Site Title - Exhibit

Excerpts From the Life of John D. Lee

[page 36] I was born on the 6th day of September, A.D. 1812, in the town of Kaskaskia, Randolph County, Illinois. My father, Ralph Lee, was born in the State of Virginia. He was of the family of Lees of Revolutionary fame, and was a relative of General Robert E. Lee, of the late war; he served his time as an apprentice and learned the carpenter's trade in the city of Baltimore. My mother was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She was the daughter of John Doyle, who for many years held the position of Indian Agent over the roving tribes of Indians in southeastern Illinois. He served in the war of the Revolution, and was wounded in one of the many battles in which he took part with the Sons of Liberty against the English oppressors. About [page 37] the year 1796, he was appointed Indian Agent, and moved to Kaskaskia, Illinois. My mother was first married in 1799, to Oliver Reed, and lived with him until he was assassinated by a man named Jones. . . .

[page 38] After the death of Reed, my mother went back to Kaskaskia and lived in her father's family until she married my father in the year 1808. My mother had two children by my father-- that is, William Oliver and myself. My brother, William Oliver, died when about two years old. At the time of my birth, my father was considered one of the leading men of that section of the country; he was a master workman, sober and attentive to business, prompt and punctual to his engagements. He contracted largely and carried on a heavy business; he erected a magnificent mansion for that age and country, on his land adjoining the town of Kaskaskia. This tract of land was the property of my mother when she married my father. My grandfather Doyle was a wealthy man. He died in 1809 at Kaskaskia, Illinois, and left his whole fortune to my mother and her sister Charlotte, by will. They being his only children, he divided the property equally between them.

My father and mother were both Roman Catholics, were raised in that faith; I was christened in that church. William Morrison and Louise Phillips stood as my representative god-father and god-mother. It is from that Church record that I could alone obtain the facts and date that referred to my birth. . . .

[page 39] When I was sixteen years old, I concluded to leave my aunt's house--I cannot call it home; my friends advised me to do so. I walked one night to Kaskaskia; went to Robert Morrison and told him my story. He was a mail contractor. He clothed me comfortably, and sent me over the Mississippi River into Missouri, to carry the mail from St. Genevieve to Pinckney, on the north side of the Missouri River, via Potosi, a distance of one hundred and twenty-seven miles. It was a weekly mail. I was to receive seven dollars a month for my services. This was in December, 1828. . . .

[page 40] All I know of my father, after I was eight years of age, is that he went to Texas in the year 1820, and I have never heard of him since. What his fate was I never knew.

When my mother died, my uncle and aunt Conner took all the property-- a large tract of land, several slaves, household and kitchen furniture, and all; and, as I had no guardian, I never received any portion of the property; in fact I was robbed of all. The slaves were set free by an act of the Legislature; the land was sold for taxes, and was hardly worth redeeming when I came of age. . . .

[page 41] I was born on the point of land lying between and above the mouth of the Okaw or Kaskaskia River and the Mississippi River, in what is known as the Great American Bottom–the particular point I refer to was then called Zeal-no-waw, the Island of Nuts. I was nineteen miles from the point of the bluffs to the mouth of the Okaw River; ten miles wide up at the bluffs and tapering to a point where the rivers united. Large bands of wild horses, French ponies called "punt" horses, were to be found any day feeding on the evergreen and nutritious grasses and vegetation. Cattle and hogs were also running wild in great numbers; every kind of game large and small, could be had with little exertion. The streams were full of fish; the forests contained many varieties of timber; nuts, berries, and wild fruits of every description, found in the temperate zone, could be had in their season. This point of land is one of the finest on the globe; there I spent my early years; there I had pleasures and sorrows; there I met the maiden that first taught me love's young dream. Near by was the Kaskaskia Reservation of the Kaskaskia Indians, Louis DuQuoin was Chief of the tribe. He had a frame house painted in bright colors, but he never would farm any, game being so plentiful he had no need to labor. Nearly all the settlers were French, and not very anxious for education or improvement of any kind.

I was quite a lad before I ever saw a wagon, carriage, set of harness, or a ring, a staple or set of bows to an ox yoke. The first wagon I ever saw was brought into that county by a Yankee peddler; his outfit created as great an excitement in the settlement as the first locomotive did in Utah; the people flocked in from every quarter to see the Yankee wagon. Everything in use in that country was of the most simple and primitive construction. There were no saw mills or grist mills in that region; sawed lumber was not in the country. The wagons were two-wheeled carts made entirely of wood–not a particle of iron about them–the hubs were of white elm, spokes of white oak or hickory, the felloes of black walnut, as it was soft and would bear rounding. The felloes were made six inches thick, and were strongly dowelled together with seasoned hardwood pins; the linch pin was of hickory or ash; the thills were wood; in fact all of it was wood. The harness [page 42] consisted of a corn husk collar, hames cut from an ash tree root, or from an oak; tugs were raw hide; the lines also were raw hide; a hackamere or halter was used in place of a bridle; one horse was lashed between the thills by raw hide straps and pins in the thills for a hold back; when two horses were used, the second horse was fastened ahead of the first by straps fastened on to the thills of the cart.

Oxen were yoked as follows: A square stick of timber of sufficient length was taken and hollowed out at the ends to fit on the neck of the ox, close up to the horns, and this was fastened by raw hide straps to the horns. All other implements were made in an equally primitive manner. The people were of necessity self-sustaining, for they were forced to depend upon their own resources for everything they used. Clothing was made of home manufactured cloth or the skins of wild animals. Imported articles were procured at heavy cost, and but few found their way to our settlements. Steamboats and railroads were then unthought of, by us at least, and the navigation of the Mississippi was carried on in small boats, that could be drawn up along the river bank by means of oars, spikes, poles and hooks. The articles most in demand in the settlements were axes, hoes, cotton cards, hatchels for cleaning flax, hemp and cotton, spinning wheels, knives and ammunition, guns and bar shears for plows. In exchange for such goods the people treaded beef, hides furs, tallow, beeswax, honey, etc. Money was not needed or used by anyone–everything was trade and barter.

The people were generous and brave. Their pleasures and pastimes were those usual in frontier settlements. They were hardy, and well versed in woodcraft. They aided each other, and were all in all a noble class of people, possessing many virtues and few faults. The girls were educated by their mothers to work and had to work. It was then a disgrace for a young woman not to know how to take the raw material–the flax and cotton–and, unaided, manufacture her own clothing. It is a lamentable fact that such is no longer the case. . . .

[page 43] I formed a liking for Emily Conner, the daughter of Henry Conner, when we were quite young. Her father was Marshal of the State of Illinois, under Ninian Edwards, the Governor of the State. Emily was an orphan, and lived for about four years at my aunt Charlotte's after her mother died, and until her father married again. She had a consoling word for me at all times when I was in trouble. From being friends, we became lovers and were engaged to be married, when my circumstances would permit. . . .

[page 49] In the early part of 1832 I received an affectionate letter from my Emily, desiring me to return to her, and settle down before I had acquired a desire for a rambling life. I then had $500 in money and two suits of broad-cloth clothing. I was anxious to see Emily, so I settled up with Bogges & Co., and started for home. Emily was then living at her sister's house in Prairie de Roache; her brother-in-law, Thos. [Thomas] Blay, kept the tavern there. I boarded with them about two weeks, during which time I played cards with the Frenchmen there, and dealt venture, or twenty-one, for them to bet at. I was lucky, but I lived fast, and spent my money freely, and soon found that half of it was gone.

I soon discovered that Emily was dissatisfied with my conduct. I proposed immediate marriage; Emily proposed to wait until the next fall. During which time we were to prepare for housekeeping. Her suggestions were well intended, and she wished to see if I would not reform, for she had serious doubts about the propriety of marrying a gambler. She asked me to quit gambling, and if I had made that promise all would have been well, but I was stubborn and proud and refused to make any promise; I thought it was beneath my dignity. I really intended to never gamble after my wedding, but I would not tell her so; my vanity overruled my judgment. I said to her that if she had not confidence enough in me to take me as I was, without requiring me to give such a promise, I would never see her again, until I came to ask her to my wedding. This was cruel and deeply wounded her; she burst into tears and turned from me. I never saw her again until I went to ask her to attend my wedding. I went up into the country and stopped with my cousins; while there I met the bride of my youth; she was the [page 50] daughter of Joseph Woolsey and Abigail his wife; they had four daughters, all grown. I attended church, went to parties, picnics, etc., with the girls and fell in love with Agathe Ann, the eldest girl. The old folks were opposed to my marrying their daughter, but after suffering the tortures and overcoming the obstacles usual in such cases, I obtained the consent of the girl's parents, and was married to Agathe Ann Woolsey on the 24th day of July, A.D. 1833. The expenses of the wedding ended all my money, and I was ready to start the world new and fresh. I had about $50 to procure things to keep house on, but it was soon gone; yet it procured about all we then thought we needed. I commenced housekeeping near my wife's father's and had good success in all that I undertook. I made money, or rather I obtained considerable property, and was soon comfortably fixed. I followed trading everything, and for everything that was in the country.

My wife was born January 18, 1814; our first child was born on the 3rd day of July, 1834; we named him William Oliver. In October, 1834, I moved to Fayette County, Illinois, and settled north of Vandalia, near my sister's and lived there some two years; during that time our oldest child died. I next purchased a farm on Luck Creek, in Fayette County, Illinois, and lived on it until I went to Missouri to join the Mormon Church. . . .

[page 53] I believed the Book of Mormon was true, and if so, everything but my soul's salvation was a matter of secondary consideration to me. I had a small fortune, a nice home, kind neighbors, and numerous friends, but nothing could shake the determination I then formed, to break up, sell out, and leave Illinois and go to the Saints at Far West, Missouri. My friends used every known argument to change my determination, but these words came into my mind. "First seek the righteousness of the kingdom of God, then all things necessary will be added unto you:" and again, "What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" or, what could a man give in exchange for his soul? I was here brought to the test, and my action was to decide on which I placed the most value–my earthly possessions and enjoyments, or my reward in future, the salvation of my never-dying soul. I took up my cross and chose the latter. I sold out and moved to Far West. I took leave of my friends and made my way to where the Saints had gathered in Zion. Our journey was one full of events interesting to us, but not of sufficient importance to relate to the public. While on the journey I sold most of my cattle on time to an old man, a friend of Stewart's–took his notes, and let him keep them, which, as the sequel shows, was fortunate for me.

We arrived at Far West, the then headquarters of the Mormon Church, about the fourth day of June, 1838. The country around there for some fifteen or twenty miles, each way, was settled by Mormons. I do not think any others lived within that [page 54] distance. The Mormons who had been driven from Jackson, Ray and Clay Counties, in 1833, settled in Caldwell and Daviess counties.

The night after our arrival at Far West, there was a meeting to be held there. Stewart said to me, "Let us go up and hear them speak with new tongues and interpret the same, and enjoy the gifts of the gospel generally, for this is to be a prayer and testimony meeting." My reply was "I want no signs; I believe the gospel they preach on principle and reason, not upon signs–its consistency is all I ask. All I want are natural, logical and reasonable arguments, to make up my mind from." Feeling in this way, I did not go to the meeting.

The Sunday after, I attended church in Far West Hall. The hall was crowded with people, so much so that I, with others, could not gain admittance to the building. I obtained standing room in one of the windows. I saw a man enter the house without uncovering his head. The prophet ordered the Brother of Gideon to put that man out, for his presumption in daring to enter and stand in the house of God without uncovering his head. This looked to me like drawing the lines pretty snug and close; however, I knew but little of the etiquette of high life, and much less about that of the kingdom of heaven. I looked upon Joseph Smith as a prophet of God–as one who held the keys of this last dispensation, and I hardly knew what to think about the rash manner in which the man was treated who had entered the house of God without taking his hat off. But this did not lessen my faith; it served to confirm it. I was fearful that I might in some way unintentionally offend the great and good man who stood as God's prophet on the earth to point out the way of salvation.

We remained at the house of elder Joseph Hunt, in Far West, several days. He was then a strong Mormon, and was afterwards first captain in the Mormon Battalion. He, as an elder in the Church, was a preacher of the gospel; all of his family were firm in the faith. Elder Hunt preached to me the necessity of humility and a strict obedience to the gospel requirements through the servant of God. He informed me that the apostles and elders were our true teachers, and it was our duty to hear, learn and obey; that the spirit of God was very fine and delicate, and was easily grieved and driven from us; that the more humble we were, the more of the Holy Spirit we would enjoy.

[page 55] After staying in Far West about a week, we moved about twenty miles, and settled on a stream called Marrowbone, at a place called afterwards Ambrosia. Sunday, June 17, 1838, I attended meeting. Samuel H. Smith, a brother of the prophet, and elder Daniel Cathcart preached. After meeting, I and my wife were baptized by elder Cathcart, in Ambrosia, on Shady Grove Creek, in Daviess County, Missouri, I was now a member of the Church, and expected to live in strict obedience to the requirements of the holy priesthood that ruled, governed and controlled it. I must do this in order to advance in the scale of intelligence unto thrones, kingdoms, principalities and powers, and through faithfulness and fidelity to the cause, receive eternal increase in the mansions that would be prepared for me in the Father's kingdom.

My neighbor, [Levi ?] Stewart, and myself each selected a place on the same stream, and near where his three brothers, Riley, Jackson and Urban, lived. Urban Stewart is now Treasurer of Beaver County, Utah. On my location there was a splendid spring of pure, cold water; also a small lake fed by springs. This lake was full of fish, such as perch, bass, pickerel, mullet and catfish. It was surrounded by a grove of heavy timber, mostly hickory and oak, in nearly all their varieties. We could have fish sufficient for use every day in the year, if we desired. My home on Ambrosia creek reminded me much of the one I had left on Luck Creek, Illinois; but it was on more rolling land, and much healthier than the Illinois home had proven to us. I knew I could soon replace, by labor, all the comfort I had abandoned when I started to seek my salvation. I felt that I had greatly benefitted my condition by seeking first the kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness; all else, I felt, would be added unto me. But still I knew I must be frugal, industrious, and use much care. I improved my farm as rapidly as I could, and was soon so fixed that we were comfortable. Meetings were held three times a week; also prayer and testimony meetings, at the latter sacrament, was administered. In these meetings, as well as in everything I was called upon to do, I tried hard to give satisfaction. I was a devout follower from the first. Whatever duty was assigned me, I tried to discharge with a willing heart and ready hand. This disposition, on my part, coupled with my view of duty, my promptness and punctuality, soon brought me to the notice of the leading men of the Church. [page 56] The motives of the people who composed my neighborhood, were pure; they were all sincere in their devotions, and tried to square their actions through life by the golden rule–"Do unto others as you would they should do unto you." The word of a Mormon was then good for all it was pledged to or for. I was proud to be an associate with such an honorable people.

Twenty miles north-east of my home was the settlement of Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. It was on the east bank of Grand river, near the Three Forks. Lyman [Wight], one of the twelve apostles, was president of that Stake of Zion. In July, 1838, Levi Stewart and myself concluded to visit the settlement of Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. We remained over night at the house of Judge Mourning [Morin]. He was a Democrat. He told us that, at the approaching election, the Whigs were going to cast their votes, at the outside precincts, early in the day, and then rush in force to the town of Gallatin, the county seat of Daviess county, and prevent the Mormons from voting. The Judge requested us to inform our people of the facts in the case, and for us to see that the Mormons went to the polls in force, and prepared to resist and overcome all violence that might be offered. He said the Whigs had no right to deprive the Mormons of their right of suffrage, that they had a right to cast their votes as free and independent Americans. I knew that the two political parties were about equally divided in Daviess County, and that the Mormons held the balance of power, and would turn the scale which ever way they desired.

I had heard of Judge Mourning [Morin] as a sharp political worker, and I then thought he was trying to get up and carry out an electioneering job for his party; therefore I paid but little attention to what he said.

We visited our friends at Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahmon], and returned home. While on this trip I formed the acquaintance of Solomon McBrier, and purchased some cattle from him. He wished to sell me quite a number, but as I did not wish to be involved in debt, I refused to take them, for I had a perfect horror of being in debt, for I knew that when a man was in debt he was in nearly every respect a slave, and that if I got in debt it would worry me and keep my mind from that quiet repose so necessary for contemplating the principal beauties of nature and communing with the Spirit regarding holy subjects.

