A Prophecy and Its Fulfilment

IMPROVEMENT ERA,

A PROPHECY AND ITS FULFILMENT.

STORY OF TWO EXPULSIONS FROM JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI.

BY JUNIUS F. WELLS. I.

To many readers of the Improvement Era, the fulfilment of a prophecy is not required to establish their faith. They have re- ceived the more excellent testimony of the Spirit, by which they liave come to know the voice of inspiration, and that it cannot err. But to the youth and others who are incredulous of things pro- phetic, it is of interest and value to read the record of inspired words spoken by the Prophet of God, and of their historical ful- filment, as chronicled by those who are not his followers. It was in November, 1833, when the mobocracy of Jackson county, Missouri, culminated in the expulsion of the Latter-day Saints from their homes in that county. Scenes of utmost cruelty and inhumanity had marked the treatment of the Saints by the old time residents and their associates of the border ruffian order, from the time that the thrift of the "Mormon" people began to con- vert the country into beautiful homes and well-stocked and culti-

vated farms. It was the avarice of cunning scoundrels, the envy of thriftless farmers, and the jealousy of poorly paid but hireling ministers of other faiths, combined with the demagoguery of run-down politicians, which formed the combination of thieving robbers and mobocrats bent on despoiling the Saints and stealing their property. This combination became successful when the power and authority of the state and local governments were at length perverted to the accomplishment of its devilish purposes. The people were literally driven from their homes, wives and children separated from their husbands and fathers, their homes broken into and often burned. Legal remedies, taken at the in- stance of the governor, (in which the name of Doniphan first ap- pears as one of the attorneys employed by the Saints,) were ren- dered abortive by the double-dealing rascality of official asso- ciates, with Lieutenant-Gtovernor Boggs at their head. The war- fare was relentless, and the forced evacuation, without recourse or remedy, of the whole "Mormon" people was complete. They fled in peril of their lives, sacrificing homes and lands, and all their

possessions, into the adjoining counties. They were welcomed and treated kindly for a time in Clay county, where they remained until 1836. Then, for the sake of peace, and, it was claimed, to prevent ci^il war among their neigh- bors, and the possible re-enactment of the reign of terror that had been experienced in Jackson county, they removed westward, and located in Caldwell county, where they built up the town of Far West. They were prospered here, and in the counties of Daviess and Carroll, until the fall of 1838. By this time, the spirit of relentless hatred of the mobocratic classes that had prevailed against the Saints in Jackson and Clay counties had worked upon the prejudices of all neighboring non- "Mormon" communities, and had so dominated the officials of the state that the lives and liberties of the "Mormon" leaders and people were in constant jeopardy from attacks made upon them by lawless bands of renegades and ruffians, with whom were asso- ciated others having claims to respectability, but whose ignorance and prejudice made them little less dangerous. The state militia was called out to quell the mob. It was

c ommanded, in part, by men notoriously anti-"Mormon," but there

A PROPHECY AND ITS FULFILMENT. 3

were some exceptions. In particular is the name of Colonel A. W. Doniphan, held in honored remembrance. He was in command of about five hundred men from Clay county, who had been or- dered by the governor to operate with the commands under Gen- erals Clark, Lucas and Wilson, ostensibly for the purpose of pro- tscting the peaceable citizens, and dispelling the mob; really for the purpose of carrying out the infamous order of extermination, which the governor ha i already issued to General Clark, and in which he had used the words: "The 'Mormons' must be treated as public enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the state." These troops, numbering over two thousand, approached Far West, and demanded the capitulation of the town upon the follow- ing conditions: —To give up the Church leaders to be First all and pun- tried ished. Second — To make an appropriation of property, who their all

have taken up arms, to the payment of the debts, and indemnity for damage done by them. Third —That the balance should leave the state, and be pro- tected out by the militia, but to remain until further orders were received from the commander-in-chief. Fourth —To give up their arms of every description, to be re- ceipted for. Colonel Hinkle, in command of the "Mormon" forces who were themselves a lawfully organized part of the state militia, be- trayed the leaders of the Church, and, by a strategem, delivered them into the custody of General Lucas, accepting for his people the above terms of surrender, without consulting their leaders; and practically condemning the latter to prison, if not to death, and their followers to the confiscation* of all their property, and themselves to exile from the state. In briefly narrating these events, from the history of the Missouri persecutions, it is for the purpose of directing atten- tion to an occasion when the valorous friendship of General Doni- phan was fairly put to the test, and his love of fair play — of the principles of human liberty upon which our government is founded, and his courage in protesting against their abuse, were conspicu- ously displayed.

