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.