On Monday, the 6th day of August, 1838, the greater portion [page 57] of our people in the settlements near me, went to Gallatin to attend the election. In justice to truth I must state, that just before the general election of August, 1838, a general notice was given for all the brethren of Daviess County to meet at Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. Every man obeyed the call. At that meeting all the males over eighteen years of age, were organized into a military body, according to the law of the priesthood, and called "The Host of Israel." The first rank was a captain with ten men under him; next was a captain of fifty, that is he had five companies of ten; next, the captain of a hundred, or of ten captains and companies of ten. The entire membership of the Mormon Church was then organized in the same way. This, as I was then informed, was the first organization of the military force of the Church. It was so organized at that time by command of God, as revealed through the Lord's Prophet, Joseph Smith. God commanded Joseph Smith to place the Host of Israel in a situation for defense against the enemies of God and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. . . .

[page 58] To return to the election at Gallatin:–The brethren all attended the election. All things seemed to pass off quietly, until some of the Mormons went up to the polls to vote. I was then lying on the grass with McBrier and a number of others. As the Mormons went to the polls, a drunken brute by the name of Richard Weldon, stepped up to a little Mormon preacher, by the name of Brown, and said:

"Are you a Mormon preacher, sir?"

"Yes, sir, I am."

"Do you Mormons believe in healing the sick by laying on of hands, speaking in tongues, and casting out devils"?

"We do," said Brown.

Weldon then said, "You are a d—d liar. Joseph Smith is a d—d imposter." With this, he attacked Brown, and beat him severely. Brown did not resent it, but tried to reason with him; but without effect. At this time a Mormon, by the name of Hyrum Nelson, attempted to pull Weldon off of Brown, when he was struck by half a dozen men on the head, shoulders and face. He was soon forced to the ground. Just then, Riley Stewart struck Weldon across the back of the head with a billet of oak lumber, and broke his skull. Weldon fell nearly on me, and appeared lifeless. The blood flowed freely from the wound. Immediately the fight became general.

[page 59] Gallatin was a new town, with about ten houses, three of which were saloons. The town was on the back of Grand River and heavy timber came near the town, which stood in a little arm of the prairie.

Close to the polls, there was a lot of oak timber, which had been brought there to be riven into shakes or shingles, leaving the heart, taken from each shingle-block, lying there on the ground. These hearts were three square, four feet long, weighed about seven pounds, and made a very dangerous, yet handy weapon; and when used by an enraged man they were truly a class of instrument to be dreaded. When [Riley] Stewart fell, the Mormons sprang to the pile of oak hearts, and each man, taking one for use, rushed into the crowd. The Mormons were yelling, "Save him!" and the settlers yelled, "Kill him; d—n him!". . . . John L. Butler [was] one of the captains of the Host of Israel. Butler was a brave, true man, and a leader that it was a pleasure to follow where duty called. . . . I sprang to my feet and armed myself with one of the oak sticks. . . . I ran into the crowd. As I reached it, I saw Nelson down on the ground fighting for life. He was surrounded by a large number, who were seeking to murder him, but he had a loaded whip, the lash wrapped around his hand, and using the handle, which was loaded with several pounds of lead, as a weapon of defense. He was using it with effect, for he had men piled around him in all shapes. As I approached, a man sprang to his feet. He had just been knocked down by Nelson. As the man was rising, Nelson gave him a blow across the loins with the handle of his whip, which had the effect of straitening out the villain on the grass, and rendered him an inoffensive spectator during the remainder of the play. . . . .

[page 60] Capt. Butler was attacked from all sides, but, being a powerful man, he used his oak club with effect and knocked a man down at each blow that he struck, and each man that felt the weight of his weapon was out of the fight for that day at least. Many of these that he came in contact with had to be carried from the field for surgical aid. In the battle, which was spirited, but short in duration, nine men had their skulls broken, and many others were seriously injured in other ways. . . . Three hundred men were present at this difficulty, only thirty of whom were Mormons, and only eight Mormons took part in the fight.

I was an entire stranger to all who were engaged in the affray, except [Riley] Stewart, but I had seen the sign, and like Sampson, when learning against the pillar, I felt the power of God nerve my arm for the fray. It helps a man a great deal in a fight to know that God is on his side. After the violence had ceased, Captain Butler called the Mormons to him, and as he stood on a pile of building timber, he made a speech to the brethren. He said that his ancestors had served in the war of the Revolution to establish a free and independent government–one in which all men had equal rights and privileges; that he professed to be half white and free born, and claimed a right to enjoy his constitutional privileges, and would have his rights as a citizen, if he had to fight for them; that as to his religion, it was a matter between his God and himself, and was no man's business; that he would vote, and would die before he would be driven from the polls. Several of the Gentile leaders then requested us to lay down our clubs and go and vote. This Captain Butler refused saying, "We will not molest anyone who lets us alone, but we will not risk ourselves again in that crowd without our clubs." The result was the Mormons all voted. It is surprising what a few resolute men can do when united. After voting, the Mormons returned home, fearing additional violence if they remained. . . .

[page 64] So things went from bad to worse, until the August election at Gallatin. The difficulty on that day had brought the Church and Saints to a stand-still; business was paralyzed; alarm seized the stoutest hearts, and dismay was visible in every countenance. The prophet soon issued an order to gather all the people at Far west and Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman], under the leadership of Col. Lyman [Wight], for the purpose of protecting the people from mob violence, and to save the property from lawless thieves who were roaming the country in armed bands.

The Gentiles and Mormons hastened to the executive of the State. The Gentiles asked for a military force to protect the settlers from Mormon violence. The Mormons requested an investigating committee to inquire into the whole subject and suggest means necessary for future safety to each party.

Also they demanded military protection from the mobs and outlaws that infested the country. The Governor sent some troops to keep order. They were stationed about midway between Far West and Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. A committee was also appointed and sent to Gallatin to inquire into the recent disturbances. This committee had full power to send for witnesses, [page 65] make arrest of persons accused of crime, and generally to do all things necessary for a full complete investigation of the entire affair. Many arrests were made at the request of the committee. The persons so arrested were taken before Justice Black, of Daviess County, and examined; witnesses were examined for both parties, and much hard and false swearing was done on both sides. After a long and fruitless examination the committee adjourned, leaving the military to look after matters until something would turn up to change the feeling of danger then existing. It was thought by the committee that all would soon become quiet and that peace would soon be restored.

The Gentiles of the country were dissatisfied with the action of the committee, and were in no way disposed to accept peace on any terms; they determined that, come what would, the Mormons should be driven from the State of Missouri, Letters were written by the Gentiles around Far West to all parts of the State, and elsewhere, giving the most fearful accounts of Mormon atrocities. Some of the writers said it was useless to send less than three of four men for each Mormon, because the Mormons felt sure of heaven if they fell fighting, hence they did not fear death; that they fought with the desperation of devils. Such reports spread like wild-fire throughout Northern Missouri, and thence all over the States of the Mississippi Valley, and resulted in creating a feeling of the most intense hatred in the breasts of all the Gentiles against the Mormons.

Companies of volunteers were raised and armed in every town through Northern Missouri, and commenced concentrating in the vicinity of the Mormon settlements. The troops sent by the Governor to guard the settlers and preserve order soon took part with the mob, and all show for legal protection was gone, so far as the Mormons were concerned. I had built a cabin in the valley of Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman], at the point where the Prophet said Adam blessed his posterity after being driven from the Garden of Eden. The condition of the county being such that we could not labor on our farms, I concluded to go and hunt for wild honey.

Several of my neighbors agreed to join me in my bee hunt, and we started with our teams and traveled northeasterly until we reached the heavy timber at the three forks of Grand River. We camped on the middle fork of Grand River, and had fine success in securing honey. We had been out at camp only two or three days when we discovered [page 66] signs of armed men rushing through the country. On the 3rd of October, 1838, we saw a large number of men that we knew were enemies to the Mormons, and on their way, as we supposed, to attack our people at the settlements. I concluded to go and meet them, and find out for certain what they were really intending to do. I was forced to act with caution, for, if they discovered that we were Mormons, our lives would be taken by the desperate men composing the mob who called themselves State volunteers.

I took my gun and carried a bucket on my arm and started out to meet the people, to learn their intentions. I met them soon after they had broken camp on Sunday morning. As soon as I saw them I was certain they were out hunting for Mormons. I concluded to pass myself off as an outsider, the better to learn their history. My plan worked admirable. I stood my ground until a company of eighteen men rode up to me and said:

"You move early."

"Not so d—d early, gentlemen, I am not moving any sooner than you are. What are you doing in this part of the country, armed to the teeth as you are? Are you hunting for Indians?"

"No," said they, "but we wish to know where you are from, and what you are doing."

"I am from Illinois; there are four of us who have come out here to look up a good location to settle. We stopped on Marrowbone, and did think of staying there, until the settlers and Mormons got into a row at Gallatin on election day. After that we concluded to strike out and see what this country looked like. I am now going to cut a bee tree that I found yesterday evening , and I brought my gun along so that if I met an old buck I could secure some venison, to eat with my honeycomb."

As I got through my statement, they all huddled around me, and commenced to relate the horrors of Mormonism. They advised me to have nothing to do with the Mormons, for said they, "As old Joe Smith votes, so will every Mormon in the country vote, and when they get into a fight, they are just the same way, they stick together; when you attack one of the crew you bring every one of them after you like a nest of hornets."

[page 67] I said I had heard a little of the fuss at Gallatin, but did not suppose I had got the right of the story, and would be glad if they would tell me just how it was. I should like to learn the facts from an eye witness. Several of the men spoke up and said they were there and saw it all. They then told the story, and did the Mormons more justice than I expected from them. . . .

They then said the Mormons must leave the country, and if we do not make them do so now, they will be so strong that we cannot compel them to go, unless we force them away; they will be so strong in a few years that they will rule the country as they please. That another band of men would come along soon, and they would then go through the Mormon settlements, and burn up every house, and lynch every d—d Mormon they could find. That the militia had been sent to keep order in Daviess County, but would soon be gone, and the work of destroying the Mormons in general would begin. I said, "Give them h—l, and if they have done as you say they have, pay them in their own coin."

The company then passed on, and I returned with a heavy heart to my friends. I advised taking an immediate start for home, and in a few minutes we were on our way. While coming up from home we had found four bee trees, that we left standing, intending to cut them down and get the honey as we went back. When we got on the prairie, which was about eight miles across, the men with me wanted to go and get the honey. I was fearful that the people I had met in the morning would attack the settlements, and I wanted to go directly home and let trees and honey alone.

While we were talking the matter over, a single black bird came to us apparently in great distress. It flew around each one of us, and would alight on the head of each one of our horses, and especially on my horses' heads, and it even came and alighted on my hat, and would squeak like it was in pain, and turn its feathers up, and acted like it wished to warn us of danger. Then it flew off towards the settlements where I wished to go. All admitted that they were strange actions for a bird, but [page 68] they still insisted on going to cut the bee trees. I was persuaded to go with them. We had gone a quarter of a mile further, when the black bird returned to us and went through the same performances as before, and again flew off toward the settlement. This was to me a warning to go home at once, that there was danger there to my family. I then proposed that we all join in prayer. We did so, and I prayed to the Author of our existence, and asked that if it was his will for us to go home at once, and if the black bird had been sent as a warning messenger, to let it return again, and I would follow it. We then traveled some two miles, when the messenger returned the third time and appeared if possible, more determined than before to turn us toward home. I turned my team and started, as straight as I could go, for Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. As we passed over the prairie we saw the smoke rising from many farms and houses in the vicinity of where we had left our bee trees. This smoke showed us that our enemies were at work, and that had we kept on the course we were first intending to travel we would have fallen into the hands of the lawless mob and lost our lives. Before we reached home the news of the attack upon the settlements had reached there. It was also reported, and we afterwards learned that the report was true, that many of the Mormon settlers had been tied to trees and fearfully whipped with hickory withes, some of them being horrible mangled by the mob. This conduct on the part of the Gentiles roused every Mormon to action, and the excitement was very great. Joseph Smith, the Prophet, was sent for. In the meantime Col. [Wight] made a war speech. As he spoke he stood by his fine brown horse. There was a bear skin on his saddle. He had a red handkerchief around his head, regular Indian fashion, with the knot in front; bare headed, in his shirt sleeves, with collar open, showing his naked breast. He held a large cutlass in his right hand. His manner of address struck terror to his enemies, while it charged his brethren with enthusiastic zeal and forced them to believe they were invincible and bullet proof. We were about three hundred and seventy-five strong. I stood near Col. [Wight] while he was speaking, and I judge of its effect upon others by the way it affected me.

While our Colonel was in the midst of his speech the aid-de-camp [page 69] of the militia Colonel was sent with a dispatch to Col. [Wight], to the effect that the militia had become mutinous and could no longer be controlled, but were going to join the mob; that the Colonel would disband his forces, and he would then go and report to the Governor the true condition of the country; that Col. [Wight] must take and make use of all the means in his power to protect the people from the mob, for the government officers were powerless to aid him. The aid did not deliver his message, for as he rode up close to where Col [Wight] was standing speaking to his men, he stopped and listened a short time; then wheeled his horse and rode back to the militia camp and reported that Col. [Wight] had 15,000 men under arms, in battle array, and would be upon their camp in less than two hours; that he was then making a speech to the army, and that it was the most exciting speech he had ever listened to in his life; that he meant war and that of the most fearful kind; and that the only safety for their forces was in instant retreat. The soldiers broke camp and left in haste. I cannot say that the Colonel commanding the militia was alarmed, or that he fled through fear of being overcome, but it suited him to leave there, for he was anxious to prevent a collision between his troops and the men under Col. [Wight].

The Prophet, Joseph Smith, when informed to the danger of the settlers from mob violence, sent Maj. Seymour Brunson, of Far West, with fifty men, to protect the settlers who lived on the two forks of the Grand River. Col. [Wight] kept his men in readiness for action. A strong guard was posted round the settlement; a point was agreed upon, to which place all were to hasten in case of alarm. This point of meeting was east of the town, under the bluffs, on the main road leading from Mill Port [Millport] to Adam-on Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. This road ran between the fields and bluff.

We expected to be attacked every hour. A few nights afterwards the alarms was given, and every man rushed to the field. When I reached the command, I found everything in confusion. The officer in command tried to throw two companies across the road, but the firing was heavy and constant from the opposing forces who had selected a strong point for the purpose of attack and defense. The flash of the rifles, the ringing reports that echoed through the hills at each discharge of the guns, added to the confusion, and soon forced the Mormons to take up their [page 70] position in the fence corners and elsewhere, so they could be in a measure protected from the bullets of the enemy. Soon there was order in our ranks, and we were prepared to dislodge our opponents or die in the attempt, when two men came at the full speed of their horses shouting, "Peace, peace, cease firing, it is our friends," etc. Chapman Duncan, the Adjutant of Col. [Wight], was the one who shouted peace, etc. We were then informed that the men we had taken for a part of the Gentile mob were no other than the command of Maj. Brunson, who had been out on the Three Forks of Grand River, to defend the settlers, and that he had been ordered back to the main body, or any of the Hosts of Israel; that they had intended to stop at Millport, but finding it deserted, they concluded to alarm the troops at Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman], so as to learn whether they would fight or not. I admit that I was much pleased to learn that danger was over, and that we were facing friends and not enemies; yet I was mad to think any men would impose upon us in that way. The experiment was a dangerous one, and likely to be very serious in it consequences. The other men with me were equally mad at the insult offered by those who had been so foolish as to question our bravery.

By the efforts of our officers all was soon explained, and amid peals of laughter we returned to our homes. . . .

[page 71] [During the civil war], being young, stout, and having plenty of property, I fitted myself out in first-class-style. I had good horses and plenty of the best of arms. I joined in the general patrol duty, and took part in daily raids made under either Major Seymour Brunson or Capt. Alexander McRay [McRae], now Bishop of a Ward in Salt Lake City. I saw much of what was being done by both parties.

