History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 6

by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; B. H. Roberts; Jr. Joseph Smith

Footnotes:

[1]. This was published in the Nauvoo Neighbor impressions of June 19 1844.

CHAPTER XXIV.

ATTEMPTS TO DRAFT SAINTS INTO MOB SERVICE AGAINST NAUVOO—THREATENED INVASION FROM MISSOURI—JAMES A. BENNETT URGED TO COME TO NAUVOO.

Wednesday, June 19, 1844.—The Legion assembled on the parade-ground. A company of the Legion came in from Green Plains about 11 a.m. I met them at the front of the Mansion, and an escort came down from the parade-ground below the Temple and escorted them to the ground.

At 1 p.m. a company of volunteers arrived from Iowa and were also escorted to the parade-ground.

Effort to Draft Chester Loveland into Mob Service.

On Sunday, the 16th, a committee of the mob, headed by James Charles, a constable of Hancock county, went to the house of Captain Chester Loveland, who lives four miles southeast of Warsaw, and required him to call out his company to join the posse of David Bettisworth to go to Nauvoo and arrest me and the City Council. He peremptorily refused to comply with their request. The same posse returned on the 17th with an order, as they stated, from the Governor, which Loveland believed (and no doubt correctly) to be a forgery, and therefore still refused to go on any terms. The posse then reported his refusal to Colonel Williams, who appointed a committee of twelve to lynch, tar and feather Captain Loveland on the 18th; which committee went that evening and arrived about midnight.

Loveland, who had been informed of Williams' order, prepared himself for defense and kept watch. As soon as they came and he saw their number, and that they were provided with tar bucket, bag of feathers and a bundle of withes, in addition to their fire-arms, he blew out his light and placed himself in a suitable position to defend the door (which he had fastened) and the window. They went around his house several times, tried his door, rapped, called him by name, and consulted together. Some were for breaking the door; others thought it too dangerous. They knew he must be in there, for they were near his door when the light was blown out. Finally their courage failed; and notifying him to leave the country immediately, they took their departure. During this trying time Loveland did not speak.

Roads Leading into Nauvoo Picketed.

In the afternoon I gave orders to General Dunham to have a picket-guard under Col. Markham, posted on all the roads leading out of the city; also an inner guard, under Major Jesse P. Harmon, posted in all the streets and alleys in the city, and also on the river bank. I also gave orders to have all the powder and lead in the city secured, and to see that all the arms were in use, and that all unclaimed arms be put in the hands of those who could use them.

I insert the affidavit of Anson Call, David Evans and William E. Horner:

Affidavit: Call, Evans and Horner—Treatment of Nauvoo Committee by Levi Williams, et al.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

CITY OF NAUVOO, ss.

HANCOCK COUNTY, June 19, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, justice of the peace of said county, Anson Call, David Evans and William E. Horner, of Hancock county and state aforesaid; and being duly sworn, depose and say that on Monday, the 17th instant, we started for Rocky Run precinct, and arrived yesterday. We then went to Col. Williams' of that place, and there soon assembled twenty or thirty men. We were informed that Col. Williams had gone to Lima to get the colonel there to bring on his regiment. We then informed them that we were delegated on behalf of the people of Nauvoo to transact business with them. They informed us they had a committee set apart to do their business, and that one was absent, and the other two would shortly be here. That while a person was seeking the two men, we observed to the people that General Smith was willing to be tried in any state, for any crime of supposed crime that he had ever committed, except in the state of Missouri.

One of the persons objected to General Smith being tried by the Municipal Court in Nauvoo, and declared that nothing else would do but for him to be taken upon the old writ, and by the same person who took him in custody before, and tried at the place where the writ was issued.

It was then observed that Judge Thomas had advised General Smith to enter into bonds to be tried before the Circuit Court, and this would allay all the excited feelings of the people.

It was then moved by one of their company, and sanctioned by the people, that a committee should wait on the Judge who gave General Smith this advice, and give him a coat of tar and feathers; when one John Elliott, of notoriety, agreed to find the tar and feathers for that purpose.

After some further conversation, a man whom they called Lawyer Stephens came in from Warsaw, and asked where Col. Williams was. He was told that he had gone to Lima. They then observed to the lawyer that we were delegates from Nauvoo, when he replied. "We are expecting delegates, too, at Warsaw;" and he said the people were talking of introducing them to the Mississippi river; and says he, "Gentlemen, you can do with your delegates what you think proper."

A Mr. Crawford, one of the committee, observed that he went against such proceedings, and advised them as a body to keep cool. They then told the lawyer the advice that the Judge of the Circuit Court had given to General Smith, when he said it was unlawful advice, and it was a second time moved and assented to that a committee should wait on Judge Thomas and give him a coat of tar and feathers. The remainder of the committee having come in, they stated to us that they had written to the Governor to obtain aid from other counties; and if the Governor did not send them aid, they were too weak to go themselves now, but were summoning all the people that would come into the county until they got force enough to come up and take Joseph Smith with the first warrant, and take him to the place where the writ was first issued; and nothing less than that would satisfy the people.

ANSON CALL,

DAVID EVANS,

WM. E. HORNER.

Sworn and subscribed to this 19th day of June, 1844.

AARON JOHNSON, J. P.

From the best information they could learn, there were two hundred armed men at Rocky Run precinct, two hundred at Warsaw, two hundred in Missouri, and the whole receiving constant additions.

At 9 p.m. I was at home. The city all quiet.

Preparations for an Attack.

Thursday, 20.—At daybreak I went with my staff and Major-General Dunham to the prairie, to view the situation of the ground, and to devise plans for the defense of the city, and select the proper locations to meet the mob, and made arrangements for provisions for the city, instructing my agent to pledge my farms for the purpose.

Report of Dr. Southwick.

At 10 a.m. Dr. Southwick from Louisiana arrived, and reported that there was not much excitement in St. Louis; that a cannon had arrived at Warsaw from Quincy, and that it had been reported to him that there was great excitement in Upper Missouri.

At 11, I reviewed the Legion facing the Mansion, and went to parade on the banks of the river.

I insert the affidavit of Carlos W. Lyon.

Affidavit: Carlos W. Lyon.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

CITY OF NAUVOO, ss

On the 20th day of June, 1844, came before me, Willard Richards, recorder of the city aforesaid, Carlos W. Lyon; and after being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that while at St. Louis, Mo., on Monday, the 17th instant, it was a common topic that they were furnishing arms and ammunition to be sent by steamboat to Warsaw, Illinois; and said if the people of Warsaw need five hundred men, to give notice by the steamer Boreas, and the men should be sent from St. Louis to Warsaw; and that your said affiant also saw a cannon landed from the steamer Mermaid at Warsaw; and further he saith not.

CARLOS W. LYON.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 20th day of June, 1844,

WILLARD RICHARDS,

Recorder of the City of Nauvoo.

Wrote to John Tyler, President of the United States, as follows:

An Appeal to President Tyler.

CITY OF NAUVOO, ILLINOIS, June 20th, 1844.

SIR.—I have just enclosed to the Governor of the State of Illinois copies of the enclosed affidavits and extra. I am sorry to say that the State of Missouri, not contented with robbing, driving and murdering many of the Latter-day Saints, are now joining the mob of this state for the purpose of the "utter extermination" of the Mormons, as they have resolved. And now, sir, as President of the United States, will you render that protection which the Constitution guarantees in case of "insurrection and rebellion," and save the innocent and oppressed from such horrid persecution?

With great respect, I have the honor to be your obedient servant,

JOSEPH SMITH, Mayor.

JOHN TYLER, President of the U. S., Washington, D. C.

I here insert affidavits of Hiram B. Mount and John Cunningham:

Affidavit: Mount and Cunningham—Attempt to Draft them into the Mob Service.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

HANCOCK COUNTY, ss.

CITY OF NAUVOO, June 20th, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, an acting justice of the peace in and for the county of Hancock, Hiram B. Mount and John Cunningham, who being duly sworn, depose and say that George Baker, John Banks, Joseph Barber, and two others came to your deponents on Saturday the 15th inst., at Morley Settlement, in said county, and demanded our arms. We replied that we had none, when they required of us to go with them to Nauvoo to take Joseph Smith and other prisoners, and they promised to supply us with arms. Second, if we would not do so, that we were required to leave our homes and go to Nauvoo. We must either go against Smith, or take part with him.

They then told us they intended to go to Nauvoo to take Smith; and if they could not take him, they would take some of the head men of Smith's clan, and hold them under bonds of death until Smith was delivered up to them. And your deponents further say that John Banks told them if they could not get volunteers enough, they would get a force that would take him.

HIRAM B. MOUNT,

JOHN CUNNINGHAM, (x—his mark).

[Seal]

Subscribed and sworn to this 20th day of June, 1844, before me,

AARON JOHNSON, J. P.

Affidavit: Allen T. Wait—Attempt to Draft him into Mob Service.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

HANCOCK COUNTY, ss.

CITY OF NAUVOO, June 20th, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, an acting justice of the peace in and for said county, Allen T. Wait, of Morley Settlement in said county; and being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith that on Saturday morning he was at the house of Colonel Levi Williams, when he told me that I must take up arms and go and fight against Joseph Smith, or I must leave the place immediately, or else I must give up my arms and stay at home.

He also said they would take Smith by law if they could; or if the Governor would not grant a writ to take him they would take him anyhow. He also said, if the people would not give Smith up, they would lay the whole city of Nauvoo in ashes.