The night after the betrayal by Hinkle, a court-martial was held consisting of some fourteen militia officers, and about twenty priests of the different denominations, besides the circuit judge, Austin A. King, and the district attorney. The decision of this anomalous aggregation of military, spiritual and judicial mobo- crats, called a court-martial, was that the prisoners —Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight and some six or eight others, who were held as hostages for the carrying out of the above terms of surrender and expulsion, should be shot the following morning at 8 o'clock, in the public square of Far West, as an example to the "Mormon" people. General Wilson had made an effort to corrupt Colonel Wight, of the "Mormon" militia, during the preceding day, and to get him to testify to something against Joseph Smith. When the con- clu&ion of the court-martial was reached, he took Wight aside and told him the decision. "Shoot and be damned," said Wight. About this time. General Doniphan came up, and, addressing Wight, said: "Colonel, the decision is a damned hard one, but I wash my hands against such cold-blooded murder." He further said he should re- move his troops the following day, as soon as light, so that they should not witness this heartless murder. General Graham, and a few others, had voted against the decision of the court-martial, but it availed nothing. This bold stand, taken by General Doniphan the next morning, in removing his troops and denouncing the execution of the prisoners as cold-blooded murder, alarmed Lucas, and he changed his mind about executing the decision of the court-martial. In fact, he revoked the decree, and placed the prisoners in charge of General Wilson, with instructions to conduct them to Indepen- dence. They were afterwards taken to Richmond, and finally were committed to Liberty jail, to await trial on a charge of treason. It was during these proceedings that General Doniphan acted as leading counsel for the Prophet and his associates, who considered that, under God, he had been the means of saving their lives, after they had been condemned by Lucas' court-martial. It was during this incarceration of the Prophet that the Saints

were driven out of the state, and in the conduct of the enforced exodus, that President Brigham Young displayed those great

A PROPHECY AND ITS FULFILMENT. 5

qualities of administrative ability, which afterwards so distin- guished him as the leader of the "Mormon" people. As to the people of Jackson county, who remained after the Saints were driven out, who and what were they ? The history of the town of Independence, and its neighborhood, is the best answer. — Up to the end of the civil war a generation after the — "Mormon" expulsion the town never attained the population nor importance which the "Mormons" had giv^en it, and the county was notorious for its thriftlessness and poverty, though occupying a very garden-spot of the whole earth. It was notorious as the refuge of cattle thieves and horse thieves, the home of unrest and discontent, of schism and discord. No spot in the nation was so torn and rent over the question of slavery. In no place was the bitterness of the controversy for and against the Union so violent. Scarcely a family was united upon these questions, and, when the war broke out, in no other place were there so many families broken up, fathers fighting against sons, brothers against brothers. There, however, never came out of this county an organized force pf good repute for either side. On the contrary, its people con- tributed a low type of guerrilla and renegade warfare, which both armies despised; and which finally led to a castigation and punish- ment that fulfilled the words of a prophecy, and held its name up to the contempt and ridicule of the whole world. This came about in 1863, when General Ewing was in com- mand of the military district in which Jackson county was located. The practice of the guerrilla bands of making stealthy, assassin- like,sudden attacks upon the Union troops, from ambush, as they were marching from point to point, and then disappearing, became so intolerable that extreme measures weie resolved upon to stop it. These contemplated the destruction of the base of supplies of the marauding parties. It was found that the principal location

was Jackson county, where forage for their horses, and food for the men, and change of animals and equipment, were being secretly furnished, as the opportunity and need of the renegade parties required. Women and children even were frequently dis- covered contributing to the sustenance and help of these parties. The whole county came to be regarded as a nest-bed of traitors and spies, a refuge for assassins and robbers, whose murderous