I also made several raids under Captain Jonathan Dunham alias Black Hawk. I remember one incident that was amusing at the time, as it enabled us to determine what part of our forces would fight on the field and face the enemy, and also those who preferred to fight with their mouths.

Early in the morning, while Maj. Brunson's men were marching along, shivering in the cold–for it was a dark, cloudy morning, late in October, 1838–we saw a company of horsemen some three miles away. We concluded they were Missourians, and made for them at full speed. They halted and appeared willing to fight us when our command got within three hundred yards of them. Many of our pulpit braves found out all at once that they must stop and dismount, to fix their saddles or for some other reason. The remainder of us rode on until within one hundred and fifty yards of the other force, and were drawn up in line of battle. Maj. Brunson rode forward and hailed them saying,

"Who are you?"

"Capt. McRay," was the reply. "Who are you?"

[page 72] "Maj. Brunson."

They met and shook hands. Seeing this the pulpit braves rushed up in great haste and took their places in the ranks, and lamented because we did not have an enemy to overcome.

So it is through life–a coward is generally a liar; those men were cowards, and lied when they pretended they would like to fight. All cowards are liars, but many liars are brave men. . . .

[page 76] Every Mormon, if true to his faith, believed as fully in Joseph Smith and his holy character as they did that God existed.

Joseph Smith was a most extraordinary man; he was rather large in stature, some six feet two inches in height, well built, though a little stoop-shouldered, prominent and well-developed features, a Roman nose, light chestnut hair, upper lip full and rather protruding, chin broad and square, an eagle eye, and on the whole there was something in his manner and appearance that was bewitching and winning; his countenance was that of a plain, honest man, full of benevolence and philanthropy and void of deceit or hypocrisy. He was resolute and firm of purpose, strong as most men in physical power, and all who saw were forced to admire him, as he then looked and existed.

In the sports of the day, such as wrestling, etc., he was over an average. Very few of the Saints had the strength needed to throw the Prophet in a fair tussel; in every gathering he was a welcome guest, and always added to the amusement of the people, instead of dampening their ardor. During the time that we were camping at Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman], waiting to see what would be the result of the quarrel between our Church and the Gentiles, one Sunday morning (it had rained heavily the night before and the air was cold) the men were shivering over a few fire-brands, feeling out of sorts and quite cast down. The Prophet came up while the brethren were moping around, and caught first one and then another and shook them up, and said, "Get out of here and wrestle, Jump, run, do anything but mope around; warm yourselves up; this inactivity will not do [page 77] for soldiers."

The words of the Prophet put life and energy into the men. A ring was soon formed, according to the custom of the people. The Prophet stepped into the ring, ready for a tussel with any comer. Several went into the ring to try their strength, but each one was thrown by the Prophet, until he had thrown several of the stoutest of the men present. Then he stepped out of the ring and took a man by the arm and let him in to take his place, and so it continued–the men who were thrown retiring in favor of the successful one. A man would keep the ring so long as he threw his adversary. The style of wrestling varied with the desires of the parties. The Eastern man or Yankees, used square hold, or collar and elbow; those from the Middle States side hold and old Indian hug or back hold. If a man was hurt he stood it without a murmur; it was considered cowardly and childish to whine when thrown down or hurt in the fall.

While the sport was at its height Sidney Rigdon, the mouth-piece of the Prophet, rushed into the ring, sword in hand, and said that he would not suffer a lot of men to break the Sabbath day in that manner. For a moment all were silent, then one of the brethren, with more presence of mind than the others, said to the Prophet, "Brother Joseph, we want you to clear us from blame, for we formed the ring by your request. You told us to wrestle, and now Brother Rigdon is bringing us to account for it."

The Prophet walked into the ring and said, as he made a motion with his hand: "Brother Sidney, you had better go out of here and let the boys alone; they are amusing themselves according to my orders. You are an old man. You go and get ready for meeting and let the boys alone." Just then catching Rigdon off his guard, as quick as a flash he knocked the sword from Rigdon's hand, then caught him by the shoulder, and said: "Now, old man, you must go out, or I will throw you down." Rigdon was as large a man as the Prophet, but not so tall. The prospect of a tussel between the Prophet and the mouthpiece of the Prophet, was fun for all but Rigdon who pulled back like a craw-fish, but the resistance was useless, the Prophet dragged him from the ring, bareheaded, and tore Rigdon's fine pulpit coat from the collar to the waist; then he turned to the men and said: "Go in, boys and have your fun. [page 78] You shall never have it to say that I got you into any trouble that I did not get you out of."

Rigdon complained about the loss of his hat and the tearing of his coat. The Prophet said to him: "You were out of your place. Always keep your place and you will not suffer; but you got a little out of your place and you have suffered for it. You have no one to blame but yourself." After that Rigdon never countermanded the orders of the Prophet, to my knowledge–he knew who was boss.

An order had been issued by the Church authorities commanding all of the members of the Mormon Church to leave their farms, and to take such property as they could remove, and go to one of the two fortified camps–that is Far West or Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. A large majority of the settlers obeyed, and the two camps were soon full of people who had deserted home again for the sake of the gospel.

There was a settlement on Log Creek, between three and five miles east from Far West. It was quite a rich settlement. A man named Haughn [Jacob Haun] had just completed a good flouring mill on the creek. The morning after the battle of Crooked River, Haughn came to Far West to consult with the Prophet concerning the policy of the removal of the settlers on Log Creek to the fortified camps. Col. [Wight] and myself were standing by when the Prophet said to him: "Move in, by all means, if you wish to save your lives." Haughn replied that if the settlers left their homes all of their property would be lost, and the Gentiles would burn their houses and other buildings. The Prophet said: "You had much better lose your property than your lives, one can be replaced, the other cannot be restored; but there is no need of your losing either if you will only do as you are commanded." Haughn said that he considered the best plan was for all of the settlers to move into and around the mill, and use the blacksmith's shop and other buildings as a fort in case of attack; in this way he thought they would be perfectly save. "You are at liberty to do so if you think best," said the Prophet. Haughn then departed, well satisfied that he had carried his point.

The Prophet turned to Col. [Wight] and said: "That man did not come for counsel, but to induce me to tell him to do as he pleased; which I did. Had I commanded them to move in here and leave their property, they would have called me a tyrant. [page 79] I wish they were here for their own safety. I am confident that we will soon learn that they have been butchered in a fearful manner."

At this time the Missourians had determined to exterminate the whole of the Mormon people. Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued orders to that effect. I think General Clark was the officer in command of all the Gentile forces. Gen. Atchison and Gen. Doniphan each commanded a division of from three to eight thousand men, and they soon besieged Far West. The Mormons fortified the town as well as they could, and took special care to fortify and build shields and breast works to prevent the cavalry from charging into the town. The Gentile forces were mostly camped on Log Creek, between the town of Far West and Haughn's [Haun's] Mill, and about a mile from Far West, and about half a mile south of our outer breastworks. Our scouts and picket guards were driven in, and forced to join the main ranks for safety.

Mormon troops were placed in position by the officers, so as to guard every point. Each man had a large supply of bullets, with the patching sewed on the balls to facilitate the loading of our guns, which were all muzzle loaders. The Mormon force was abut eight hundred strong, poorly armed; many of the men had no guns; some had single-barrel pistols, and a few had home-made swords. These were all of our implements of war. So situated, we were still anxious to meet the enemy, and demanded to be led out against our foes. Our men were confident that God was going to deliver the enemy into our hands, and so we had no fears, I was one of the advance force, and as I lay behind some timber, with my cap-box open and bullets lying on the ground by my side, I never had a doubt of being able to defeat the Gentile army. The troops lay and watched each other two days, then the Gentiles made two efforts to force their way into the town by stratagem; but seeing our forces in order, they did not come within range of our guns. The Mormons stood in the ranks, and prayed for the chance of getting a shot; but all to no effect. The same evening we learned of the massacre at Haughn's Mill. The description of this massacre was such as to freeze the blood of each Saint, and force them to swear revenge should come some day.

Haughn's [Haun's] Mill Massacre was reported about as follows to us at Far West. When the [page 80] Gentile mob attacked the Mormon's at the mill the Mormons took shelter in the blacksmith shop and other buildings. The mob took advantage of the banks of the creek and the timber, and very nearly surrounded the shop, which was built of logs, and served as a slaughter-house instead of a shelter or protection. The mob, while protected as they were, shot down the Mormons at their leisure. They killed eighteen and wounded as many more; in fact they killed and wounded every one who did not run away during the fight and take refuge in the woods; After shooting down all that could be seen, the mob entered the blacksmith shop and there found a young lad who had secreted himself under the bellows.

One of the men said, "Don't shoot; it is but a small boy."

The reply was, "Nits will make lice; it is best to save them when we can."

Thus saying, they shot the little fellow where he lay. There was an old man in the settlement by the name of McBride, who had been a soldier in the Revolutionary war; he was killed by being hacked to pieces with a corn-cutter while begging for his life. The dead and wounded were thrown into a well all together. Several of the wounded were afterwards taken out of the well by the force that went from Far West, and recovered from their wounds. So great was the hatred of the mob that they saved none, but killed all who fell into their hands at that time. I received my information of the massacre from David Lewis, Tarleton Lewis, William Laney and Isaac Laney; they were Kentuckians, and were also in the fight, but escaped death. Isaac Laney was shot seven times, leaving thirteen ball holes in his person; five of these shots were nearly in the center of the chest; one entered under the right arm, passed through the body and came out under the left arm, yet, strange as it appears, he kept his feet, so he informed me, and ran some three hundred yards to a cabin, where a woman raised a loose plank of the cabin floor, and he lay down and she replaced the boards.

The mob left, and in about two hours [Isaac] Laney was taken from under the cabin floor nearly lifeless. He was then washed, anointed with oil, the elders praying for his recovery, according to the order of the Holy Priesthood, and he was promised through prayer and faith in God, speedy restoration. The pain at once left him and for two weeks he felt no pain at all. He then took cold, and the wound in his hips pained him for some two hours, when the elders repeated their prayers and again [page 81] anointed him, which had the effect desired. The pain left him, and never returned. I heard Laney declare this to be a fact, and he bore his testimony in the presence of many of the Saints. I saw him four weeks after the massacre and examined his person. I saw the wounds, then healed. I felt of them with my own hands, and I saw the shirt and examined it, that he had on when he was shot, and it was cut in shreds. Many balls had cut his clothing, that had not touched his person.

The massacre at Haughn's [Haun's] Mill was the result of the brethren's refusal to obey the wishes of the Prophet. All the brethren so considered it. It made a deep and lasting impression on my mind, for I had heard the Prophet give the counsel to the brethren to come into the town. They had refused, and the result was a lesson to all that there was no safety except in obeying the Prophet.

Col. George M. Hinkle had command of the troops at Far West under Joseph Smith. He was from Kentucky and was considered a fair weather Saint. When danger came he was certain to be on the strong side. He was a fine speaker, and had great influence with the Saints.

Previous to the attack on Far West, Col. Hinkle had come to an understanding with the Gentile commanders that in case the danger grew great, they could depend on him as a friend and one through whom they could negotiate and learn the situation of affairs in the camp of the Saints. When our scouts were first driven in Col. Hinkle was out with them, and when they were closely pursued he turned his coat wrong side out and wore it so. This was a peculiar move, but at the time it did not cause much comment among his men, but they reported it to the Prophet, and he at once became suspicious of the Colonel. The Prophet, being a man of thought and cool reflection, kept this information within a small circle, as that was a bad time to ventilate an act of that kind. The Prophet concluded to make use of the knowledge he had gained of Hinkle's character, and use him to negotiate between the two parties. I do not believe that Joseph Smith had the least idea that he, with his little handful of men, could stand off that army that had come up against him. I know that now, but at that time I was full of religious zeal and felt that the Mormon Hosts of Israel were invincible. Joseph wished to use Hinkle to learn the destiny of the Gentiles, so that he could prepare for the worst. Col. [page 82] Hinkle was sent out by Joseph to have an interview with the Gentiles.

The Colonel returned and reported to Joseph Smith the terms proposed by the Gentile officers. The terms offered were as follows: Joseph Smith and the leading men of the Church, Rigdon, Lyman [Wight], P.P. Pratt, Phelps and others, were to give themselves up without delay, the balance of the men to surrender themselves and their arms by ten o'clock the following day, the understanding being that all would be tried for treason against the Government, and for other offenses. The Prophet took advantage of this information, and had every man that was in imminent danger, leave the camp for a place of safety. The most of those in danger went to Illinois. They left at once, and were safe from all pursuit before the surrender took place, as they traveled north and avoided all settlements.

When the brethren had left for Illinois, as just stated, Joseph Smith called all of his remaining troops together, and told them they were a good lot of fellows, but they were not perfect enough to withstand so large an army as the one now before them, that they had stood by him, and were willing to die for and with him, for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven, that he wished them to be comforted, for God had accepted their offering, that he intended to, and was going to offer himself up as a sacrifice, to save their lives and to save the Church. He wished them all to be of good cheer, and pray for him, and to pray that he and the brethren that went with him might be delivered from their enemies. He then blessed his people in the name of the Lord, After this, he and the leading men, six in number went with him direct to the camp of the enemy. They were led by a Judas, Col. G.M. Hinkle. I stood upon the breastworks and watched them go into the camp of the enemy. I heard the yells of triumph of the troops, as Joseph Smith and his companions entered. It was with great difficulty that the officers would restrain the mob from shooting them down as they entered. A strong guard was then placed over them to protect them from mob violence.

The next morning a court martial was held, at which Joseph Smith and his six companions that had surrendered with him, were sentenced to be shot. The execution was to take place at eight o'clock the next morning. When the sentence of the court martial was announced to them, Col. Lyman [Wight] said [page 83] "Shoot and be d----d." General Atchison and Col. Doniphan arrived with their divisions that same day, soon after the court martial had been held. Col. Doniphan, in particular, remonstrated against the decision. He said it was nothing more or less than cold blooded murder, and that every name signed to the decision was signed in blood, and he would withdraw his troops and have nothing to do in the matter, if the men were to be shot. General Atchison sustained Col. Doniphan, and said the wiser policy would be, in as much as they had surrendered themselves as prisoners, to place them in the Richmond jail, and let them take the due course of the law; let them be tried by the civil authorities of the land. In this way justice could be reached and parties could be punished according to law, and thus save the honor of the troops and the nation. This timely interposition and wise course on the part of Col. Doniphan and General Atchison, changed the course and prevented the hasty action of an infuriated mob, calling itself a court, men who were all the bitter enemies of Joseph Smith and his followers.

The next day a writing desk was prepared, with two secretaries or clerks; it was placed in the middle of the hollow square formed by the troops. The Mormons were marched in double file across the center of the square, where the officers and men who had remained in Far West surrendered themselves and their arms to General Clark, Commander-in-Chief of the Missouri Militia, then in arms against the Saints at Far West. I was among the number that then surrendered. I laid down a good Kentucky rifle, two good horse pistols and a sword. After stacking our arms we were marched in single file, between a double file of the militia, who stood in a line from the secretary's desk, extending nearly across the square, ready to receive us, with fixed bayonets. As each man came up to the stand, he stepped to the desk and signed his name to an instrument recapitulating the conditions of the treaty, which were substantially as follows: we were to give a deed to all of our real estate, and to give a bill of sale of all our personal property, to pay the expenses of the war that had been inaugurated against us; that a committee of twelve should be appointed, one for Far West and one for Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman], who were to be the sole judges of what would be necessary to remove each family out of the State, and all of the Mormons were to leave Missouri [page 84] by the first of April, A.D. 1839, and all the rest of the property of the Mormons was to be taken by the Missouri troops to pay the expenses of the war. When the committee had examined into affairs and made the assignment of property that the Mormons were to retain, a pass would be given by the committee to each person as an evidence that he had gone through an investigation both as to his conduct and property. The prisoners at Far West were to be retained and not allowed to return home until the committee had reported and given the certificate that all charges had been met and satisfied.

