Difference between revisions of "Criticism of Mormonism/Books/American Massacre/Chapter 11"

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===Claims made in Chapter 11: "Camp Scott, November 16, 1857"===
 
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====165====
 
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*The author claims that during meetings with U.S. Army Quartermaster Captian Stewart Van Vliet, Brigham Young had "seen to it that Van Vliet heard nothing of Mountain Meadows," and that the "Mormon leaders worried that if van Vliet relayed news of the situation to Johnston, an invasion of Utah Territory would be expedited."
 
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* {{HistoricalError}}: It was virtually impossible for anyone in Salt Lake to have heard of the Massacre (which happened on 11 September) by the time Van Vliet left on 14 Sept, or last met with Brigham Young on 13 Sept.
 
* [[Mountain Meadows Massacre/Worries about Van Vliet|Worries about Capt. Stewart Van Vliet?]]
 
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*No source provided for this particular claim, although the following citation is Van Vliet quoted in {{CriticalWork:Stenhouse:Rocky Mountain Saints|pages=357}}
 
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====165====
 
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*The author claims that Brigham did not preach the sermon at the church meeting attended by Van Vliet because he was "too furious to conduct the service."
 
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*Brigham actually ''did'' preach two sermons that day (13 September 1857).
 
*See: {{JDwiki|author=Brigham Young|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Journal_of_Discourses/Volume_5/The_United_States_Administration_and_Utah_Army|vol=5|pages=226–31}}
 
*See: {{JDwiki|author=Brigham Young|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Journal_of_Discourses/Volume_5/Movements_of_the_Saints%E2%80%99_Enemies%E2%80%94The_Crisis|vol=5|pages=231–36}}
 
*Reviewer Robert Crocket notes, "Denton’s failure to know of Young’s sermons suggests a rather light review of her secondary sources. On 13 September 1857, in the Bowery, Brigham Young indeed said he was too angry to preach but then filled the day with two lengthy sermons nonetheless. Regardless of who spoke, I would have imagined that anybody writing about this event would have taken time to examine the Journal of Discourses to see what was actually said with Van Vliet in attendance." {{ref|crockett.1}}
 
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*No source provided. Likely Stenhouse.
 
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====165====
 
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*The author claims that Brigham made an "oblique but unrecognized reference to the massacre at Mountain Meadows" to Van Vliet when he said "if the government dare to force the issue, I shall not hold the Indians by the wrist any longer...you may tell the government to stop all emigration across the continent, for the Indians will kill all who attempt it."
 
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*The author just said earlier that Brigham had "seen to it that Van Vliet heard nothing of Mountain Meadows." Now she's saying that Brigham made an "oblique but unrecognized reference" to it!
 
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*Bancroft, 505.
 
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====167====
 
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*Any "Mormon man" who defied Brigham's declaration of Martial law would be "put to death."
 
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*Brigham Young proclamation, alternately dated August 5 and September 15, 1857, original copies located in Special Collections, Marriott University Library, University of Utah. Reprinted in Fielding, ''Unsolicted Chronicler'', 395;
 
*{{CriticalWork:Stenhouse:Rocky Mountain Saints|pages=358-59}}
 
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====167====
 
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*The author states that "any man who defied Young's orders would be put to death was made evident in his statement "When the time comes to burn and lay waste our improvements, if any man undertakes to shield his, he will be sheared down."
 
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* Denton uses a secondary source, when she could have easily verified Brigham's words in the ''Journal of Discourses''.
 
* {{SourceDistortion}}: In context, Brigham's word assume a different tone. Immediately following the phrase quoted by the author, Brigham says "Now the faint-hearted can go in peace; but should that time come, they must not interfere." This is ''not'' a threat of death to those who would not participate.
 
*See: [[Disobey Brigham and be sheared down|Disobey Brigham and be sheared down?]]
 
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* Young quoted in Waite, 50.
 
