John D. Lee was born the son of Ralph Lee Jr. 1788-1860, and Sarah Elizabeth Doyle 1778-1815. His siblings are Elizabeth Virginia Lee 1806-1863, William Oliver Lee 1808-1810, all of Kaskaskia, Randolph, Illinois.

After arriving in Kentucky in 1805, Aggatha Ann's parents, Joseph Woolsey and Abigail Shaffer/Schaeffer Woolsey, moved several times. They continued their migratory life in a generally westward direction until about 1830 when they settled in Randolph County, Illinois as neighbors of the James Conner family. By that time they had a family of twelve children.

It was there that John D. Lee met Aggatha Ann Woolsey. At the time he was employed as a postal carrier with routes that had criss-crossed the southern part of the state and continued as far north as the town of Belleville near St. Louis. When his assignment was changed, taking him through the area where his cousins, the Conners, lived, on a route north, he met the Woolsey family who lived nearby.

In 1831 John enlisted with his Uncle James in the local militia, responding to a call from the Illinois Governor to help put down an insurrection by Indians from the Sac and Fox Tribes in the northern part of the state. Following the bloody battle of Bad Axe on the banks of the Mississippi River, in which the bands of Sac and Fox were subdued, John returned home with Uncle James and became serious about the affections of one of the Woolsey girls who lived nearby.

He was persistent in his overtures until Aggatha Ann's parents gave their blessing to the marriage. John and Aggatha obtained a license in Kaskaskia on July 20, 1833, and were married three days later. He was twenty-one and she was nineteen.

John soon established himself as a most enterprising young man and a good provider. By the fall of 1834 they had moved to Fayette County near the residence of his sister, Elizabeth, and her husband, Josiah Nichols. It was during that time, while living at a site along Luck Creek in that area, that they first encountered missionaries of the Mormon Church. Both became convinced of the validity of the message the elders bore and the validity of the Book of Mormon which John described as "a star opening the dispensation of the fullness of times." They subsequently sold their property on Luck Creek and moved to the headquarters of the church near Far West, Missouri. There they were baptized on June 17, 1838.

John built a log cabin in Daviess County on Shady Grove Creek in an area known as Ambrosia, which was about twenty miles north of Far West. The new log house, though, served as their home for only a few months, as relationships between the Mormons and the Missourians were so explosive that co-habitation of the two groups was impossible. In a matter of just a few months after their arrival, open conflict broke out among the parties. Mormon forces dug in at Far West and were ready to resist to the end an overwhelming force of two divisions of Missouri Militia when President Joseph Smith received word of the Haun's Mill Massacre. Unable to reconcile such total waste of life to purposes and aims of the Church, he capitulated and was taken prisoner along with his force of eight hundred men.

After turning over his weapons to the Missourians, and signing an individual form deeding all his property to the state, John, with the promise that he would move from Missouri by the first of April in 1839, was allowed to return to his family. On arrival several hours later, he found Aggatha Ann sitting by a log fire in the open air, holding their baby, Sarah Jane. Nearby was the still smoldering remains of their home, nothing more than a pile of rubble. Having been told that John was a prisoner at Far West and would be shot, she was weeping as he rode up. "She was nearly frantic [when she saw me], and as soon as I reached her side she threw herself into my arms and then her self-possession gave way and she wept bitterly."

John and Aggatha Ann subsequently experienced the trauma and unbelievable hardships created by Governor Boggs' extermination order, fleeing Missouri along with twelve thousand other brethren and sisters in early 1839. They reached Fayette County, Illinois, and found refuge with Aggatha's sister and her husband, George W. Hickerson.

That same year, with faith unshaken, Aggatha supported her husband on his first proselyting mission to Tennessee. He was gone several months and on his return they began preparations to move to the new center of the church at Nauvoo, Illinois.

During the next five years they lived in three different houses in the city of Nauvoo. The last, from his descriptions of it, seemed to have been a huge dwelling of mansion-like proportions. During those years Aggatha was deprived of the presence of her husband for months on end while he was away fulfilling his missionary responsibilities. He established a pattern of conducting those assignments by leaving in the winter months, then returning to Nauvoo for a few months to spend time upgrading his property and providing for the family, then off again as a missionary.

