The Women of Mormondom

by Edward W. Tullidge

Joseph Young, the brother of Brigham, was in the council. He had arrived at the mill that day, with his family, retreating from the mob.

The decision of the council was that the neighborhood of Haun's Mill should put itself in an attitude of defence. Accordingly about twenty-eight of the brethren armed themselves and prepared to resist an attack.

But the same evening the mob sent one of their number to enter into a treaty with the Mormons at the mill. The treaty was accepted on the condition of mutual forbearance, and that each party should exert its influence to prevent any further hostilities.

At this time, however, there was another mob collecting at William Mann's, on Grand River, so that the brethren remained under arms over Monday, the 29th, which passed without attack from any quarter.

"On Tuesday, the 30th," says Joseph Young, "that bloody tragedy was enacted, the scenes of which I shall never forget.

"More than three-fourths of the day had passed in tranquillity, as smiling as the preceding one. I think there was no individual of our company that was apprised of the sudden and awful fate which hung over our heads like an overwhelming torrent, and which was to change the prospects, the feelings and sympathies of about thirty families.

"The banks of Shoal Creek, on either side, teemed with children sporting and playing, while their mothers were engaged in domestic employments. Fathers or husbands were either on guard about the mills or other property, or employed in gathering crops for winter consumption. The weather was very pleasant, the sun shone clearly, and all was tranquil, and no one expressed any apprehension of the awful crisis that was near us—even at our doors.

"It was about four o'clock P. M., while sitting in my cabin, with my babe in my arms, and my wife standing by my side, the door being open, I cast my eyes on the opposite bank of Shoal Creek, and saw a large body of armed men on horses directing their course towards the mills with all possible speed. As they advanced through the scattering trees that bordered the prairie, they seemed to form themselves into a three-square position, forming a vanguard in front. At this moment David Evans, seeing the superiority of their numbers (there being two hundred and forty of them, according to their own account), gave a signal and cried for peace. This not being heeded, they continued to advance, and their leader, a man named Comstock, fired a gun, which was followed by a solemn pause of about ten or twelve seconds, when all at once they discharged about one hundred rifles, aiming at a blacksmith's shop, into which our friends had fled for safety. They then charged up to the shop, the crevices of which, between the logs, were sufficiently large to enable them to aim directly at the bodies of those who had there fled for refuge from the fire of their murderers. There were several families tented in the rear of the shop, whose lives were exposed, and amid showers of bullets these fled to the woods in different directions.

"After standing and gazing at this bloody scene for a few minutes, and finding myself in the uttermost danger, the bullets having reached the house where I was living, I committed my family to the protection of heaven; and leaving the house on the opposite side, I took a path which led up the hill, following in the trail of three of my brethren that had fled from the shop.

"While ascending the hill we were discovered by the mob, who fired at us, and continued so to do till we reached the summit. In descending the hill I secreted myself in a thicket of bushes, where I lay till 8 o'clock in the evening. At this time I heard a voice calling my name in an undertone. I immediately left the thicket and went to the house of Benjamin Lewis, where I found my family—who had fled there in safety—and two of my friends, mortally wounded, one of whom died before morning. Here we passed the painful night in deep and awful reflections upon the scenes of the preceding evening.