So it was OK for the Missourians to ride into Haun’s Mill (I’ve read accounts of the numbers being 230-250 men) and start shooting at the families? There had been a truce negotiated on Sunday, Oct 28th. The militia sent a representative who negotiated with the Mormons. The Mormon settlers also decided upon a defense and 28 men were armed and ready for anything that might happen.
The militia rode into Haun’s Mill at about 4 pm (there were about 30-40 LDS families.) Remember, the families thought there was a truce. David Evans, a leader in the community ran towards the militia, waving his hat and calling for peace. Alerted to the militia’s approach, most of the Latter-day Saint women and children fled into the woods to the south—while most of the men stayed behind to fight, entrenching themselves in the blacksmith shop. There were about 36 men in the blacksmith shop, which had large spaces in between the logs. The Missouri militia shot the men inside the blacksmith shop (kind of like shooting fish in a barrel.) Those wounded or who had surrendered were shot at point blank range. Several women were chased, beaten, and raped. One 12 year old girl was shot in the hand as she held up her hands. She started running and hid behind a log and the men kept shooting at her. She survived, but there were at least 20 bullet holes in the log.
The three boys were found hiding in the blacksmith shop. So they were part of the defense, however, one militia man noted that most of the Mormons were unable to even get to their guns, or get them into a position to fire them.
Many historians have concluded that the extermination order given by Governor Lilburn Boggs was not the cause of the Haun’s Mill Massacre. It had been issued 3 days earlier, so there was probably no way for the militia to hear about it. However, I find it disturbing that some people find it OK that the order was issued and no one was killed because of it. And the order was issued because of a speech? That was the only time in American history that such an order was issued by a governor.
And yes, Sidney Rigdon gave the infamous Salt Sermon after he had been tarred and feathered. It was not a good thing to do. However, there is no record of any Mormons going out and killing anyone after that sermon. There was a battle at a creek (the name escapes me right now) that was instigated by the Mormons. However the leader was killed and I think a couple of Missourians were also.
It is eerie to read of the coincidences of the Haun’s Mill Massacre and the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Both were despicable tragedies, perpetrated by fear and misunderstandings.
And I do agree deliberately shooting the women and children at Mountain Meadows was cowardly and those men will pay for their actions in the hereafter.
Thousands of Mormons were driven from their homes in Kirtland Ohio, Missouri (twice), and from Nauvoo. They would lose their homes and businesses. My great-great-great grandfather was born in Missouri and was one of the first converts in that area. He and his family were driven out of Missouri and in his journal he records watching many of the poorer Saints trudging out of Missouri, leaving bloody footprints behind.
After the Mormons were driven out of Nauvoo, Illinois (early than planned), many died crossing the Mississippi river. Many died at Winter Quarters.
I can contact a church history professor I know about the numbers and if there is anything published. However, for me personally, I try to forgive those who were persecuted and killed on both sides.
I specifically said that Haun’s Mill was a great tragedy. How do you get from that that I think it was OK?
Part of the cause of the Mountain Meadows massacre were rumors passing among Mormons that the emigrants were poisoning wells and cattle, planned to return from CA and kill all the Mormons, etc. I would be very surprised if similar rumors of Mormon actions and intentions didn’t play a role at Haun’s Mill. The men were also reacting to a skirmish a few days before, won by the Mormons, in which wounded Missourians were killed and mutilated.
The large number of deaths among the Mormon men at Haun’s Mill was a result of their decision to fight despite being greatly outnumbered and in a horrible tactical position. (The logs of the blacksmith shop were widely spaced for ventilation, making the position more of a deathtrap than a fort.)
However, Haun’s Mill and Mountain Meadows are not really comparable.
Haun’s Mill was an episode in mob violence. Other incidents in American history have produced similar or even greater losses of life caused by mobs, albeit with racial or economic motivations rather than religious ones.
Mountain Meadows stands quite alone in American history for its cold-blooded and planned nature, high death toll, intentional targetting of women and children, treachery and generally successful coverup.
I find it disturbing that a good many Mormons try to partially or completely justify such a despicable act by comparing it to the persecution suffered by Mormons 20 years earlier and over a thousand miles away. As if this persecution could possibly in any way justify murder of children who weren’t even born when it took place.
I am not including you in this group, but I did run across a particularly revolting website posted by a Mormon in which he essentially claimed that Mountain Meadows was fully justified as an act of self-defense.
I also find it interesting that there was never any revenge taken on the Mormons for Mountain Meadows. J.D. Lee was scapegoated, and everybody just sort of dropped the issue.