Aggatha's family had followed the Lees' move to Nauvoo in 1840, and when not living in some of the Lee homes, they were living nearby. Joseph, the father, had died a few years before the move to Nauvoo. He was the only member of the family who had not joined the LDS Church. It is not known how many Woolsey children remained with their widowed mother, but Rachel Andora and the youngest member of the family, Emoline, were both unmarried. There may have been others living at home but those two were some of the younger children, and possibly the only ones remaining with their mother.

During that five-year period, although John was away from home much of the time as described, Aggatha Ann had the company of the Woolsey family. Rachel, and probably Emoline, were found in the Lee home as much, if not more than at their own residence. In fact John noted in his journals that Rachel lived with them five years prior to the time in 1846 when she became one of his plural wives. Aggatha thus had plenty of help during her husband's absences, enough to take care of the children and all household chores.

At the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in June 1844, life in Nauvoo took a dramatic turn for all its citizens. What had been at first minor incidents of conflict between Gentiles living in surrounding counties and the Mormons of Hancock County, particularly in Nauvoo, had developed into more violent encounters until finally there emerged a planned agenda of mob violence against the Saints, culminating in the murder of the prophet and his brother. Those vicious assaults continued until leaders of the Church were given a mandate to leave. They finally acquiesced and agreed to abandon Nauvoo on April 1, 1846 under the leadership of the new president, Brigham Young.

It was during those difficult times that the Lee family entered a new order or practice in the Church, sometimes known as plural marriage. It was said to have been inaugurated in 1841 with the sealing of Louisa Beaman to Joseph Smith, with few in the Church aware at the time of this development.

In fact, there were four significant Church doctrines introduced by the prophet that year. With the concept of plurality of wives, another ordinance was introduced known as baptism for the dead. A third was a preparatory ordinance which came to be known as the full endowment, a rite to be performed in the temple. A fourth had to do with sealings of children to parents. Before the body of the Church departed Nauvoo, thousands of baptisms, endowments, sealings and a number of plural marriages were performed in the temple.

Thus, in the short span of less than two years, ten wives were added to the Lee family group. One could imagine few functions that could have added more confusion and disruption to the Church as well as to individual families within the Church, than the introduction of such a peculiar and controversial concept as that of plural marriage. The complexity of the lives of those who took plural wives was compounded tremendously by the immediate challenges they were facing because of mobs currently threatening the destruction of the city. The requirements of getting together an outfit, including wagon and team, for the removal of only one wife and a couple of children was challenge enough under such circumstances, but John D. Lee had to provide means for removal of ten wives and six children.

He was sealed to his second wife, Nancy Bean, on February 5, 1845, and to the others, Delethea Morris, Louisa Free, Sarah Caroline Williams, Rachel Andora Woolsey, Abagail Schaeffer Woolsey, in 1846 added Nancy Ann Vance and Martha Elizabeth Berry, with the tenth wife, Emaline Vaughn Woolsey [21 Dec 1846], added December 21, 1846. What was Aggatha Ann's immediate reaction? One could only speculate because Aggatha herself never wrote anything about it, nor did John make any comment of how he explained it to her. Brigham Young's response probably mirrored that of many of the brethren when they were informed of the doctrine and called to participate:

"Some of my brethren know what my feelings were at the time Joseph revealed the doctrine; I was not desirous of shrinking from any duty, nor of failing in the least to do as I was commanded, but it was the first time in my life that I had desired the grave."

[John D. Lee was the Proxy Clerk in Nauvoo who recorded Captain James Brown's sealings to his first two wives, then deceased, Martha Stephens and Susan Foutz, on January 10, 1846 Ester Jones acting proxy. Officiating, Brigham Young in presence of Heber Chase Kimball, Orson Hyde, and E. M. Green. --Nauvoo Marriages and Proxy Sealings, Lyndon W. Cook, page 56.]

