Your source authors are not academic (or any other sort of) historians. They merely promoted an old and debunked story. They have not researched the history of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The book merely passes along an old debunked myth. Mountain Meadows is nowhere near the Grand Canyon, anyway. The book you cite:
Flagstaff, AZ-based authors Ghiglieri, a biologist who leads river trips in the Grand Canyon and abroad, and Myers, a medical doctor who has treated hundreds of Canyon injuries, have compiled a fascinating chronicle of deaths and dangers in Grand Canyon National Park. The book is arranged by category falls, dehydration, floods, the Colorado River, air crashes, freak accidents, suicides, and murder and at the end of each chapter is a chronological list with names, descriptions, and causes of the accidents. The authors show that most of the deaths, whether of tourists, prospectors, or experienced adventurers, occurred when people failed to pay attention to warning signs or did not use common sense; others are attributed to high testosterone levels.
The old BS story about the Fancher-Baker party members (not "Flancher") was put out and promoted by the Mormon community for many years to deflect blame for the atrocity. The whole claim "The Paiute People, having few firearms, approached Brigham Young and demanded that the Mormon Militia join them in seeking revenge against this wagon train." is not substantiated anywhere, but the exact opposite is shown by all available historical evidence. The Mormons enlisted the assistance of the Paiutes by promising them a portion of the captured livestock.
On your assertion "a load (sic) mouthed bully who named his oxen after leaders in the Mormon Church":
As the Fancher party entered Utah, Eli B. Kelsey who was returning from a Mormon mission joined them. He recalled “they were people from the country districts, sober, hard-working, plain folks, but well-to-do and, taken all-in-all, about as respectable a band of emigrants as ever passed through Salt Lake City"
Yes, the Paiutes were part of the initial attack and siege. They got fed up and left the siege prior to the massacre of 120 unarmed men, women and children. Forensics (1999) concluded that the slaughter was committed entirely by whites, supporting the indications by Carleton's official report:
In 1859 Brevet Major James Henry Carleton, Captain in the First Dragoons, United States Army, received orders to leave Fort Tejon, California and travel to Southern Utah to investigate the circumstances of the massacre. His investigation and findings are detailed in a report dated May 23, 1859. Carleton was shocked at what he observed: “Nearly every skull I saw had been shot through with rifle or revolver bullets. I did not see one that had been broken in with stones . . . The scene of the massacre, even at this late day, was horrible to look upon . .
It is accepted by historians that the Paiutes participated in the defacing of corpses and theft of clothing and goods, along with the Mormons.
I have been research assistant for the last few years to a historical researcher who has spoken, presented programs and written scholarly articles on the very subject of Mountain Meadows Massacre.
Regarding your our story of 'poisoned water hole':
Careful examination of these stories shows that they don’t hold up. Bagley states “Something was killing the cattle at Corn Creek, and Indian Agent Jacob Forney gave a likely explanation in 1859: “The ox died unquestionably from eating a poisonous weed that grows in most valleys in this Territory.”
Forney believed that one or two Indians died from eating the dead ox. It is known that a young boy, Proctor Robison died, supposedly because of handling the dead ox. However, the boy actually died at Fillmore almost a month after the Fancher party had camped at Corn Creek. Historian Juanita Brooks concluded that the boy died of an infection, probably anthrax.
Even if the false claim of a poisoned well were true, would that explain the cold-blooded massacre of 120 unarmed men, women and children? Why would Fancher-Baker poison a well, knowing that other wagon parties were traveling behind them including some of their family members? (in fact, one man was dispatched at night from the besieged company to elicit assistance from a party that they knew was traveling behind them. He accidentally stumbled into a Mormon camp and was murdered) It is a lie.
Many factors lead to the massacre, NONE having whatever to do with untrue lies of 'Fancher being a loudmouth and naming his oxen after Mormon leaders'. If you would like a list of background contributing factors leading up to this tragedy, PM me and I will gladly send it to you.
If you wish to read an excellent, well researched book on the subject: Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows by Will Bagley
Also an older classic: The Mountain Meadows Massacre by Juanita Brooks
It would be best not to perpetuate the old inaccurate myths.
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