William Allen Aden was the son of Dr. Sidney Bennett Aden and
Delilah H. Brown, born abt. 1838 in Henry County, Tennessee. His
parents resided in Paris, Henry County, Tennessee for more than fifty years. He is considered to be
the earliest victim
of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre in Utah, although he did not die during
the seige or in the
Massacre itself that took place on 11 September 1857. He had traveled overland
with another train earlier in the year. He spent some time in Salt Lake City,
and in Provo, Utah. He left Provo, by the southern route, hoping to catch up
with a party of emigrants, headed for California, that was about 50 miles
ahead of him. It is believed he joined the group of Arkansas
Emigrant Trains near Parowan, Iron County, Utah. Looking for stray cattle outside of the
Mountain Meadows with another emigrant, William A. Aden was on horseback when
he was approached by Mormons William Stewart and Joel White near Leach's
Spring on Monday, 7 September 1857. Mormon 2nd Lt. William C. Stewart asked to
borrow the tin cup on Aden's saddle to get a drink of water, and just as Aden
was about to comply, Stewart shot him through the head. William Allen Aden was
killed instantly. Dodging bullets, the other emigrant was said to have made it
back to the encampment at Mountain Meadows.
Becoming
alarmed when he had not heard from his son, William Allen Aden's father began to make
inquiries. On 27 May 1859 Dr. Sidney B. Aden offered a $1000 reward for
information, believing at that time that his son might have been murdered, or
taken prisoner, by Indians. He described his son as having blue eyes, fair
skin, and dark, curly hair. As a assurance of payment of the reward, a letter
to Utah Governor Cummings from Tennessee Governor Harris was part of the
reward notice that was circulated. Seventeen years after the Massacre, his
father still held out some lingering hope that his son might still be alive,
even though he had "long since felt convinced" that he was one of the victims
of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. (At that time the Mormons placed the blame
for the Massacre solely on the Paiute Indians.) On 14 December 1874 Dr. Aden's
letter, and a copy of the original reward, was published in the Salt Lake
Tribune. Dr. Aden said he had received letters from Utah Governor Cummings and
Brigham Young "which induced me to believe he was murdered". He had been
informed by the Postmaster of Provo City that his son had left Provo around 1
October 1857, which would have been several weeks after the Massacre. The
discrepancy in dates made Dr. Aden still hold out some hope that his son might
still be alive, and "possibly held in captivity by the Indians".
William Allen Aden was an accomplished artist, and a musician and poet, who
died when he was only nineteen years old.
© 2008 A.C. Wallner for the Mountain Meadows Association.
All rights reserved
Inscription:
IN MEMORIAM
IN THE VALLEY BELOW BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 7 AND 11, 1857, A COMPANY OF MORE THAN
120 ARKANSAS EMIGRANTS LED BY CAPT. JOHN T. BAKER AND CAPT. ALEXANDER FANCHER
WAS ATTACKED WHILE EN ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA. THIS EVENT IS KNOWN IN HISTORY AS
THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE
WILLIAM ALLEN ADEN, 19
Please note that the names of the victims of the 1857 Mountain
Meadows Massacre that appear here are those who we have personally researched
and verified as victims. In some cases this list will differ from the
names that were inscribed on the 1990 Monument on Dan Sill Hill.
Leave virtual flowers ~
MMA
FIND A GRAVE MEMORIAL
FOR
WILLIAM ALLEN ADEN
