Aiken massacre

Overview

The Aiken massacre refers to the 1857 killing of five travelers from California in central Utah. The victims were reportedly apprehended on trumped-up charges of spying, imprisoned, and then murdered. Two of the men initially escaped the killings with injuries but were tracked down and killed two days later. The event took place approximately two months after the Mountain Meadows Massacre and is described as part of the impetus for the Utah War (1857–1858).

The name of the massacre derives from brothers Thomas and John Aiken, two members of the traveling party who were among those killed.

Alleged Involvement of Church and Territorial Leaders

The killings were reportedly carried out at the orders of top leaders within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination of Mormonism. In 1877, two decades after the killings, Porter Rockwell and Wild Bill Hickman were indicted in connection with the massacre. Hickman, who by that time had been excommunicated from the church, gave a confession stating that after one victim identified as Bucklin ("Buck") escaped an initial murder attempt, territorial governor and top church president Brigham Young ordered him to finish the job.

Historian John G. Turner has stated that it is likely Young was involved in the deaths of four members of the party, as well as in the death of a trader named Richard Yates approximately a month prior to the massacre.

Context and Aftermath

The Aiken massacre occurred in the broader context of tensions in the Utah Territory during 1857, closely following the Mountain Meadows Massacre. It has been cited as a contributing factor to the outbreak of the Utah War between the United States government and Mormon settlers in the Utah Territory, which unfolded from 1857 to 1858.

Legal Proceedings

No conviction, acquittal, or other disposition is recorded for either man's 1877 indictment.