THE "MOUNTAIN MEADOWS" CHILDREN.
From the Leavenworth (Kansas) Herald of August 27.
Yesterday morning a train of fourteen wagons arrived at Fort Leavenworth from Utah. It left Salt Lake City on the 26th of June. Major Eastman and Lieut. El-wood, of the 5th infantry; Major Whiting, of the 7th infantry; Lieut. Carroll, of the 10th infantry, and Lieut. Tyler, of the 2d dragoons, came in with the train.
Accompanying the train are also fifteen of the chil-dren who escaped the terrible massacre at Mountain Meadows, in Utah, some two years since. The particu-lars of that unparalleled outrage, perpetrated by Mor-mons under the guise of Indians, startled our whole country when the intelligence reached the States. We have not the details before us, but if we remember aright a company numbering 145 persons started from the State of Arkansas in the spring of 1857 for California. They were supplied with an excellent outfit—wagons, mules, and an ample stock of provisions, &c. They got along well enough until they reached what is known as the "Mountain Meadows," in the southwestern part of the Territory of Utah. Here whilst encamped they were surrounded by a party, the larger portion of whom were Mormons, disguised as Indians—the balance In-dians—and the whole party brutally butchered, except seventeen children, who were taken possession of by the Indians. The object of the assailants was evidently plunder. Early last spring, through the vigilance of Dr. Forney, the Indian agent for Utah, the children were all obtained and properly cared for. Although most of them are very young, they were enabled to de-tail with considerable intelligence nearly all of the par-ticulars of the terrible massacre they had witnessed.
The Government has furnished the children with trans-portation to Fort Leavenworth, and male and female at-tendants. We saw the children at the fort yesterday morning when they arrived. Ten are girls and five boys. The oldest little girl did not appear to be over ten years of age, and the majority are much younger. All were com-fortably clothed, in good health, and fine spirits. We saw a little rosy-cheek girl, not over, we should think, four years of age, whose right arm was entirely helpless. At the time of the massacre the child was in its mother's arms, and the bullet that sent its protector to an untimely grave passed through the little one's right arm just below the elbow. We saw the scars made by the bullet, but received only a smile from the little girl when we inquired if she could use her hand.
An agent from Arkansas—said to be a relative of some of the children, most of whom are supposed to belong to Johnson county, in that State—is expected here to take charge of the children and conduct them to their friends.
Two of the little girls—the oldest of the seventeen—are retained in Utah to give testimony in the courts in re-lation to the massacre. They will be kindly cared for and sent to Arkansas as soon as the bloody murderers—sev-eral of whom have been detected and apprehended—are disposed of.
There also came in with the train, under the especial care of Sergeant Black, the three Foster children, of whom much has been said in the papers. The father and mother lived in Connecticut. The father espoused the Mormon faith several years ago, and left for Salt Lake City, carrying with him his three little girls. The mother remained behind, and all efforts to retain her children were abortive. About a year ago the father died, and now, through the efforts of the Secretary of War, her chil-dren have been reclaimed, and will soon be where they can receive a mother's love and devotion.
The children will remain either at the fort or in the city for a few days, and those who desire to see them can doubtless have their wishes gratified.