6 IMPRO VEMENT ERA .

and uncivilized warfare could not be combatted by the ordinary rules and practices of civilized war, and that must be put down by means that should be effective, however cruel and relentless. This determination led to the issuance of the celebrated "General Orders No. 11," which has been more widely published and quoted, becaus3 of the manner and thoroughness of its execution, than almost any other order of the civil war. It is also celebrated in oratory, and art, affording the theme of many a campaign and historical oration from the lips of Missouri's greatest public speak- ers; and is the inspiration of the widely celebrated painting of Bingham, her greatest painter. A reproduction of this painting, by the photo-engraving process, accompanies this paper, and that it may be fully appreciated we also reproduce its superscription, and the military order which supplies its title:

CIVIL WAR,

As realized in the desolation of the border counties of Missouri, during the operation of General Orders No. 11, issued by Brigadier Gen- eral Ewing, from his headquarters, Kansas City, August 25, 1863. This print, from the original picture by G. C. Bingham, is respect- fully dedicated to all who cherish the principles of Civil Liberty.

general orders, no. 11.

Headquarters District of the Border, Kansas City, Mo., August 25, 1863. I. All persons living in Jackson, Cass and Bates counties. Mo., and in that part of Vernon included in this district, except those living within one mile of the limits of Independence, Hickman's Mills, Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville, and except those in that part of Kaw Township, Jackson county, north of Brush Creek and west of the Big Blue, are hereby ordered to remove from their present places of residence within fifteen days from the date hereof. Those who, within that time, establish their loyalty to the satisfac- tion of the commanding officer of the military station nearest their present places of residence, will receive from him certificates stating the fact of their loyalty and the names of the witnesses by whom it can be shown. All who receive such certificates will be permitted to re- move to any military station in this District, or to any part of the State of Kansas except the counties on the eastern border of the State. All others shah remove out of this district. Officers commanding companies

A PROPHECY AND ITS FULFILMENT. 7

and detachments serving in the counties named, will see that this para- graph is promptly obeyed. II. All grain and hay, in the field or under shelter, in the district from which the inhabitants are required to remove, within reach of mil- itary stations, after the 9th day of September next, will be takea to such stations, and turned over to the proper ofiicers there; and report of the amount so turned over made to District Headquarters, specifying the names of all loyal owners and the amount of such produce taken from them. All grain and hay found in such district after the 9th day of September next, not convenient to such stations, will be destroyed. III. The provisions of General Orders No. 10 from these Headquar- ters, will be at once vigorously executed by officers commanding in the parts of the districts, and at the stations, not subject to the operation of Paragraph I of this Order, and especially in the towns of Independ- ence, Westport and Kansas City. IV. Paragraph 3, General Orders No. 10, is revoked as to all who have borne arms against the Government in this district since the 20th day of August, 1863. By order of Brigadier-General Ewing. H. Hannahs, Adjutant.

The devastation of Jackson county under the above order has been denounced as one of the most cruel and unsparing incidents of the Civil War. The driving and herding of women and chil- dren from their burning homes, the destruction of barns, fences, stacks and fields of hay and grain, and the tramping and trodding under foot of armed men and horses, of almost every acre within the borders of the county, left it desolate, forbidding, a spectacle to wring tears from the eyes of the pitying, and agony from the hearts of those despoiled. Nothing like it had been seen since the expulsion of the "Mormons" from the same county, in 1833. Bingham's painting illustrates both events equally well.

I had the pleasure, in the early part of this year, to meet Hon. Leonidas M. Lawson, of New York City, formerly a resident of Clay county, Missouri. Mr. Lawson is a brother-in-law of General Doniphan, and, one night in the beautiful University Club, a night I shall long remember, he recounted to me many parts of the story here related. He said that his father had told him in his youth of the inhumanity of the Missourians' treatment of the

"Morn on" people, and then he told me of his own visit to General Doniphan, in 1863; of their riding over Jackson county together, and of the incidents related in the following letter, which I re- quested him to write. Mr. Law? on is a man standing high in his profession, a lawyer of great ability, an orator known in Missouri, New York and London, a man of world-wide travel and informa- tion, whose observations upon affairs and men are of recognized weight and value in the cosmopolitan circle of his acquaintance.