I remained a prisoner for nine days, awaiting the action of the committee. While such prisoner I witnessed many scenes of inhumanity, even more degrading then brutality itself. The mob of the militia was mostly composed of men who had been neighbors of the Mormons. This mob rifed the city, took what they wished, and committed many cruel and shameful deeds. These barbarous acts were done because they said the Mormons had stolen their good and chattels, and while they pretended to search for stolen property they ravished women and committed other crimes at will. One day, while standing by a log fire, trying to keep warm, a man came up and recognized Riley Stewart, and said, "I saw you knock Dick Weldon down at Gallatin." With this he sprang and caught at an ax that had been stuck in a log; while trying to get the ax out, as it stuck fast in the log, [Riley] Stewart ran; the man succeeded in getting the ax loose, he then threw it will all his force at Stewart; fortunately the ax struck him a glancing low on the head, not killing him, but giving him a severe wound. When one of the mob saw a saddle, or bridle, or an article they liked, they took it and kept it, and the Mormon prisoners dared not say a word about it.

The night after he was wounded, [Riley] Stewart broke through the guard, and escaped to his wife's people in Carroll County, fifty miles south of Far West. As soon as the citizens heard that [Riley] Stewart had arrived, they notified his wife's brothers and father that an armed mob intended to take him out and whip him severely, and then tar and father him. His friends notified him of the fact, and he attempted to make his escape, but the mob was on the watch. They caught him, and holding two pistols at his head, forced him to take off his coat, kneel down and receive fifty lashes. These were given him with such force that they cut through his linen shirt. After this whipping, he returned [page 85] to Far West, and took his chances with the rest of us. . . .

While we were standing in line, waiting our turns to sign the treaty, a large company of men, painted like Indians, rode up and surrounded us. They were a part of the men who were in the fight at the town of Gallatin, on the day of election. They tantalized us and abused us in every way they could with words. This treatment was hard to bear, but we were powerless to protect ourselves in any way. . . .

I had a fine gray mare that attracted the attention of many of the mob. I was allowed to take her to water, while closely guarded by armed men. One day as I took her to water I was spoken to by several men, who said they were sorry for a man like me, who appeared to be honest and peaceably disposed; that they knew that I and many honest men were deluded by Joseph Smith, the impostor. But they thanked God he would delude no more people; that he would certainly be shot; that I had better quit my delusion and settle down by the officer in command, who was then talking to me, in Carroll County, and make a home for my family; that I would never have peace or quiet while I remained with the Mormons. I heard him through. Then I said: "No man has deceived me. I am not deceived by Joseph [page 86] Smith, or any other man. If I am deceived it is the Bible that has deceived me. I believe that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and I have the Bible as my authority in part for this belief. And I do not believe that Joseph Smith will be shot, as you seem to think. He has not finished his work yet.

As I finished my remarks the officer became fearfully enraged, and said, "That is the way with you d—d Mormons. You might as well try to move a mountain as to turn a Mormon from his delusion. Blow the brains out of this fool!" In an instant several guns were leveled on me. I imagined I already felt the bullets piercing my body. The soldiers would certainly have shot me down if the officer had not immediately countermanded his order, by saying, "Hold on, boys, he is not worth five charges of ammunition." I said, Gents, I am your prisoner, unarmed and helpless, and I demand your protection. But if you consider there is any honor in treating a man, an American prisoner, in this way, you can do it."

As we returned to camp the man said, "We will make it hot for the Mormons yet before we are done with them, and if you have not got enough of them now, you will have before you are done with them; and you will remember my words when it is too late to serve you."

"I may," said I; "when I do I will own up like a little man. But until I am so convinced I will never turn my coat." "Well," said he, "you are not so bad after all. I like a firm man, if he only has reason on his side."

The Mormons were forted, or barricaded, in the public school houses, and kept without any rations being issued to them. The grain fields and gardens that belonged to the Mormons were thrown open to the stock and wasted. Our cattle and other stock were shot down for sport and left for the wolves and birds of prey to devour. We were closely guarded, and not allowed to go from our quarters without a guard. We were nearly starved for several days, until I obtained permission to go out and bring in some of the cattle that the soldiers had killed for sport. The weather was cold and the snow deep, so the meat was good. I also got permission to gather in some vegetables, and from that time, while we remained prisoners, the men had plenty to eat, yet often it was of a poor quality. While a prisoner I soon learned that the loud and self-conceited men were of little account when danger stared them in the face.

[page 87] Arrangements had been made to carry the treaty into effect. It was found necessary to send General Wilson with five hundred men to Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman] to compel the surrender, and signing of the treaty, as had been done at Far West, and the people of that place were to be treated just as we had been.

I was recommended to General Wilson by the officer who had ordered his men to blow my brains out, as a suitable man for a guide to Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. He said that I was as stubborn as a mule, but still there was something about me he respected. That he believed that I was honest, and certainly no coward. General Wilson said: "Young man, do you live at Adam-on-Diamond?" [Adam-ondi-Ahman] I said: "I cannot say that I do, but I did once, and I have a wife and child there that I would like to see; but as to a home I have none left." He said, "Where did you live before you came here?" "In Illinois," I answered. "You shall soon see your wife and child. I will start in the morning with my division for Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. You are at liberty to select two of your comrades and go with me as guides, to pilot us there. Be ready for an early start and report to my Adjutant." "Thank you, sir, I will do as your request," said I.

I selected two good men, I think Levi Stewart was one, but I have really forgotten who the other man was. In the morning I was on hand in time. The day was cold and stormy, a hard north wind blowing, and the snow falling rapidly. It was an open country for thirteen miles, with eighteen inches of snow on the ground. We kept our horses in the lope until we reached Shady Grove timber, thirteen miles from Far West. There we camped for the night by the side of Waldo Littlefield's farm. The fence was burned for camp-fires, and his field of grain were fed to the horses, or rather the animals were turned loose in the fields. After camp was struck I went to General Wilson and said, "General, I have come to beg a favor of you. I ask you in the name of humanity to let me go on to Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman] today. I have a wife and helpless babe there. I am informed our house has been burned, and she is likely out in this storm without a shelter. You are half-way there; the snow is deep and you can follow our trail (it had then slackened up, or was snowing but little) in the morning; there is but one road to the settlement." He looked at me for a moment, and then said, "Young man, your request shall be granted, I admire your resolution." He then turned to his Aid, who stood trembling [page 88] in the snow and said, "Write Mr. Lee and his two comrades a pass, saying that they have gone through an examination at Far West, and have been found innocent," etc. The Adjutant drew out his portfolio and wrote as follows: "I permit John D. Lee to remove from Daviess to Caldwell County, and to pass out of the State, as he has undergone an examination at Far West and was fully acquitted. Marrowbone Encampment, Caldwell County, Mo., Nov. 15, 1839.

          R. Wilson, Brigadier Gen.

          "R.F. Cockey, Aid-de-Camp."

After receiving my pass I thanked the General for his humane act, and with my friends made the journey, through the snow to Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. As we neared home the sun shone out brightly. When I got in sight of where my house had been, I saw my wife sitting by a log fire in the open air, with her babe in her arms. Some soldiers had cut a large hickory tree for firewood for her, and had built her a shelter with some boards I had dressed to weather-board a house, so she was in a measure comfortable. She had been weeping, as she had been informed that I was a prisoner at Far West, and would be shot, and that she need not look for me, for she would never see me again. When I rode up she was nearly frantic with delight, and as soon as I reached her side she threw herself into my arms and then herself-possession gave way and she wept bitterly; but she soon recovered herself and gave me an account of her troubles during my absence.

The next evening, General Wilson and his command arrived and camped near my little shanty. I started at once to report to General Wilson. On my way to him I passed my friend McBrier, who had trusted me to some cattle. I still owed him for them. I told him why I had been unable to pay him, and wished him to take the cattle back, as I still had all of them except one cow that had died of the murrain; that it was an honest debt, and I wished to pay it. I asked him to go to my shanty with me, and said he could take what cattle were left and a black mare that was worth $25, for my note. "I have not got your note," said he. "Who has it?" I asked him. "I do not know, I supposed you had it." I never saw it since I gave it to you." "Well," said he, "my house was burned, and all my property either burned or taken from me, and your note was in the house [page 89] when it was burned." Well," said I, "it matters not with me, if you will take the property and give me a receipt against the note, so that it cannot be collected the second time, I will settle the debt." He then said, "I thought you had been in the party that burned the house, and had taken your note, but I am now satisfied to the contrary, and that you are an innocent man. All I ask is for you to renew the note. The property of the Mormons will be held to pay their debts, and the expenses of the war, and I will get my pay in that way. You just renew the note, and that will settle all between us." I then renewed the note, after which he went with me to Genera Wilson. McBrier introduced me to a number of the soldiers as an honest Mormon. This worked well in my favor, and pleased me much, for it satisfied me more than ever that honesty was the best policy. I had done nothing that I considered wrong; there was no stolen property around my house. I did not have to run and hide or screen any act of mine from the public gaze. My wife had been treated well personally, during my absence; no insults had been offered to her, and I was well pleased at that. I was treated with respect by Gen. Wilson ad his men. True, I was associated with the people that had incurred the displeasure of the authorities and my neighbors, who had committed crimes and larcenies, were then receiving fearful punishment for all they had done. The punishment, however, was in a great part owing to the fault of the people. When the Gentiles found any of their property that had been stolen, they became abusive.

Every house in Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman] was searched by the troops for stolen property. They succeeded in finding very much of the Gentile property that had been captured by the Saints in the various raids they made through the country. Bedding of every kind and in large quantities was found and reclaimed by the owners. Even spinning wheels, soap barrels and other articles were recovered. Each house where stolen property was found was certain to receive a Missouri blessing from the troops. The men who had been most active in gathering plunder had fled to Illinois, to escape the vengeance of the people, leaving their families to suffer for the sins of the bleeding Saints. By the terms of the treaty all the Mormons were to leave Daviess County within fifteen days, but they were allowed to stay through the winter in Caldwell County; but all had to depart from Missouri before the first day of the next April. There were but [page 90] few families that met with the kind treatment that mine did. The majority of the people were censured and persecuted as much as they were able to stand and live.

In justice to Joseph Smith I cannot say that I ever heard him teach or even encourage men to pilfer or steal little things. He told the people that in an open war the contending factions were justified in taking spoil to subsist upon during the war; but he did despise this little, petty stealing. He told the people to wait until the proper time came to take back their rights, "Then" said he, "take the whole State of Missouri like men."

When the people at Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman] had signed the treaty, and complied with the stipulations, the committee of twelve commenced their duties. When it came my turn to take the property necessary to take me out of the State, I was told to fit myself out comfortable. I told them that I had a wife and one child, that I had two good wagons, one a heavy one-horse wagon, with fills, and that I had a large mare that was equal to a common span, that the mare and wagon would do me, that I wanted some bedding and our clothing, and some other traps of little value; that I had a good milk cow that I wished to give to a friend who had lost all his cattle, and his wife had died a short time before, leaving a little babe that must have milk. I told them they could take the rest of my property and do with it as they did with that of the brethren. I was worth then in property, at a fair valuation, $4,000. The officers were astonished at me and said they did not wish to oppress a man who acted fairly. The told me to take my large wagon and two of my best horses, and all the outfit that I wanted. I thanked them for their kindness. I was permitted to give the cow to my fiend and I had the privilege of taking such articles as I wished. I fitted up with just what would take me to Illinois, and left the remainder as a spoil for the enemies of the Church.

I did not regret the loss of my property; I gave it up as the price of my religious freedom; but I did feel cast down to think and know that I was associated with so many petty thieves, whose ambition never rose higher than the smoke of their corncob pipes. I was sorrowful to find that the perfection I had thought the people possessed, was not, in fact, a part of their natures.

I had long desired to associated myself with an honest people, whose motto would be promptness, punctuality, honesty–a [page 91] people that feared God and worked righteousness, dealt justly, loved mercy and walked uprightly with each other before their God where my property, my life, my reputation would be held sacred by them all the same as if it was their own. For the society of such a people I was willing to forsake all earthly substance, and even to have my name cast out as evil and trodden under foot, if I cold be found worthy to serve with such a blessed people, and thus earn the boon of eternal life. But I had found another class of people; they fell far short of the requisites that I had believed they possessed. When I found fault with having such characters in the Church I was told of the parable where Christ likened the kingdom of heaven to a net that was cast into the sea, which, when drawn to the shore, had in it all kinds of fish; the servants picked out the good and kept them for the Master's use, and the bad were cast back into the sea; that we could not expect anything different with the kingdom on earth; that it was a trick of the evil one to cause such persons to rush into the gospel net to harass and torment the Saints with their evil doings, but the time would come when forbearance would cease to be a virtue, that all those who worked iniquity or gave offense in the kingdom would be cut off and destroyed; that we must bear with them until the time came to correct the evil.

Before I speak of other things I will say a few words of the country we were then in. Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman] was at the point where Adam came and settled and blest his posterity after being driven from the Garden of Eden. This was reveled to the people through Joseph Smith, the Prophet. The Temple Block in Jackson County, Missouri, stands on the identical spot where once stood the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden they traveled in a northwesterly course until they came to a valley on the east side of Grand River. There they tarried for several years, and engaged in tilling the soil. On the east of the valley there is a low range of hills. Standing on the summit of the bluffs a person had full view of the beautiful valley that lies below, dotted here and there with elegant groves of timber. On the top of this range of hills Adam erected an altar of stone, on which he offered sacrifice unto the Lord. There was at that time (in 1838) a pile of stone there, which the Prophet said was a portion of the altar on which Adam offered sacrifice. Although these stones had been exposed [page 92] to the elements for many generations of time, still the traces remained to show the dimensions and design of the altar. After Adam had offered his sacrifice he went up the valley some two miles, where he blessed his posterity and called the place the Valley of Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman], which, in the reformed Egyptian language, signifies Adam's Consecrated Land. It is said to be seventy-five miles, in a direct course, from the Garden of Eden to Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman]. Those supposed ancient relics and sacred spots of earth are held sacred by the greater portions of the Latter Day Saints. To a casual observer it appears that his people are all the time chasing a phantom of some sort, which only exists in the brain of the fanatical followers. These things, and much more concerning the early days, were revealed to Joseph Smith.

On the 20th Day of November, 1838, I took leave of my home, and the spot I considered sacred ground, on Adam-on-Diamond [Adam-ondi-Ahman], and started as a banished person to seek a home in Illinois. We went to my farm on Shady Grove Creek, and stayed over night. We found everything as we had left it, nothing had been interfered with. I killed a large hog and dressed it to carry with us to eat on the journey. The snow was fully twenty inches deep, weather very cold, and taken all in all, it was a disagreeable and unpleasant trip. We went to the settlement on Log Creek, and stopped with the family of Robert Bidwell. He had plenty of property. This man had good teams and had reaped where he had not sown, and gathered where he had not strewn. He was engaged in removing families of his helpless brethren to Quincy, Illinois, who had not teams to move themselves, but who had a little money that he was after, and he got all they had. For some reason unexplained to me, he had been permitted to keep all of his property; none of it was taken by the troops. While at Bidwell's I bought a crib of corn, about two hundred bushels, for a pocket-knife. I built a stable for my mare, and a crib for the corn, and hauled wood enough to do the whole family for the rest of the winter. I also attended to Bidwell's stock and worked all the time for him. They had five children, which made considerable work for the women folks; my wife worked for them all the time.

During this time we had nothing but corn to eat. The hog I killed at my farm was diseased, and I had to throw the meat away. Notwithstanding our constant work for Bidwell's family, they never [page 93] gave us a drop of milk or a meal of victuals while we remained there. Mrs. Bidwell fed six gallons of milk to their hogs each day. I offered to feed the hogs corn for milk, so we could have milk to eat with our boiled corn, but she refused the offer, saying they had all they needed. They did have provisions of every kind in abundance, but not a particle of food could we obtain from them. Prayer meetings were frequently held at their house. They had plenty of tallow, but Mrs. Bidwell would not allow a candle to be burned in the house unless some other person furnished it.

