About six p.m., the Maid of Iowa returned to her landing at the Nauvoo House. The company who had been on the expedition on board of her formed in a procession and walked up to my office, where they formed a hollow square, and sent in a deputation to me. As soon as I had bid them welcome, I opened the window of my office and requested that no man would leave the ground until I had spoken to them. My brother Hyrum and I went into the hollow square and directed them not to allow their ranks to be broken. I then shook hands with each man, blessing them and welcoming them home.
I then took off my hat and related to them how I was brought home to the midst of my friends, and how I regained my liberty. I feel, by the Spirit of the Lord, that if I had fallen into your hands that you would either have brought me safe home, or that we should all have died in a heap together.
At this time, a well dressed man, a stranger, who had a cloak around him, broke through the south line of the ranks, when the orderly sergeant took the stranger by the nape of the neck and kicked him outside the ranks, telling him not to come in again. As soon as quiet was resumed, I continued my address to the company.
About dusk I dismissed the company, blessing them in the name of the Lord.
My brother Hyrum then blessed them also, commending them for their diligence and attention to the instructions given by him before their departure.
The following is the report of their doings, as reported by Daniel M. Burbanks:
Burbanks' Account of the Maid of Iowa Expedition for the Prophet's Relief.
Sunday, June 25.—The brethren were collecting through the night on the Maid of Iowa, and commenced making preparations for the trip, all hands uniting in loading the boat with firewood.
26th.—About half-past eight a.m., President Hyrum Smith, in company with Judge Adams, came on board and instructed us to watch for the steamboats that may run up the Illinois river; and if any persons were running Brother Joseph down the river, under any pretext whatever, as the Amaranth had carried the news to Missouri that Joseph Smith was going to be tried at Ottawa, and it had been reported that a company of men were armed in St. Louis and had chartered a steamboat to run up to Ottawa, there to seize Joseph and kidnap him to Missouri;—and if we saw such a boat, we were to rescue Joseph, at all hazards and bring him to Nauvoo.
President Hyrum then blessed the company in the name of the Lord, and the Little Maid started at a quarter-past nine a.m., down the Mississippi river, with the following persons on board—namely, Dan Jones, Captain of boat; Daniel M. Burbanks, first Pilot; Dimick B. Huntington, Mate; Jonathan Dunham, Captain of Company; George W. Langley, Lieutenant; John Taylor, Chaplain; John M. Bernhisel, Surgeon; John S. Higbee, Isaac Higbee, Lucius N. Scovil, Enoch M. King, Lewis Dunbar Wilson, Whitford G. Wilson, Bushrod W. Wilson, John Bair, Ben Rolfe, Sylvester B. Stoddard, James Aikin, Elijah Averett, Levi W. Hancock, William Meeks, Calvin Reed, Robert C. Moore, Levi Stewart, Urban V. Stewart, Allen Stout, Welcome Chapman, William S. Yocum, Thomas Briley, Henry J. Young, James Worthington, George W. Thatcher, H. M. Alexander, Elbridge Tufts, Benjamin L. Clapp, Joseph C. Kingsbury, A. Young, John Fido, John Murdoch, John Lytle, Thomas Carrico, E. J. Sabin, Daniel Avory, H. B. M. Jolley, J. F. Lane, J. H. Holmes, H. P. Palmer, Benjamin Jones, Robert C. Egbert, Tarlton Lewis, R. A. Allred, J. Foutz, H. Permain, John Binby, George W. Rosecran, and about twenty-five others whose names are not reported.
At nine p.m., the boat turned the point of the bend and started up the Illinois river. She did not stop until opposite Diamond Isle, about four o'clock on Tuesday morning, 27th, where the company learned that the Chicago Belle had passed up the Illinois river the day previous with a large company of men, having a swivel gun on the forecastle, as they said, with the intention of taking Joseph Smith, at all hazards, and conveying him to Missouri.
The Maid next hailed at the Erie landing, five miles above Beardstown, where they were told that the Belle was twelve hours ahead, and the company on board had left word that if the Maid of Iowa followed, they would send the "Mormon" boat and crew, with Jo Smith, to hell. The people advised the company on the Maid to return. Stayed there half-an-hour to take in wood, and then continued our journey.