It was a pleasure to hear him, without prejudice for or against the

"Mormons," narrate eloquently the circumstances which he has so briefly, but pointedly, set down in this communication:

New York City, February 7th, 1902. Mr. Junius F. Wells, New York. My Dear Sir: —Responding to your request for a statement con- cerning the devastation of Jackson county. Mo., permit me to say: I am preparing a biographical sketch of General Alexander W. Doniphan. It will be remembered that General Doniphan commanded the famous expedition, which, during the Mexican War, marched from Fort Leavenworth to Sante Fe and thence to Chihuahua, fighting en route the Battle of Bracito and the Battle of Sacramento; in this latter engagement his little army of 1,000 Missourians was opposed by a Mexi- can army 4,000 strong. In the biography occurs the following interest- ing passage: In the year 1863, I visited General A. W. Doniphan at his home in Liberty, Clay county, Missouri. This was soon after the devastation of Jackson county, Missouri, under what is known as "Order No. 11." This devastation was complete. Farms were everywhere destroyed, and the farm houses were burned. During this visit General Doniphan related the following historical facts and personal incidents: About the year 1831-2, the Mormons settled in Jackson county. Mo., under the leadership of Joseph The people of Jackson Smith. county became dissatisfied with their presence, and forced them to leave; and they crossed the Missouri river and settled in the counties of De Kalb, Caldwell and Eay. They founded the town of Far West, and be- gan to prepare the foundation of a Temple. It was here that the trou-

bles arose which culminated in the expulsion of the Mormons from the state of Missouri, according to the command of Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. This was known in Missouri annals as the Mormon War. There were many among those who obeyed the order of the Governor, in the

A PROPHECY AND ITS FULFILMENT. 9

State Militia, who believed that the movement against the Mormons was unjust and cruel, and that the excitement was kept up by those who cov- eted the homes, the barns and the fields of the Mormon people. The latter, during their residence in the state of Missouri, paid, in entry fees for the land they claimed, to the U. S. Government Land Office, more than $300,000, which for that period represented a tremendous interest. During their sojourn in Missouri the Mormons did not practice or teach polygamy, so that question did not enter into it. Following the early excitement, Joseph Smith was indicted for trea- son against the State of Missouri, and General Doniphan was one of the counsel employed to defend him, he having shown a friendly interest in Smith, whom he considered very badly treated. Joseph Smith was placed in prison in Liberty, Missouri, to await his trial. This place was the residence of General Doniphan. His partner in the practice of law was James H. Baldwin. On one occasion General Doniphan caused the sheriff of the county to bring Joseph Smith from the prison to his law office, for the purpose of consultation about his defense. During Smith's presence in the office, a resident of Jackson county, Missouri, came in for the purpose of pay- ing a fee which was due by him to the firm of Doniphan & Baldwin, and offered in payment a tract of land in Jackson county. Doniphan told him that his partner, Mr. Baldwin, was absent at the moment, but as soon as he had an opportunity he would consult him and decide about the matter. When the Jackson county man retired, Joseph Smith, who had overheard the conversation, addressed General Doniphan about as follows: ^^ Doniphan, I advise you not to take that Jackson county land in

payment of the debt. God's tvrath hangs over Jackson county. God^s people have been ruthlessly driven from it, and you ivill live to see the day when it will he visited by fire and sword. 2 he Lord of Hosts will sweep it with the besom of destruction. The fields and farms and houses will be destroyed, and only the chimneys will be left to mark the desolation.''''

General Doniphan said to me that the devastation of Jackson county forcibly reminded him of this remarkable prediction of the Mor- mon prophet. Yours sincerely, L. M. Lawson.

There is a prediction of the Prophet Joseph, not before put into print, and history has recorded its complete fulfilment. As a remarkable evidence of its literal and exact fulfilment, I

:

10 •

add the following self-explanatory and interesting letter from Judge A. Saxey, written in reply to a request for information upon the subject, and call attention to his use of the almost exact words of Joseph's prophecy, though, so far as I know, he has not even yet heard that such a prediction was ever made

Spanish Fork, Utah, August 25, 1902.