* [See {{JDwiki|author=Brigham Young|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Journal_of_Discourses/Volume_5/Movements_of_the_Saints%E2%80%99_Enemies%E2%80%94The_Crisis|vol=5|pages=232}} (13 Sept 1857).]
 
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====167====
 
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*The date of Brigham's proclamation "was changed from August to September" in order to destroy evidence that it authorized the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
 
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*Gibbs, ''Mountain Meadows Massacre'', 11.
 
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====172====
 
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*The author claims that "droves of Saints leaving California for Utah" and "a matching number leaving Utah of a crisis of conscience spurred by the events of Mountain Meadows" were "doomed to pass over the site of the slaughter."
 
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*No source provided.
 
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====172====
 
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*Ann Eliza Young claims that she "knew instinctively, as did many others, that something was being hidden from the mass of the people."
 
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* {{Absurd}}: So now, Ann Eliza's intuitions are serving as evidence.  Ann Eliza was writing later in life as an anti-Mormon lecturer, and used all the anti-Mormon tropes.
 
* See {{Nibley11|start=413|end=468}} {{GL1|url=http://gospelink.com.gospelink.com/library/document/31152}}
 
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*{{CriticalWork:Young:Wife No. 19|pages=229}}
 
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====173====
 
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*It is claimed that Brigham Young instructed John D. Lee to write a letter laying the blame for the massacre on the Indians.
 
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* As noted on the notes for [[American Massacre/Index#142|p. 142]], local leaders had planned to blame the Indians long before Brigham Young even knew of their intentions, or instructed them to leave the immigrants alone.
 
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*No source provided.
 
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====173====
 
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*Brigham is claimed to have told Chief Walker's successor Arapeen to "help himself to what he wanted" of the "spoils of the slaughter."
 
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* {{SecondaryFact}}: Denton again follows Bagley completely uncritically, and makes the same errors.
 
* {{HistoricalError}}: [[Blood_of_the_Prophets:_Brigham_Young_and_the_Massacre_at_Mountain_Meadows/Use of sources/Indian chief Arapeen given booty|Indian chief Arapeen given booty?]]
 
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*''Dimick B. Huntington Journal'', September 20, 1857.
 
*{{CrossRef:Bagley:Blood of the Prophets|pages=170a}}
 
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====176, 180====
 
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*Colonel Thomas Kane is portrayed as arrogant, effeminate, a hypochondriac, and with delusions of fame.
 
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* {{Presentism}}: [[Mountain Meadows Massacre/Thomas Kane|Thomas Kane]]
 
*{{SecondaryFact}}: Denton seems to rely heavily on Bagley's treatment here.
 
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*{{attn}}
 
* {{CrossRef:Bagley:Blood of the Prophets|pages=198}}
 
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====186====
 
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*Prior to the massacre, George A. Smith is claimed to "have carried orders to Cedar City leaders to incite their people to avenge the blood of the prophets."
 
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* [[Mountain Meadows Massacre/George A. Smith carried orders|George A. Smith carried orders?]]
 
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*No source provided. (Likely Bagley)
 
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====186====
 
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*George A. Smith was "sent south not to learn the truth, but to devise an explanation for church leaders could provide to external enemies..."
 
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* {{DoubleStandard}}: [[Blood_of_the_Prophets:_Brigham_Young_and_the_Massacre_at_Mountain_Meadows/Use_of_sources/Double_standards_of_skepticism|Double standards in evidence]]
 
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*{{CriticalWork:Bagley:Blood of the Prophets|pages=212}}
 
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====186====
 
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*George A. Smith "went to lengths to characterize the victims as cowards."
 
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*George A. Smith report in Juanita Brooks, ''The Mountain Meadows Massacre'', p. 242.
 
{{EndTable}}
 
 
==Endnotes==
 
#{{note|crockett.1}} {{FR-16-1-9}}<!--Crockett on Denton-->
 

Revision as of 07:57, 20 June 2009


A FAIR Analysis of:
Criticism of Mormonism/Books
A work by author: Sally Denton