--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1839 to 1840. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 1 number: 11 published: 1840-09 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“A History, of the Persecution, of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints in Missouri,” *Times and Seasons* 1, no. 11 (September 1840): 161–165." printed_title: A HISTORY, OF THE PERSECUTION, OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST, OF LATTER DAY SAINTS IN MISSOURI. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1840-09_1_11 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v1n11.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1840-09_1_11 start_page: 161 end_page: 165 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1840 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1840-09_1_11 publication_year: 1840 --- # A History, of the Persecution, of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints in Missouri CONTINUED. We will now return to the prisoners. They had meanly betrayed us into their hands; we were kept in their camp till the third day of November; we were then started for Jackson county. Let us here observe that they increased our number baving [having] added to it Messrs. Hyrum Smith and Amasa Lyman. By our special request, they took us into Far West, to see our families, whom we found, when we got there, living on parched corn, as the town was so closely invested they could not get out. I will not attempt to describe this parting scene. I will leave every person to place themselves in our situation and then judge for themselves. In writing this narrative it is no part of our intention to play upon the passions of the public, bnt [but] give a faithful narrative of facts and then leave it.-After we arrived at Independence, the county seat of Jackson county, we served the same purpose that a caravan of wild animals would for a show, as hundreds of people called to see us. We were put into an old house and left to sleep on some blankets we had with us. Shortly after we had started from Far West, a messenger came riding after us with a demand from Gen. Clark, to take us back. With this, Gen. Lucas would not comply. Upon the whole, we were treated at Jackson county with respect. We were boarded at a tavern house. A man was appointed to see that we had every thing we wanted. They despensed [dispensed] with their guards, and we were at liberty to go where we pleased, and return when it suited us. These priviliges [privileges] were not granted us at first, but after we had been there a few days. At first we were put into an old house and closely guarded. While we were there, Burrell Hicks, a lawyer of celebrity, and leader of the Jackson county mob, confessed in our presence, and in the presence of many others, that the Jackson county mob, was a wanton attack upon the saints without cause, and he said he presnmed [presumed] that the attack then made was of the same character. We state this to show that the men of intelligence in Jackson, knew that they were again engaged in robbing a people of their rights. Indeed, General Wilson went so far as to say that if ever mobs attacked us again, he would fight for us. We will here leave the prisoners and relate what took place in Diahman. After General Clark's arrival at Far West, General Wilson, I think, was the General's name, that was sent to Diahman. On his arrival there, he placed guards around the town, so that no person might pass out or in without permission. All the men in the town were then taken and put under guard, and a court of inquiry was instituted, with Adam Black on the bench; the said Adam Black belonged to the mob and was one of the leaders of it from the time mobbing first commenced in Daviess county. the Attorney's name I have forgotton [forgotten], if I ever knew, but belonged to General Clark's army. After two or three days' investigation, every man was honorably acquitted. General Wilson then ordered every family to be out of Diahman in ten days, with permission to go to Caldwell, and there tarry until spring, and then leave the state under pain of extermination. This was on the first of November, the weather was very cold, more so than usual, for that season of the year: and, in keeping this order of General Wilson's they had to leave their crops and houses, and to live in tents and wagons in this inclement season of the year. As for their flocks and herds, the mob had delivered them from the trouble of taking care of them, or from the pain of seeing them starve to death, by stealing them. An arrangement was made in which it was stipulated that a committee of twelve, which had been previously appointed, should have the privilege of going from Far West to Daviess county for the term of four weeks, for the purpose of conveying their crops from Daviess to Caldwell. The committee were to wear white badges on their hats for their protectoin [protection]. But in a short time after this arrangement was made, Gen. Wilson withdrew with his army, and the mob rose up as soon as the army had gone, and forbid the Committee from coming again into Daviess county under pain of death. By this the mob secured unto themselves several