The massacre of a wagon train of people by Mormons, Indians, an likely some Mormons dressed as Indians took place at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah in September of 1857. About 140 members of the wagon train were killed and only about 17 very young children were spared. The song that relates the inciddent is "The Mountain Meadows Massacre" and it is in the DT. According to Lingenfelter the text may have originated as a broadside called "The Utah Horror!" published in San Francisco around 1875-77.

rich r