Earnestly hoping that your life may be spared, and that you may be permitted to wear this slight token of our esteem for many years yet to come, we will still continue to invoke the blessings of the Just One to rest upon you and yours forever and ever.
CHAPTER LIII.
Chester Loveland a modern Ajax.—Drives the Sheriff and his posse.—Holds a mobocratic jury.—Brings them to terms.—Captain in "Nauvoo Legion."—Comes to Utah.—Goes to Carson.—A scene of suffering.—Commissioned Probate Judge.—Is left to preside.—Mission to the States.—John A. McAllister called on mission to Europe.—Interesting time on the steamer.—Why the "Mormons" were driven from Nauvoo.—Is sent to the Orkney Islands.—Stops at his uncle's in Glasgow.—Missionary labors.—In Dundee and Newcastle-on-Tyne.—Visits London.—Returns home.—Is elected County Recorder.
Chester Loveland, one of Lorenzo's sons-in-law, who was baptized in Kirtland, June 27th, 1837, has had several hair-breadth escapes in defense of his brethren, in the most turbulent scenes through which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has struggled. In one instance a leaden ball, designed to take his life, in passing his head came so close as to graze the side of his face, scorching it sufficiently to cause the skin to peel off.
A stranger to fear, he never shunned positions of danger where duty called or danger to his brethren prompted. In his physical development evidently formed for a champion—tall, robust, he might well pass for a modern Ajax in strength and agility.
The apostates, aided by our most bitter Gentile enemies abroad, established a press in Nauvoo, and commenced the issue of a periodical entitled The Expositor, in which appeared the most flagrant, scurrilous, libelous articles against the leading authorities of the Church. The mayor, in connection with the city council, declared it a nuisance, and by their order it was demolished; after this, the deputy sheriff called on our hero to assist in arresting the mayor, Joseph Smith, and the city council, and he positively refused. The next day the sheriff came with a posse and demanded his assistance, saying he had orders from the governor of the State. Mr. Loveland understood the trick; he knew there was no possible means by which orders from the governor could have been obtained, as he was far distant, and at that time communication by telegraph was out of the question. The sheriff insisted, and the more he did so the more Mr. Loveland's anger was aroused, till, grasping his arms, he rushed single handed towards the mounted posse, when with the fear of treacherous cowardice, riders and horses decamped with hurried pace.
He entered into plural marriage in January 21, 1846, having a second wife sealed to him at that time in the Nauvoo Temple.
A serious, and, at the same time, rather ludicrous incident, in which Brother Loveland was connected, which transpired in Nauvoo, is worthy of record as a specimen of mobocratic times with the Latter-day Saints, as related by himself.
He says: I was on the jury when some of our brethren who had been falsely accused were brought to trial before eleven mobocratic jurors, and I held that jury thirty-six hours, until they were nearly starved. Two bills were before us—one "guilty," the other "not guilty." The eleven signed the "guilty" verdict, and insisted that I should follow suit. I said: "No, gentlemen, before I will sign that paper, I will die here on this floor, and the red ants may pack me out through that keyhole." The result was, every man signed the verdict of "not guilty," and the innocent went free. He was appointed captain of the "Nauvoo Legion" in its first organization in Nauvoo.