hundred thousand bushels of corn, besides large quantities of oats, and the saints were left to seek their bread and shelter where they could find it. We will now return to the prisoners in Jackson county. Shortly after our arrival in Jackson county, Colonel Sterling Price from the army of Gen. Clark, came with orders from Gen. Clark who was commander-in-chief of the expedition, to have us forwarded forthwith to Richmond. Accordingly, on Thursday morning, November 8th, with three guards only, and they had been obtained with great difficulty, after laboring all the previous day to get them. Between Independence and Roy's ferry, on the Missouri river, they all got drunk, and we got possession of their arms and horses. It was late in the afternoon, near the setting of the sun. We travelled [traveled] about half a mile after we crossed the river, and put up for the night. The next morning there came a number of men some of them armed, their threatenings and savage appearance were such as to make us afraid to proceed without more guards. A messenger was therefore despached [dispatched] to Richmond to obtain them. We started before their arrival, but had not gone far before we met Col. Price with a guard, if we recollect right of seventy four men. As to the number, however, we are not certain: and were conducted by them to Richmond and put into an old vacant house, and a guard set. Sometime through the ceurse [course] the that day, Gen. Clark came in and we were introduced to him. We enquired [inquired] of him the reason why we had been thus carried from our homes and what were the charges against us. He said that he was not then able to determine, but would be in a short time, and with very little more conversasion [conversation] withdrew. Some short time after he had withdrawn, Col. Price came in with two chains in his hands, and a number of padlocks. The two chains he fastened together. He had with him ten men armed, who stood at the time of these operations with a thumb upon the cock of their guns. They first nailed down the windows, then came and ordered a man by the name of John Fulkerson whom he had with him, to chain us together with chains and padlcks [padlocks], being seven in number. After that, he searched us, examining our pockets to see if we had any arms; finding nothing but pocket knives, he took them and conveyed them off. General Clark spent several days in searching the statutes of Missouri to find some authority to hold a Court Martial. (The troops said that he had promised when they left, that there were two or three that they should have the privilege of shooting before they returned.) But he could find none, and after a fruitless search of a number of days he came again to see us and informed us that he would turn us over to the civil authorities for trial. Accordingly, the trial commenced; Austin A King on the bench, and Thomas C. Birch, attorney. This was surely a new kind of Court: it was not an inquisition nor yet a criminal court, but a compound between. A looker on would be convinced that both the judge and attorney were not satisfied that some or all of the prisoners had been guilty of some criminal act or acts, but on the contrary that their object was to try by all means in their power to get some person to swear some criminal thing aginst [against] us, through [though] they were innocent. The first act of the court was to send out a body of armed men, to obtain witnesses without any civil process whatever; and after witnesses were brought before the court, they were sworn at bayonet point. Dr. Sampson Avard was the first brought before the Court. He had previously told Mr. Oliver Olney, that if he (Olney) wished to save himself, he must swear hard against the heads of the Church, as they were the ones, the court wanted to criminate, and if he could swear hard against them, they would, that is neither court nor mob, disturb him. I intend to do it, said he, in order to escape, for if I do not, they will take my life. To aid him in this work, there was standing a body of armed men; a part of this armed body stood in the presence of the court to see that the witnesses swore right, and another part was scouring he county to drive out of it every witness that they could hear of, whose testimony would be favorable to the defendents [defendants]. This course was kept up during the whole time of the court. If a witness did not swear to please the court, he or she would be threatened to be cast into prison. They never pleased the Court when their testimony was favorable to the defendants. One instance is all the proof that need be adduced on this head. A man by the name of Allen was called on, he began to tell the story about Bogart's burning houses in the south part of Caldwell, he was kicked out of the house and three men took after him with loaded guns, and he hardly escaped with his life. Every witness that the defendants had, (that these creatures knew of, and they made dilligent [diligent] search to find all they could) were either arrested under pretention [pretension] of some charge, or else driven off. When a witness did not swear to please the attorney, Birch he would order them to be taken into custody and they were