It was a joy to the sectarian ministers of the neighborhood to see this work of ruin; and many of them visited Far West to exult over the prisoners and their suffering families.
Many privations and tortures were endured. The captives were kept without food until they were on the verge of starvation. The mob continued their work of ruin, hunting and shooting human beings like wild beasts; and ravishing and murdering women.
Upon Clark's arrival at Far West he selected fifty-six of the leading men and held them under a strong guard for trial, for what offense neither he nor they could tell. He also sent a messenger to the commander of the troops advancing to assault Adam-ondi-Ahman, requiring him to take all of the "Mormons" prisoners and to secure all their property to pay the damages of other citizens.
On the 6th day of November, 1838, Clark assembled the people and delivered an address to them as follows:
GENTLEMEN:
You whose names are not attached to this list of names will now have the privilege of going to your fields and of providing corn, wood, etc., for your families. Those who are now taken will go from this to prison, be tried and receive the due demerit of their crimes; but you (except such as charges may hereafter be preferred against), are at liberty, as soon as the troops are removed that now guard the place, which I shall cause to be done immediately.
It now devolves upon you to fulfill a treaty that you have entered into, the leading items of which I shall now lay before you. The first requires that your leading men be given up to be tried according to law; this you already have complied with. The second is, that you deliver up your arms: this has been attended to. The third stipulation is that you sign over your properties to defray the expenses of the war. This you have also done. Another article yet remains for you to comply with—and that is, that you leave the state forthwith. And whatever may be your feelings concerning this, or whatever your innocence, it is nothing to me. General Lucas (whose military rank is equal with mine), has made this treaty with you, I approve of it. I should have done the same had I been here. I am therefore determined to see it executed.
The character of this state has suffered almost beyond redemption, from the character, conduct and influence that you have exerted; and we deem it an act of justice to restore her character to its former standing among the states by every proper means. The orders of the Governor to me were, that you should be exterminated, and not allowed to remain in the state. And had not your leaders been given up, and the terms of the treaty complied with, before this time you and your families would have been destroyed and your houses in ashes.
There is a discretionary power vested in my hands, which, considering your circumstances, I shall exercise for a season. You are indebted to me for this clemency. I do not say that you shall go now, but you must not think of staying here another season or of putting in crops; for the moment you do this the citizens will be upon you; and if I am called here again in case of a non-compliance of a treaty made, do not think that I shall do as if I have done now. You need not expect any mercy, but extermination, for I am determined the Governor's order shall be executed.
As for your leaders, do not think, do not imagine for a moment, do not let it enter into your minds, that they will be delivered and restored to you again, for their fate is fixed, their dye is cast, their doom is sealed.
I am sorry, gentlemen, to see so many apparently intelligent men found in the situation that you are; and oh! if I could invoke that Great Spirit, THE UNKNOWN GOD to rest upon and deliver you from that awful chain of superstition, and liberate you from those fetters of fanaticism with which you are bound—that you no longer do homage to a man.
I would advise you to scatter abroad, and never again organize yourselves with Bishops, Presidents, etc., lest you excite the jealousies of the people and subject yourselves to the same calamities that have now come upon you. You have always been the aggressors—you have brought upon yourselves these difficulties, by being disaffected, and not being subject to rule. And my advice is, that you become as other citizens, lest by a recurrence of these events you bring upon yourselves irretrievable ruin.
The prisoners whom he had taken were sent by him to Richmond, in Ray County, for trial.
About this same time Boggs wrote a letter requiring Clark to finish the awful work which had been begun. He directed a movement against the Saints at Adam-ondi-Ahman and said:
My instructions to you are to settle this whole matter completely, if possible, before you disband your forces.
To fulfill this edict, Clark ordered General Wilson with his brigade to Adam-ondi-Ahman, although there were enough mob troops already there to furnish a special guard and a special executioner for every man, woman and child in the place. On the 8th of November a cordon was drawn about Adam-ondi-Ahman. A court of inquiry was instituted with the notorious Adam Black on the bench, and with a man from General Clark's army as prosecuting attorney. Not a thing could be proved against any of the brethren, except that they had been long-suffering victims of senseless hate, and they were acquitted; but not until a military order was prepared requiring them, one and all to vacate the place in ten days and to be outside of the state as early as the next spring or to be exterminated.