Although Governor Boggs did not come out and show himself openly in his true colors we have sufficient evidence that he sanctioned all the movements of the mob and even directed them. He it was who put in motion the movements of July, and continued his exertions until he had accomplished all his hellish designs. As Brother Joseph said, "the great change that may appear to some, in the views, designs and craft of this man, to rob an innocent people of their arms by stratagem, and leave more than one thousand defenseless men, women and children, to be driven from their homes, among strangers in a strange land is so glaringly exposed in the sequel that all earth and hell cannot deny that a baser knave, a greater traitor, and a more wholesale butcher, or murderer of mankind ever went untried, unpunished, or unhung." But Governor Dunklin was a gentleman and seemed disposed to do what was right.
Brothers Phelps, Gilbert and McLellin went into Clay Co. and made affidavit of the outrageous scenes in Jackson Co; and expressed the same to the governor who immediately ordered a court of inquiry to be held in Clay county for the purpose of investigating the whole affair, and meting out justice to all, and the attorney general wrote to the counsel employed to prosecute the mob, advising our people to organize themselves into regular companies and then apply to the governor for weapons of defense. He was of the opinion that the governor would not only furnish us arms and ammunition, but also troops to assist us in maintaining our rights, if we would only make application therefore.
About the same time Judge Ryland also wrote, on the authority of the governor, to one of our counsel, saying among other things that he was determined to investigate the causes of the recent disturbance and "take steps to punish the guilty and screen the innocent."
In reply to these communications Elder A. S. Gilbert wrote to the governor of Missouri as follows:
"(CONFIDENTIAL.)
LIBERTY, CLAY COUNTY,
Nov. 29th, 1833.
"Dear Sir—Yesterday I saw Mr. Doniphan, an attorney of this place, who informed me that he saw the attorney general, Mr. Wells, in Saline county, last Saturday week and that Mr. Wells had acquainted him with your intention of ordering a court of inquiry to be held in Jackson county, in relation to the late riotous proceedings in that county. Mr. Doniphan is of the opinion from the conversation he had with Mr. Wells, that said order will be suspended till a communication is received from our people, or their counsel. This is therefore to acquaint your excellency, that most of the heads of our Church had an interview yesterday on the subject of an immediate court of inquiry to be held in Jackson county, and by their request to me, I hasten to lay before your excellency serious difficulties attending our people on an immediate court of inquiry being called.
"Our Church was at this time scattered in every direction; some in the new county of Van Buren; a part in this county, and a part in La Fayette and Ray counties. Some of our principal witnesses would be women and children, and while the rage of the mob continues, it would be impossible to gather them in safety at Independence, and that your excellency may know of the unabated fury with which the last remnant of our people remaining in that county are pursued at this time, I here state that a few families, perhaps fifteen or twenty, who settled themselves more than two years ago on the prairie, about fifteen miles from the county seat of Jackson county, had hoped from the obscurity of their location, that they might escape the vengeance of the enemy through the Winter, consequently they remained on their plantations, receiving occasionally, a few individual threats, till last Sunday, when a mob made their appearance among them; some with pistols cocked and presented to their breasts, commanding them to leave the county in three days, or they would tear their houses down over their heads, etc.
"Two expresses arrived here from said neighborhood last Monday morning, for advice and the council advised their speedy removal for the preservation of life, and their personal effects. I suppose these families will be out of the county of Jackson this week. In this distressed situation, in behalf of my brethren, I pray your excellency to await a further communication which will soon follow this, setting forth among other things the importance of our people being restored to their possessions, that they may have an equal chance with their enemies in producing important testimony before the court, which the enemy are now determined to deprive them of. Trusting that your excellency will perceive the agitation and consternation that must necessarily prevail among most of our people at this day, from the unparalleled usage they have received and many of them wandering at this time destitute of shelter.