One night at prayer meeting I chanced to speak upon the subject of covetousness, and quoted the twelfth chapter of Paul to the Corinthians, where he speaks of members of the Church of Christ being united. I was feeling badly to see so much of the covetousness of the world in some of the members of the Church, and I talked quite plainly upon the subject. The next morning Mrs. Bidwell came into our room and said that my remarks at the meeting the evening before were directed at her, and she wanted me to understand that if I did not like my treatment there, she wanted us to go where we would fare better. This inhumane and unwelcome language did not set well on an empty stomach, and was more than I cold bear. I burst into tears. Yet I pitied the ungrateful woman. As soon as I could control my feelings I said, "Sister Bidwell, I will take you at your word. I will leave your house as soon as I can get my things into my wagon, but before I leave you, I wish to say a few words for you to ponder on when we are gone. In the first place, you and I profess to be members of the same Church; for the sake of our faith my family has been broken up and driven from a comfortable home, in the inclement season of the year. We came here seeking shelter from the stormy blasts of winter, until the severity of the weather was past, when we intended to leave this State. You have been more fortunate than your brethren and sisters who lived in Daviess County. You are allowed to live in your own house, but we are homeless wanderers. Now you drive us from the shelter of your roof, for a trivial offense, if offense it was. But I assure you that you are only angry because my words were the truth. Woe unto you who are angry and offended at the truth. As you do unto others, so will your Heavenly Father do unto you. In as much as you have done this unnatural act, [page 94] you will yet be houseless and homeless–you will be one day dependent upon those that you now drive from your door."

At first she mocked me, but soon her tune changed and she commenced to cry. She then begged me not to get angry with what a woman said. I told her I could not undo what I had said–that I should start at once for Quincy, Illinois. We left the house of the stingy and selfish family, intending to go direct to Illinois. We traveled until we arrived at the house of a man by the name of Morris; they had a much smaller house than Bidwell's, but they would not listen to our continuing our journey during the severe cold weather. We accepted their invitation, and stayed there about two weeks. This family possessed the true Christian spirit, and treated us while there as kindly as if we had been their own children.

While staying with Brother Morris I attended several meetings at Far West. Old Father Smith, the father of the Prophet, lead the meetings. He also directed the exodus of the Saints from Missouri to Illinois. Thomas B. Marsh was at that time President of the Twelve Apostles, and I think Brigham Young was second and Orson Hyde the third on the roll. The great opposition to our people and church caused the two pillars, Marsh and Hyde, to become weak-kneed and turn over to the enemy. Col. G.M. Hinkle, Dr. [Sampson] Averard [Avard], Judge W.W. Phelps, and others of the tall men of the Church followed suit. I remember going with Levi Stewart to some of those fallen angels (in the days of our prosperity they had looked like angels to me) to enquire what to do and what was to be the future conduct of our people. G.M. Hinkle said that it was his opinion our leaders, Joseph Smith and those with him in prison, would be either hung or imprisoned for life–that the members of the Church would scatter to the four winds, and never gather again in this dispensation.

We then went to Joseph's father and asked him for counsel. He told us that the Saints would gather again in Illinois. We asked him at what point. He said, "I do not know yet, but the farther north we go the less poisonous serpents we will find." He then advised us to attend private meetings and I was ordained in the Quorum of Seventies, under the hands of Joseph Young and Levi Hancock. [Levi] Stewart was ordained to the lesser priesthood, which gave him authority to preach and baptize, but [page 95] not to confirm. The office that I held gave me authority to preach, baptize and confirm by the laying on of hands, for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and to ordain and set apart Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons, and to ordain a Seventy or High Priest as the office of a Seventy belongs to the Melchizedek Priesthood; yet a Seventy or High Priest is generally ordained and set apart by the presidents of the several quorums. After we were ordained we attended a private feast and blessing meeting, at which my wife and I got our Patriarchal Blessing, under the hands of Isaac Morley, Patriarch. This office properly belongs to those that are ordained and set apart to that calling, to bless the fatherless and the widow especially, but he can bless others who ask it and pay one dollar for the blessing. Often the widow and the poor are blessed free, but this is at the option of the Patriarch. . . .

[page 96] About the middle of February, 1839, I started back for Fayette County, Illinois, with my family, in company with Levi Stewart and Riley Helm, two of my old Illinois neighbors. While traveling through Missouri we were kindly treated by most of the people; many of them requested us to stop and settle down by them. I refused to do so, for I knew there was no safety for a true Saint in that State, at that time. When we crossed the Mississippi River at Quincy, and touched Illinois soil, I felt like a new man, and a free American citizen again. [page 97] At this place I found many of the Saints who had preceded us, camped along the river. Some had obtained employment, all appeared happy in the faith and strong in the determination to build up the Kingdom. Here I parted with Riley Helm, his team had given out, and he could go no father. I gave him twenty-five cents in money, all that I had in the world, and twelve pounds of nails, to buy food with until he could find aid from some other quarter. I had laid in enough provisions at Brother Morris' to last me until I cold reach my old home again.

I started from Quincy by way of Mr. Vanleven's, the man I sold my cattle to when going to join the Saints. Without meeting with any remarkable adventures, I arrived at Vanleven's house and was kindly received by him. He had the money ready for me, and paid me in full all he owed on the cattle. I now saw that some honesty yet remained in the world. I took $200 and left the rest of it with my friend and bank, so that I would be safe in case I met another storm of oppression.

I then went to Vandalia, Illinois, and put up with my wife's sister's husband, Hickerson. He was in good circumstances. I left my wife with her sister, after laying in a supply of provisions for her and our child. I then commenced preparing for a mission. I did no know where I was to go, but I felt it my duty to go forth and give my testimony to the truth of the Gospel as revealed by Joseph Smith, the prophet of the everlasting God. [Levi] Stewart was [to] go with me; he had made arrangements for the comfort of his family during his absence.

I started on my first mission about the 1st of April, 1839. I bade adieu to my little family and started forth, an illiterate, inexperienced person, without purse or scrip. I could hardly quote a passage of Scripture, yet I went forth to say to the world that I was a minister of the gospel, bearing a message from on high, with the authority to call upon all men to repent, be baptized for the remission of their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. I had never attempted to preach a discourse in my life. I expected trials, and I had them to undergo many times.

Brother [Levi] Stewart and myself started forth on foot, with our valises on our backs. We walked about thirty miles the first day, and as nights was approaching, we called at a house for lodging. They had been having a log rolling there that day and quite a [page 98] number of people were around the house. We asked for lodging and refreshments. Our request was carried back to the supper-room to the man of the house, and we stood at the gate awaiting the reply. Presently the man cam [came] out and said that no d—d Mormon preacher could stay in his house; and if we wished to save our scalps, we had better be making tracks lively. Brother [Levi] Stewart took him at his word, and started off at a double quick. I followed, but more slowly. We made no reply to that man's remarks.

A mile further on we again called for lodging. The man could not keep us, as he was poor, and his family was sick; but he directed us to a house half a mile from the traveled road, where he said a man lived that was an infidel, but he would not turn a hungry man from his door. We went to the house, and asked for entertainment. The man said he never turned a man from his door hungry, but he had as soon entertain horse-thieves as Mormon preachers; that he looked upon all Mormons as thieves, robbers and scoundrels,. There was determination in his voice as he addressed us in this manner. He held his rifle in his hand while speaking. Then he said, "Walk in, gentlemen. I never turn the hungry away." He then addressed his wife, a very pretty, unassuming lady, and said, "Get these men some supper, for I suppose they fell pretty lank."

A good supper was soon on the table; but I could not eat. [Levi] Stewart ate his supper, and soon was enjoying himself talking to the family. He was a great talker; liked to hear himself talk. They requested me to eat, but I thanked them, and said rest would do me more good than eating. I soon retired, but did not sleep. I was humiliated; my proud spirit was broken and humbled; the rough words used toward me had stricken me to the heart. At daylight we were on our way again.

About ten o'clock we arrived at a little town, and went to the pump to get a drink. While there a woman came to the pump, and asked us if we were Mormon preachers. We told her we were out on that business, but had never preached yet. She invited us to her house, saying she owned the hotel; that she was a widow; she would inform the people of the town that we were there, and as it was the Sabbath, we could preach in her house; for she wished to hear the strange doctrine. We consented to remain, and went home with her and had something to eat. At eleven o'clock, A.M., I made my debut to [page 99] quite an attentive audience. I both quoted and made Scripture. I had been fasting and praying until I had become as humble as a child. My whole mind and soul were swallowed up in the Gospel. My most earnest desire was to be able to impart to others that knowledge that I had of the truths of the Gospel. When I began to speak I felt an electric thrill through my whole system. I hardly knew what I said, and the people said I spoke from inspiration; and none of the audience noticed my mistakes in quoting Scripture.

After dinner my companion [Levi] Stewart, proposed to travel on, and I agreeing with him, we left the town, although the people wished us to stay and preach again. I had but little confidence in myself, and concluded to preach but seldom, until I got over my timidity or man-fearing feeling that most new beginners are subject to. But I have now been a public speaker for thirty-five years, and I have not yet entirely gotten over that feeling.

We started for Cincinnati, and traveled two days and a half without food. My boots hurt my feet and our progress was quite slow. The third night we applied to a tavern keeper for lodging and food. He said we were welcome to stay in his house free, but he must have pay for what we eat. We sat in the hall all night, for we were much reduced by hunger and fatigue. That was a miserable night indeed. I reflected the matter over and over again, scrutinized it up one side and down the other. I could not see why a servant of God should receive such treatment–that if I was in the right faith, doing the will of God, that He would open up they way before me, and not allow me to perish under then sore trials then surrounding me. I had seriously considered the propriety of walking back to where the kind landlady had given us our last meal, but was soon comforted, for these words came into my mind, "He that putteth his hands to the plow, and then looketh back, is not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven;" If ye were of the world, then the world would love its own, but because I have chosen you out of the world, the world persecuteth you; "Ye, and all who live Godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution, while evil man and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived;" that the Son of God himself; when he entered upon the duties of His mission, was led into the wilderness; where he was tempted forty days and nights, and when he was hungry and [page 100] asked for bread, he was told, substantially, that if his mission was of God, that God would feed him, that if hungry he could turn the stones to bread and eat. I remembered that similar sayings had been thrown into our teeth. These thoughts passed through my frame like electricity, or to use the language of one of the old prophets, it was like fire shut up in by [sic] bones; I felt renewed and refreshed from head to foot, and determined to trust in that Arm that could not be broken, to conquer and subdue the passions of my nature, and by the help of God to try and bring them in subjection to the will of the Spirit, and not of the flesh, which is carnal, sensual and devilish. I determined that there should be no lack on my part.

Daylight came at last, and we renewed our journey. I put a double guard over my evil passions that were sown thickly in my sinful nature. The passion most dreaded by me was the lust of the flesh; that I knew to be the worst enemy to my salvation, and I determined to master it. I have walked along in silence for hours, with my heart lifted up to God in prayer, pleading with Him to give me power over my passions and sinful desires, that I might conquer and drive from my mind those besetting sins that were continually warring with the Spirit, which, if cherished or suffered to remain, would wound and grieve the Spirit and drive it away. It is written, "My Spirit will not dwell in an unholy temple." Jesus said to his followers that they were the Temple of the Living God; that if they who had charge of those temples, or bodies, allowed them to become unholy, that he would destroy that body; but those who guarded their temples, and kept them pure and holy, that he and his Father would come and take up their abode and dwell with them as a constant companion forever, even into the end; and would guide them in all truth and show them things past, present and to come. From day to day I have kept my mind in a constant strain upon this subject. Notwithstanding this the tempter was ever on the alert, and contested every inch of ground with me. Often, while I was in the most solemn reflections, the tempter would place before me some lovely female, possessing all the allurements of her sex, to draw my mind from the contemplation of holy things. For a moment humanity would claim the victory, but quick as thought I would banish the vision from my mind, and plead with God for strength and power to resist the temptations that were besetting me, and to enable me to cast aside the [page 101] love of sinful pleasures. The words of the Apostle Paul were appropriate for me at that and in future time, when he declared that he died daily to crucify the deeds of the flesh; so it was with me. I was soon convinced that I could not serve two masters, God and Mammon. When I tried to please the one I was certain to displease the other. I found that I must give myself up wholly to God and His ministry, and conduct myself as a man of God, if I would be worthy of the name of a messenger of salvation. I must have the Spirit of God to accompany my words, and carry conviction to the honest in heart. In this way I grew in grace from day to day, and I have never seen the day that I regretted taking up my cross and giving up all other things to follow and obey Christ, my Redeemer and Friend. . . .

[page 102] We left the Fasting Hotel, as I called it, and traveled to Hamilton, Ohio, then a neat little town. As we arrived in the center of the town, I felt impressed to call at a restaurant, kept by a foreigner. It was then noon. This was the first house we had called at since morning. As we entered, the proprietor requested us to unstrap our valises and sit down and rest, saying we looked very tired. He asked where we were from and where we were going. We answered all his questions. He then offered us refreshments; we informed him that we had no money, and had eaten nothing for three days. He said it made no difference to him, that if we had no money we were more welcome than if we had plenty of it. We then eat [ate] a hearty meal, and he gave us a drink of cider. He than filled our knapsacks with buns, cheese, sausages, and other things, after which he bid us God speed. We traveled on with hearts full of gratitude to God, the bountiful Giver, who had opened the heart of the stranger who had just supplied our wants, and we felt grateful to and blessed the man for his generous actions. While passing through Cincinnati we were offered refreshments by a lady that kept an inn. We crossed the Ohio River at Cincinnati, and stopped over night at a hotel on the Kentucky side of the river. We then traveled through Kentucky and into Overton and Jackson Counties, Tennessee.

I now bear testimony, though many years have passed since then, that from the moment that I renewed my covenant to deny myself of all unrighteousness, and decided to live the life of a man devoted to God's work on earth, I have never felt that I was alone, or without a Friend powerful to aid, direct, and shield me at all times and during all troubles.

I stopped with my friend Levi Stewart at houses of his relatives in Overton and Jackson Counties, and preached several times. My friend Stewart was blessed with a large bump of self-esteem. He imagined that he could convert all of his relations at once; that all he had to do was to present the gospel, and they would gladly embrace it. He appeared to forget that a prophet was not without honor, save in his own country and [page 103] among his own kinfolks. Stewart, though I was his superior in the priesthood if not in experience and ability, looked upon me as a cypher, fit for nothing. The rough treatment and slights that I received from him were more than humiliating to a man of fine feelings and proud spirit, such as I possessed. I said nothing to him but I poured out my soul in secret prayer to my Heavenly Father, asking him to open the door for my deliverance, so that my proud spirit, which was bound down, might have a chance to soar in free element.

One Sunday we attended a Baptist meeting. We sat facing the preacher, but at the far side of the house. My mind was absorbed in meditating upon my future labors. Gradually I lost consciousness of my surroundings, and my whole being seemed in another locality. I was in a trance and saw future events. What I then saw was to me a reality, and I will describe it as such. I traveled, valise in hand, in a strange land, and among a people that I had never seen. I was kindly received by the people, and all my wants were supplied without my having to ask for charity. I traveled on, going over a mountainous country. I crossed a clear, handsome river, and was fondly received by the family of the owner of the ferry at the river. I stayed with this family for some days. I then recrossed the river and called at a house, where I asked for a drink of water, which was given to me. I held quite a conversation with two young women. They informed me that there was no minister in the neighborhood; also that their father had gone in pursuit of a Mormon preacher that had passed that way a few days before. A few days passed, and I saw myself in the midst of a large congregation, to whom I was preaching. I also baptized a large number and organized quite a flourishing branch of the Church there, and was in charge of that people. I was very popular with, and almost worshiped by, my congregation. I saw all this, and much more, when my vision closed.

My mind gradually changed back, and I found myself sitting in the meeting house, where I had been just forty minutes before. This was an open day vision, in which the curtains of heaven were raised and held aside from futurity to allow me to look into the things which were to come. A feeling of heavenly rapture filled my being, so much so that, like the apostle who was caught up into the third heaven, I did not know whether I was in the body or out of it during my vision. I saw things [page 104] that it would be unlawful for me to utter. While the vision lasted my soul was lighted up as if illuminated with the candle of God. When the vision closed, the hallowed influence gradually withdrew; yet leaving sufficient of it glorious influence upon my soul to justify me in feeling and knowing that I was then chosen of God as a servant in his earthly kingdom; and I was also made to know, by my sensations, that my vision was real, and would soon be verified in every particular.