I inquired what they would do with those people of Nauvoo who would not fight? He said they must make some signal, or else they must share the same fate—they must all perish, men, women, and children.

I then left in order to go home, when Captain Harrison P. Crawford overtook me, and told me if the Governor would not help them they did not care for the Governor anyhow. He said Governor Ford was an unconstitutional man; he had issued two illegal writs, and they were done so on purpose: and any such man ought not to hold any office whatever; and they intended to proceed against the Mormons whether they got any authority from the Governor or not.

ALLAN T. WAIT.

[Seal]

Subscribed and sworn to this 20th day of June, 1844, before me,

AARON JOHNSON, J. P.

Likewise the affidavit of Isaac Morley, Gardner Snow John Edmiston and Edmund Durfee.

Affidavit: Isaac Morley et al.—Attempt to Draft them into Mob Service,

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

HANCOCK COUNTY, ss.

CITY OF NAUVOO, June 20th, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, an acting justice of the peace in and for said county, Isaac Morley, Gardner Snow, John Edmiston and Edmund Durfee, all of Hancock county aforesaid; and being first duly sworn, depose and say that on Saturday, the 15th day of June, 1844, at Morley Settlement in said county, certain persons—to wit., George Baker, farmer, John Banks, Esq., Luther Perry, constable, Joseph Barber, farmer; and another person whose name we do not know, called upon your deponent, Isaac Morley, when John Banks said they waited on him to make three propositions—namely: first, that we were to take up arms, join with, and go along with them to Nauvoo to arrest one Joseph Smith and others, about seventeen in number, living in Nauvoo; second, to remove our effects to Nauvoo; or third, to give up our arms to them and remain neutral. And said Isaac Morley was required to notify all the brethren in the neighborhood, and report to the said committee, which of these propositions we accepted, by 8 o'clock on Monday morning following; and that one of the above resolutions was to be complied with within that time.

On the same day said Joseph Barber and Luther Perry went to where your deponent, Edmund Durfee, was at work in a field in the same neighborhood, and said they had come to notify him that said Durfee must comply with one of the above propositions; if not that said Durfee would smell thunder.

And all your deponents further depose and say that they have been compelled to leave their homes and flee to Nauvoo for protection. "For we were afraid to stay there on account of the mobs threatening to utterly exterminate us," according to a Warsaw Signal extra of June, 14th, 1844, if we stayed at home; and further your deponents say not.

ISAAC MORLEY,

GARDNER SNOW,

JOHN EDMISTON,

EDMUND DUFREE.

[Seal]

Subscribed and sworn to this 20th day of June, 1844, before me,

AARON JOHNSON, J. P.

Also the affidavit of Solomon Hancock, William Garner, and John G. Lofton:

Affidavit: Hancock, Garner, Lofton—Attempt to Draft them into Mob Service.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

HANCOCK COUNTY, ss.

CITY OF NAUVOO, June 20th, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, an acting justice of the peace, Solomon Hancock, William Garner and John G. Lofton, who being first duly sworn, depose and say that on Saturday, the 15th day of June, 1844, at Morley Settlement in said county, certain persons,—to wit., John Clark, John Crawford, Jeremiah Bently, and three others, all farmers, came to your deponents and made three several propositions to them, to wit: first, that we were to take up our arms and join with them in going to Nauvoo, to take Joseph Smith and others prisoners; second, to remove with our effects to Nauvoo immediately; or, third, to give up our arms to Col. Levi Williams and remain neutral.

We were ordered to give in our decision on Monday then next by 8 o'clock in the morning; and if we would not agree to their decision, we must abide the consequences. And in consequence of mobs gathering in the neighborhood, we have been obliged to leave our homes in order to save our lives, and are come to Nauvoo for protection.

Solomon Hancock further deposeth and saith that said John Clark did on Tuesday, 18th instant, inform your deponent that one of their party had gone to St. Louis and had obtained three cannon, and were expecting three companies of volunteers from St. Louis to join them in going to Nauvoo to exterminate the Mormons; and further your deponents say not.

SOLOMON HANCOCK,

WILLIAM GARNER,

JOHN G. LOFTON.

[Seal]

Subscribed and sworn to this 20th day of June 1844, before me,

AARON JOHNSON.

Also the affidavit of James Guyman:

Affidavit: James Guyman—Threats of Invasion from Missouri.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

HANCOCK COUNTY. ss

CITY OF NAUVOO, June 20th, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, an acting justice of the peace in and for said county, James Guyman, of Green Plains precinct in said county; and being first duly sworn deposeth and saith that on Saturday morning, the 15th instant, he was at Rocky Run precinct, when one Captain Wyers, captain of an "Independent Anti-Mormon Minute Men Company," came to a house where your deponent was staying. He inquired for a drum. He wanted either to borrow it or buy it until the affray with the Mormons was over.

I asked him how he was going to proceed to take Smith. He then said Missouri had offered to send over two thousand men, to come over to assist and take him.

I asked whether it was legal for them to come over here. He replied when they came over the constables were going to summons them, and also to summons every man who was in or would come into the county.

I asked if it was according to law to proceed that way, and he replied it was, and he went in for the law and democracy. He said they had sent two men to the Governor to order the militia out in their favor to help to take those criminals: and if he would not do just right, they would execute him by taking his head from his shoulders.

I replied, "You said you were a democracy man, and went for the law." I said, "Do you call that democracy or mobocracy?"

He said if they went that far, and if the Governor ordered the militia against them instead of in favor of them, he would turn mob, and the militia would join him, and they would take the Governor's head from his shoulders. He repeated it two or three times.

I enquired if it was law to go and drive those innocent Mormons who were living in the neighborhood, or tyrannically compel them to do things not agreeable to their will? He allowed that in this case it was.

I asked what he was going to do with these old settlers who would neither take up arms and fight against Smith nor in favor of him; when he replied they must fight either for one side or the other, or they must share the same fate as the Mormons.

Your deponent further saith that he is not a Mormon, and does not belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and further saith not.

JAMES GUYMAN.

[Seal]

Subscribed and sworn to this 20th day of June, 1844, before me,

AARON JOHNSON, J. P.

Also the affidavit of Obadiah Bowen:

Affidavit: Obadiah Bowen—Attempt to Draft him into Service of Mob.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

HANCOCK COUNTY. ss

CITY OF NAUVOO, June 20th, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, an acting justice of the peace, in and for said county, Obadiah Bowen, of Morley Settlement, in said county; and being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith that on Saturday the 15th instant, John Clark rode up to where I was at work in Morley Settlement, and said he was afraid the Mormons would come and destroy their property; "and," said he, "if I have any destroyed by any person, I shall make my resort upon the nearest Mormons, and take their property in place of that which shall be taken away;" wherever he could find it, so long as it was a Mormon's; and that on Tuesday, the 18th instant, as I was coming from my house to the road leading to Lima, a mob was at the forks of the road standing still and consulting together; I came on the road about twenty rods ahead of them. In a few moments Colonel Levi Williams, John Clark and five others rode along the same road after me.

I heard them talking about shooting the Mormons, when Clark said, "It is no disgrace to shoot a Mormon, anyhow," when they all laughed. They overtook me, and Col. Williams asked me where I lived. I replied in Morley Settlement. He asked me if I was a Mormon, when Clark laid it was no odds—he is on their part.

Col. Williams then threatened me, and said I must be sure and be at his house by nine o'clock in the morning; if not I must either get out of Morley Settlement, or be served the same sauce as the Mormons. He gave me to understand that they were going to make a total destruction of Morley Settlement tomorrow, and I had better get out of it.

He then talked about Joseph Smith, when I replied I understood Joseph Smith had a fair trial and was bound over to the Supreme Court. He said, "If he is not, we do not care, it is illegally done;" and he should go ahead. He should gather the troops, and there would be two thousand men landed tomorrow from Missouri. He said they were volunteers. They should meet next day at Carthage, and then go against Joseph Smith and demolish the city of Nauvoo, for have him at any rate they would. He was in a very great passion, and let out a great many oaths and [said] other things that I have not mentioned.

In consequence of their threats, and to save our lives, we were obliged to leave our homes in a very stormy night, and had to cross a dangerous stream that was swollen by the rain, and was unable to protect myself from great sufferings and hardships, and came to the city of Nauvoo for protection.

OBADIAH BOWEN.

[Seal]

Subscribed and sworn to this 20th day of June, 1844, before me,

AARON JOHNSON, J. P.

Also the affidavit of Alvah Tippitts:

Affidavit: Alvah Tippetts—Violence of John Williams Upon.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

HANCOCK COUNTY. ss

CITY OF NAUVOO. June 20th, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, a justice of the peace in and for the said county, Alvah Tippetts, of Warsaw, in Hancock county and state aforesaid; and being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith that on Wednesday, June 12th, at Green Plains, one Col. Levi Williams came to your deponent about sunrise, and ordered me out of the house that very day.

I replied he was very hasty. He again ordered me out of the house, and said, if I spoke a word, he would put me out of the house immediately.

I then took away part of my goods and left the house accordingly, because I was afraid to stay there another night.

The next day I went back after the remainder of my property, and called at the house of Col. Levi Williams for some things belonging to me.

