Journals of John D. Lee, 1846-47 and 1859

Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1984. 244pp. Octavo [24 cm] Blue cloth with the title silver stamped on the backstrip. Near fine/Near fine. Reprint of this work that was edited by the noted historian, Charles Kelly, contains a new introduction by Charles S. Peterson. Records events connected with the 1847 Mormon migration and the Mountain Meadows massacre, as well as other events. John D. Lee was the only person ever convicted of the atrocities at Mountain Meadows (nearly two decades after the event) and executed just a few months before the death of his adopted father, Brigham Young.

"During his imprisonment Lee wrote the story of his life, confessing his participation in the Massacre. After having been sentenced to die, he intrusted the document to William W. Bishop, his attorney, together with all papers, letters and journals then remaining in his possession. All his journals were returned to the Lee family except No. 6 [this journal] which Bishop retained. Because of his possession of Lee's confession, Bishop's life was in danger, but secretly leaving the Territory he safely delivered the manuscript to a publisher in St. Louis, thus fulfilling a promise made to its author." - p.13.