The Utah meadow where Mormon militia murdered 120 emigrants then blamed the Paiutes in 1857

Mountain Meadows Massacre

The Baker-Fancher wagon train stopped to rest at Mountain Meadows in September 1857 while heading to California. Local Mormon militia, fearing federal conflict, decided the emigrants posed a threat.

After a five-day siege, the militia used a false flag of truce to lure families from their wagons, then murdered nearly everyone with the help of some Paiute Indians. Only 17 children under age eight survived.

The church blamed it all on the Paiutes for decades until the truth emerged.

Here’s what happened, now marked by memorials at the site you can explore today.

The Utah War That Set The Stage

In spring 1857, President James Buchanan decided Utah Territory was rebelling against the United States. The Mormon control of the territory troubled federal officials.

Buchanan sent 2,500 soldiers—one-fifth of the entire U.S. Army—to remove Brigham Young as governor. This action sparked fear among Mormons who remembered past violence against them in Missouri and Illinois.

Young declared martial law that August and called up the territorial militia. His people prepared for a fight they believed would mirror their previous persecutions.

The Baker-Fancher Emigrant Party

Families from Arkansas formed a wagon train bound for California in summer 1857. The Baker, Dunlap, Fancher, Miller, and Tackitt families traveled together along the Old Spanish Trail through Utah.

Alexander Fancher led the group. He knew the route well after making the journey twice before. The emigrants reached Mountain Meadows in early September.

They stopped to rest and feed their livestock before attempting the harsh Mojave Desert crossing ahead.

Tensions Rise In Cedar City

Problems erupted when the travelers passed through Cedar City. They argued with locals over grazing land and struggled to buy supplies.

Brigham Young had ordered Mormons not to trade with outsiders during the war crisis. Isaac Haight and John Lee held key positions in the Mormon community.

Haight served as both religious leader and militia commander, while Lee worked as militia officer and liaison to local tribes. Rumors spread that these emigrants had threatened Mormons and might have ties to past anti-Mormon violence in Arkansas.

The Initial Attack Begins

On September 7, Mormon militiamen painted their faces to look like Native Americans. They attacked the emigrant camp at dawn, joined by some actual Paiute allies.

The emigrants fought back effectively. They quickly pulled their wagons into a circle, chained the wheels together, and dug defensive trenches.

Seven people died in this first attack, with sixteen more wounded. The emigrants held their position for four days against repeated assaults, unaware that no help would come.

The Crucial Mormon Decision

The militia leaders faced a problem. Some emigrants had seen white men among the attackers, which ruined the plan to blame only Paiutes for the violence.

William Dame, the militia commander, reportedly ordered that everyone except small children must die to eliminate witnesses. Local leaders feared swift punishment from California or the federal government if survivors could identify them.

They created a new plan to lure the emigrants out by offering safe passage.

John D. Lee’s False Flag Of Truce

John Lee approached the emigrant wagons on September 11 carrying a white flag. He claimed he had negotiated with the Paiutes and could escort the travelers safely to Cedar City.

After five days with little water, food, or ammunition, the emigrants accepted his offer. They agreed to surrender their weapons and leave their valuables behind.

Lee split the group into three parts: wounded people and small children in wagons, women and older children walking behind, and men escorted by armed militia members.

The Brutal Massacre Unfolds

Once away from their wagons, the trap closed. At a prearranged signal, each militiaman shot the unarmed emigrant man walking beside him.

Other militia members attacked the women and children. They chased down anyone who tried to escape. The killing ended quickly.

Around 120 people lay dead across the meadow. The militia spared only 17 young children who they thought were too young to tell others what happened.

Pinning Blame On The Paiutes

After the massacre, the killers swore to keep their actions secret. They agreed to blame the entire attack on Paiute Indians.

John Lee traveled to Salt Lake City and told Brigham Young that Paiutes alone had killed the emigrants. This story became the official Mormon position for many years.

The militiamen buried the bodies in shallow graves that animals later uncovered. The surviving children stayed with Mormon families until officials returned them to Arkansas in 1859.

Investigations Delayed And Diverted

Brigham Young conducted a brief investigation but reported to the government that Indians had acted alone. The Utah War ended peacefully in 1858 when Young stepped down as governor.

The Civil War then diverted federal attention from Utah for several years. Army Major James Carleton investigated in 1859 and found human remains scattered across the meadow.

He concluded Mormons had participated in the killings. Despite this evidence, Mormon control of Utah courts prevented any prosecutions for nearly two decades.

John D. Lee Stands Alone

The Poland Act of 1874 reduced Mormon control of Utah’s legal system. Federal officials finally arrested John Lee for his role in the massacre.

His first trial ended with a divided jury in 1875. At his second trial in 1876, church leaders withdrew their support and Lee was convicted.

On March 23, 1877, Lee faced a firing squad at Mountain Meadows, the site of the killings. Though many men participated in the massacre, Lee was the only person ever punished.

Visiting the Mountain Meadow Massacre Memorial

You’ll find Mountain Meadows off Utah Highway 18, about 30 miles north of St. George. The main memorial area has a parking lot with interpretive signs that explain the historical events.

Several monuments mark the massacre site, including a rock cairn memorial and granite wall listing victims’ names. The area also features walking paths through the meadow where the tragedy occurred.

Read More on WhenInYourState.com:

• Lawmen Called This Utah Canyon “Suicide Territory” Thanks to Butch Cassidy’s Deadly Gang
• This Man-Made Canyon in Utah Is So Massive It’s Visible from Space
• Utah’s Most Photogenic Ghost Town Has Rich Mormon History That Few People Know