Mountain Meadows Massacre

The Andrew Jenson and David H. Morris Collections

Edited by Richard E. Turley Jr. and Ronald W. Walker

BYU Studies

Mormon Studies

During years of research for their 2008 book Massacre at Mountain Meadows: An American Tragedy, authors Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley Jr., Glen M. Leonard, and their colleagues discovered a great deal of information about the 1857 massacre, leading to a clearer understanding of the tragedy. No one can speak responsibly about the details of this event without consulting these newly discovered documents. Mountain Meadows Massacre presents two of the valuable and revealing collections the authors uncovered.

The first collection was gathered in the 1890s by Andrew Jenson (1850–1937), a full-time employee in the LDS church historian’s office. The second collection was compiled a decade later by David H. Morris (1858–1937), an attorney and judge in St. George, Utah. Images of the original documents are accompanied by typed transcriptions, which reproduce original spelling, punctuation, strikethroughs, and inserted words or characters. Introductory text explains how each document collection was initially created, how the LDS Church came to possess them, and where they were archived. Brief biographical sketches introduce the individuals who were interviewed, gave affidavits, or wrote letters that appear in the document collections.

Distributed for BYU Studies.

Ronald W. Walker is the author of Wayward Saints: The Godbeites and Brigham Young and Nearly Everything Imaginable: The Everyday Life of Utah's Mormon Pioneers.

Table of Contents:

Preface
Editorial Procedures

THE ANDREW JENSON COLLECTION

Introduction

John Q. Cannon Documents
• Introduction
• Questions
• Andrew Johnson Answers to Cannon Questions

Mary S. Campbell Interview
• Introduction
• Field Notes
• Prepared Report

Mary H. White Interview
• Introduction
• Field Notes
• Prepared Report

William Barton Interview
• Introduction
• Field Notes
• Prepared Report

John H. Henderson Interview
• Introduction
• Field Notes

Christopher J. Arthur Interview
• Introduction
• Field Notes
• Prepared Report

Daniel S. Macfarlane Interview
• Introduction
• Field Notes
• Prepared Report

Willson G. Nowers Documents
• Introduction
• Field Notes
• Nowers Letter to Andrew Jenson

Elliot Willden Documents
• Charles W. Willden Sr. Introduction
—Affadavit, Original
—Affadavit, Jenson Copy
• Ellot Willden Introduction
—Bancroft Corrections, Field Notes
—Bancroft Corrections, Prepared Report
• Joseph T. Clewes Introduction
—Statement, Jenson Copy from Salt Lake Semi-Weekly Herald
—Statement, Corrections and Additions, by Ellot Willden
• Ellot Willden Interviews
—Field Notes
—Report Draft
—Prepared Report
—"Additional" Prepared Report

Andrew Jenson Miscellaneous Notes

Elias Morris Interview
• Introduction
• Prepared Report, First Presidency Copy
• Prepared Report, Andrew Jenson Copy

Richard S. Robinson Interview
• Introduction
• Field Notes

Samuel Knight Interview
• Introduction
• Field Notes

David W. Tullis Interview
• Introduction
• Field Notes

Jesse N. Smith Journal Extracts
• Introduction
• Journal Extracts

John Chatterley Letter to Andrew Jenson
• Introduction
• Letter

THE DAVID H. MORRIS COLLECTION

Introduction

Joseph Anderson File Memo

Documents about John M. Higbee
• Introduction
• John W. Judd Letter to Jabez G. Sutherland
• Jabez G. Sutherland Letter to John W. Christian
• R. C. Lund Telegram to Isaac C. Macfarlane

Mayhew H. Dalley Letter to David H. Morris; David H. Morris Notes at Mountain Meadows Marker Dedication
• Introduction
• Mayhew H. Dalley Letter
• David H. Morris Notes

Lucy Kimball Affidavit
• Introduction
• Affidavit

Samuel Knight Affidavit
• Introduction
• Affidavit

Nephi Johnson Affidavits
• Introduction
• Affidavit, July 22, 1908
• Affidavit, November 30, 1909

Index
About the Editors
Acknowledgments
Photo Credits