At the close of the church service, we returned to our lodgings. [Levi] Stewart asked me if I was sick. I said, "No, I am not sick, but I feel serious; yet I am comfortable." That evening, after I had given some time to secret prayer, I retired to rest. Very soon afterwards the vision returned, though somewhat varied. I was in the midst of a strange people, to whom I was propounding the gospel. They received it with honest hearts, and looked upon me as a messenger of salvation. I visited from house to house, surrounded by friends and kindred spirits, with whom I had once been familiar in another state of existence. I was in the spirit, and communing with the host of spirits, that surrounded me; and encouraged me to return to the body, and continue to act the part that my Master had assigned me. No person, except those who have entered by pureness of heart and constant communion with God, can ever enter into the joyous host, with whom I then, and in after life, held intercourse.

When I cam to myself in the morning, I determined to travel until the end of time, to find the people and country that God had shown me in my first vision; and I made my arrangements to start forth again, knowing that God now went with me.

I started off the next morning, after having a talk with Brother [Levi] Stewart. He tried to dissuade me from going, saying I had little experience, not sufficient to warrant my traveling alone, that we had better remain together where we were for a season, for we had a home there, and we could study and inform ourselves more thoroughly before starting out among strangers. I told him that, in and of my own strength I was but a weak vessel; but my trust was in God, and unless He would bless my labors I could not accomplish much. That I was God's servant, engaged in His work, therefore I looked to Him for strength and grace sufficient to sustain me in my day of trial. That I trusted in the arm of God alone, and not in one of flesh.

[page 105] I started off in a southwesterly course, over the Cumberland Mountains, and went about seventy miles through a heavily timbered country. I found many species of wild fruit in abundance along the way. Springs of pure, cold water were quite common. I passed many little farms and orchards of cultivated fruit, such as cherries, peaches, pears and apples. As I proceeded, the country became familiar to me, so much so that I soon knew I was on the very ground I had seen in my vision in the Baptist Church. I saw the place where I had held my first meeting, and my joy was great to behold with my eyes what I had seen through a glass darkly. I turned aside from the road, and beneath the spreading branches of the forest trees I lifted my heart with gratitude to God for what he had done for me. I then went to the house where I had seen the multitude assemble, and where I was preaching. I saw the two young ladies that that I had beheld in my vision. They appeared to me as though I had known them from infancy, they so perfectly accorded with those that I had seen while God permitted me to see into futurity. Yes, I saw the ladies, but their father was gone from home. I asked for a drink of water, and it was handed to me, as I had seen it done in my vision. I asked them if there had ever been any Mormon preachers in that country. They said there had not been any there. The young ladies were modest and genteel in behavior.

I passed on to the Cumberland River, was set over the river by the ferryman, and lodged at his house. So far all was natural, it was part of what God had shown me, but I was then at the outer edge of my familiar scenery. I stayed about a week with the ferryman. His name was Vanleven, a relative of my friend and banker in Illinois. I made myself useful while there. I attended the ferry, and did such work as I could see needed attending to. I also read and preached Mormon doctrines to the family. On the fifth day after reaching the ferry, I saw five men coming to the ferry. I instantly recognized one of them as the man I had seen in my vision–the man that took me to this house to preach. My heart leaped for joy, for God had sent him in answer to the prayers I had offered to God, asking that the man should be sent for me. I crossed the man over and back again, although I talked considerably to the man about what was uppermost in my mind, he said nothing about my going home with him. I was much disappointed. I retired [page 106] for secret prayer, and asked God, in the Name of His Son Jesus Christ, to aid me, to send the man whom I had seen in my vision back for me. Before I left my knees I had an evidence that my prayer was answered. The next morning at daylight I informed my friends that I must depart in search of my field of labor. They asked me to stay until breakfast, but I refused. One of the Negroes put me over the river, and directed me how to cross the mountains on the trail that was much shorter than the wagon road.

I stopped in a little cove and ate a number of fine, ripe cherries. I then went on until I reached what to me was enchanted ground. I met the two sisters at the gate, and asked them if their father was at home. "No, he is not at home," said the ladies, "he has gone to the ferry to see a Mormon preacher, and see if he can get him to come here and preach in their neighborhood," and then said I must have met him on the road. I told them that I had come over the trail, and said I was probably the man he had gone for. They replied, "Our father said that if you came this way, to have you stop and stay here until his return, and to tell you that you are welcome to preach at our house at any time." This was on Friday. I took out my pencil and wrote a notice that I would preach at that place on the following Sunday, at ten o'clock, A.M. I handed it to the girls. They agreed to have the appointment circulated. I passed on and preached at a place twelve miles from there, and returned in time for my appointment. When I arrived within sight of the place of meeting, I was filled with doubt and anxiety. I trembled all over, for I saw that a vast concourse of people had come to hear an inexperienced man preach the gospel. I went into the grove and again prayed for strength and assistance from my Father in Heaven to enable me to speak his truth all right. I felt strengthened and comforted. As I arose from prayer, these words came into my mind, "Truth is mighty and will prevail."

I waited until the hour arrived for preaching; then I approached the place where I had once been in a vision. This meeting place was in a valley, near a bold, pure spring; on either side was a high, elevated country; in the center of this valley there stood a large blacksmith and wagon shop, surrounded with a bower of brush wood, to protect the audience from the sun. This bower would seat one thousand people. In the center of the bower they had erected a frame work or raised platform [page 107] for a pulpit. I took my place and preached for one hour and a half. My tongue was like the pen of a ready writer. I scarcely knew what I was saying. I then opened the doors of the Church for the admission of members. Five persons joined the Church, and I appointed another meeting for that night. I again preached, when two more joined the Church. The next day I baptized the seven new members. I then arranged to hold meetings at that place three times a week. I visited around the country, seeking to convert sinners, while not engaged at this place. The first converts were leading people in that county. Elisha Sanders and his wife and daughter were the first to receive the gospel. Sanders was a farmer; he had a large flouring mill, owned a wood yard, and was engaged in boat-building on the Cumberland River. Caroline C. Sanders had volunteered to publish the appointment of my first meeting, which I left with the daughters of Mr. Smith.

I labored at this place two months, and baptized twenty-eight persons, mostly the heads of families. I then organized them into a branch of the Church. Brother Sanders fitted up a room very handsomely for me, in which I could retire for study, rest, and secret prayer. I was made to feel at home there, and felt that God had quite fully answered my prayers. I had the knowledge that God's Spirit accompanied my words, carrying conviction to the hearts of sinful hearers and gave me souls as seals to my ministry.

Brother [Levi] Stewart soon preached himself out at his relatives' neighborhood. He heard of my success, and came to me. He said that the people where he had been preaching were an unbelieving set. I introduced him to the members of my congregation, and had him preach with me a few times, which gratified him very much. One Sunday we were to administer the Ordinance of Baptism. Several candidates were in attendance. Brother [Levi] Stewart was quite anxious to baptize the people. I was willing to humor him. So I said, "My friends, Brother [Levi] Stewart, a priest of the New Dispensation, will administer the Ordinance of Baptism." The people stood still; no one would go forward or consent for him to baptize them. They said they would not be baptized until I would baptize them myself. I told them I would act if they desired it. So I baptized the people, and Brother Stewart was much offended with them. He had not yet learned that he that exalteth himself shall be cast down, [page 108] and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. I then called on the people for a contribution, to get some clothing for Brother Stewart. I had concluded to have him return home, and wished to clothe him up before he started, for he was then quite in need of it. The contribution was more liberal than I expected.

I stayed there some three weeks after Brother [Levi] Stewart had started for home. Then I made up my mind to go home and visit my family. Brother E. Sanders invited me to go to Gainsborough with him, where he presented me with a nice supply of clothing. Caroline C. Sanders presented me with a fine horse, saddle and bridle, and $12 in money. The congregation gave me $50, and I had from them an outfit worth over $300. I at first refused to accept the horse, but Miss Sanders appeared so grieved at this that I finally took it. I left my congregation in charge of Elder Julian [Julian] Moses, and started for my family about the 1st of October, 1839. I promised to call on my flock the next Spring, or to send a suitable minister to wait up [on] them.

When I reached Vandalia, Illinois, I found my family well. God had raised up friends for them in my absence. The Saints were then gathering at Commerce, Hancock, County, Illinois. I visited my sister's family that Fall; they then lived bout one hundred miles north of Vandalia. I preached often through Central Illinois and that Fall I baptized all of my wife's family, except her father. He held out and refused the gospel until he was on his death bed; then he demanded baptism, but being in a country place he died before an elder could be procured to baptized him. But by the rules of our Church a person can be baptized for the dead, and so he was saved to eternal life by the baptism of one of his children for the salvation of his soul. . . .

[page 109] Shortly after my return to Illinois, I built a house for my family, and that Winter assisted my brother-in-law, Richard Woolsey, to do his work in the blacksmith shop. I sometimes visited my wife's sister Nancy and family. They lived on the Four-Mile Prairie, in Fayette County, Illinois. Nancy had married a man named Thomas Gatewood; he was known in that county as young Tom, as his father's name was Thomas. Nancy was the second wife of young Tom. His first wife left one child, a boy; he was quite a lad then, and very chubby. The people when speaking of the Gatewood family, would designate them in this way, "Old Tom," Young Tom," and "Tom Body," and I understand this name stuck to them for many years.

During the Winter I entered into a trading and trafficking business with G.W. Hickerson. We would go over the country and buy up chickens, butter, feathers, beeswax, coon skins, etc., and haul them to St. Louis, and carry back calicoes and other goods in payment for the articles first purchased. We made some money that way. While carrying on this trade I drew the remainder of my money from my friend, Vanleven and began my preparations for again joining the Saints at Nauvoo. About the middle of April, 1840, I succeeded in securing a good outfit, and with my old friend [Levi] Stewart, again joined the Saints at Nauvoo. I felt it to be God's will that I must obey the orders of the Prophet, hence my return to the society of the brethren.

Joseph Smith, and his two counselors, his brother Hyrum and Sidney Rigdon, had been released from jail in Richmond, Missouri, and were again at the head of the Church, and directing the energies of the brethren. It was the policy of Joseph Smith to hold the city lots in Nauvoo at a high price, so as to draw money from the rich, but not so high as to prevent the poor from obtaining homes. The poor who lost all their property in following the church, were presented with a lot free, in the center of [page 110] the city. The Prophet told them not to sell their lots for less than $800 to $1,000, but to sell for that when offered, then they could take a cheaper lot in the outskirts of the city, and have the money to fix up comfortably All classes, Jews and gentiles, were allowed to settle there, one man's money was as good as another. No restrictions were then placed on the people; they had the right to trade with any one that suited them. All classes attended meetings, danced, theaters, and other gatherings, and were permitted to eat and drink together. The outsiders were invited to join in all of our amusements. Ball was a favorite sport with the men, and the Prophet frequently took a hand in the sport. He appeared to treat all men alike, and never condemned a man until he had given him a fair trial to learn what was in him.

Among the first things done was the laying of the foundation of the Temple. When this was done each man was required to do one day's work in every ten days, in quarrying rock or doing other work for the Temple. A company was sent up the Mississippi River to the Pineries to get out lumber for the Temple and other public buildings. The money for city lots went into the Church treasury to purchase materials for the Temple, which could not be supplied by the Saints' own labor.

At the conference in April, 1840, the Prophet delivered a lengthy address upon the history and condition of the Saints. He reminded the brethren that all had suffered alike for the sake of the gospel. The rich and the poor had been brought to a common level by persecution; that many of the brethren were owing debts that they had been forced to contract in order to get out of Missouri alive. He considered it was unchristian-like for the brethren to demand the payment of such debts; that he did not wish to screen any one from the just payment of his debts, but he did think that it would be for the glory of the kingdom if the people would, of their will, freely forgive each other for all their existing indebtedness, one to the other, then renew their covenants with Almighty God and with each other; refrain from evil, and live their religion; by this means, God's Holy Spirit would support and bless the people. The people were then asked if they were in favor of thus bringing about the year of jubilee. All that felt so inclined were asked to make it known by raising their hands; every hand in the audience was raised. The Prophet then declared all debts of the [page 111] Saints, to and from each other, forgiven and wiped out. . . .

He then continued, saying that he never professed to be a perfect man. Said he, "I have my failings and passions to contend with the same as the greatest stranger to God has. I am tempted the same as you are, my brethren. I am not infallible. All men are subject to temptation, but they are not justified in yielding to their passions and sinful natures. There is a constant warfare between the two natures of man. This is the warfare of the Saints. It is written that the Lord would have a tried people–a people that would be tried as gold is tried by the fire, even seven times tried and purified from the dross of unrighteousness. The chances of all men for salvation are equal. True, some have greater capacity than others, yet the chances for improving our minds and subduing our passions by denying ourselves of all unrighteousness and cultivating the principles of purity are all the same; they are within the reach of every man; all have their free agency; all can lay hold of the promises of eternal life, if they will only be faithful and comply with God's will and obey the priesthood in these last days.

Never betray anyone, for God hates a traitor, and so do I," said the Prophet. Then he said, "Stand by each other; never desert a friend, especially in the hour of trouble. Remember that our reward consists in doing good acts and not in long prayers like the Scribes and Pharisees of old, who prayed to be seen of man. Never mind what men think of you if your hearts are [page 112] right before God. It is written, ‘Do unto others as you would that others should do unto you.' The first commandment is, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind and strength.' The second commandment is, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' Upon these two hang all the law and the prophets." To more deeply impress these truths upon the minds of his people, the Prophet gave them an account of the man who fell among thieves and was relieved by the stranger, and he also taught us from the Scriptures, as well as by the revelations that he had received from God, that it is humane acts and deeds of kindness, justice and words of truth, that are accounted to man for righteousness; that prayers made to be heard by men, and hypocritical groans, are displeasing to God. The Prophet talked to us plainly, and fully instructed as in our duty and gave the long-faced hypocrites such a lecture that much good was done. I had at that time learned to dread a religion fanatic, and I was pleased to hear the Prophet lay down the law to them. A fanatic is always dangerous, but a religious fanatic is to be dreaded by all men–there is no reason in one of them. I cannot understand how man will blindly follow fanatical teachers. I always demanded a reason for my belief, and hope I will never become a victim of fanaticism.

During the summer of 1840 I built a house and such other buildings as I required on my lot on Warsaw street, and was again able to say I had a home.

The brethren were formed into military companies, that year, in Nauvoo. Col. A.P. Rockwood was drill master. Rockwood was then a Captain, but was afterwards promoted to Colonel of the Militia or Host of Israel. I was then fourth corporal of a company. The people were regularly drilled and taught military tactics, so that they would be ready to act when the time came for returning to Jackson County, the promised land of our inheritance. Most of my wife's relatives came to Nauvoo that year, and settled near my house.

In 1841 I was sent on a mission through Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. I also visited portions of Arkansas. I traveled in company, on that mission, with Elder Franklin Edwards. I was then timid about speaking in towns or cities. I felt that I had not sufficient experience to justify me in doing so. My comrade had less experience than I had, and the worst of it, he would not study to improve his mind or permit me to study [page 113] in quiet. He was negligent, and did not pay sufficient attention to secret prayer, to obtain that nearness to God that is so necessary for a minister to have if he expects his works to be blessed with Divine favor. I told him he must do better, or go home. He promised to do better; also agreed that he would do the begging for food and lodging, and I might do the preaching. I accepted the offer, and in this way we got along well and pleasantly for some time.

At the crossing of the Forkdeer River we stayed over night with the ferryman, and were well entertained. When we left the ferry, the old gentleman told us that we would be in a settlement of Methodist people that evening, and that they were set in their notions, and hated Mormons as bad as the Church of England hated the Methodists, and if we got food or shelter amongst them, he would be mistaken. He said for us to begin to ask for lodging by at least an hour by sun, or we would not get it. In the after part of the day we remembered the advice of the morning and stopped at every house. The houses were about half a mile apart. We were refused at every house.