Mr. Junius F. Wells, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dear Sir: —Yours of August 22nd received. I hardly know how to write in a letter concerning the subject you inquire about. However, I will give you a little of what I know, and if you can use it, all right. I enlisted in a Kansas regiment, in 1861. During the winter of 1861 and '62, my regiment was stationed at Kansas City, and we were around in Jackson county a great deal during the winter. Quantrill was operating in that locality, and we were trying to catch him. At one time, we surrounded Independence, and arrested every one in the town. I can testify that Jackson county contained more contemptible, mean, devilish rebels, than any I came across in an experience of four years. I

had quite a talk with a man I arrested who lived on the Blue river, and who was there when the Saints were driven out, but that I suppose would be somewhat foreign to your inquiry. In the spring of 1862, my regiment went south, and it was during that time that "Order No. 11" was issued, but I was back there again iu 1864, during the Price raid, and saw the condition of the country. The duty of executing the order was committed to Col. W. R. Penick's regi- ment, and there is no doubt but that he carried it into effect, from the howl the copperhead papers made at the time. I went down the Blue

river, we found houses, barns, outbuildings, nearly all burned down, and nothing left standing but the chimneys which had, according to the fash- ion of the time, been built on the outside of the buildings. I remember very well that the country looked a veritable desolation. I do not know that what I have written will do you any good, if it will, you are welcome. Of course, I could tell a great deal more than I can write in a letter. Respectfully, A. Saxey.

In the next number of the Era will be published a portrait and a biographical sketch of General Doniphan, showing espe- cially his subsequent and brilliant career as a commander of volun- teers in the Mexican war.

APPENDIX TO HISTORY OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH.

A JOURNAL KEPT BY DON C. SMITH, WHILE ON A MIS- SION WITH GEORGE A. SMITH, HIS COUSIN.

At a meeting of the High Council held in Adam-ondi-Ahman, I was appointed in company with my cousin George A. Smith, Lorenzo D. Barnes and Harrison Sagers, to take a mission to the east and south, for the pi^rpose of raising means to buy out the mobbers in Daviess co., Missouri; also to effect an exchange of farms between the brethren in the east, and the mobbers in our immedi- ate neighborhood. On the twenty-sixth of September, 1838, we took leave of our friends, and started on our miscion, in company with Brother Earl, who proposed taking us in his wagon as far as Richmond, a dis- tance of seventy miles. We stopped at Far West to see Brother Joseph. He sanctioned our mission, and bid us God-speed. On our way to Richmond, we stayed over night with Captain Alpheus Cutler, formerly of the United States army. He and his family treated us with much kindness. We also called on John Goodson, who a few days previous had shared freely in the hospitality of my uncle's house, yet he had not the politeness to ask either cousin George or myself to take breakfast with him. When we got to the landing, we found the river very low, and but one boat up, which was the Kansas. Whilst waiting for this boat, we had an interview with David Whitmer. He had not con- fidence to look us in the face, for he had become our enemy; yet,

when we parted, he shook hands with us quite cordially, and wished US success.

On the thirtieth of September, we went on board the Kansas; this was a very slow conveyance, for one of the wheels was broken; besides, the river being very low, and full of snags and sand bars» we got along but slowly on our journey. Here we traveled in company with General Wilson and Samuel Lucas, besides many others who had taken an active part in the expulsion of the Saints from Jackson County, in 1833. General Atchison was also on board. On arriving at De Witt, we found about seventy of the brethren with their families, surrounded .by a mob of about two hundred men. When the boat landed, the women and children were much frightened, supposing that we also were mob. We would have stopped, and assisted them what we could, but we were unarmed, and, upon consulting together, it was thought advisable for us to fulfil our mission, so we returned to the boat, and pro- ceeded on- our journey. From this onward, the "Mormons" were the only subject of conversation, and nothing was heard but the most bitter imprecations against them. General Wilson related many of his deeds of noble daring in the Jackson mob, one of which was the following: "I went in company with forty others to the house of one Hiram Page, who was a 'Mormon,' in Jackson county. We got logs and broke in every door and win- dow at the same instant; and pointing our rifles at the family, we told them, we would be God d d if we didn't shoot every one of them, if Page did not come out. At that, a tall woman made her appearance with a child in her arms. I told the boys, she was too d d tall. In a moment the boys stripped her, and found it was Page. I told them to give him a d d good one. We gave him sixty or seventy lashes with hickory withes which we had prepared. Then, after pulling the roof off this house, we went to the next d d 'Mormon's' house, and whipped him in like manner. We continued until we whipped ten or fifteen of the God d d 'Mor- mons,' and demolished their houses that night. If the Carroll boys would do that way, they might conquer; but it is no use to think of driving them without about four to one. I wish I could stay, I would help drive the d d 'Mormons' to hell, old Joe, and all the rest."

