced in cooperation with the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church, it is the.
Baker mitchell 18361857 born in 1836 in alabama to john twitty baker and mary a. Mountain meadows massacre utah, united states 1857. Book provides an unflinching look at mountain meadows massacre. Neither a whitewash nor an expose, massacre at mountain meadows provides the clearest and most accurate account of a key event in american religious history. There are several books written on this very subject but we recommend the book massacre at mountain meadows by ronald w. For those of you who dont know, the massacre at mountain meadows is an event in mormon history in the later 1850s. Most times when visiting the site it is unholy ground. The mountain meadows massacre church of jesus christ. The mountain meadows massacre is something most people have probably never heard of before unless youre a mormon or had ancestors who were part of the massacred fancher wagon party. Yet events surrounding the upcoming sesquicentennial appear primed to bring more attention to the massacre than. The first was the seminal work by juanita brooks the mountain meadows massacre in 2016. Buy massacre at mountain meadows by walker, ronald w.
For a more complete, documented account of the event, readers are referred to the forthcoming book massacre at mountain meadows. Read the fulltext online edition of massacre at mountain meadows 2008. The book reopens the controversy over an attack in utah on arkansas pioneers. A new book, massacre at mountain meadows, tries to explain what happened that day and why. Anyone who reads it will be shaken up by the history of the mormon church and what it has sanitized. The mountain meadows massacre book by juanita brooks. Captain john jacktwitty baker lead a wagon train of arkansas immigrants to california in 1857. This church had its beginnings in western new york during the revivalist period of the early 1800s, when preachers stirred whole counties into frenzy with their lurid eloquence, and sporadic sects sprang up over the. Haight, as the highest in religious authority and the one in command of the military organization in the town, was in charge of this indignation meeting. Juanita brooks book was objective on both sides, pointing out the atmosphere among the lds people at the time of the mountain meadows massacre while also showing the inconsistencies in some of the lds explanations. Mountain meadows massacre mountain meadows massacre. She learned about others present at the meadows, among them her own grandfather, dudley leavitt. The book concerns the 1857 mountain meadows massacre in southern utah, and is the latest study of the subject. The attacks began on september 7 and culminated on september 11, 1857, resulting in the mass slaughter of most in the emigrant party by members of the utah territorial militia from the iron county district, together with some southern paiute native americans.
Interviews with authors of massacre at mountain meadows. Josiah gibbs, author of the 1909 book lights and shadows of mormonism, recalled that a prominent salt lake editor said, the mountain meadows massacre is an incident that should be forgotten, for the sake of peace in utah. An american legend and a monumental crime, on attack on wagon train by pahute indians and mormons. Few people know the extent of the mormon colonization of what is today the western united states, mexico, and even canada. The mountain meadows massacre by juanita brooks, paperback.
Selected trial records and aftermath, are now available from the university of. Let me quote from brooks, mountain meadows massacre, pgs. The aftermath of mountain meadows the massacre almost brought the united states to war against the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, but. After reading michael richan on the event in one of his river books i had to. Massacre at mountain meadows ebook written by ronald w. Massacre at mountain meadows audiobook by ronald w.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Her writings lightened the burden of guilt that history had placed on him. The 26th annual lecture revisiting the massacre at. Drawn from documents previously not available to scholars and a careful rereading of traditional sources, this gripping narrative offers fascinating new insight into why mormon settlers in isolated southern utah deceived an emigrant party with a promise of safety and then. Drawn from documents previously not available to scholars and a careful rereading of traditional sources, this gripping narrative offers fascinating new insight into why mormons settlers in isolated southern utah deceived the emigrant party. The mountain meadows massacre 1950 by juanita brooks was the first definitive study of the mountain meadows massacre. The aftermath of mountain meadows history smithsonian. The mountain meadows massacre knuckledraggin my life away. More than 120 men, women, and children perished in the slaughter. I may have grown tired of reading about the mountain meadows massacre after having read two thick, wellresearched meaty books on the subjectmatter the latter just finished now and having read it considering it far more exhaustive in its research than the prior work of nonfiction and a work of historical fiction, along with a chapter devoted to the massacre in a book on conspiracy theories. The new book, massacre at mountain meadows, published by oxford university press, is not a church production but was coauthored by.
May 11, 2017two new volumes contribute to understanding the mountain meadows massacre the volumes, titled mountain meadows massacre. Massacre at mountain meadows offers the most thoroughly researched account of the massacre ever written. I was amazed to see the event took place on 9111857. This case, the mountain meadows massacre case, the legal case that arose from it, was considered one of the most celebrated cases of the 19th century. For that reason, many people looked into it journalists, investigators, curiosity seekers and when they gathered information, that information went with them to the various states to which. The mountain meadows massacre audiobook by juanita.
Brooks book on the mountain meadows massacre broke new ground. The men on the ground after the bloody deed took an oath that they would never mention the event again, either in public or in private. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read massacre at mountain meadows. In the fall of 1857, some 120 californiabound emigrants were killed in lonely mountain meadows in southern utah. As the title states, im looking for a book on the mountain meadows massacre, in which 120 emigrants who were traveling through utah were slaughtered by a local contingent of members of the church of latter day saints. Collected legal papers, initial investigations and indictments, and mountain meadows massacre. Massacre at mountain meadows offers the most thoroughly. This book was the first to seriously attempt an honest investigation of the massacre, unflinchingly seeking the truth. New graves discovered in connection with mountain meadows.