The night came on dark and stormy, the rain fell in torrents, while heavy peals of thunder and bright flashes of lightning were constant, or seemed so to me. The timber was very heavy, making the night appear darker than it would otherwise have been. The road was badly cut up with heavy freight teams passing over it, and the holes were full or water. We fell into many holes of mud and water, and were soon well soaked. About ten o'clock we called at the house of a Methodist class leader, and asked him for lodging and food. He asked who we were. We told him that we were Mormon preachers. As soon as he heard the name Mormon, he became enraged, and said no Mormon could stay in his house. We started on. Soon afterwards we heard him making efforts to set his dogs on us. The dogs came running and barking, as a pack of hounds always do. Brother Edwards was much frightened, but I told him not to be scared, I would protect him. So when the dogs came near us, I commenced to clap my hands and shouted like the fox was just ahead of us; this caused the whole pack of dogs to rush on and leave us in safety. In this way we escaped injury from the pack of ten or more dogs that the Methodist had put on our trail.

The next house we came to we were again refused shelter or food. I asked for permission to sit under his porch until [page 114] the rain stopped. "No" said he, "if you were not Mormons, I would gladly entertain you, but as you are Mormons I dare not permit you to stop around me." This made twenty-one houses that we had stopped at and asked for lodging, and at each place had been refused, simply because we were Mormons. About midnight my partner grew very sick of his contract to do the begging and was resolved to die before he would ask for aid from such people again. I told him I would have both food and lodging at the next place we stopped. He said it was useless to make the attempt, and I confess that the numerous refusals we had met with were calculated to dishearten many a person, but I had faith in God. I had never yet gone to Him in a humble and penitent manner without receiving strength to support me, nor had he ever sent me empty-handed from him.

My trust was in God, and I advanced to the next house confident that I would not ask in vain. As we approached the house we discovered that some negroes were having a dance. I asked where their master was; they pointed out the house to me. We walked to the house, and up on the porch. The door was standing open, a candle was burning, and near the fire a woman was sitting holding a sick child on her lap. The man was also sitting near the fire. Our footsteps attracted their attention; our appearance was not inviting was we stood there wet muddy and very tired. I spoke in a loud voice, saying, "Sir, I beseech you, in the name of Jesus Christ, to entertain us as servants of the living God. We are ministers of the gospel, we travel without purse or scrip; we preach without hire, and are now without money; we are wet, weary and hungry; we want refreshments, rest and shelter." The man sprang to his feet, but did not say a word. His wife said, "Tell them to come in." I said, "We will do you no harm, we are friends, not enemies." We were invited in. Servants were called, a good fire was made and a warm supper placed before us. After eating we were shown to a good bed. We slept until near ten o'clock in the morning. When we did awaken, our clothes were clean and dry, and a good breakfast was ready and waiting for us. In fact, we were as well treated as it was possible to ask for.

This family had lately come from the State of Virginia, intending to try that climate for a year, and then if they like it, they intended to purchase land and stay there permanently. [page 115] After breakfast, the gentleman said, "You had a severe time of it amongst the Christians yesterday and last night. As you are ministers, sent out to convert sinners, you cannot do better than to preach to these Christians, and seek to convert them." He offered to send word all over the settlement, and notify the people, if we would only stay there and preach that night. We accepted his offer, and remained that day; thus securing the rest that we so much needed, and thanking God for still remembering and caring for us, His servants.

Agreeable to arrangements, previously made, we preached in the Methodist meeting-house, to a very attentive audience, upon the subject of the first principles of the gospel; alluded to the treatment of Christ and his followers by the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious sects of those days, and that we preached the same gospel, and fared but little better. This meeting-house was built on the line between the Methodists and Universalists. Members from both persuasions were present. Our neighbor, who fed and cared for us, leaned to the latter faith. At the close of our remarks, the class-leader, who had set the hounds on our track, was the first to the stand to invite us home with him.

I told him that the claims of those who did not set their dogs on us, after they had turned us from their doors hungry, were first with me–that his claims with me were an after consideration. He said it was his negro boys that sent the hounds after us, but he would not be bluffed. He said that one of us had to go with him–that if I would not go Frank must go. I told him that Elder Edwards could use his own pleasure, but I would hold a meeting that night with those Universalist brethren, and thus we parted. Elder Edwards went to spend the night with the class-leader, and attended the meeting with the friends who had invited him home with them. I had a good time. Of their own accord they made up a collection of a few dollars, as a token of their regard for me. I was to meet Elder Edwards at the house of my friend, who took us in at midnight from the storm, by an hour by sun, to start on; but he did not put in his appearance for an hour or more. When he got within talking distance I saw by his features that he had been roughly dealt with. He first words were, "This is the wickedest old man that I ever met with, and if he don't repent God will curse him." That was enough, and I began to laugh. I conceived [page 116] what he had to encounter the long night before. He said, "If the Lord will forgive me for going this time I will never go again, without you are along." I said to him, "Frank, experience teaches a dear school, yet fools will not learn at any other. I knew what treatment you would receive , and refused to go with him. If you had been a wise man you would have taken the hint and kept away from him."

We made our way through to Overton County, Tennessee. Here I advised my friend Edwards to return back to Nauvoo, and gave him money to pay his fare on a steamer, as he was cut out for anything but a preacher.

At Carlisle, the county seat of Overton County, I met with a young man, an elder, by the name of Dwight Webster. Though but little experienced, he was a man of steady habits and an agreeable companion. We held a number of meetings together in this part of the country. Webster and [Julian] Moses had been companions tegether, and met with much opposition. Webster and I baptized several persons, and made a true friend of a wealthy merchant, name Armstrong, who welcomed us to his house and placed us under his protection. He also owned a large establishment in Louisville, Kentucky. He was an infidel, though an honorable and high-minded gentleman. His wife Nancy, and her sister Sarah, were both baptized.

While here I received a letter from James Pace, one of my near neighbors in Nauvoo, requesting me to visit his brother, William Pace, and his relatives in Rutherford County, Tenn. Elder A.O. Smoot and Dr. David Lewis succeeded us in this county and in Jackson County, Tenn., and added many to those whom we had already baptized. We made our way through to Stone River, preaching by the way, as opportunity occurred. Here I handed my letter of introduction to William Pace, brother of my neighbor James Pace, who received us very kindly and procured us the liberty of holding forth in the Campbellite Chapel. Here we were informed that the Campbellite preachers were heavy on debate, that none of the other sects could stand before them, and that they dare not meet them in public or private discussion. I replied that my trust was in God, that the message I had to bear was from Heaven–that if it would not bear the scrutiny of man I did not want to stand by it, but if it was of God, he would not suffer his servants to be confounded, if they were only honorable and trusted in him.

[page 117] Truth is mighty and will prevail; Error cannot stand before Truth. If these men can overthrow the gospel which I preach, the sooner they do it the better for me. I do not wish to deceive any one, or to deceive myself. If any one can point out an error in the gospel which I preach, I am willing to drop that error, and change it for truth.

The hour came, we both spoke. We spoke on the first principles of the gospel of Christ, as taught by the Saviour and his apostles. Before sitting down I extended the courtesy to any gentleman that wished to reply or offer any remarks either for or against what we had set forth. Parson Hall, the presiding Campbellite minister, was on his feet in a moment and denounced us an impostors. He said we were holding forth a theory that was fulfilled in Christ; that the canon of Scripture being full, these spiritual gifts that were spoken of in the New Testament were done away with, being no longer necessary; that as for the "Golden Bible" (Book of Mormon), that was absurd in the extreme, as there were to be no other books of revelations granted. He quoted the revelations of St. John in his support, where it reads, "He that addeth to, or diminisheth from the words of the prophecies and this Book, shall have the plagues herein written added to his torment," or words to that effect.

I followed him in the discussion, and quoted John where it read, "He that speaketh not according to the law and the testimony hath no light in him." I said that my authority and testimony were from the Bible, the book of the law of the Lord, which all Christian believers hold as a sacred rule of their faith and practice. To that authority I hoped my worthy friend would not object. I illustrated my position by further quotations from the Scriptures, and when our meeting was over the people flocked around us in a mass, to shake hands with us and invite us to their houses–the Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians especially. The planters in this county were mostly wealthy, and prided themselves on being hospitable and kind to strangers, especially to ministers of the gospel. We went from house to house and preached from two to three times a week. We saw that the seed had already been sown in honest hearts and we were near to them. Knowing the danger of being lifted up by self-approbation, I determined to be on my guard, to attend to secret prayer, and reading and keeping [page 118] diaries. When at our friend Pace's house we would frequently resort to a lonely grove to attend to prayer and read to ourselves. . . .

[page 131] I was never considered a long-faced preacher. During my stay here I added to this branch of the Church until it was more than fifty members strong. My friend, Elder Frost, agreed to wait in Overton County until I could re-visit the branch in Rutherford County, and set things in order there. Then I was to accompany him home to our families in Nauvoo, the City of Joseph.

I ordained William Pace to the office of the lesser priesthood, to take charge of the Saints there. We also ordained Adolphus Young to preside over the branch of Indian Creek, Putnam County. After calling on Dr. A. Young, I joined my friend, Elder Frost, and drove to Nauvoo for him six jacks and jennets to exchange for land, that he might have a place to come to. We had a pleasant journey to Nauvoo, as the weather was fine. On arriving in the city I met my family, all in good health. I traded some of my stock with Hyrum Smith, the Prophet's brother, for land.

[page 132] It was now June, 1842. In the summer and fall I built me a snug, two-story brick house on Warsaw street, and made my family quite comfortable, I enclosed my ground and fixed things snug and nice. I then took a tour down through Illinois. H.B. Jacobs accompanied me as a fellow companion on the way. Jacobs was bragging about his wife and two children, what a true, virtuous, lovely woman she was. He almost worshipped [sic] her. But little did he think that, in his absence, she was sealed to the prophet Joseph, and was his wife.

I also visited my relatives in Randolph County, the home of my youthful days. Here I baptized my cousin Eliza Conners, with whom I had been raised. I also baptized Esther Hall, the sister of my old friend Samuel Hall, with whom I lived when I was first married. I was kindly received in my own county.

But few, however, cared to investigate the principles of Mormonism, as the most of them were Catholics. In all my travels I was agent for our paper, the Nauvoo Neighbor, and collected means, tithings and donations for the building of the Temple From here I returned home by steamboat.

Through the winter Joseph Smith selected forty men for a city guard, from the old tried veterans of the cause. I was the seventh man chosen. These men were also the life-guard of the Prophet and Patriarch and of the twelve Apostles. My station as a guard was at the Prophet's mansion, during his life, and after his death my post was changed to the residence of Brigham Young, he being the acknowledged successor of the Prophet. . . .

During the winter of 1841, a letter was sent to the Prophet from the leading men and members of the branch church on Stone River, Tennessee, and Cripple Creek, Rutherford, County, Tennessee, desiring him to send me back to labor in that country, as there was a wide field for preaching there.

They stated that I had so ingratiated myself among the people that no other man could command the influence and respect to do good that I could among them. This was enough. In the latter part of February I took leave of my family and entered upon my mission.

To refuse to comply with the call of the Prophet is a bad omen. A man so doing is looked upon with distrust, renders himself unpopular, and is considered a man not be depended upon. At the time I started the river was blocked with ice. I traveled on foot, without purse or scrip, like the apostles of old, carrying out the motto of the Church, the bee of the desert, "Leave the hive empty-handed and return laden." In this way I, as well as many other elders, brought in money, thousands of dollars, yearly to the Church, and I might say many hundred of thousands, as the people among whom I traveled were mostly wealthy, and when they first received the love of the truth their hearts as well as their purses were opened, and they would pour out their treasures into the lap of the Bishop. All were taught that a liberal man deviseth liberal things, and by his liberality shall he live, and that he that soweth liberally shall reap bountifully, etc. . . .

[page 144] Upon my return home I found my family well. Work on the Temple was progressing finely, and every effort was being made to push it ahead. About this time John C. Bennett came on a visit to see the Prophet, and soon after joined the Church. At that time he wielded quite an influence in government affairs. He grew in the graces of the Prophet and became his right-hand man. He endeavored, in connection with Stephen A. Douglas, to obtain a charter for the City of Nauvoo. Bennett organized the Nauvoo Legion, and was elected Major General. Through his influence, backed by Douglas, arms were obtained for the Legion from the government. A Free Mason's lodge, and the privileges of Masonry, were extended to the Legion. Judge Cleveland, of Springfield, Illinois, was very friendly, and frequently visited the Prophet. A fine lodge was built in Nauvoo, and many were admitted as members. The brothers, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, held high positions in the brotherhood. I here became a member of the order and received three degrees.

The institution flourished during our stay in Nauvoo, and was frequently visited by the Grand Worshipful Master from Springfield and lectures were had and a library established. I was Librarian of the order. I was also Wharf Master of the city, and held the position of Major in the Nauvoo Legion, and commanded [page 145] the escort in the Fifth Infantry. I was made the general clerk and reader for the Seventies and issued the laws to that body. I held the office of a Seventy, and was collector of the delinquent military tax. The same Fall I was appointed on a committee, with Brigham Young as counselor, to build a hall for the Seventies, the upper story to be used for the Priesthood and the Council of Fifty. Previous to my being appointed on the committee two committees had been appointed, but had accomplished nothing, and we commenced without a dollar. My plan was to build it by shares, of the value of five dollars each. Hyrum Smith, the Patriarch, told me that he would give the Patriarchal Blessing to any that labored on the foundation of the building. The Seventies numbered about four hundred and ninety men. I was to create the material. That is, I would watch, and when I could get a contract to take out lumber from the river, as rafts would land at the city. I would take common laboring men, and the portion of the lumber that we got for our pay we would pile up for the building. In this way we got all the lumber needed. The brick we made ourselves, and boated the wood to burn them and our lime from the island.

In the month of March, 1844, we had the building up on the west side nearly two stories high. One day when the wall was built up nine feet high and forty-five feet long, and was of course green, a tornado came that night and blew the wall down, breaking columns and joists below, doing a damage of several thousand dollars. I was inclined to be down in the lip, but Brigham Young laughed at me, and said it was the best omen in the world; it showed that the Devil was mad, and knew that the Seventy would receive the blessing of God in that house; and as they were special witnesses to the nations of the earth, they would make his kingdom quake and tremble; that when Noah was building the ark he was mobbed three times, but he persevered, and finally they said, "Let the d–d old fool alone, and see what he will accomplish." "Just so with you; double your diligence and put her up again. If you do not you will lose many a blessing."

I went to work again with as many men as could work to advantage. We threw the wall down flat, and commenced a new one, another brick thicker than the former. I borrowed fifty thousand brick, and made them and returned them when the weather was fine. By the first of May we had the Hall closed in. . . .

[page 148] Previous to this time, the Prophet had written a letter to Martin Van Buren, wishing to know his views in regard to the grievances and wrongs of the Mormon people, should he be elected President. He replied that he believed their cause was just, and that Congress had no right to interfere. That it was a State matter, and was left to the Executive. The Prophet addressed another letter to Wm. H. Harrison, on the same subject. His answer was but little more satisfactory. He then drew up a statement of his own, of the power and policy of the Government. A convention was called, and the Prophet was nominated as a candidate for the Presidency. He set forth his views in the Nauvoo Neighbor, a newspaper formerly known as the Wasp. He stated that if the people would elect him President it would be the salvation of the nation, but if otherwise, the Union would soon be severed. That the two political parties would continue to influence the people until it would end in civil war, in which all nations would take part, and this nation would be broken up. At this convention, the Elder were assigned missions to different States. I was sent to stump the State of Kentucky, with ten elders to assist me.

