Posted on 06/04/2009 7:18:39 AM PDT by restornu
The mystery of the Mountain Meadows skull has apparently been solved.
The skull, which had been found in a box marked “Mountain Meadows” in an Idaho pawn shop in February, had what was thought to be a bullet hole in it. There was speculation that the skull was that of a victim of the Mountain Meadows massacre, a September 1857 event in which about 120 men, women and children, mostly emigrants from Arkansas, were killed in Utah.
According to Phil Bolinger and Jake Fancher, it has been determined that the skull is that of a Vietnamese female. Bolinger and Fancher are both members of the Mountain Meadows Monument Foundation, and they learned of the skull’s true identity this past weekend while at Mountain Meadows for a memorial service.
“To be honest, I’m glad the skull was not part of the Mountain Meadows wagon train,” Fancher said. “It would have been just one more headache.”
Fancher said the skull is currently in the possession of the Idaho Archaeology Department. A call to state archaeologist Dr. Kenneth Reid in Boise, Idaho, confirmed that the skull was that of a Vietnamese woman.
In a telephone interview, Reid said the determination was made after a series of measurements were made of different features of the skull. The measurements were then submitted to a University of Tennessee forensic data base containing measurements from tens of thousands of skulls of various races and ethnicities. It was there that the Vietnamese origin was determined.
It was Reid’s opinion, judging from such things as screws in the mandible, that the skull was typical of specimens used for teaching.
For whatever reason, he went on to say, many teaching specimens came from Asia.
Noting the skull’s good condition, he guessed that it had never been buried.
Regarding the speculation that arose about the skull, Reid said,
“I think people didn’t realize how flimsy the arguments were for it to be connected to Mountain Meadows.
Apparently, someone thought they could get rid of it by writing ‘Mountain Meadows’ on the box.”
Members of the MMMF, along with the Mountain Meadows Association and Mountain Meadows Descendants, made the trip to Utah to observe the 150th anniversary of the burial of the emigrants’ remains by U.S. troops under the command of Maj. James H. Carleton.
Bolinger, who is the president of the MMMF, reported that he and other members of the descendant organizations were able to participate in a 21-gun salute over the grave of the victims. It had been hoped, Bolinger said, that members of the First Dragoons, Carleton’s old company, would be present to do the honors.
However, they are based in California and with that state’s financial woes, they were unable to make the trip.
Instead, Bolinger and other members of the descendant organizations, dressed in 1857-era military uniforms, filled in. It was a very moving experience, Bolinger said.
Bolinger also said the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for the first time opened up its archives to the descendant organizations, revealing some previously unknown facts about the massacre. As an example, Bolinger said, he learned of a Mormon women’s auxiliary group that prayed for their husbands while they were out on their killing mission.
Mormon officials also took the visitors for the first time to a newly acquired piece of land where some of the older children and women from the wagon train were buried.
The church recently acquired an additional 600 acres to serve as a buffer between the site and the surrounding land.
The paper work has been submitted to have the site named a National Historical Landmark.
Bolinger thought it was just a matter of time now before the site gained national protection.
In September, the descendant organizations, along with Mormon officials, will gather at the old lodge in Carrollton to observe the 150th anniversary of the return of the Mountain Meadows survivors, all young children, to Arkansas.
Tests could link skull to 1857 massacre AP via KSL.com (Salt Lake City) ^ | May 20, 2009 | AP Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 10:03:27 PM by Colofornian
This whole tragedy is a trail of tears starting back with Haun's Mill Maaaacre not saying two wrongs make a right just trying to put things into perspective not all are able to shake fear and trust in the Lord’s council.
That is such an open ended statement did the women pray for their husbands to come to their senses or for safety did the women know what all of the circumstance of their husband purpose?
Did the LDS Church ever say why the party was massacred?
Was it because it was thought that the party had previously
persecuted Church members in the Midwest?
I don’t understand why the act was committed, since the
location is far to the south of the main population centers
of SLC, Ogden, and Provo.
Did the LDS Church ever say why the party was massacred?
Was it because it was thought that the party had previously
persecuted Church members in the Midwest?
I don’t understand why the act was committed, since the
location is far to the south of the main population centers
of SLC, Ogden, and Provo.
***
IMO What I understand is that some were very jumpy because of all of the chatter going on rumors of those from that area coming to get you etc. and figured to strike first before they get you to me that would be logical.
Those who did this were members of the Church but not authorized they took it upon themselves, and to this day trying to understand what was going on in their minds is all speculation.
It is generious to say they acted out of fear, but how what they did it seems to say more of what kind of beings they were.
It is one thing to defend and another to do what they did, all I know their behavior was not the heart of a LDS.
Absolutely true. We are obliged to defend ourselves and hour families and homes but are also obliged not to commit murder. It is my belief that these folks went way over the line, because you don’t go out and murder 120 people just because they are shooting their mouths off about something or other.
They were actually, in my humble opinion, caught up in fear and became essentially a lynch mob.
That said, it will be interesting to see what is said by the usual crowd of anti-mormon posters now that it has been proven that the skull was NOT part of the massacre. They also all seem to refuse to address Haun’s Mill and Carthage. And others.
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