immediately cast into prison and the next morning they would be brought forward and tried again. Such was the cousre [course] the Court and their armed body pursued during their sittings till they got through; by such means they got men to swear for them, and to swear to most unhallowed falsehoods. It was indeed suborning witnesses to swear, to promise a man's life if he would swear, and death or imprisonment if he did not swear, and not only to swear, but swear to please them. This matter of driving away witnesses or casting them into prison or chasing them out of the county, was carried to such a length that our lawyers, Gen. Doniphan and Amos Rees, told us not to bring our witnesses there at all, for if we did there would not be one of them left for the final trial, for no sooner would Bogart and his men know who they were, than they would put them out of the county; as to making any impression on King, if a cohort of angels were to come down and declare we were clear, Doniphan said it would all be the same, for he (King) had determined from the beginning to cast us into prison; we never got the privilege of introducing our witnesses at all; if we had we could have disproved all they swore. We here must rather go back a little, for after Clark arrived at Far West, he arrested a great many persons, an account of which will be found in the memorial of the citizens of Far West, to the Legislature of Missouri. Their trials also went on at the same time. One thing in relation to Clark's proceeding, we forgot to mention-we will insert it here. After he had arrived, some persons made application for a privilege to go and plunder houses for goods; this was readily granted, and under this authority, houses were plundered, locks broken, and property taken at pleasure; and all this without any civil process whatever. We will here give a specimen or two, of their swearing. We will first introduce Willliam W. Phelps. This said Phelps was angry at one of the prisoners-George W. Robinson, in consequence of a law suit existing between them. Phelps, we suppose, thought he had a fair opportunity now, to take vengence [vengeance], in swearing against him; so he swore that in Daviess county he saw George W. Robinson have a clock, in his arms, There had been a clock found in some hazel bushes, somewhere in the neighborhood of Far West. This clock, a man in Daviess county, swore to be his; it was presented to Phelps, and Phelps swore positively that, that was the clock, he saw George W. Robinson have in Daviess county. Now the truth is, that the clock which said Robinson had, belonged to another man; who had it at that time, and has it at this, if he has not sold it; and it is now in Illinois. This Mr. Robinson could have proven if he could have introduced his witnesses. For this, he was bound over to appear at the county Court, in the sum of one thousand dollars. Another, buy the name of Job, whose mother had gone to the house of Mr. Wight, and swore a feather bed which was in his house was her's [hers]: After she got away, she said she never had a bed since she lived in Daviess county; bnt [but] she wanted one of "old Wight's" beds. Her son came to the court, to swear against Mr. Wight for stealing; and accordingly swore that his mother's bed was found in his house. The question was asked, how he knew it was his mother's bed? He said he had slept upon it and he felt the stripes with his feet. His mother's bed, had a striped tick, and the stripes went two ways, and he felt them with his feet, while lying in the bed. He was then asked if there was not a sheet on the bed under him? He said there was, but still he felt the stripes in the tick, through the sheet, so distinctly that he knew that they went two ways, and that it was his mother's bed, and that was the way they found out, his mother's bed was there. Mr. Wight proved, in the mean time, that, that same bed had been in his house for many years. We give these as specimens of men's swearing. We might multiply them to a great number, but it would swell this narrative beyond the limits allowed it. Let so much suffice. The court at last closed, on the 29th of November, after a session of two weeks, and three days, and during most of the time we were closely confined in chains. At the close of the court, and some few days before it closed, there were a considerable number of those who had been arrested by Gen. Clark released. Out of that number was Amasa Lyman, Esq. who was one of the seven, who had been carried to Jackson county, and from thence to Ray. They were either all released, or admitted to bail, except Lyman Wight, Caleb Baldwin, Hyrum Smith, Alexander McRay, Joseph Smith, Jr. and Sidney Rigdon; who were sent to Liberty, clay co. to jail, to stand their trial for treason and murder. The treason, for having whipped the mob out of Daviess co. and taking their cannon from them; and the murder, for the man killed in the Bogart battle. Also Parly P Pratt, Morris Phelps, Luman Gibbs, Darwin Chase, and Norman Shearer; who were put into Richmond jail, to stand their trial, for the same crimes. At this time the Legislature had commenced its session, and a Memorial was presented to the senate and house of Representatives, to