September 1857, a wagon train of 120 men, women, and children...the "Ozark Aristocracy"...rolled into a high desert meadow in Utah Territory, driving a fortune in cattle and carrying the dreams of a new life in California. They never arrived.
What followed was the most chilling "false flag" operation in American history. For over a century, the truth was buried in a shallow grave, masked by a narrative of "savage" attacks. But the bones tell a different story, one of a theocracy under siege, a "Blood Atonement" doctrine turned literal, and a neighborly betrayal so intimate that the survivors were raised by their own parents' killers.
In this haunting episode of Dust and Echoes, James Cawley peels back the layers of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. From the "thicket" of complicity to the eventual sacrifice of a lone scapegoat, this is more than a true history investigation; it is a profound exploration of how easily the "Holy Cause" can justify a hellish act.
Written and read by the author, James Cawley.
