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: