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.