When I arrived there John Williams, the son of said Levi Williams, aged about twenty-eight years, abused me for placing confidence in Joseph Smith and the people of Nauvoo. He then took me by the back of my neck and pushed me away, and said he would not have such stuff in his house. The second time he pushed me by the neck, and his foot to my back. He pushed me several times and kicked me. Again, when in the street, he kept kicking and pushing me, and abusing me with his tongue. I am sixty-one years old. I did not say anything to him to cause this abuse; but it was all on account of my believing that Joseph Smith and the people of Nauvoo would do nothing but what was according to law.

ALVAH TIPPETTS.

[Seal]

Subscribed and sworn to this 20th day of June, 1844, before me,

AARON JOHNSON, J. P.

Reinforcement for Nauvoo from Ramus.

I had sent orders to Captain Almon W. Babbitt, commander of the company at Ramus, to come immediately with his company to Nauvoo, and help to defend the place; and this morning my brother-in-law, William McLeary, informs my that when the letter was read to the company, Babbitt refused to come, and said it was a foolish move, and objected to any of the company coming. The company was marshaled into line, when Babbitt said, "If any of you go, not one will ever get to Nauvoo alive," when immediately my Uncle John Smith stepped in front of the line and said, "Every man that goes at the call of the Prophet shall go and return safe, and not a hair of his head shall be lost; and I bless you in the name of the Lord."

The company immediately threw the command upon Uriah B. Yager, who accepted of it, and started for Nauvoo, although many of them were destitute of boots or shoes. The company had not traveled five miles before they suddenly came upon double their number of the mob, who had two red flags flying, and who had paraded their company and taken a position in a wood that commanded the road. The company from Macedonia opened file about ten feet apart and marched past them within rifle shot, while the mob fired several guns at them, the balls whizzing past their heads. They came here at daybreak this morning, and I directed the quartermaster to furnish those who needed with shoes.

I wrote the following letter:

Letter: Joseph Smith to Ballantyne and Slater—Advice on moving into Nauvoo.

NAUVOO, June 20th, 1844.

BROTHERS BALLANTYNE AND SLATER:—On information from you by J. McIllrick, I would advise that your families remain where they are and be quiet, as the mob will not be likely to disturb them; but any amount of wheat or provisions you may have you had better remove without delay to Nauvoo, as it will be better for you to bring it here and have your pay than to leave it for the mob to consume and destroy.

I remain your brother in Christ Jesus,

JOSEPH SMITH.

BALLANTYNE AND SLATER, Doyles Mills, near Plymouth, Ill.

I here insert the affidavit of John P. Greene and John M. Bernhisel:

Affidavit: Greene and Bernhisel—Threatened Invasion from Missouri.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

COUNTY OF HANCOCK, ss.

CITY OF NAUVOO.

On the 20th day of June, 1844, personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, a justice of the peace within and for said county, John P. Greene, marshal of said city, and John M. Bernhisel; and after being duly sworn, depose and say that a body of citizens, in a mass meeting convened on the 13th instant at Carthage, resolved to exterminate the Latter-day Saints of the said city of Nauvoo, and for that purpose, according to the purport of the Warsaw Signal extra, dated June 14, 1844, bodies of armed men are coming from the State of Missouri, and also from the territory of Iowa, and the cannon and ammunition are being transported from the state of Missouri to Illinois for the purpose of utterly exterminating the Latter-day Saints. And your affiants would further state that these bodies of armed men, cannon, arms, and munitions of war are transported in steamboats navigating the waters of the United States, and that the name of one of these boats is the Die Vernon.

JOHN P. GREENE,

JOHN M. BERNHISEL.

[Seal]

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 20th day of June, 1844.

AARON JOHNSON, J. P.

Dr. Richards wrote the following:

Letter: Willard Richards to Jas Arlington Bennett—Affairs in Nauvoo—Western Movement.

MAYOR'S OFFICE, NAUVOO, June 20th, 1844.

DEAR GENERAL.—Yours of the 14th of April was received at a late date. A multiplicity of business on account of the peculiar state of affairs, has prevented a reply till now. Your views about the nomination of General Smith for the Presidency are correct. We will gain popularity and external influence. But this is not all: we mean to elect him, and nothing shall be wanting on our part to accomplish it; and why? Because we are satisfied, fully satisfied, that this is the best or only method of saving our free institutions from a total overthrow.

You will discover by this day's extra Nauvoo Neighbor, and previous papers which I shall forward with this, that we are already being surrounded by an armed mob; and, if we can believe a hundredth part of their statements we have no alternative but to fight or die. All the horrors of Missouri's murders are crowding thick upon us, and the citizens of this county declare in mass-meetings, "No peace till the Mormons are utterly exterminated from the earth." And for what?

A band of thieves, counterfeiters, bogus-makers, gamblers, debauchers, murderers, and all that is vile, established a printing-press in this city for the purpose of carrying on all their hellish plans and overthrowing every principle of righteousness; and after publishing one number, called the Nauvoo Expositor, filled on every column with lies and libel the most dark and damnable it were possible for men or demons on the earth or in the shades of Gehenna, calculated to destroy every chartered right to our peaceful city, and constitutional principles to our nation, being destitute of every vestige of truth, and without one redeeming quality, either in the paper or the characters of its publishers.

The City Council, on the 10th instant, ordered the press and fixtures to be abated as a nuisance which order was executed by the proper authorities without delay, without noise, tumult or confusion.

The proprietors immediately evacuated their houses and the city, and the night following fired one or more of their buildings, just as they did in Missouri, thinking to raise a hue-and-cry that the Mormons had done it, and by that means bring a mob on us without a moment's delay; but our vigilant police discovered the fire and abated that also.

Chagrined at their disappointment, and drunk with madness, they next went to Carthage, the county seat and headquarters of mobocracy, and swore that Joseph and about seventeen others had committed a riot, and sent a warrant for their apprehension. They offered to go before any magistrate in the vicinity and answer to the charge. The officer would not consent, but would take them to Carthage. They had threatened their lives at Carthage and did not consider it safe to go thither, and prayed out a writ of habeas corpus from the Municipal Court, and were set free.

This only enraged the mob the more, and another writ was issued by a county magistrate in the vicinity, not a Mormon, before whom they were brought, and every exertion made to convict them, but the magistrate discharged them.

This does not satisfy them. They are determined to have "Joe Smith," brought before themselves for trial at the headquarters of mobocracy swearing that all they want is to get him out of the city; and they will shoot the "damned rascal."

Cannon, ammunition and men are passing over the Mississippi from Missouri to Illinois, and the mob is collected by hundreds at different points in the county swearing everlasting vengeance; and when their oaths and writs will end, God knows.

We have sent messengers to the Governor, but had no returns, and shall dispatch messages to the President of the United States next boat.

If the virtuous part of the community, the state, the nation, will come to the rescue of innocence and the rights our fathers bled to purchase, that our peace and happiness may be secured to us in common with others, it is all we ask; but if they will not, and the mob goes on, we say a dishonorable life is worse than an honorable death, and we are ready for the onset; and we call upon all patriots, far and near, to lend a helping hand to put down the mob and restore peace.

If this is not done immediately, and the mob attempt to execute their threats, you may soon have the opportunity of beholding that glorious "vision in the west" you have sublimely contemplated in your letter.

I write you at this time at the request of the Prophet, and I invite you to come to our assistance with as many volunteers as you can bring. And if the mob cannot be dispersed, and the Government will not espouse our righteous cause, you may soon, very soon, behold the second birth of our nation's freedom; for live without the free exercise of thought, and the privilege of worshiping God according to the dictates of our consciences, we will not! We will die rather, and go where the wicked cease to trouble. But we firmly believe there are virtuous men and patriots enough yet left to sustain those principles which alone are worth living for. Will you come?

Here is Oregon. Here is California. Where is your ambition? Patriotism? Your "separate and independent empire," if you sit calmly still and see the most virtuous and noble people that ever trod upon the footstool of Jehovah ground to powder by a miscreant mob and not stretch forth your potent arm for their defense in all the majesty of a God? If you do not, your turn may come next; and where will it cease?

Let the first blow be struck upon us from this hour, and this field is open for every honest patriot from the east to the west sea, and from the river Mississippi to the ends of the earth.

General, will you stand neutral? Come, and you will know for yourself.

I close in haste, with good wishes to yourself and family.

W. RICHARDS.

GENERAL J. A. BENNETT,

Arlington House, N. Y.

CHAPTER XXV.

THE TWELVE CALLED FROM EASTERN MISSION—GOVERNOR FORD AT CARTHAGE—NAUVOO DELEGATION TO GOVERNOR—THREATS AND CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE PROPHET'S LIFE—GOVERNOR FORD INVITED TO NAUVOO TO INVESTIGATE CONDITIONS.

The Apostles Called Home.

Thursday, June 20, 1844 [continued].—I wrote to those of the Twelve Apostles who are absent on missions to come home immediately, namely, Brigham Young, Boston; Heber C. Kimball, Washington; Orson Hyde, Philadelphia; Parley P. Pratt, New York; Orson Pratt, Washington; Wilford Woodruff, Portage, New York; William Smith, Philadelphia; George A. Smith, Peterboro; John E. Page, Pittsburgh; and Lyman Wight, Baltimore. Also to Amasa Lyman, Cincinnati, Ohio, and George Miller, Richmond, Madison county, Kentucky. I sent the letters by express by Aaron M. York to the Illinois river, on account of the stoppage of the mails.

At 8 p.m. Thomas Bullock came and read to me the affidavits of Isaac Morley, Gardner Snow, John Edmiston, Edmund Durfee, Solomon Hancock, Allen T. Waite, James Guyman, Obadiah Bowen, Alvah Tippetts, Hiram B. Mount, and John Cunningham, with the affiants; and afterward the affidavits were all sworn to before Aaron Johnson, Esquire.

Ten p.m. John Pike and Henry Gates went to the quarters of the Major-General, and informed him they had seen a number of men driving about three hundred head of cattle in the direction of the mob camp. The drovers reported themselves as having come from Missouri, and were about nine miles from Nauvoo.

A Prophecy—No Gun Fired on Part of Saints.

I gave directions to Theodore Turley to commence the manufacture of artillery. He asked me if he should not rent a building, and set some men to repairing the small arms which were out of order. I told him in confidence that there would not be a gun fired on our part during this fuss.

I extract the following from a letter from Robert D. Foster dated "Carthage, June 20th, 1844, to John Proctor, Sen., Nauvoo."

Letter: Robert D. Foster to John Proctor—Fragment—Instruction as to Property.

We have a hundred barrels of flour here for the folks, and Nauvoo has no means to live, only from the country, and that is cut off sure. There are thousands of armed men ready now and thousands more coming from Missouri and the country around. Tell John to sleep in the barn, and take care of fire and robbery, and all my things there, as I shall be home soon. Tell Amos Davis to keep his eyes open, as we learn that consecration law will soon commence on him. This we know, and he had better look out sharp. Let him read this sheet. Tell Norton Gibbs and all my boys that I should be glad to see them a minute, but I cannot come. They must be patient and faithful, and I will be there and reward every man according to his desert; and I won't forget the perjured villains there either.

Hyrum Smith's Fidelity to the Prophet.

I advised my brother Hyrum to take his family on the next steamboat and go to Cincinnati. Hyrum replied, "Joseph, I can't leave you." Whereupon I said to the company present, "I wish I could get Hyrum out of the way, so that he may live to avenge my blood, and I will stay with you and see it out."

Friday, 21.—About 10 a.m. I rode out with my guard up Main Street past the Major-General's quarters, and reviewed the Legion. I returned to headquarters about 2:30 p.m., having met Col. Elam L. Freeman and Mr. Bartlett, who came as express from the Governor who had arrived at Carthage this morning, and they delivered me the following letter:

Letter: Governor Ford to Mayor and Council of Nauvoo Asking Representatives to Meet him at Carthage.

HEADQUARTERS CARTHAGE, June 21st, 1844.

To the Honorable the Mayor and Common Council of the City of Nauvoo:

GENTLEMEN.—Having heard of the excitement in this part of the country, and judging that my presence here might be necessary to preserve the peace and enforce the laws, I arrived at this place this morning. Both before and since my arrival, complaints of a grave character have been made to me of certain proceedings of your honorable body. As chief magistrate, it is my duty to see that impartial justice shall be done, uninfluenced either by the excitement here or in your city.

I think before any decisive measure shall be adopted, that I ought to hear the allegations and defenses of all parties. By adopting this course I have some hope that the evils of war may be averted, and, at any rate, I will be enabled by it to understand the true merits of the present difficulties, and shape my course with reference to law and justice.

For these reasons I have to request that you will send out to me at this place, one or more well-informed and discreet persons, who will be capable of laying before me your version of the matter, and of receiving from me such explanations and resolutions as may be determined on.

Col. Elam L. Freeman will present you this note in the character of a herald from the Governor. You will respect his character as such and permit him to pass and repass free from molestation.

Your messengers are assured of protection in person and property, and will be returned to you in safety.

I am, gentlemen, with high consideration most respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

THOMAS FORD.

Governor and Commander in Chief.

Joseph H. Jackson at Nauvoo.

I immediately notified the City Council to meet in session at 4 p.m. About 11 a.m. a rumor was circulated at General Dunham's headquarters that Joseph H. Jackson was seen at Davidson Hibberd's. He [Dunham] ordered out a posse to arrest him, which went accordingly, but returned without success.

At 4 p.m. I met with the City Council, when the affidavits of the following persons were read—namely Isaac Morley, Gardner Snow, John Edmiston, Edward Durfee, Solomon Hancock, William Gardner, John G. Lofton, Allen T. Waite, James Guyman, Obadiah Bowen, Alvah Tippetts, Hiram B. Mount, John Cunningham, Cyrus Canfield, Gilbert Belknap, Anson Call, David Evans, William E. Horner, Stephen Markham, Thomas G. Wilson, John P. Greene, John M. Bernhisel, Truman Gillett, Jr., Carlos W. Lyon, and H. T. Hugins; when Dr. J. M. Bernhisel, Councilor John Taylor, and Dr. Willard Richards were appointed by the council to return with the express to the Governor at Carthage, and carry said affidavits with the following letter:

Letter: Joseph Smith to Governor Ford—Submitting Documents.

NAUVOO, June 21, 1844.

SIR—The affidavits and handbills herewith connected, are submitted for your Excellency's consideration.

Respectfully, I have the honor to be your Excellency's obedient servant,

JOSEPH SMITH.

THOMAS FORD, Governor of Illinois, Carthage.

Messrs. Taylor and Bernhisel went accordingly, but Dr. Richards tarried to prepare additional documents.

The following affidavit was taken:

Affidavit: John P. Greene—Joseph H. Jackson,—Threatens Prophet's Life.

STATE OF ILLINOIS, HANCOCK CO.,

CITY OF NAUVOO. ss.

June 21st, 1844.—Personally appeared John P. Greene before me, Willard Richards, recorder of said city; and after being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that on or about the 27th day of May, 1844, while at Hamilton's tavern, in Carthage, county aforesaid, in company with Joseph Smith and others, Robert D. Foster called deponent into a private room, and there and then said, "For God's sake, don't suffer that man, Joseph Smith, to go out of doors; for if he steps outside of the door his blood will be spilt;" to which statement deponent replied he had no such fears; when said Foster confirmed said statements with considerable emotion, and said he knew that Smith could not go out of doors, but his blood would be spilt.

Deponent asked Foster who would do it. Foster said he would not tell; but he knew the proud spirit of Jackson, that he would not be insulted, and that he would kill Joseph Smith if he had to die on the spot; and there were many others in Carthage who would assist to do the same thing. Joseph H. Jackson was in the house below at the time.

A day or two previous to the above conversation, while at Carthage aforesaid, deponent heard Joseph H. Jackson say that Joseph Smith was the damnedest rascal in the world, and he would be damned if he did not take vengeance on him, if he had to follow him to the Rocky Mountains; and said Jackson made many more such like threats against Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith.

JOHN P. GREENE.

Sworn and subscribed this 21st day of June, 1844, before me,

[Seal]

WILLARD RICHARDS,

Recorder of the city of Nauvoo.

And as this affidavit confirms what was told me in Carthage, I made the following affidavit:

Affidavit: Joseph Smith—Conspiracy Against Affiant's Life.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

COUNTY OF HANCOCK. ss.

CITY OF NAUVOO, June 21st, 1844.

Personally appeared Joseph Smith before me, Willard Richards, recorder of the City of Nauvoo; and after being duly sworn deposeth and saith that while at Hamilton's tavern at Carthage, in the county aforesaid, on or about the 27th day of May, 1844, whither deponent had gone to transact business in the Circuit Court of the county aforesaid, Charles A. Foster took deponent into a private room, and told deponent there was a conspiracy against the life of deponent, and that deponent had not better go out of doors. If he did, his blood would be shed. Foster said he was deponent's friend, and did not want to see bloodshed.

JOSEPH SMITH.

[Seal]

Sworn and subscribed this 21st day of June, 1844, before me,

WILLARD RICHARDS,

Recorder of the City of Nauvoo.

I instructed my clerks, Willard Richards, William Clayton, Thomas Bullock and John McEwan, to prepare all necessary papers and affidavits ready to be sent to the Governor tomorrow morning.

Joseph Jackson made the two following affidavits:

Affidavit: Joseph Jackson—Francis M. Higbee's Threat to Kill the Prophet.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

CITY OF NAUVOO. ss

On the 21st day of June, 1844, came before me, W. W. Phelps, clerk of the Mayor's Court, Joseph Jackson: and after being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that on Tuesday, the 11th instant, he was in Nauvoo, when Francis M. Higbee, while speaking of the destruction of the printing press, said he was very sorry, for the proprietors had set up that press for the destruction of the city, and that he meant to kill Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith; and he saith no further.

JOSEPH JACKSON.

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 21st day of June, 1844.

WILLIAM W. PHELPS, Clerk M. C.

Affidavit: Joseph Jackson—Reporting Mob at Pilot Grove.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

CITY OF NAUVOO. ss

On the 21st day of June, 1844, came before me, W. W. Phelps, clerk of the Mayor's Court for said city, Joseph Jackson; and after being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that on the 19th day of June instant, at his residence near Pilot Grove, in the afternoon, about twenty-four persons fired about twenty-six guns at him, and that the balls whistled close by his head. Thus this mob, of which John McKay was one, fired about one hundred guns, but not all at your affiant; and that this mob was very noisy, cursing and swearing that they would kill every damned Mormon; and he says no further.

JOSEPH JACKSON.

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 21st day of June, 1844.

WILLIAM W. PHELPS, Clerk M. C.

At 7 p.m. James Emmett went by order of the Sergeant of the Guard at the Stone House to the Major-General and reported the crew of the Maid of Iowa for firing five guns contrary to orders, which were, that any firing of guns was an alarm.

After the news had reached the city of the Governor's arrival at Carthage, an express was sent to Keokuk to stop an express which I had sent to the Governor at Springfield before I had learned of his arrival at Carthage.

An officer of the United States army, having arrested a deserter, came to Nauvoo, and stayed at my house all night.

Col. Brewer and lady arrived at the Mansion about 9 p.m. Also James W. Woods, Esq., my attorney from Burlington.

At 10 p.m., Private — Minor gave information that as he was passing, an hour since, about two miles out of the city to his home, he was fired upon by some unknown person. General Stephen Markham ordered out a detachment to proceed to the designated place, scour that part of the country, and see that all was right.

[Saturday, June 22.—]

Letter: Joseph Smith to Governor Ford—Inviting the Governor to Come to Nauvoo and Investigate Conditions.

NAUVOO, Saturday Morning, June 22, 1844.

To His Excellent Thomas Ford, Governor:

DEAR SIR.—I this morning forward you the remainder of the affidavits which are ready to present to you, by the hands of a gentleman who is fully competent to give you information on the whole subject which has been the cause of the origin of our present difficulties. I would respectfully recommend the bearer, Col. Woodworth, as one of my aides, and a man whose testimony can be relied upon.

I presume you are already convinced that it would be altogether unsafe for me or any of the City Council to come to Carthage on account of the vast excitement which has been got up by false report and libelous publications. Nothing could afford me a greater pleasure than a privilege of investigating the whole subject before your Excellency in person; for I have ever held myself in readiness to comply with your orders and answer for my proceedings before any legal tribunal in the state.

I would hereby respectfully pray your Excellency to come to Nauvoo, if congenial with your feelings, and give us a privilege of laying the whole matter before you in its true colors, and where abundance of testimony can be forthcoming, to prove every point by disinterested persons—men of character and of worth and notoriety, strangers—who were here all the time. But I am satisfied your Excellency does not wish men to expose the lives of the citizens of this place by requiring them to put themselves into the power of an infuriated, blood-thirsty mob, a part of whom have already several times fired upon our people without the least shadow of cause or provocation.

I am informed this morning that some gentleman has made affidavit that he had a private conversation with me, in which I stated that I had secret correspondence with you, &c. If any person has been wicked enough to do this, he is a perjured villain; for in the first place, I do not suffer myself to hold private conversation with any stranger; and, in the second place, I have never even intimated anything of the kind as having secret correspondence with your Excellency.

Our troubles are invariably brought upon us by falsehoods and misrepresentations by designing men. We have ever held ourselves amenable to the law; and, for myself, sir, I am ever ready to conform to and support the laws and Constitution, even at the expense of my life. I have never in the least offered any resistance to law or lawful process, which is a well-known fact to the general public; all of which circumstances make us the more anxious to have you come to Nauvoo and investigate the whole matter.

Now, sir, is it not an easy matter to distinguish between those who have pledged themselves to exterminate innocent men, women and children, and those who have only stood in their own defense, and in defense of their innocent families, and that, too, in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the country, as required by the oaths, and as good and law-abiding citizens?

In regard to the destruction of the press, the truth only needs to be presented before your Excellency to satisfy you of the justice of the proceedings. The press was established by a set of men who had already set themselves at defiance of the law and authorities of the city, and had threatened the lives of some of its principal officers, and who also made it no private matter that the press was established for the express purpose of destroying the city, as will be shown by the affidavit of Joseph Jackson, and as they stated to me in their threats.

Mr. Babbitt informs me that reports are in circulation that we have taken property which belongs to the Messrs. Law and others. There has been no property meddled with, to my knowledge, belonging to any person, except property we have purchased of the rightful owners.

Mr. Law turned over some property to a Mr. Hicks, to pay a debt. This I purchased of Mr. Hicks, and I am responsible to him for the amount. We have been especially careful to preserve the property of those who are exciting the public against us, inasmuch as we know that every means would be used which could be invented to raise excitement; and we have appointed the police to watch this property and see that no harm was done to it by any person, as they had tried to fire their own building and were detected in the act. The fire was extinguished by the policemen, and no property damaged.

There have been no prisoners taken in this city, neither any person held as hostage, only some who are residents of this place, who had broken the laws. No stranger has been interfered with or detained in the city under any circumstances.

In haste, I have the honor to remain, dear sir, your most obedient servant,

JOSEPH SMITH.

Lieut.-Gen. N. L.

This letter was accompanied by other affidavits, and was sent by Lucien Woodworth, who was delegated to go in place of Dr. Richards. He started at noon in company with Squire Woods of Burlington.

CHAPTER XXVI.

PREPARATIONS TO DEFEND NAUVOO—MOB MOVEMENTS ON CARTHAGE ROAD—GOVERNOR FORD'S REVIEW OF HANCOCK COUNTY DIFFICULTIES—JOSEPH SMITH'S ACCOUNT OF THE SAME DIFFICULTIES, DEFENSE OF HIS OWN AND ASSOCIATES' COURSE.

Saturday, June 22 [continued].—Legion met as usual; and after receiving instructions, were dismissed until 6 p.m., when they met again.

Orders for Nauvoo's Entrenchment.

At 7 p.m. I instructed General Dunham to cause the regiment of the 2nd cohort to turn out tomorrow, and work by turns three or four hours each, with entrenching tools, and to take the best measures in case of attack. I also gave orders that a standard be prepared for the nations.

Almon W. Babbitt arrived from Carthage this morning, having come at the request of the Governor, who thought it not wisdom to have Richards and Phelps and others of the City Council go to Carthage.

Edward Robinson made the following affidavit:

Affidavit: Edward Robinson—Threats Against Nauvoo.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

CITY OF NAUVOO. ss.

On the 22nd day or June, 1844, came before me, W. W. Phelps, clerk of the Mayor's Court, in said city, Dr. Edward Robinson, who, after being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that while at Carthage, on the 18th and 19th instant, I heard several persons who had assembled together for warlike purposes, (having their arms and one cannon with them) say that they were gathering together for the purpose of destroying the property of General Joseph Smith, or, as they said, "Joe Smith," and his followers, and the City Council, with the exception of one; and finally said they would destroy the town and exterminate the Latter-day Saints.

EDWARD ROBINSON.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 22nd day of June, 1843.

WILLIAM W. PHELPS, Clerk M. C.

James Olive made the following affidavit:

Affidavit: James Olive—Mob Movements on the Carthage Road.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

HANCOCK COUNTY. ss

CITY OF NAUVOO, June 22nd, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, a justice of the peace in and for said county, James Olive; who being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith that on Friday afternoon, the 21st instant, about 3 o'clock, he was at his own house, about two miles from Appanoose. In a southeasterly direction, he saw a four-horse wagon with some men before it, all traveling towards Appanoose. They went about a quarter of a mile beyond my house; there met a two horse wagon and a company of men, about fifteen in number. Both parties then took the road towards the Big Mound. A part of the men were mounted and a part were on foot. The mounted men were forward; and after passing my house, they wheeled and rode back to the footmen who were some little distance behind, and said to them, "There are some fellows oh the Mound; you had better hurry on, and we will take those fellows and carry them to Carthage." They used profane language. I watched them until they got near the Mound, and saw the guard on the Mound turn and run towards Nauvoo. After that the company went on to the Mound, and halted near the spot where the guard had run from.

On the same evening, about sundown, there was a man by the name of Milton Hamilton came into my house and told me to arm and equip myself according to the law and stand in readiness; that the Governor bad demanded Joseph Smith according to law, and that he would not come it (meaning that Joseph Smith would not surrender); that the General had issued orders for the militia to be in readiness to take said Smith. I asked him what general, and he observed that he believed it was Col. Williams. I asked him if it was done by orders of the Governor, and he said that was the understanding. He told me he acted under the orders of Captain McAuley; and further saith not.

JAMES OLIVE.

[Seal]

Subscribed and sworn to this 22nd day of June, 1844, before me,

AARON JOHNSON, J. P.

Phebe Levett states that she saw Finch, Rollison, Foster, and Squire McAuley in the company who fired on the guard on the La Harpe road.

George G. Johnstone made the following affidavit:

Affidavit: George G. Johnstone—Militia Under Governor to Move on Nauvoo.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

COUNTY OF HANCOCK. ss

CITY OF NAUVOO, June 22nd, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, Aaron Johnson, a justice of the peace in and for the county of Hancock, George G. Johnstone, living on Spring Creek in McDonough county; who, being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith that yesterday, Napoleon Hardin came to your deponent and said that the Governor had sent orders for the militia to be called out for today at 4 o'clock p.m., and to start on the 22nd to Carthage, there to wait until all were ready from the different counties in the state, and then they should march out to the prairie. They should stop on the prairie and send a flag of truce to Nauvoo, and demand the body of General Joseph Smith. If the people of Nauvoo refused to give him up, then they should exterminate the whole of them.

GEORGE G. JOHNSTONE.

[Seal] Subscribed and sworn to this 22nd day of June, 1844, before me,

AARON JOHNSON, J. P.

Gideon Gibbs made the following affidavit:

Affidavit: Gideon Gibbs—Mob on La Harpe Road.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

CITY OF NAUVOO. ss

On the 22nd day of June, 1844, came before me, William W. Phelps, clerk of the Mayor's Court for said city, Gideon Gibbs, and after being duly sworn deposeth and saith that on the afternoon of the 21st instant, about a half-mile southeast of the Big Mound on the La Harpe road, a party of about eight or ten men, in a warlike attitude, in company with two teams, passed your said affiant, and one of them said he fired at two men near the Big Mound. Thought he killed them both and your deponent saith no further.

GIDEON GIBBS.

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 22nd day of June, 1844.

WILLIAM W. PHELPS, Clerk M. C.

Luman H. Calkins made the following affidavit:

Affidavit: Luman H. Calkins—Nauvoo Conspiracy Against the Prophet's Life.

STATE OF ILLINOIS,

CITY OF NAUVOO, ss

June 22nd, 1844.

Personally appeared before me, George W. Harris, an alderman acting in and for the city of Nauvoo, Luman H. Calkins; and being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith that about seven weeks ago I came on the steamboat Ohio from St. Louis to Nauvoo, when William Nesbit, who was on board, entered into conversation with your deponent.

I asked him if he knew anything about the conspiracy in Nauvoo to kill Joseph and Hyrum, and all that believed on them. He said he did. It was intended that they should be killed between then and the 1st of July.

I asked him who was at the head of the conspiracy. He replied he was sworn not to tell who the head one was. I asked him if there were any in Nauvoo concerned. He replied there was, and named the two Laws, two Fosters, two Higbees, Charles Ivins, and several others. I asked if it was to be made a public thing. He replied the first blow was to be struck in Nauvoo by those who were opposed to Joseph. I asked how many they could rely on in Nauvoo. He said they could rely on five hundred, if they could only get arms for them.

He said as soon as the first blow was struck in Nauvoo, there were about seven thousand men ready in Missouri to join them to exterminate all who believed on Joseph Smith. He also told me that the Die Vernon, when she came on her pleasure-trip to Nauvoo, that there were none but spies, and who came on purpose to see the places in order to know how to strike when the time comes to strike: and he also said "the Reformers" had got spies continually passing Nauvoo in order to spy out all that took place; that there was not a thing took place in Nauvoo but what was made known to them in St. Louis as soon as a steamboat landed.

I told him I should think he would be afraid to stop here. He said he should stay in Nauvoo and carry on his butchering as usual, as if there was nothing taking place; that he had as good a gun as any man ever put to his face, and that the first shot he should fire would be to kill Joseph and Hyrum. Said I, "The people will surely kill you then." He replied he would rush through a thousand people to wash his hands in Joseph's blood, and especially in Hyrum's, if he was to be immediately cut into a thousand pieces. He said he should be willing to die as soon as he had killed them.

About five weeks since I had another conversation with William Nesbit, when he confirmed the whole of the foregoing conversation; and he also said he had made arrangements with Mr. Bostwick of St. Louis to send him a brace of the best pistols, for the purpose of being ready when he wanted them. He also said that he would kill Hyrum any time he could get an opportunity without being detected. I then asked him if Hyrum could be put in his way so that no man would mistrust him, would you kill him? He said, "By God, I would." I asked if he would not be afraid to kill him in cold blood. He replied, "No, I would not; I would do it in a moment if I could get an opportunity."

The day following I left for Galena, and returned on Tuesday, the 18th instant, and on the 19th I saw William Nesbit in the ranks, and I cautioned Richard Brazier to keep an eye on Nesbit, for he had sworn to wash his hands in Joseph's and Hyrum's blood.

LUMAN H. CALKINS.

Subscribed and sworn to this 22nd day of June, 1844, before me,

GEORGE W. HARRIS,

Alderman of the City of Nauvoo.

At 12, noon, orders were sent to the different guards and pickets to let persons pass and repass without hailing until further orders.

I issued the following:

GENERAL ORDERS.

MAYOR'S OFFICE AND HEADQUARTERS, OF THE NAUVOO LEGION,

NAUVOO, June 22nd, 1844.

To Col. Jonathan Dunham, Acting Major-General Nauvoo Legion:

SIR.—You will proceed without delay, with the assistance of the Nauvoo Legion, to prepare the background [Eastern part] of said city for defense against an invasion by mobs, cause the Legion to be furnished with tents, and make your encampment in the vicinity of your labor.

JOSEPH SMITH,

Mayor of the City of Nauvoo, and Lieut.-Gen. Nauvoo Legion.

To COL. JONATHAN DUNHAM, Major-General in command Nauvoo Legion.

A Prophecy.

At 6 p.m. I prophesied that in the sickly seasons sickness would enter into the houses of the mob and vex them until they would fain repent in dust and ashes. They will be smitten with the scab, &c.

At 7 p.m. I received the following:

A Petition to Hear the Prophet Speak.

We, the undersigned citizens of Hancock county, respectfully request General Joseph Smith to preach on tomorrow, and that we have liberty of seats near enough to the stand to hear, inasmuch as we have an opportunity to hear him but seldom, and some of us have not heard him at all.

Yours respectfully,

JAMES HAMILTON AND CO., Capt. at the Liberty Branch.

NATHANIEL CASE, Capt. 7th Co., 4th Reg., 2nd Cohort, N. L. from La Harpe.

URIAH H. YAGER AND CO., Captain at the Branch of Macedonia, 2nd Cohort.

HIRAM CLARK 1st Lieut. at the Midland Branch Company.

Z. D. WILSON'S COMPANY.

ALNA L. TIPPETT'S COMPANY.

S. HANCOCK, Major of the First Battalion of the 3rd Regiment.

WARREN SNOW, Captain and Co., 4th Reg. 2nd Cohort of N. Legion.

At 10 p.m. I received the following letter by the hands of Captain Yates, who accompanied Elder John Taylor and Dr. John M. Bernhisel on their return from Carthage:

Letter: Governor Ford to Mayor and Council of the City of Nauvoo.

HEADQUARTERS CARTHAGE, June 22nd, 1844.

To the Mayor and Council of the City of Nauvoo:

GENTLEMEN.—After examining carefully all the allegations on the part of the citizens of the country in Hancock county, and the defensive matters submitted to me by the committee of your citizens concerning the existing disturbances, I find that there appears to be but little contradiction as to important facts, so that it may be safely assumed that the immediate cause of the existing excitement is the destruction of the press and Nauvoo Expositor, and the subsequent refusal of the individuals accused to be accountable therefore according to the general laws of this state, and the insisting on your parts to be accountable only before your own municipal court, and according to the ordinances of your city.

Many other facts have been asserted on both sides as tending to increase the excitement; but as they mostly relate merely to private persons, and committed by individuals, and tend simply to show the present state of affairs, I will not further notice them in this communication.

The material facts to be noticed are that a newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor was established in Nauvoo; that this newspaper was deemed offensive to the people of that city; that the Common Council, without notice or process to the owners, entered into a trial and heard statements not under oath, and evidence which was under oath, in relation to the character, conduct and designs of the owners and editors of the press; that, upon hearing such statements and evidence, the Common Council passed an ordinance or resolution declaring said press and paper to be a public nuisance, and ordered the same to be abated as such; that a writ was issued by the Mayor to the Marshal of the city for that purpose; that a military order was issued at the same time by the Mayor, who is also Lieutenant-General of the Nauvoo Legion, to the Major-General in command of that Legion, for a force sufficient to ensure the execution of the writ aforesaid.

It appears also the press was destroyed in obedience to the foregoing ordinance and writ, according to a return on the same by the Marshal in the following words: "The within press and type is destroyed and pied according to order on this 10th day of June, 1844, at about six o'clock p.m.—J. P. GREENE, C.M."

It appears also that the owners of the press obtained from a justice of the peace at Carthage a warrant against the authors of this destruction for a riot; that the constable charged with the execution of this process, arrested some of the persons accused, who immediately obtained writs of habeas corpus from the Municipal Court of your city, by virtue of which they were tried in Nauvoo and discharged from arrest, and that they have ever since refused to be arrested or to submit to a trial at any other place or before any other court, except in the city and before the Municipal Court aforesaid.

It has also been reported to me that martial law has been declared in Nauvoo; that persons and property have been and are now forcibly imprisoned and detained there, and that the Legion has been ordered under arms to resist any attempt to arrest the persons accused. I have not particularly inquired into the truth of these latter reports; for although they may become matters of great importance in the sequel, they are not necessary to be ascertained and acted upon at present.

I now express to you my opinion that your conduct in the destruction of the press was a very gross outrage upon the laws and the liberties of the people. It may have been full of libels, but this did not authorize you to destroy it.

There are many newspapers in this state which have been wrongfully abusing me for more than a year, and yet such is my regard for the liberty of the press and the rights of a free people in a republican government that I would shed the last drop of my blood to protect those presses from any illegal violence. You have violated the Constitution in at least four particulars. You have violated that part of it which declares that the printing presses shall be free, being responsible for the abuse thereof, and that the truth may be given in evidence.

This article of the Constitution contemplates that the proprietors of a libelous press may be sued for private damages, or may be indicted criminally, and that upon trial they should have the right to give the truth in evidence. In this case the proprietors had no notice of the proceeding.

The Constitution also provides that the people shall be protected against unreasonable searches and seizures of their property and "That no man shall be deprived of life, liberty or property, except by the judgment of his peers (which means a jury trial) and the law of the land," which means due process of law and notice to the accused.

You have also violated the Constitution and your own charter in this: Your Council, which has no judicial powers, and can only pass ordinances of a general nature, have undertaken to pass judgment as a court and convict without a jury a press of being libelous and a nuisance to the city.

