Massacre at Mountain Meadows (Google eBook)

Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley, Glen M. Leonard

Oxford University Press, Jul 22, 2008 - History - 448 pages

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. More than 120 men, women, and children perished in the slaughter. Massacre at Mountain Meadows offers the most thoroughly researched account of the massacre ever written. Drawn from documents previously not available to scholars and a careful re-reading of traditional sources, this gripping narrative offers fascinating new insight into why Mormons settlers in isolated southern Utah deceived the emigrant party with a promise of safety and then killed the adults and all but seventeen of the youngest children. The book sheds light on factors contributing to the tragic event, including the war hysteria that overcame the Mormons after President James Buchanan dispatched federal troops to Utah Territory to put down a supposed rebellion, the suspicion and conflicts that polarized the perpetrators and victims, and the reminders of attacks on Mormons in earlier settlements in Missouri and Illinois. It also analyzes the influence of Brigham Young's rhetoric and military strategy during the infamous "Utah War" and the role of local Mormon militia leaders in enticing Paiute Indians to join in the attack. 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. The Mountain Meadows Massacre stands as one of the darkest events in Mormon history. 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.

What people are saying

Review: Massacre at Mountain Meadows

User Review  - Bethany - Goodreads

This book was very interesting and well-researched. It really set the stage for the time period and gave so much insight into the actions of the settlers and the lds people. It was very difficult to ...

Review: Massacre at Mountain Meadows

User Review  - Rebecca Hill - Goodreads

After doing some brief research on Mountain Meadows, I wanted to know more. This book is a great resource for those who are wanting to know more about what happened on that terrible day. This massacre ...

Contents

• CHAPTER ONE: iii
• CHAPTER TWO: xxi
• CHAPTER THREE: xxxviii
• CHAPTER FOUR: xlviii
• CHAPTER FIVE: lxv
• CHAPTER SIX: xcii
• CHAPTER SEVEN: xxix
• CHAPTER EIGHT: xliv
• CHAPTER NINE: lxiii
• CHAPTER TEN: lxxx
• CHAPTER ELEVEN: cvi
• CHAPTER TWELVE: cxxvii
• CHAPTER THIRTEEN: xiv
• CHAPTER FOURTEEN: xlvii
• EPILOGUE: lxx
• Acknowledgments: lxxvii
• Appendix A: lxxxviii
• Appendix B: xcvii
• Appendix C: c
• Appendix D: cxiii
• Abbreviations Used in Notes: cxx
• Notes: cxxxv
• Chapter 11: 1880
• Chapter 12: 1883
• Chapter 13: 1894
• Chapter 14: 1891
• Epilogue: 1876
• Appendix A: 1880
• Appendix B: 1891
• Appendix C: 1933
• Appendix D: 1881
• Index: 1970

About the author

Ronald W. Walker is an independent historian and writer of Latter-day Saint history living in Salt Lake City. Richard E. Turley, Jr. is Assistant Church Historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Glen M. Leonard is former Director of the LDS Museum of Church History and Art.

Ronald W. Walker is an independent historian and writer of Latter-day Saint history living in Salt Lake City. Richard E. Turley, Jr. is Assistant Church Historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Glen M. Leonard is former Director of the LDS Museum of Church History and Art.

Ronald W. Walker is an independent historian and writer of Latter-day Saint history living in Salt Lake City. Richard E. Turley, Jr. is Assistant Church Historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Glen M. Leonard is former Director of the LDS Museum of Church History and Art.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Massacre at Mountain Meadows
• Authors: Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley, Glen M. Leonard
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2008
• ISBN: 0199830975, 9780199830978
• Length: 448 pages
• Subjects: History / United States / 19th Century; History / United States / State & Local / West (AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY)