--- 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: 7 published: 1840-05 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. 7 (May 1840): 97–99." 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_1840-05_1_7 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v1n07.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_1840-05_1_7 start_page: 97 end_page: 99 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_1840-05_1_7 publication_year: 1840 --- # A History, of the Persecution, of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints in Missouri CONTINUED. The first day the saints left Dewitt, they traveled 12 miles, and encamped in a grove of timber, near the road.-That evening, a woman, who had, some short time before given birth to a child, in consequence of the exposure occasioned by the operations of the mob, and having to move her, before her strength would admit, died, and was buried in the grove, without a coffin. There were a considerable number sick, both grown persons and children, which was principally owing to their exposure, and to their having been obliged to live in their wagons and tents so long; and in being deprived of suitable food. No sooner had they started than Sashel Woods, called the mob together, and made a speech to them, saying, that they must hasten to assist their friends in Davies county. The land sales (he said) were coming on; and if they could get the Mormons driven out, they could get all the lands entitled to pre-emptions [preemption]; and that they must hasten to Daviess, in order to accomplish their object-that, if they would join, and drive them out, they could get all the lands back again, as well as all the pay they received for them. He assured the mob, that they had nothing to fear from the authorities in so doing; for they had now, full proof, that the authorities would not assist the Mormons, and that they might as well take their property from them as not. His request was complied with, and accordingly the whole banditti started; taking with them, their cannon, for Daviess county. In the mean time, Cornelius Gilliam, was busily engaged in raising a mob, in Platt, and Clinton counties; to aid Woods in his effort, to drive peaceable citizens, from their homes, and take their property. After the mob had left Corrill county, there was ordered out, a part of two brigades of militia, to check their movements. Generals Doniphan and Parks, were in command of them, as it was part of their brigades that were ordered out. The first knowledge that the people of Caldwell or Daviess, had of the mob, coming against them, was the arrival of a body of troops under the command of Col. Dunn, of Clay county, in Far West. As the people of Caldwell, had no knowledge of any troops, designed to come into the place, their appearance caused some excitement. Both the military and civil officers, immediately met them, and enquired [inquired] into the cause of their sudden appearance in the place without giving previous notice. Their commander gave for answer, that "they had been ordered out, by General Doniphan; to repair to Daviess county, to operate against a mob, which was on its march from Corrill county, to Davies." This was on the first day of the week. We have not the precise date, but it was in October. The evening following which was Monday, Gen. Doniphan arrived in Far West. In consequence of these hostile movements on the part of the mob, the people of Caldwell had assembled together, to take such measures as the emergency of the case might require. After the arrival of Doniphan, the authorities made enquire [inquiry] of him, concerning the matter, and the operations of the mob. He stated that the mob had gone from Corrill county, with their cannon, for the express purpose of driving the saints from Daviess county; and that he was going to operate against them; but he said that his troops were so mutinous, that there was but little reliance to be placed in them He advised the authorities of Caldwell co. to send out two or three hundred men to Daviess county, to defend the people against the violence intended by the mob; until such time, as effectual measures could be taken by the authorities, to put a stop to their operations: And he also told them, that Gilliam, was collecting a mob, in Platt, and other places, for the purpose of attacking Far West; and said that it was absolutely necessary, that there should be a strong guard kept at Far West, to defend the place. In accordance with his representation, the authorities of the county, had the militia regularly called out, and a number went to Daviess county as he had reccommended [recommended], to await the movements and operations of the mob; and to act accordingly. The troops that had been ordered out by Doniphan, went only about a mile and a half, from Far West, and there encamped until he should arrive. After his arrival and giving the instructions he did, he went and ordered his troops home, instead of sending them to Daviess county. Immediately after his departure, Gen. Parks of Ray county, arrived, and reported that he had sent on a number of troops to Daviess, from Ray county, for the