Camp Diversions.

Thursday, May 29.—Having to buy a horse we were detained until near noon. There was some murmuring among the brethren, many wishing to go on and not tarry with the rest of the company for the day, and some were already started. I sent for them to return and collected the whole company together, and instructed them not to scatter. I told them if they went ahead of the camp in a scattered condition they would become weary, lie down on the ground when their blood was heated, and they would be liable to take diseases, such as fever and ague, which are prevalent in this climate. They would also be in danger of being killed by an enemy, and none of us be the wiser for it.

I then proposed for a diversion that we divide the camp into three parts and have a sham battle, which was agreed to. Brother Roger Orton led one division, Frederick G. Williams another division, while I remained in the camp with the third division. They retired to the woods with their divisions, and soon attacked the camp, which we defended by various maneuvers for some time. Many of our captains showed considerable tact and more acquaintance with military matters than I had expected. Everything passed off with good feelings, although Captain Heber C. Kimball, in receiving a charge, grasped Captain Lewis Zobriski's sword, and in endeavoring to take it from him, had the skin cut from the palm of his hand. After the sham battle was over, I called the camp together and cautioned the men to be careful in the future and control their spirits in such circumstances so as never to injure each other.

We traveled across the prairie and encamped in a strip of timber. When we stopped to dine, I wrote a letter to the brethren in Missouri, dated "Camp of Israel," requesting some of them to meet us as soon as possible and give me information of the state of things in Upper Missouri, and sent the letter to Springfield post office by Dr. Frederick G. Williams.

At this place I discovered that a part of my company had been served with sour bread, while I had received good, sweet bread from the same cook. I reproved Brother Zebedee Coltrin for this partiality, for I wanted my brethren to fare as well as I did.

Proposition to Divide Jackson County between Saints and the Mob.

The same day (May 29th) the brethren in Clay county wrote the following letter to his Excellency Daniel Dunklin:

Liberty, Missouri, May 29, 1834.

Sir—Your communication to us of May 2nd, containing or enclosing an order on Colonel S. D. Lucas for the arms which were forcibly taken from us last November, was received on the 15th instant, and the order forwarded to Colonel Lucas at Independence, on the 17th, giving him the privilege of returning our arms at one of the several ferries in this county. His reply to the order was, that he would write what he would do by the next mail, May 22nd. But as he has removed to Lexington without writing, we are at a loss to knew whether he means to delay returning them for a season, or entirely to refuse to restore them.

At any rate, the excitement, or rather spite, of the mob, runs so high against our people, that we think best to request your Excellency to have said arms returned through the agency of Colonel Allen or Captain Atchison. Report says the arms will not be returned, and much exertion is making by the mob to prevent our return to our possessions in Jackson county. We also understand that the mob is employing certain influential gentlemen to write to your Excellency, to persuade us to compromise our matters in difference with the Jackson mob, and probably divide Jackson county. We ask for our rights and no more.

Respectfully, your Excellency's servants,

(Signed)

W. W. Phelps,

Algernon S. Gilbert,

John Corrill,

Edward Partridge.

Passage of Camp through Springfield, Illinois.

Friday, May 30.—Frederick G. Williams and Almon W. Babbitt[[5]] went ahead of the camp into Springfield in disguise, to learn the feeling of the people and procure some powder. We passed through Springfield; our appearance excited considerable curiosity, and a great many questions were asked. The spies who had followed us so long pursued us very closely, changing their dress and horses several times a day.