The result of this conflict brought sorrow to the Church at Far West. Joseph and Hyrum Smith and Lyman Wight met the brethren on their return, at Log Creek, where they did all that could be done for Captain Patten before his death. “Brother Patten,” said the Prophet, “was a very worthy man, beloved by all good men who knew him. He was one of the Twelve Apostles, and died as he had lived, a man of God, and strong in the faith of a glorious resurrection, in a world where mobs will have no power or place. One of his last expressions to his wife was—‘what ever you do else, O do not deny the faith.’ How different his fate to that of the apostate, Thomas B. Marsh, who this day vented all the lying spleen and malice of his heart towards the work of God, in a letter to Brother and Sister Abbot, to which was annexed an addendum by Orson Hyde.” The funeral of Brothers Patten and O’Banion was held at Far West, Saturday, October 27, 1838. On that occasion the Prophet said of Elder Patten: “There lies a man that has done just as he said he would—he has laid down his life for his friends.”

Apostasy of Thomas B. Marsh

Thomas B. Marsh, President of the council of the Twelve Apostles, suddenly left Far West in October, 1838, and went to Richmond in an ugly mood. He had been offended over a trivial matter and thereupon left the Church and made false accusations against his former brethren. Orson Hyde, in the same spirit, followed him on the 18th of October. On the 24th, Marsh went before Henry Jacobs, justice of the peace at Richmond, and made an affidavit the gist of which is as follows:

“They have among them a company, considered true ‘Mormons,’ called the Danites, who have taken an oath to support the heads of the Church in all things that they say or do, whether right or wrong. Many, however, of this band are much dissatisfied with this oath, as being against moral and religious principles. On Saturday last, I am informed by the ‘Mormons,’ that they had a meeting at Far West at which they appointed a company of twelve, by the name of the ‘Destruction Company,’ for the purpose of burning and destroying, and that if the people of Buncombe came to do mischief upon the people of Caldwell, and committed depredations upon the ‘Mormons,’ they were to burn Buncombe; and if the people of Clay and Ray made any movement against them, this destroying company were to burn Liberty and Richmond. . . . The Prophet inculcates the notion, and it is believed by every true ‘Mormon,’ that Smith’s prophecies are superior to the laws of the land. I have heard the Prophet say that he would yet tread down his enemies, and walk over their dead bodies; and if he was not let alone, he would be a second Mohammed to this generation, and that he would make it one gore of blood from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean; that like Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was, ‘the Alcoran or the Sword;’ so should it be eventually with us, ‘Joseph Smith or the Sword.’ These last statements were made during the last summer. The number of armed men at Adam-ondi-Ahman was between three and four hundred.

“Thomas B. Marsh.”

“Sworn to and subscribed before me, the day herein written.

“Henry Jacobs, J. P.,
“Ray County, Missouri.”

“Richmond, Missouri, October 24, 1838.”

“Affidavit of Orson Hyde”

“The most of the statements in the foregoing disclosure I know to be true; the remainder I believe to be true.

“Orson Hyde.”

“Richmond, October 24, 1838.”

“Sworn to and subscribed before me, on the day above written.

“Henry Jacobs, J. P.”[4]

General Atchison’s Report to Boggs

After the expulsion of the Saints from DeWitt, General Atchison reported the condition to Governor Boggs. He informed him that the mob was on the way to Daviess County to continue their ravages, “where it is thought,” said the general in his communication, “the same lawless game is to be played over, and the ‘Mormons’ to be driven from that county, and probably from Caldwell County. Nothing, in my opinion, but the strongest measures within the power of the executive, will put down this spirit of mobocracy.” Again, showing the spirit of disapproval of the course taken by the officials in the state, he wrote the governor and said: “I do not feel disposed to disgrace myself, or permit the troops under my command to disgrace the state and themselves by acting the part of a mob. If the ‘Mormons’ are to be driven from their homes, let it be done without any color of law, and in open defiance thereof; let it be done by volunteers acting upon their own responsibilities!” This was evidently intended as a rebuke, but it and other reports of like character were entirely ignored by Governor Boggs, who remained true to his colors as the advocate of mob rule.