The Council at most could only define a nuisance by general ordinance, and leave it to the courts to determine whether individuals or particulars accused came within such definition.

The Constitution abhors and will not tolerate the union of legislative and judicial power in the same body of magistracy, because, as in this case, they will first make a tyrannical law, and then execute it in a tyrannical manner.

You have also assumed to yourselves more power than you are entitled to in relation to writs of habeas under your charter. I know that you have been told by lawyers, for the purpose of gaining your favor that you have this power to any extent. In this they have deceived you for their own base purposes. Your charter supposes that you may pass ordinances, a breach of which will result in the imprisonment of the offender.

For the purpose of insuring more speedy relief to such persons, authority was given to the Municipal Court to issue writs of habeas corpus in all cases arising under the ordinances of the city.

It was never supposed by the Legislature, nor can the language of your charter be tortured to mean that a jurisdiction was intended to be conferred which would apply to all cases of imprisonment under the general laws of the state or of the United States, as well as the city ordinances.

It has also been reserved to you to make the discovery that a newspaper charged to be scurrilous and libellous may be legally abated or removed as a nuisance. In no other state, county, city, town or territory in the United States has ever such a thing been thought of before. Such an act at this day would not be tolerated even in England. Just such another act in 1830 hurled the king of France from his throne, and caused the imprisonment of four of his principal ministers for life. No civilized country can tolerate such conduct, much less can it be tolerated in this free country of the United States.

The result of my deliberations on this subject is, that I will have to require you and all persons in Nauvoo accused or sued to submit in all cases implicitly to the process of the court, and to interpose no obstacles to an arrest, either by writ of habeas corpus or otherwise; and that all of the people of the city of Nauvoo shall make and continue the most complete submission to the laws of the state, and the process of the courts and justices of the peace.

In the particular case now under consideration, I require any and all of you who are or shall be accused to submit yourselves to be arrested by the same constable, by virtue of the same warrant and be tried before the same magistrate whose authority has heretofore been resisted. Nothing short of this can vindicate the dignity of violated law and allay the just excitement of the people.

I am anxious to preserve the peace. A small indiscretion may bring on a war. The whole country is now up in arms, and a vast number of people are ready to take the matter into their own hands. Such a state of things might force me to call out the militia to prevent a civil war. And such is the excitement of the country that I fear the militia, when assembled, would be beyond legal control.

You are wrong in the first instance, and I can call out no portion of the militia for your defense until you submit to the law. You have made it necessary that a posse should be assembled to execute legal process; and that posse, as fast as it assembles is in danger of being imbued with the mobocratic spirit. If you, by refusing to submit, shall make it necessary to call out the militia, I have great fears that your city will be destroyed, and your people many of them exterminated.

You know the excitement of the public mind. Do not tempt it too far. A very little matter may do a very great injury; and if you are disposed to continue the causes of excitement and render a force necessary to coerce submission, I would say that your city was built, as it were, upon a keg of powder which a very little spark may explode.

It is my intention to do all I can to preserve the peace, and even, if obliged, to call the militia to prosecute the war so as not to involve the innocent and comprehend all in the same punishment. But excitement is a matter which grows very fast upon men when assembled. The affair, I much fear, may assume a revolutionary character, and the men may disregard the authority of their officers.

I tell you plainly that if no such submission is made as I have indicated. I will be obliged to call out the militia; and if a few thousand will not be sufficient, many thousands will be.

I sincerely hope that your people may do nothing which will make such a proceeding necessary. I hope also that they will be well-disposed to co-operate with me in allaying the excitement of the public mind. Immediately discharge such persons as you have under martial law. Let them go without molestation. Abstain from all injury to private property. Let people go where they please without swearing them first to take no part against you. All such proceedings tend only to inflame the public mind, and raise up ten men disposed to fight you for every one thus foolishly disabled.

Your committee assures me that you are sincerely desirous of preserving the peace; and if so, I hope you will co-operate with me in everything necessary to allay the excitement in the minds of the people.

The following-named persons are reported to me as being detained against their will by martial law: John A. Hicks, H. O. Norton, A. J. Higbee, John Eagle, P. J. Rolf, Peter Lemon, and T. J. Rolf. It will tend greatly to allay excitement if they shall be immediately discharged and suffered to go without molestation.

It is also reported here, and generally believed, (but whether true or not I have not yet learned) that there are many foraging parties abroad from Nauvoo committing depredations upon the cattle and property in the vicinity. These acts, if correctly reported, must absolutely cease immediately, if you expect any person here to have the power to preserve the peace.

In case the persons accused should make no resistance to arrest, it will be against orders to be accompanied by others. If it should become necessary to have witnesses on the trials, I will see that such persons shall be duly summoned, and I will also guarantee the safety of all such persons as may thus be brought to this place from Nauvoo either for trial or as witnesses for the accused.

If the individuals accused cannot be found when required by the constable it will be considered by me as an equivalent to a refusal to be arrested, and the militia will be ordered accordingly.

I am, gentlemen, with great respect, your obedient servant,

THOMAS FORD,

Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

To which I wrote the following answer:

Letter: Joseph Smith to Governor Ford—Defending the action of the City Council in the "Expositor" Affair.

NAUVOO, June 22nd, 1844, 12 o'clock p.m.

To His Excellency, Thomas Ford:

SIR.—Yours of this date is received by Messrs. Taylor and Bernhisel. A part of the same delegation, Mr. Woodworth, who was detained yesterday, started for Carthage at 12 noon, this date, who, we perceive, had not arrived at your last date. Some documents conveyed by him would tend to counteract some of the views expressed in your Excellency's communication, and we feel confident, if all the facts could be before your Excellency, you would have come to different conclusions.

Our "insisting to be accountable only before our own Municipal Court," is totally incorrect. We plead a habeas corpus as a last resort to save us from being thrown into the power of the mobocrats, who were then threatening us with death, and it was with great reluctance we went before the Municipal Court, on account of the prejudice which might arise in the minds of the unbiased; and we did not petition for a habeas corpus until we had told the constable that on our lives we dare not go to Carthage for trial, and plead with him to go before any county magistrate he pleased in our vicinity, (which occurrence is common in legal proceedings) and not a member of our society, so that our lives might be saved from the threats thus already issued against us.

The press was declared a nuisance under the authority of the charter as written in 7th section of Addenda, the same as in the Springfield charter, so that if the act declaring the press a nuisance was unconstitutional: we cannot see how it is that the charter itself is not unconstitutional, and if we have erred in judgment, it is an official act, and belongs to the Supreme Court to correct it, and assess damages versus the city to restore property abated as a nuisance. If we have erred in this thing, we have done it in good company, for Blackstone on "Wrongs," asserts the doctrine that scurrilous prints may be abated as nuisances.

As to martial law, we truly say that we were obliged to call out the forces to protect our lives; and the Constitution guarantees to every man that privilege; and our measures were active and efficient, as the necessity of the case required; but the city is and has been continually under the special direction of the marshal all the time. No person, to our knowledge, has been arrested only for violation of the peace, and those some of our own citizens, all of whom we believe are now discharged. And if any property has been taken for public benefit without a compensation, or against the will of the owner, it has been done without our knowledge or consent, and when shown shall be corrected, if the people will permit us to resume our usual labors.

If we "have committed a gross outrage upon the laws and liberties of the people," as your Excellency represents, we are ready to correct that outrage when the testimony is forthcoming. All men are bound to act in their sphere on their own judgment, and it would be quite impossible for us to know what your Excellency's judgment would have been in the case referred to; consequently acted on our own and according to our best judgment, after having taken able counsel in the case. If we have erred, we again say we will make all right if we can have the privilege.

"The Constitution also provides that the people shall be protected against all unreasonable search and seizure." True. The doctrine we believe most fully, and have acted upon it; but we do not believe it unreasonable to search so far as it is necessary to protect life and property from destruction.

We do not believe in the "union of legislative and judicial power," and we have not so understood the action of the case in question.

Whatever power we have exercised in the habeas corpus has been done in accordance with the letter of the charter and Constitution as we confidently understood them, and that, too, with the ablest counsel; but if it be so that we have erred in this thing, let the Supreme Court correct the evil. We have never gone contrary to constitutional law, so far as we have been able to learn it. If lawyers have belied their profession to abuse us, the evil be on their heads.

You have intimated that no press has been abated as a nuisance in the United States. We refer your Excellency to Humphrey versus Press in Ohio, who abated the press by his own arm for libel, and the courts decided on prosecution no cause of action. And we do know that it is common for police in Boston, New York, &c., to destroy scurrilous prints: and we think the loss of character by libel and the loss of life by mobocratic prints to be a greater loss than a little property, all of which, life alone excepted, we have sustained, brought upon us by the most unprincipled outlaws, gamblers, counterfeiters, and such characters as have been standing by me, and probably are now standing around your Excellency—namely, those men who have brought these evils upon us.

We have no knowledge of men's being sworn to pass our city. And upon receipt of your last message the Legion was disbanded and the city left to your Excellency's disposal.