express purpose of stopping the operations of the mob; "part of them,,he said" were to be relied on, and part of them were not." All the officers said that Bogard and his company, which in all their expeditions, had formed a part of their army, were not to be depended on, for he was as lawless, if not more so, and as mabocratic, as the worst of the mob. Parks, on his arrival, expressed some disappointment, at not finding Doniphan there, as he expected, and also at his having ordered his troops home. It commenced snowing and storming, vehemently; after which, Parks also sent his troops home, and they returned; but Parks himself, went on to Daviess county. The mob, by this time, felt themselves sufficiently strong, and declaring themselves four hundred in number, and knowing that the troops had returned; they felt all-sufficient to commence their operations; and accordingly, the very night of Parks arrival in Daviess county, the mob commenced their operations. The first attack, was made on the house of a man by the name of Smith, who had gone on business to Ohio. His wife, was there alone with two little children, neither of them able to walk, and withal, Mrs. Smith, a very delicate woman. They drove her out of her house; there was a heavy snow on the ground-it was about the last of October or the first of November. She took her two children in her arms, and walked three miles through the snow, and waded Grand river, to Diahman. During the night, they burnt out seven families, and took all their goods and carried them off. They swore vengeance against the Mormons, as they called them, that they should leave Daviess county or they would sacrifice them all, and that they would make no terms of peace, but at the cannon's mouth. The next morning after his driving out and burning, Mr. Lyman Wight, who was an officer in the militia, asked Gen. Parks, what they should do, he now saw the designs and purposes of the mob; and he wanted to know how to proceed. Here let us just remark, that the saints had borne the abuse of the people of Missouri, without cause or provocation on their part, except their religion, from the summer of 1881 [1831 ?], until this time, which was the first of November 1838, during which time, their crops had been destroyed, their goods and chattels plundered, their houses burned, and they, driven off their farms, in the face of the goverment [government], and appeal after appeal, made to the authorities for redress; but none could be had, and they had never, in one instance retaliated; and now they were not disposed to move, until the authorities of the country, said so: and seeing Gen. Parks was there, they appealed to him.-Parks replied, with an oath, "go and give them a complete dressing, for you will never have any peace with them, until you do it; and I will stand between you and all difficulty." Having the orders of their General, a man by the name of David W. Patten, took one hundred men, and went to give them battle, though they reported themselves four hundred strong, and had a cannon. As Mr. Patten gave chase, the mob fled before him. The pursuit lasted for two day or three days, during which time, a general destruction of property took place, burning houses &c. The saints fled into Diahman with what they could carry with them, and the rest of their property was all destroyed. They drove in, such of their cattle, horses, hogs, and sheep as they could get in. Their houses were soon wrapped in flames, and what they left behind them, made a prey of. Mr. Patten, at last got so near the mob, that they left their cannon and fled. He took the cannon, and returned to Diahman, and thus ended the scene of destruction. It is necessary for a proper understanding of this matter, about the destruction of property, for the reader to know that the saints had bought a heavy portion of Daviess county; for which, there are documents now to show, and were to have possession in a short time. Let it be noticed that the mob, in these burnings, had little to lose; they had got pay, for both their houses, and their lands, and their whole object was, to drive the saints from them, and keep both their lands and their pay; which by the assistance of Governor Boggs, they have been enabled to do. The mob declared, while they were selling their lands, that they would do so, and if they could not accomplish their object any other way, they would burn their houses, and report the saints had done it. This can be proven by Mr. Uriah B. Powel. After the mob was dispersed and their cannon taken, the people from Caldwell, returned home, in hopes of having peace; but this hope proved to be vain, for C. Gilliam, who had been very active in the mob, and a commander of one of their companies, that was painted, commenced collecting his painted and scattered forces on a stream, that was called the Grindstone. After he had got as he supposed, a sufficient number of them collected and well painted he came into Caldwell County, and took cattle and horses &c.; and the people of Caldwell had to set guards, to protect their property."- See S. Rigdon's History, entitled "An Appeal to the American People"-Page 40. TO BE CONTINUED