Wednesday, 28th.—At an hour before daybreak, passed Pekin, and the Chicago Belle aground in an island chute. When she saw us coming, she backed her star-board wheel and blocked up the passage.
When the pilot of the Maid came near, he stopped his engine and hailed them with his speaking trumpet, requesting a passage. They inquired, "What boat is that?" and were told, the Maid of Iowa. They replied, "You cannot pass, and we will see you all d—d and in hell first." The pilot saw a little opening in the willows of about twelve feet wide on her left, and signaled for the engineer to put on all steam, and drove her through this narrow channel and a small tow head about five rods, tearing the willows down on each side with the guards and wheelhouse, the captain crying out all the time, "Stop her!—stop her! For God's sake, stop her! You will smash the boat in pieces!"
When the boat had headed round the Belle, and was once more in deep water, the pilot stopped the engine and asked the captain, "What is the matter?" The captain was afraid, and said, "My God, you will smash the boat to pieces," and was answered, "All is safe, and we will go ahead," leaving the Belle still aground in the channel.
Then went to Peoria, about ten miles; found Jesse P. Harmon and Alanson Ripley, who had come from the horsemen with an express instructing the company to proceed to the mouth of Fox River. We took them on board and proceeded on our way.
Thursday, 29th.—Arrived at Peru, at ten a.m. There met William F. Lane with an express from Charles C. Rich, reporting that the company who had Joseph in charge had started from Fox River for Shokoquon, destined to run him through the Iowa territory by that route, and then into Missouri, as they had learned their way by the Illinois river was blocked up by the Maid of Iowa, and for the boat and company to return to Quincy, and there await further orders. We immediately turned round, and on arriving at the mouth of Spoon River, landed Ripley and Harmon, with instructions to pursue their journey by land to Nauvoo.
About one p.m., again overhauled the Chicago Belle at the Grand Pass while they were wooding. They hailed us to inquire "If old Jo was on board," and were answered, "It is none of your business," when another man on the hurricane deck of the Belle shouted, "Hurrah, hurrah for old Jo Smith!"
We continued our journey and again arrived at the Mississippi at nine p.m. In rounding to, broke the tiller rope and came to an anchor; repaired the same, and then continued up the Mississippi.
Arrived at the island below Quincy about eight p.m., on Friday, 30th, when John Taylor, Jonathan Dunham, Dan Jones, George W. Langley, and Daniel M. Burbanks took the yawl and went up to Quincy to learn the news and see if there was any excitement. They found all peace, then returned to the boat, got up steam, and went up to Quincy, landing about midnight.
Saturday, July 1st.—About eight a.m., left Quincy, after steaming about eight miles. Sidney Roberts and another messenger came in a skiff with a letter from Hyrum, saying that Joseph had arrived in Nauvoo, and was going to be tried before the municipal court, and for us to hurry home as quick as possible.
On reaching Keokuk, the engineer, Benjamin Orum (who was not a member of the Church) got dead drunk, when the first pilot turned engineer, and the second pilot took the wheel and run the boat over the rapids to Nauvoo,
[Application for Posse to Retake the Prophet.]
Colonel Markham returned from Carthage in the evening, and reported that on his arriving at Carthage, he found that Reynolds and Wilson had filed their affidavits, that he (Markham) had with armed force taken Joseph Smith out of their hands at the head of Elleston Grove, and that they had also got up a petition, which was signed by the inhabitants of Carthage, and sent it to Governor Ford by the hands of Reynolds and Wilson, requesting him to raise a posse comitatus, and they would come to Nauvoo and take me. They were to start by the mail early this morning; and Markham requested Jacob Backenstos to go with the mail to Governor Ford and request him to suspend all proceedings until documents would be got to show the true state of the case.
On going to the stage proprietor, he engaged and paid for a passage for one man. On their finding who was going, Reynolds and Wilson objected to his going; and that objection was accepted by the stage proprietor, although he had received the passage money. The proprietor then hired a horse from Mr. Hamilton for him [Markham] to ride.