Once it become known to her, Aggatha Ann apparently accepted the idea as a revelation from the Lord to the prophet and part of a "celestial law." There was evidence of her acquiescence when just three months after marrying Nancy Bean, Louisa Free and Sarah Caroline Williams, John took as additional wives, Aggatha's sister, Rachel and her mother, Abigail. Mother Woolsey by that time had been widowed for more than five years, her husband Joseph having expired before the family's move to Nauvoo. She became a wife to John D. Lee but only in the sense that he was a provider and protector. She was by that time more than sixty years old; John later wrote that he married her "for her soul's sake." Aggatha, noting the need for her mother to have food, clothing and shelter, may have had that in mind when it was obvious that they must flee Nauvoo to live in the wilderness for an indefinite time. She could have been instrumental in bringing about the sealing.

A few months after the marriage to his tenth wife, Nancy Ann Vance, John and the family began the departure from Illinois on much the same terms that they had earlier fled Missouri. Two of John's wives accompanied him in that initial departure of February 12, 1846. President Young crossed the river three days later on February fifteenth. Aggatha Ann and seven others were left behind to continue preparing for the move.

There was much suffering that winter throughout the camps of the Saints. By December they were strung out for three hundred miles across the Territory of Iowa from the Mississippi River to the Missouri where they had established their Winter Quarters. [JDL married Nancy Gibbons Armstrong, Lavina Young, and Mary Vance Young on 27 Feb 1847 at Winter Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska]. Aggatha Ann lived through the biting cold and deprivation of those months to follow her husband in the spring of 1847 to a site some fifteen miles north of Winter Quarters. The assignment was to establish what became known as Brigham's Farm or as Lee wrote in his journals, Summer Quarters. Aggatha was mentioned from time to time in her husband's writings, with others in the family who helped prepare the ground to plant and later to harvest.

In the spring of 1848 the Lees crossed the plains to the Salt Lake Valley. Like almost everyone else Aggatha Ann walked most of the way. The Lee family had several wagons in the train, but of necessity most of the travel was on foot. That was especially so when, midway through the journey, the oxen began wearing down under the strain of too much weight to pull and insufficient feed to support such effort. Most of the family arrived in the Valley in tattered clothing and used-up strength. Aggatha had experienced the loss of her mother about three weeks before the end of the trip. Abigail died and was buried as they crossed the gently sloping plains of the Great Divide. The grave was near the site known as South Pass where the emigrant trail left the Sweetwater River and continued on to Pacific Springs and Fort Bridger. The site of the grave has been recently discovered.

During the following two years the Lees remained in Great Salt Lake City as it was then called. Despite the allusion in its name denoting size and splendor, Salt Lake City, in 1848, was nothing more than a dusty frontier settlement of a few hundred hungry souls living in makeshift shelters. Almost ten years later it had changed significantly but one immigrant still saw it as something less than an appealing urban community. Lately from the British Isles, when she caught her first view of the city she made the cryptic observation, "If this is the city, what must the country be like? I will not live here." But thousands who followed did stay and for the most part they came to love the place as much as the home of their faded memories which they had left behind.

Soon after arrival, John D. Lee and his family, including Aggatha Ann, had built log cabin shelters in the city near the old fort and also on their thirty-acre farm at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

During the next two years they were successful in improving the shelters, clearing the land, and building their flocks and herds. By 1850 John had almost completed a large frame house in town on one of the town squares, and was adding certain amenities at both the farm and city properties which would provide a more comfortable way of life for all the family, when he was asked by President Young to be part of a mission to southern Utah. After hearing what the president wished him to do, he replied, with some dismay and anxiety, that he would give $2,000 towards the missionary cause if he could be excused. But Brother Brigham persisted, John relented, and as usual, he followed the direction of counsel from the president.

While living in Salt Lake City Aggatha Ann gave birth to two children, a boy, John Willard, and a girl, Louisa Evaline. Two months after the birth of the girl, John was on his way south with George A. Smith and company to find iron ore and to pioneer the area for new settlements.

[JDL married Mary Vance Groves 2 Dec, 1852; Terressa Morse 1854; Mary Ann Williams 23 Aug 1857 (div)l Emma B. Batchelder 7 Mar 1858; Anna Garge 10 Jun 1865]

The Lee family remained in southern Utah for the next twenty years. Their first place of residence was at Parowan, then on to the site that eventually became Cedar City, then to Fort Harmony. In the 1860's, Lee had property in several different areas of southern Utah, had married by that time, nineteen wives, and fathered sixty-four children, eleven of whom were born to Aggatha Ann, his first wife.

