Cane Creek Massacre

The Cane Creek Massacre (also known as Tennessee's Mormon Massacre) was a violent attack on the worship service of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that occurred on August 10, 1884, in Lewis County, Tennessee. The assault by an armed mob resulted in five deaths and marked one of the most serious incidents of anti-Mormon violence in the American South.

Latter-day Saint missionaries had achieved considerable success converting residents in Lewis County despite facing harsh resistance from the local non-Mormon population. Opposition was particularly intense in the Cane Creek area, where hostility toward the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints manifested in several ways. Local opponents burned down the Mormon meetinghouse and directly threatened the missionaries with death if they continued preaching. Non-Mormons staunchly opposed the church's practice of polygamy.

Two factors particularly inflamed local sentiment against the Mormons. First, non-Mormons staunchly opposed the church's practice of polygamy. Second, a newspaper article published in the Salt Lake Tribune that was circulated in Lewis County significantly intensified anti-Mormon feelings throughout Lewis County.

Despite the threats, the missionaries continued their work in the area. On August 10, 1884, while attending a church service at the home of James Conder, a group of armed men launched their attack. The mob killed four people: two missionaries (Joshua H. Gibbs and William S. Berry) and two local church members (Martin Conder and J.R. Hutson). During the violence, the mob's leader, David Hinson, was also killed, and Malinda Conder suffered a gunshot wound to the hip.

No trial was ever held for the perpetrators of the massacre. Local newspapers generally expressed sympathy for the mob's actions rather than condemning the violence. Mormon leader Brigham H. Roberts traveled to Cane Creek in disguise to recover the bodies of the slain missionaries. Some church members interpreted the massacre as part of a broader anti-Mormon conspiracy. The violence achieved its intended effect of driving Mormons from the area. Many Mormon families around Cane Creek eventually relocated after receiving continued violent threats.