The next day my husband succeeded in getting a comfortable place, about four miles distant, for Catharine and her infant, and they were carried thither on a lumber wagon, the same day. We then agreed that Sophronia, and her husband, McLerie, should stop and take care of Catharine, while Mr. Smith and the remainder of the party, should take me, and make what speed they could to Huntsville.
Our progress was but slow, for I was unable to travel far in a day, on account of a violent cough with which I was afflicted; however, we at length arrived there, and succeeded in getting a place where we could stay for some considerable length of time, if we should think proper to do so.
The next morning after our arrival, the family being absent, I seized the opportunity to make an effort to get far enough from the house to pray without interruption. Accordingly I took a staff in each hand, and, by the assistance which they afforded me, I was enabled to reach a dense thicket, which lay some distance from the house. As soon as I was sufficiently rested to speak with ease, I commenced calling upon the Lord, beseeching him to restore me to health, as well as my daughter Catharine. I urged every claim which is afforded us by the Scriptures, and continued praying faithfully for three hours, at the end of which time I was relieved from every kind of pain; my cough left me, and I was well.
At one o'clock, Wilkins J. Salisbury, Catharine's husband, came to Huntsville, and informed us that Catharine was so much better, that, if she had a carriage to ride in, she could proceed on her journey.
After getting a carriage, Salisbury returned to his wife, who was forty miles from Huntsville, and the first day she traveled, she rode thirty miles. The second day, it commenced raining quite early in the morning, and continued to rain all day. However, this did not stop Catharine; she started about eight o'clock, and arrived a little before noon. When she got to Huntsville she was wet and cold. We put her immediately into a dry bed, and soon after she had an ague fit. The Elders were called to lay hands upon her, after which she seemed better, but continued weak and inclined to chills and fever sometime.
The day following I washed a quantity of clothes, and then we proceeded on our journey, and met with no further difficulty until we arrived at Far West.
We moved into a small log house, having but one room, a very inconvenient place for so large a family. Joseph saw how uncomfortably we were situated, and proposed that we should take a tavern house, which he had recently purchased. We took the tavern, and moved into it. Samuel, previous to this, had moved to a place called Marrowbone, Daviess county. William had moved thirty miles in another direction. We were all now quite comfortable. But this state of affairs was of short duration, for it was not long before our peace was again disturbed by the mob. An election took place at Gallatin, the county seat of Daviess county; the brethren went to the poll as usual, but, on attempting to vote, they were forbidden by the mob. They, however, paid no attention to this, but proceeded to vote; upon which one of the mob struck a brother a heavy blow, which was returned by the latter, with a force that brought his antagonist to the ground. Four others came to the assistance of the fallen man, and shared the same fate. The mob saw the discomfiture of their champions with shame and disappointment, and not choosing to render them any present help, they waited till evening, when, procuring the assistance of the judge of the election, they wrote letters to all the adjoining counties, begging their assistance against the "Mormons." They stated that Joseph Smith had, himself, killed seven men, at the election the day previous, and that the inhabitants had every reason to expect that he would collect his people together, as soon as possible, and murder all that did not belong to his Church.
These letters were extensively circulated, and as widely believed.
A few days subsequent to this, Joseph was at our house writing a letter. While he was thus engaged, I stepped to the door, and looking towards the prairie, I beheld a large company of armed men advancing towards the city, but, as I supposed it to be training day, said nothing about it.
Presently the main body came to a halt. The officers dismounting, eight of them came into the house. Thinking they had come for some refreshment, I offered them chairs, but they refused to be seated, and, placing themselves in a line across the floor, continued standing. I again requested them to sit, but they replied, "We do not choose to sit down; we have come here to kill Joe Smith and all the 'Mormons.'"