obtain a committee to investigate the whole affair pertaining to the Governor's order, the operations of the mob, and the conduct and operations of the Militia, while at Far West. After much legislation, disputation, and controversy, and angry speechifying; as the papers of Missouri, published at the time, abundantly testify, the petition and memorial, were laid on the table, until the July following; thus utterly refusing to grant the memorialists, their request; thereby refusing to investigate the subject; and thus it stands until this day, uninvestigated by any legal authority. After we were cast into prison, we heard nothing but threatenings, that if any Judge or Jury, or court of any kind, should clear any of us, that we should never get out of the State alive. This soon determined our course; and that was, to escape out of their hands as soon as we could; and by any means we could. After we had been some length of time in prison, we demanded a writ of Habeas Corpus of Judge Turnham, one the county Judges; which with some considerable reluctance, was granted. Great threatenings were made at this time by the mob, that if any of were liberated we should never get out of the county alive. After the investigation one of our number was released from prison by the decision of the Judge; the remainder were committed to jail. He also returned with them until a favorable opportunity offered which through the friendship of the Sheriff, Mr. Samuel Hadley, and the Jailor [jailer], Mr. Samuel Tillery, he was let out of the jail secretly, in the night, and being solemnly warned by them to be out of the state with as little delay as possible, he made his escape.-Being pursued by a body of armed men, it was through the direction of a kind providence that he escaped out of their hands and safely arrived in Quincy, Illinois. This was February, A. D. 1839. In the May following, the remainder that were in the Liberty Jail, were taken to Daviess county to be tried by a grand jury of the principal mobbers, in order to see if a bill of indictment, could be found as could be expected from the characters of the jury. Bills were found, they obtained a change of venue to Boon county, accordingly the Sheriff of Daviess county, with guards, started to take them from Daviess to Boon county. On their way after journeying a day or two, one evening the guard got drunk they left them, and also made their escape to Quincy, Illinois. Those that were in Ray county Jail were brought to trial, but no bill of indictment was found against Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer, and they were released and sent home.-A bill was found against Parley P. Pratt, Morris Phelps, and Luman Gibbs for murder, and also a man by the name of King Follet [Follett] for robbery.-They also obtained a change of venue to Boon co., and were carried thither and put into jail and there remained until the fourth of July. At this time the town was all hilarity and mirth at the celebration. They also made a flag and had it placed over the jail doors. In the evening when the Jailor [jailer] brought in their suppers, they walked out at the door: that is, Parley P. Pratt, Morris Phelps, and King Follett; Luman Gibbs continued, the others were closely pursued and Follett was retaken and carried back; but the other two effected their escape to the state of Illinois. some time afterwards King Follett had his trial and was acquitted. Luman Gibbs remains in prison unto this day, 26th October, 1839. As to those that were left in the Counties of Caldwell and Daviess, they were making all possible exertions to get away all winter, contrary to the stipulations of Gen. Clark and Lucas, granting them the privilege of staying until spring. Bodies of armed men were riding through the town of Far West in the County of Caldwell, threatening death to them if they were not out in the month of February, and otherwise insulting them. They continued however to exert themselves with all possible means in their power; many of them had no teams nor waggons [wagons]. Having been robbed, yes completely robbed of all they had, great exertions therefore had to be made by those who had means. Through great exertions and timely perseverance they succeeded in getting them safely into the State of Illinois, where we all are now and where we have met with a kind reception. Public meetings were held in Quincy; contributions raised to assist the suffering, and every exertion which humanity dictated was made for our relief.-But still we are, as a people, poor and destitute. We have been robbed of our all and many of us are without houses, living in tents and waggons [wagons]. In consequence of our exposure, we have suffered this summer much sickness and numbers have died, and our prospects for the ensuing winter are gloomy. But gloomy as they are, still we are not discouraged. A large majority of us are farmers, but our teams, as well as our flocks and herds and all our farming materials were taken from us. Many who were independent, are now working by days works, to maintain their families, numbers of them old men, sixty years and upwards.-Such is our true situation, and as such we make our Appeal to the American People.