How it could be possible for us now to be tried constitutionally by the same magistrate who first issued the writ at Carthage we cannot see, for the Constitution expressly says no man shall twice be put in jeopardy of life and limb for the same offense; and all you refer to, have been, since the issuance of the habeas corpus, complied with for the same offense, and trial before Daniel H. Wells, justice of the peace for Hancock county, and, after a full investigation, were discharged. But, notwithstanding this, we would not hesitate to stand another trial according to your Excellency's wish, were it not that we are confident out lives would be in danger. We dare not come. Writs, we are assured, are issued against us in various parts of the country. For what? To drag us from place to place, from court to court, across the creeks and prairies, till some bloodthirsty villain could find his opportunity to shoot us. We dare not come, though your Excellency promises protection. Yet, at the same time, you have expressed fears that you could not control the mob, in which case we are left to the mercy of the merciless. Sir, we dare not come, for our lives would be in danger, and we are guilty of no crime.

You say, "It will be against orders to be accompanied by others, if we come to trial." This we have been obliged to act upon in Missouri; and when our witnesses were sent for by the court, (as your honor promises to do) they were thrust into prison, and we left without witnesses. Sir, you must not blame us, for "a burnt child dreads the fire." And although your Excellency might be well-disposed in the matter, the appearance of the mob forbids our coming. We dare not do it.

We have been advised by legal and high-minded gentlemen from abroad, who came on the boat this evening to lay our grievances before the Federal Government, as the appearance of things is not only treasonable against us, but against the state on the part of Missouri, unless the same has been requested of Governor Ford by the Federal Government. And we suppose your Excellency is well aware by this time that the mass-meetings of the county declared utter extermination of the Mormons, and that the Legion was not called out until complaints were made to the Mayor, and the citizens were afraid of their lives, and losing their confidence in the authorities of the city, and that nothing on the part of the city authorities had been wanting, legally and judiciously, to allay excitement and restore peace. We shall leave the city forthwith to lay the facts before the General Government, and, as before stated, the city is left open and unprotected; and by everything that is sacred, we implore your Excellency to cause our helpless women and children to be protected from mob violence, and let not the blood of innocence cry to heaven against you. We again say, if anything wrong has been done on our part, and we know of nothing, we will make all things right if the Government will give us the opportunity. Disperse the mob, and secure to us our constitutional privileges, that our lives may not be endangered when on trial.

I remain most respectfully, your Excellency's humble servant,

JOSEPH SMITH,

Mayor, and Lieut.-Gen. N. L.

CHAPTER XXVII.

GOVERNOR FORD'S WRONG VIEWPOINT—ELDER TAYLOR'S ACCOUNT OF THE INTERVIEW WITH THE GOVERNOR AT CARTHAGE—CLOSE OF THE PROPHET'S JOURNAL NARRATIVE OF HIS LIFE.

Gov. Ford's Biased Judgment.

[Saturday, June 22nd, 1844, continued].—It appears that the Governor, on arriving at Carthage, ordered the entire mob into service, adopted the lies and misrepresentations circulated against us by our enemies as truth, turned Supreme Court, and decided on the legality of our municipal ordinances and proceedings, which is the business of the judiciary alone. He charges us in his letter, based upon most cursed falsehoods, with violations of law and order, which have never been thought of by us. He treated our delegates very rudely. My communications that were read to him were read in the presence of a large number of our worst enemies, who interrupted the reader at almost every line with, "That's a damned lie!" and "That's a G—d—d lie!" He never accorded to them the privilege of saying one word to him only in the midst of such interruptions as, "You lie like hell!" from a crowd of persons present. These facts show conclusively that he is under the influence of the mob spirit, and is designedly intending to place us in the hands of murderous assassins, and is conniving at our destruction, or else that he is so ignorant and stupid that he does not understand the corrupt and diabolical spirits that are around him.

Elder John Taylor gave the following account of his interview with the Governor:

Elder John Taylor's Account of Interview With Governor Ford at Carthage.

After waiting the Governor's pleasure for some time, we had an audience—but such an audience! He was surrounded by some of the vilest and most unprincipled men in creation. Some of them had an appearance of respectability, but many of them lacked even that. Wilson, and, I believe, William Law were there, Foster, Frank and Chauncey Higbee, Mr. Marr, a lawyer from Nauvoo, a mobocratic merchant from Warsaw, Joseph H. Jackson, a number of his associates, and the Governor's secretary—in all fifteen or twenty persons, most of whom were recreant to virtue, honor, integrity and everything that is considered honorable among men. I can well remember the feelings of disgust that I had in seeing the Governor surrounded by such an infamous group, and on being introduced to men of so questionable a character; and had I been on private business, I should have turned to depart, and told the Governor that if he thought proper to associate with such questionable characters, I should beg leave to be excused; but coming, as we did, on public business, we could not of course consult our private feelings.

We then stated to the Governor that, in accordance with his request, General Joseph Smith had, in response to his call, sent us to him as a committee of conference; that we were acquainted with most of the circumstances that had transpired in and about Nauvoo lately, and were prepared to give him the information; that, moreover, we had in our possession testimony and affidavits confirmatory of what we should say, which had been forwarded to him by General Joseph Smith; that communications had been forwarded to his Excellency by Messrs. Hunter, James and others, some of which had not reached their destination, but of which we had duplicates with us. We then in brief related an outline of the difficulties, and the course we had pursued from the commencement of the troubles up to the present, and, handing him the documents, respectfully submitted the whole. During our conversation and explanations with the Governor, we were frequently rudely and impudently contradicted by the fellows he had around him, and of whom he seemed to take no notice.

He opened and read a number of the documents himself, and as he proceeded he was frequently interrupted by, "That's a lie!" "That's a G— d—d lie!" "That's an infernal falsehood!" "That's a blasted lie!" &c.

These men evidently winced on an exposure of their acts, and thus vulgarly, impudently and falsely repudiated them. One of their number, Mr. Marr, addressed himself several times to me while in conversation with the Governor. I did not notice him until after a frequent repetition of his insolence, when I informed him that my business at that time was with Governor Ford, whereupon I continued my conversation with his Excellency.

During the conversation the Governor expressed a desire that Joseph Smith and all parties concerned in passing or executing the city law in relation to the press had better come to Carthage; that however repugnant it might be to our feelings, he thought it would have a tendency to allay public excitement and prove to the people what we professed—that we wished to be governed by law.

We represented to him the course we had taken in relation to this matter, our willingness to go before another magistrate other than the Municipal Court, the illegal refusal by the constable, of our request, our dismissal by the Municipal Court, a legally constituted tribunal, our subsequent trial before Esq. Wells at the instance of Judge Thomas (the circuit judge), and our dismissal by him; that we had fulfilled the law in every particular; that it was our enemies who were breaking the law, and, having murderous designs, were only making use of this as a pretext to get us into their power.

The Governor stated that the people viewed it differently, and that, notwithstanding our opinions, he would recommend that the people should be satisfied.

We then remarked to him that, should Joseph Smith comply with his request, it would be extremely unsafe, in the present excited state of the country, to come without an armed force; that we had a sufficiency of men, and were competent to defend ourselves, but that there might be danger of collision should our forces and those of our enemies be brought in such close proximity.

He strenuously advised us not to bring any arms, and pledged his faith as Governor, and the faith of the state, that we should be protected, and that he would guarantee our perfect safety.

At the termination of our interview, and previous to our withdrawal, after a long conversation and the perusal of the documents which we had brought, the Governor informed us that he would prepare a written communication for General Joseph Smith, which he desired us to wait for. We were kept waiting for this instrument some five or six hours.

About five o'clock in the afternoon we took our departure with not the most pleasant feelings. The associations of the Governor, the spirit that he manifested to compromise with these scoundrels, the length of time that he had kept us waiting, and his general deportment, together with the infernal spirit that we saw exhibited by those whom he admitted to his counsels, made the prospect anything but promising.

I had a consultation for a little while with my brother Hyrum, Dr. Richards, John Taylor and John M. Bernhisel, and determined to go to Washington and lay the matter before President Tyler.^[[1]]

About 7 p.m. I requested Reynolds Cahoon and Alpheus Cutler to stand guard at the Mansion, and not to admit any stranger inside the house.

At sundown I asked O. P. Rockwell if he would go with me a short journey, and he replied he would.

[Abraham C. Hodge says that soon after dusk, Joseph called Hyrum, Willard Richards, John Taylor, William W. Phelps, A. C. Hodge, John L. Butler, Alpheus Cutler, William Marks and some others, into his upper room and said, "Brethren, here is a letter from the Governor which I wish to have read." After it was read through Joseph remarked, "There is no mercy—no mercy here." Hyrum said, "No; just as sure as we fall into their hands we are dead men." Joseph replied, "Yes; what shall we do, Brother Hyrum?" He replied, "I don't know." All at once Joseph's countenance brightened up and he said, "The way is open. It is clean to my mind what to do. All they want is Hyrum and myself; then tell everybody to go about their business, and not to collect in groups, but to scatter about. There is no doubt they will come here and search for us. Let them search; they will not harm you in person or property, and not even a hair of your head. We will cross the river tonight, and go away to the West." He made a move to go out of the house to cross the river. When out of doors he told Butler and Hodge to take the Maid of Iowa, (in charge of Repsher) get it to the upper landing, and put his and Hyrum's families and effects upon her; then go down the Mississippi and up the Ohio river to Portsmouth, where they should hear from them. He then took Hodge by the hand and said, "Now, Brother Hodge, let what will come, don't deny the faith, and all will be well.">[

I told Stephen Markham that if I and Hyrum were ever taken again we should be massacred, or I was not a prophet of God. I want Hyrum to live to avenge my blood, but he is determined not to leave me.^[[2]]