Mountain Meadows Massacre-Part 1

Lately I have made several posts about my husband side of the family. I am going to continue those with this post. If you are a history buff then you more than likely have heard about the Mountain Meadows Massacre. If not hopefully this post will introduce the topic to you.

The Mountain Meadows Massacre was an outright attack on members of the Fancher-Baker Wagon train who were bound for California in search of a better life. The attack occurred in Southern Utah. The Fancher-Baker wagon train contained emigrants from four counties in North West Arkansas: Marion, Crawford, Carroll and Johnson counties specifically. My husbands biological family were members of those who were on the wagon train. Many of the folks traveling with the parties were well to do. The BAKER train was headed up by one John T BAKER from Carroll County, Arkansas and the FANCHER train was led by Captain Alexander FANCHER (a many times great grand uncle to my husband). The Fancher train is said to have left from Benton County, Arkansas.

Some were relocating to California and others were in search of Gold. This was horrible tragedy of unspeakable magnitude. Ironically it occurred on September 11th, 1857. The same date that many Americans would later succumb to another unspeakable, senseless tragedy. Beginning on September 7th of that same year the Wagon party was attacked in their camp by Piaute Indians and Mormon Militiamen disguised as Native Americans. They were very sly and cunning in their plans. History tells us that on the morning of September 11th they approached the wagon party waving a white flag and intending to call a truce. They then told them that if they would agree to turn over all their livestock and supplies to the Native Americans they would then escort them safely to Cedar City, which was a distance of about 36 miles from where they were. They accepted the offer and were led out of their fort. A signal was then given and the Mormon Militiamen turned and opened fire on the males and they would later attack and kill the females and their children, some children died and were crushed in their mothers arms. How horrendous. How sad.

Captain Alexander FANCHER was killed as were his wife and some of his children. There were two Fancher children who survived the attack. Christopher "Kit" Carson FANCHER, the lad in the above photograph and his sister Tryphena D FANCHER.

Those FANCHER family members who lost their lives in this tragedy were:

Captain Alexander FANCHER age 45
Eliza INGRUM-FANCHER age 42
Hampton FANCHER age 19
William FANCHER age 17
Mary FANCHER age 15
Thomas FANCHER age 14
Martha FANCHER age 10
Sarah G FANCHER age 7
Margaret A FANCHER age 7
James Matthew FANCHER age 25
Robert FANCHER age 19

Christopher Kit Carson FANCHER was 5 years old and his sister Tryphena was 22 months at the time of the massacre. They were the only surviving children of Captain Alexander FANCHER and his wife Eliza.

Note: This post will be broken up into two parts so it makes for shorter reading. You will find part 2 HERE