On April 20, 1961 John D. Lee was reinstated into the LDS Church, and less than a month later ordinances for him were performed in the Salt Lake Temple so that all of his former blessings were restored.

One day in May of 1866 John was in the field with several members of the family planting corn, when about noon, word came from the house that Aggatha was in much pain and asked that John come to her. When he arrived, she was in so much pain that she thought she was on her death bed and asked John to forgive her of any past wrongs she may have committed in the heat of the moment. He assured her that he held no hard feelings toward her and that she was not yet going to die. That evening she felt better and said that if John would give her a blessing, she believed she would rest easier. Her health varied the next few days between feeling very feeble and improving. It soon became apparent that she was critically ill and failing rapidly. John remained with her Wednesday through the night, giving her several blessings. He said that her agony became so acute that at one point he prayed for a full half hour before she gained relief. He added, "I wept bitterly."

The following morning she continued to have severe pains in her shoulders, and "...her life is now despaired of." Her children were called to her bedside and taking the hand of each of them in turn, she told them of her love for them and bade each farewell. After that, she said to her sister, Rachel, "Will you be a mother to my little children?" Rachel fell on her neck weeping and kissed her, saying, "By the help of the Lord, I will be a mother to them." Each of the children came to her again and kissed her. Then the wives that were present did the same, and she said to them. "I love you all."

Through that night, she requested that John pray that she "might go to rest." In the middle of the night, he anointed her with oil and dedicated her to the Lord. She fell into a coma from which she made occasional recoveries but on Sunday, June 3, 1866, with her family gathered around, she breathed her last. John said she had suffered exceedingly but she died serenely with a peaceful countenance. The thought that he chiseled on her headstone was "The companion of my youth has gone to rest, she was a mother and a wife." Her grave is in a small, enclosed burial spot on property in New Harmony. Close by are the graves of Sarah Caroline's children who were killed in the terrible storm of 1862.

See: http://www.wadhome.org/lee/chapter_01.html

Today his published diaries have brought him before the world in his true light as a man of great ability and integrity, and above all, a man of deep and true loyalty to his Church. Perhaps others of his records may be found in future years to shed light upon the tragic period which is still clouded, but it is likely that, if found, those will only increase the stature of the man who now stands as a lonely, tragic figure, one of the great among the builders of the western empire.

Marriage(s)

John married (1) Aggatha Ann WOOLSEY 23 July 1833 in Kantlink, Vandalia, Randolph, Illinois. She was born 18 Jan 1814 in Danville, Boyle, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Joseph WOOLSEY and Abigail SHAFFER. Aggatha died 4 June 1866 in New Harmony, Washington, Utah, and was buried 5 Jun 1866 in New Harmony, Washington, Utah.

John married (2) Nancy BEAN 4 Feb 1844 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. She was born 14 Dec 1826 in West Troy, Lincoln, Missouri. She was the daughter of James BEAN and Elizabeth LEWIS. Nancy died 3 March 1903 in Parowan, Iron, Utah, and was buried 5Mar 1903 in Parowan, Iron, Utah.

John married (3) Louisa FREE 19April 1844/1845 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. She was born 9Aug 1824 in Fayetteville, St. Clair, Illinois. She was the daughter of Absalom Pennington FREE and Elizabeth or Betsy STRAIT. Louisa died 18Jun 1886 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

John married (4) Sarah Caroline WILLIAMS 19April 1844/30 April 1845 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. She was born 24 November 1830 in Murfreesboro, Rutherford, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Isaac Horton WILLIAMS and Margaret WALKUP. Sarah died 16 February 1908 in Torrey, Wayne, Utah, and was buried 19 February 1908 in Torrey, Wayne, Utah.

John married (5) Abigail SHAFFER 19April 1844/3 May 1845 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. She was born 13 September 1785/1786 in Maryland. Abigail died 3 September 1848 in Wyoming, and was buried 3 September 1848 in Wyoming.

John married (6) Rachel Andora WOOLSEY 3 May 1845 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. She was born 5 August 1825 in Danville, Mercer, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Joseph WOOLSEY and Abigail SHAFFER. Rachel died 7 July 1912 in Lebanon, Graham, Arizona, and was buried July 1912 in Lebanon, Graham, Arizona.

John married (7) Polly Ann WORKMAN 1845 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.

John married (8) Martha Elizabeth BERRY 29 January 1846 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. She was born 22 November 1827 in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Jesse Woods BERRY and Amelia SHANKS. Martha died 17 June 1885 in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, and was buried June 1885 in Panguitch, Garfield, Utah.

John married (9) Delethia MORRIS 1845/1846 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. She was born about 1812.

John married (10) Nancy Ann VANCE 1845/1846 in Nauvoo (Morgan), Hancock, Illinois. She was born 29 September 1824 in Morgan, Illinois. She was the daughter of John VANCE and Sarah Lavinia Gant PERKINS. Nancy died 30 October 1851.

John married (11) Emoline Vaughn WOOLSEY 21 Dec 1846 in Winter Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska. She was born 4 January 1830 in Danville, Boyle, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Joseph WOOLSEY and Abigail SHAFFER.

John married (12) Nancy GIBBONS ARMSTRONG 27 February 1847 in Winter Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska. She was born 7 January 1799 in Knoxville, Knox, Tennessee. Nancy died August 1847 in Summer Quarters, Nebraska.

John married (13) Mary Vance "Polly" YOUNG 27 February 1847 in Winter Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska. She was born 10 November 1817 in Jackson County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of David YOUNG and Elizabeth VANCE. Mary died 7 April 1893 in Nutrioso, Apache, Arizona, and was buried in Nutrioso, Apache, Arizona.

John married (14) Lavina YOUNG 27 February 1847 in Winter Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska. She was born 25 September 1820 in Putman, Jackson, Tennessee. She was the daughter of David YOUNG and Elizabeth VANCE. Lavina died 4 July 1883 in Nutrioso, Apache, Arizona, and was buried July 1883 in Nutrioso, Apache, Arizona.

John married (15) Mary Leah GROVES 2 December 1852 in Cedar City, Iron, Utah. She was born 30 October 1836 in Far West, Caldwell, Missouri. She was the daughter of Elisha Hurd GROVES and Lucy SIMMONS. Mary died 12 July 1912 in Virgin, Washington, Utah, and was buried 14 July 1912 in Virgin, Washington, Utah.

John married (16) Mary Ann WILLIAMS 23 August 1857 (div.). She was born 11 September 1844 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois. She was the daughter of John WILLIAMS and Marcy LUCAS. Mary died 8 February 1882 in Panguitch, Garfield, Utah, and was buried in Panguitch, Garfield, Utah.

John married (17) Emma Louise B. BATCHELOR 7 January/March 1858 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. She was born 21 April 1836 in Uckfield, Sussex, England. She was the daughter of Henry BATCHELOR and Elizabeth. Emma died 16 November 1897 in Winslow, Navajo, Arizona, and was buried 18 November 1897 in Winslow, Navajo, Arizona.

John married (18) Terressa MORSE 18 March 1859 in Fort Harmony, Washington, Utah. She was born 20 October 1813 in Clifford, Luzerne, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of William Amos MORSE and Hannah FINN. Terressa died 20 March 1862 in Sevier County, Utah, and was buried 23 March 1862 in Sevier, Sevier, Utah. No children

John married (19) Ann GORDGE or GARGE 10 June 1865 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. She was born 30 May 1849 in Adelaide, Australia, Australia. She was the daughter of Samuel GORDGE and Merab HANCOCK. in 1894 she married Frank Kennedy.

11 children of Aggatha Ann Woolsey and John Doyle Lee:

William Oliver LEE, born 3 July 1834 in near Kaskaskia, Randolph, Illinois, died in infancy 5 Sep 1835 in Vandalia, Fayette, Illinois, and was buried in Kaskaskia, Randolph, Illinois.

Elizabeth Adeline LEE, born 8 April 1836 in Luck Creek, Fayette, Illinois, died in childhood 16 April 1838 in Vandalia, Fayette, Illinois, and was buried in Vandalia, Fayette, Illinois.