At this, I looked the General sternly in the face, and told him that he was neither a republican nor a gentbman, but a savage.

, APPENDIX TO HISTORY OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH. 13

without a single principle of honor. "If," said I, "the 'Mormons' have broken the law, let it be strictly executed against them; but such anti-republican and unconstitutional acts as these related by you, are balow the brutes." We were upon the hurricane deck, and a large company present were listening to the conversation. When I ceased speaking, the General placed his hand upon his pistol, but Ifelt safe, for Cousin George stood by his side, watch- ing every move the General made, and would have knocked him into the river instantly, had he attempted to draw a deadly weapon. But General Atchison saved him the trouble by saying, "I'll be God d d, if Smith ain't right." At this, Wilson left the company rather crest-fallen. In the course of the conversation, Wilson said that the best plan was, to rush into the "Mormon" settlement, murder the men, make slaves of the children, take possession of the property, and use the women as they pleased. There was a gentleman present from Baltioaore, Maryland; he said he never was among such a pack of d d savages before; that he had passed through Far West, and saw nothing among the "Mormons" but good order. Then, drawing his pistols, he dis- charged them; and re-loading, he said, "If God spares ray life till I get out of Upper Missouri, I will never be found associating with such devils again." Shortly after this, we were invited to preach on board. Elder Barnes gave them a good lecture, and I bore testimony. The rest of the way we were treated more civilly, but, being deck passengers, and having very little money, we suffered much for food. On one occasion we paid twelve and a half cents for one dozen ears of [Indian] corn; and after grating it, we paid a woman twelve and a half cents more for baking it into bread, although it was badly done, being neither sifted, nor the whole kernels taken out; but we were so hungry that we were glad to get it. We continued our journey together through every species of hardship and fatigue, until the eleventh of October, when Elder Barnes and H. Sagers left us, after our giving them all the money we had; they starting for Cincinnati, and we to visit the churches in West Tennessee. Soon after this, Julian Moses, who had fallen in company with us on the way, gave us a five franc piece, and bade us farewell. This left Cousin George and myself alone and in

a strange land and we soon found that the mob spirit wag here ;

as well as in Missouri, for it was not long before we were mobbed by near twenty men, who surrounded the house in the night, and

terrified the family very much however, we succeeded in driving ;

them away. After which, we continued our journey until we arrived at Brother Utley's, in Benton county, a neighborhood where Brothers Patten and Woodruff were mobbed some years ago. We soon made our business known to all the Saints, who said they would use every effort to be on hand with their money and means — some in the fall, others in the spring. We received from Brother West twenty-eight dollars to bear our expenses; and also from others, acts of kindness which will never be forgotten. About this time our minds were seized with an awful fore- boding — horror seemed to have laid his grasp upon us we lay — awake night after night, for we could not sleep. Our forebodings increased, and we felt sure that all was not right; yet we con- tinued preaching until the Lord showed us that the Saints would be driven from Missouri. We then started home, and, on arriving at Wyatt's Mills, which was on our return, we were told, that, if we preached there, it should cost us our lives. We gave out an appointment at the house of Sister Foster, a wealthy widow. She advised us to give it up; but, as she had no fears for herself, her property or family, we concluded to fulfil our appointment. The hour of meeting came, and many attended. Cousin George preached about an hour, during which time a man, named Fitch, came in at the head of twelve other mobbers, who had large,hickory clubs, and they sat down with their hats on. When Cousin George took his seat, I arose and addressed them for an hour and a half, during — — which time, I told them that I was a patriot that I was free that I loved my country — that 1 loved liberty— that I despised both mobs and mobbers — that no gentleman, or Christian at heart, would ever be guilty of such things or countenance them. At this the mob pulled off their hats, laid down their clubs, and listened with almost breathless attention. After meeting, Mr. Fitch came to us and said that he was ashamed of his conduct, and would never do the like again, that he had been misinformed about us by some religious bigots. We continued our journey until we reached the town of