Mountain Meadows Massacre

John D. Lee describing in his own words from the second trail the incident as follows...."As I entered the fortifications, men women and children gathered around me in wild consternation. Some felt that the time of their happy deliverance had come,while others, although in deep distress and terror.....describing his sensations, Lee continues.....My position was painful, trying and awful; my brain seemed to be on fire; my nerves were for a moment unstrung; humanity was overpowered, as I thought of the cruel, unmanly part I was acting.....I knew that I was acting a cruel part and doing a damnable deed. Yet my faith in the godliness of my leaders was such that it forced me to think that I was not sufficiently spiritual, to act the important part I was commanded to perform"...The immigrants were ordered to put there guns and ammunition into the wagon, also ordered the children and the wounded to be put into the other wagon. They told them, that if they did not hurry, the Indians would get excited and attack. The Indians were at that point some 100 strong.

There happened to be a father and son that came up from st George to help John D. Lee with the massacre, the son told his father upon arrival that he just could not be involved in this inhumane murder, the boy started to run in the opposite direction of the massacre site, and the father, told him to return immediately. For fear of knowing what the church leaders would do to him if he disobeyed, the priesthood orders. The boy turned around to leave, and the father shot him in the ear and took off part of his ear, the father knew that his sons life would be taken, if he disobeyed.