Sarah Jane LEE, born 3 March 1838, died 27 March 1915.

John Alma LEE, born 25 August 1840, died 11 September 1881.

Mary Adeline LEE, born 24 August 1842, died 26 December 1925.

Joseph Hyrum LEE, born 12 July 1844, died 25 April 1932.

John LEE, born 15 August 1846 in near Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska, died in infancy 1847 in Summer Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska.

John Willard LEE, born 11 October 1849, died 7 October 1923.

Louisa Evaline LEE, born 16 October 1850, died 4 September 1932.

Samuel Gulley LEE, born 26 May 1853, died 5 March 1896.

Ezra Taft LEE, born 14 May 1857, died 19 September 1925.

Children through his other 18 wives

~ To Be Added ~

Monumental controversy

Descendants of Mountain Meadows murderer pushing to get statue a home

By Mark Havnes/The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 09/07/2007 09:32:53 AM MDT

Protests prevented a bronze statue of John D. Lee from being placed at ...

NEW HARMONY - John D. Lee of Mountain Meadows infamy might come home again.

Or at least a bronze likeness of the controversial pioneer settler.

Days before the 150th anniversary of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the Fort Harmony Historical Society is launching an effort to buy the statue, which has been languishing outside the sculptor's gallery since a southern Utah city shunned it more than three years ago.

Karen Platt, chairwoman of the society, says her group is raising money to restore Fort Harmony and hopes to place the Lee likeness in a memorial garden near the adobe outpost he built in 1854 and where he lived for eight years with his nine wives and scores of children.

"We should pay tribute to all the pioneers," Platt says. "It's important we preserve such sites."

But Cherie Walker of Amarillo, Texas, a descendant of the massacre victims, balks at any public display for a convicted mass murderer.

"I'm outraged about it and others will be, too," Walker says. "We may need to take some action, like writing letters. Whatever good he [Lee] did, it can never overshadow what he did at Mountain Meadows."

Lee, an adopted son of former LDS church leader Brigham Young, is the only person ever convicted and executed for his part in the Sept. 11, 1857, slaughter of 120 men, women and children at Mountain Meadows, about 30 miles north of St. George. The slain immigrants - part of the Baker-Fancher wagon train - were bound for California.

Many Lee descendants do not believe the massacre should blot out the positive accomplishments he achieved in establishing pioneer settlements in places such as New Harmony, Kanarraville, Santa Clara and Washington.

Platt is hoping these descendants will help raise the $35,000 needed to buy the jilted statue from southern Utah artist Jerry Anderson - along with an additional $80,000 to purchase property for the garden where it would stand as part of a tribute to early settlers.

Stella Shamo, a Lee descendant who lives in Hurricane, argues it's time for her famous forefather to receive some recognition.

Shamo says the historical society formally will ask the family to help raise money today, when Lee's kin gather at the fort for an annual reunion, which also will include a trip to the massacre site.

Platt is not worried about taking in the statue - and the rancor it could spawn - despite the bloody cloud that hangs over Lee's legacy.

Washington City, which had commissioned the 7-foot Lee likeness for a garden featuring other oversized bronzes of city founders, took so much flak it ultimately rejected Anderson's creation.

For his part, the sculptor likes the idea of moving the statue from just outside his gallery in Silver Reef, where it looks eastward into Zion National Park, and pairing it up with the fort Lee founded.

"New Harmony," Anderson says, "would be a good home for him."

Lee's fate

Shortly after the Mountain Meadows Massacre, John D. Lee was arrested at Fort Harmony.

He was tried in Beaver and acquitted by a jury. Two decades later, Lee was tried again in Beaver, but this time was found guilty and sentenced to death.

On March, 23, 1877, the sentence was carried out at the massacre site. Lee asked members of the firing squad to aim at a paper target in the shape of a heart he had pinned on his coat while he sat on his open casket.

The Sept. 11, 1857, massacre incites debate to this day about Lee's involvement and whether he was acting on orders of LDS leader Brigham Young.

Lee is buried in Panguitch, Garfield, Utah.

Sources:

Copyright 2001 www.OrsonPrattBrown.org