Brigham Young said to me, "You had better shut up the Seventies Hall, and obey, perhaps, the last call of the Prophet." Things looked rather squally before I left, and but little prospect of growing better. I left Nauvoo on the 4th of May, 1844, with greater reluctance than I had on any previous mission. It was hard enough to preach the gospel without purse or scrip, but it was nothing compared to offering a man with the reputation that Joseph Smith had, to the people as a candidate for [page 149] the highest gift of the nation. I would a thousand times rather have been shut up in jail than to have taken the trip, but I dared not refuse. [pg 148]

[pg. 149] About one hundred of us took the steamer Ospray for St. Louis. Our mission was understood by all the passengers on board. I was not long waiting until the subject was brought up. I had made up my mind to banish all fear, and overcome timidity. I made the people believe that I felt highly honored to electioneer for a Prophet of God. That it was a privilege that few men enjoyed in these days. I endeavored to make myself agreeable by mixing with the passengers on the steamer. I told them that the prophet would lead both candidates from the start. There was a large crowd on the boat, and an election was proposed. Judges and clerks were appointed and a vote taken. The Prophet received a majority of seventy-five, out of one hundred and twenty-five votes polled. This created a tremendous laugh, and we kept it up till we got to St. Louis. Here the most of us took the steamer Mermaid. The change of steamers afforded me a new field of labor. Here I met a brother of Gen. Atchison, one of the commanders of the militia that served against the Church at Far West. He became very much interested in me, and when we parted at Smithland, Ky., he invited me to go home with him and preach in his neighborhood. My destination being Frankfort, I could not accept his invitation. I went to Lexington, by way of Georgetown, lecturing as I went. I finally went to the Capital, put up at a hotel and endeavored to hire the State House to speak in, but found it engaged.

My funds were low, though my hotel bill was four dollars per day. After three days trial I hired the Court House. The people said that no Mormon had ever been able to get a hearing, though several had attempted to do so. When evening came I had to light up the house and ring the bell. Elder S.B. Frost assisted me. Soon the hall was filled with none but juveniles, from ten to fifteen years of age. I understood the trick. They supposed I would leave, but to their surprise I arose and said I was glad to see them out in such great numbers; that I knew they had good parents, or they would not be here; that if they would take seats and be quiet we would sing them some of our Mormon songs. Elder Frost was a charming singer. We sang two or three songs. Our juvenile hearers seemed paralyzed. [page 150] I then knelt down and prayed. By this time the hall was crowded with men, and I begged them not to crowd my little friends out. I then spoke about an hour and a half upon the constitutional rights of American citizens. I spoke of the character of the Southern people; that they were noted for their kind and generous treatment of strangers in particular, but that I feared, from the treatment I had received, that I had missed my way in Kentucky. My sires were of Southern birth; my father was a relative of the Revolutionary Lee, of Virginia; my uncle was from Lexington, Kentucky; that I came a stranger into their midst, and I felt confident that the right of speech would be extended to us; that we were ministers of the gospel, traveling without purse of [sic] script, dependent upon the generosity of the people for food and raiment, nor did we preach for hire; that if they wished, we would remain there and lecture, if it met the approbation of the people they could have the gospel preached to them without money and without price. The first man that spoke up was a saddler; he said he was a poor man, but we were welcome to his house, giving the street and number. About twenty more responded in like manner, among them some of the most wealthy men of the county. We went home with a rich farmer, and continued our labors, having more calls than we could fill. We were sent for by a rich planter, who lived about twenty miles away. I was anxious to extend our labors as much as it was advisable.

On our way [page 150] to the planter's we found it difficult to obtain dinner. The orthodox people did not like to associate with Mormons. I finally asked them to direct me to where some infidel or gambler lived. They wanted to know what on earth I wanted of them. I replied, "To get something to eat; that they were too liberal-minded to turn a stranger away from their door. That the Saviour ate with publicans and sinners, for the very reason that we do, for the religious scribes and pharisees would not feed him." They pointed us to the next house, where we went and were kindly received and entertained. The gentleman informed us that he belonged to no church, but that he had an interest in a church, and said we were welcome to preach there. He went and made an appointment for us to preach. We preached there and were received with the greatest kindness. I soon began to baptize, and calls came in on every side, [page 151] when the papers brought us the news of the assassination of the Prophet Joseph, and his brother, Hyrum.

We returned immediately to Frankfort, as I expected the Elders there, to learn what to do. We all retired to Maple Grove on the Kentucky River, and kneeled in prayer, and asked the Lord to show us whether or not these reports were true. I was the mouth in prayer, but received nothing definite in answer to my prayer. I told the elders to follow their own impressions, and if they wished to do so, to return to Nauvoo. Each of them made his way back. I went and spent the evening with a Mr. Snow. He claimed to be a cousin of Erastus Snow, who was favorable to us. We spent the evening talking over the reported deed.

The next morning, about ten o'clock, my mind was drawn out in prayer. I felt as though the solemnity of eternity was resting upon me. A heavenly, hallowed influence fell upon me, and continued to increase until I was electrified from head to foot. I saw a large personage enter the door and stand before me. His apparel was as white as the driven snow, and his countenance as bright as the noon-day sun. I felt paralyzed, and was speechless and motionless. It remained with me but a moment, then receded back out of the door. This bright being's influence drew me from my chair and led me south about three hundred yards, into a plot of clover and blue grass, and stood over a persimmon tree, which afforded a pleasant shade. I fell prostrate upon my face upon the grass. While here I saw Joseph, the Prophet, and Hyrum his brother, the Patriarch, and their wounds by which they had been assassinated. The personage spoke to me in a soft, low voice, and said that the Prophet and Patriarch had sealed their testimony with their blood. That our mission was like that of the Apostles, and our garments were clear of the blood of the nation. That I should return to Nauvoo and wait until power was granted us from on high. That as the Priesthood fell upon the Apostle Peter, so should it rest with the twelve apostles of the Church of the present. And thus the vision closed, and I gradually returned back to my native element.

Rising up I looked at my watch and saw that I had been there an hour and a quarter. Returning to the house my friend Snow asked me if I was ill. I replied in the negative. He said I was very pale, that he saw my countenance change while I sat in my chair; that when I went out of the door it seemed as though every drop of blood had [page 152] left me, or been changed. I then told him that the reports in the papers were true, and the two Saints, the Prophet and the Patriarch, were no more. I asked him to take me to the landing, as I wished to take the evening packet, as my labors were done in this county for the present. He importuned me so hard that I told him what I had seen. He saddled a horse for me and one for himself, and we started, in company with several others, for the landing. When we were about to start on the steamer, Mr. Steele, a brother of the Captain, introduced me to the Captain. About eight persons demanded baptism, but I would not stop, but advised them to come to Nauvoo; among them was my friend Snow. I had a cabin passage free. When I reached Nauvoo, the excitement was at the highest point. . . .

Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and Hyrum, his brother, were assassinated on the 24th [27th] day of June, 1844, at Carthage, Illinois, about twenty miles from Nauvoo, while under the pledged faith of Gov. Ford of Illinois. Gov. Ford had promised them protection if they wold stand trial and submit to the judgment of the court. By his orders the Nauvoo Grays were to guard the jail while the prisoners awaited trial.

The mob was headed by Williams and Sharp, editors of the Nauvoo Signal. When they approached the jail the guard made no resistance, but fell back. Stephen Markham, who had been to visit the prisoners an hour or so before they were killed, gave Joseph an Allen revolver. A part of the mob rushed upstairs, to the inner door of the prison, and burst it open and attempted to enter. Dr. Richards parried off the bayonets with his heavy cane. Joseph reached out his hand and fired off his six shots at the crowd, and wounded several mortally. Hyrum who was trying to brace against the door, received a shot in the face near the nose. He said, "I am a dead man," and fell. John Taylor received a shot, but fortunately it struck his watch, [page 153] which saved his life. These four were in the prison. Taylor, however received another shot and fell. Joseph left the door sprang through the window, and cried out, "Oh Lord, my God, is there no help for the widow's son!" as he sprang from the window, pierced with several balls. The crowd then left the door and ran around to the windows.

Dr. Richards covered Taylor with a straw bed. Several shots were fired at the bed, some of which cut his legs. Dr. Richards looked out of the window on the scene, and had several balls pass through his clothing, but received no injury. After Joseph fell he was set up against the well-curb and shot again. A young man named Boggs rolled up his sleeves, and with a knife attempted to cut off his head. At this instant, many of the bystanders report that a flash of light encircled the Prophet, and the man who was advancing to cut off his head fell back. They all seemed frightened, and fled after perpetrating the horrid deed. A runner was sent to Nauvoo to acquaint Governor Ford with what had been done. The Governor was terror stricken, as it endangered his life, he being alone, without a guard, and at the mercy of the Mormons, had they chosen to take advantage of him while he was in Nauvoo. Governor Ford advised them to be quiet, and promised that he would see that their murderers should be prosecuted. He gave the Mormons a company of troops to go and bring their dead friends to Nauvoo. They were placed in rough oak plank boxes and brought to the city. There was great lamentation and mourning over them among the people. Joseph was a man dearly loved by the Saints, and blessed with direct revelation from God, and was an honorable, generous, high-minded man. The remains of the Prophet and his brother were laid in a sepulcher made of stone. The right boards, which once enclosed them, were sawed in pieces and distributed among their friends, many of whom had canes made of the pieces, with a lock of the hair of the prophet set in the top of them, and those canes are kept as sacred relics to this day. . . .

[page 165] In the Winter of 1845 meetings were held all over the city of Nauvoo, and the spirit of Elijah was taught in the different families as a foundation to the order of celestial marriage, as well as the law of adoption. Many families entered into covenants with each other–the man to stand by his wife and the woman to cleave unto her husband, and the children to be adopted to the parents. I was one of those who entered into covenants to stand by my family, to cleave to them through time and eternity. I am proud to say I have kept my obligations sacred and inviolate to this day. . . .

My second wife, Nancy Bean, was the daughter of a wealthy farmer, who lived near Quincy, Illinois. She saw me on a mission and heard me preach at her father's house. She came to Nauvoo and stayed at my house three months, and grew in favor and was sealed to me in the Winter of 1845. My third and fourth wives were sealed to me soon afterward, in my own house. My third wife, Louisa, is now the first wife of D.H. Wells. . . .

[page 167] Plural marriages were not made public. They had to be kept still. A young man did not know when he was talking to a single woman. As far as Brigham Young was concerned, he had no wives at his house, except his first wife, or the one that we said was his first wife. Many a night have I gone with him, arm in arm, and guarded him while he spent an hour or two with his young brides, then guarded him home and guarded his house until one o'clock, when I was relieved. He used to meet his beloved Emeline at my house.

In the Spring of 1845 Rachel Andora was sealed to me–the woman who has stood by me in all my troubles. A truer woman was never born. She has been by me true, as I was to Brigham, and has always tried to make my will her pleasure. I raised her in my family from five years of age. She was a sister to my first wife. He mother Abigail Sheffer, was sealed to me for an eternal state. The old lady has long since passed away, and entered into eternal rest and joy.

But to resume the narrative of events at Nauvoo. In the year 1845 the building of the Temple was progressing. Through the Summer trouble was brewing among all the Saints, both in Illinois and Iowa. Many of my friends from Tennessee, and some from Kentucky, emigrated and joined us during that Summer and Fall, as well as some from other places. An effort was made to complete the Nauvoo House if possible, but finding the storm approaching too fast the work on the House was abandoned, and all hands put at work on the Temple. We were anxious to complete the Temple, in order that we might receive our promised blessings in it before we commenced our exodus across the plains in search of a home, we knew not where. Our time was limited, and our Christian friends who surrounded us, whose ire had been aroused to the highest pitch, were not likely to allow us to remain longer than our appointed time. The killing of the Smiths [page 168] had aroused their friends to act of violence, and many whose houses were burned and property destroyed, who had come to Nauvoo for protection and shelter, retaliated by driving in stock from the range to subsist upon. No doubt the stock of many an innocent man was driven away, and this served to bring others into trouble.

Thus things grew worse the longer the Saints remained at Nauvoo. It was an unfortunate matter, and much of the trouble that came upon the Church was brought on through the folly and fanaticism of the Saints. I have seen relentless cruelty practiced by those who directed this cattle stealing. I cannot call it anything else, though they called it getting back what had been taken from them. It caused many strangers to come to the city to look for traces of their cattle. A company was organized, called the "Whittlers". They had long knives, and when any of these strangers wold come to town, they would gather around him and whittle; none of them saying a word, no matter what question was asked. They would thus watch any stranger, gathering close to him until they finally ran him out of town. I never took part in such low, dirty doings. I was taught from a child to respect all persons, as every spirit begets its like. I never did think any good came of such conduct. A man must respect himself, or he can never command others.

During the fall of 1845 companies were formed for making wagons for the contemplated move, as a great many of the Saints were poor, and had neither wagons nor teams. Teams were more easily obtained than wagons. People traded off their lots and loose property for teams. Many of the wagons had wooden hoops in place of tires, for the want of iron, though iron and everything else was at the lowest price. Common labor was only twenty-five cents per day, but money was hard to get.

About the 1st of December, 1845, we commenced filling up the rooms for giving endowments. I assisted in putting up the stoves, curtains and other things. It was about fifteen days before we got everything ready. I must mention that when the doctrine of baptizing for the dead was first introduced, the families met together, down by the river side, and one of their number, of the order of the Melchizedek Priesthood, officiated. They were baptized in behalf of all they could remember, the men for the men, and women for the women. But when the fount [sic] was ready in the Temple, which rested on the twelve [page 169] carved oxen, they went and were baptized in it, after the same order, except that a clerk must make a record of it, and two witnesses must be present, and the name of the person baptized and for whom he or she was baptized, and the date of baptism, together with the name of the officiating elder, and the name of the clerk and witnesses entered in the register or record. All persons who are baptized must also be confirmed. Male and female alike pass through the same ceremony, and the fact entered in the record kept for the purpose.

This is done for all who have died without the knowledge of the gospel. As Jesus, while his body lay in the tomb, went and preached to the spirits, in the spirit world, the doctrine of his gospel to all who had died before hearing it, since the days of Noah, so through baptism for the dead, can our friends, and those who have gone before us, be made partakers of this new and last gospel sent to us, and receive its blessings and eternal reward. No person, however, is allowed the privilege of this baptismal fount [font], or their washing or anointings, unless they have paid their tithings promptly, and have a certificate to that effect. In many cases also, where men require it, their just debts must be settled before they are allowed to be baptized, washed or anointed. In the order of Endowment, a list is made out the day previous, of those who wish to take their endowments. Every person is required to wash himself clean, from head to foot. Also to prepare and bring a good supply of food, of the best quality, for themselves and those who labor in the house of the Lord. In the latter about twenty-five persons are required in the different departments to attend to the washing, anointing, blessing, ordaining, and sealing. From twenty-five to fifty persons are passed through in twenty-four hours. . . . I was the head clerk; Franklin D. Richards was my assistant clerk. My office was in room number one, at President Young's apartments.

[page 170] I kept a record of all the sealings, anointings, marriages and adoptions.

I was the second one adopted to Brigham Young. I should have been his first adopted son, being the first that proposed it to him, but always ready to give preference to those in authority, I placed A.P. Rockwood's name first on the list. I also had my children adopted to me in the Temple. Brigham Young had his children adopted to himself, and we were the only ones, to my knowledge, that had our children so adopted at the Temple at Nauvoo. As time would not permit attending to all the people, the business was rushed through day and night.

Officers were on the alert to arrest Brigham Young. He often hid in the different apartments of the Temple. One day about sunset, an officer, knowing that he was in the Temple, waited for him to come out, as his carriage was waiting for him at the door. Brigham threw his cloak around Wm. Miller, who resembled Brigham in build and stature, and sent him to the carriage with Geo. [George] D. Grant, his driver. As they got to the carriage, Grant said to Miller, "Mr. Young, are you ready to go?" As he spoke to him, the officer said: "Mr. Young, I have a writ for you. I want you to go with me to Carthage," twenty miles distant. Miller replied, "Shall I take my carriage?" The officer answered, "You may if you choose, and I will pay the bill."

Grant then drove Miller to Carthage, and the marshal took him to the hotel and supplied him with refreshments. After supper an apostate Mormon called in with the marshal to see him. When he saw Miller, he said to the marshal:

"By heavens! you are sold this time. That is not Brigham, that is Mr. Miller."

The marshal was a good deal nettled, and said to Miller:

"I am very much obliged to you."

Miller replied:

"You are quite welcome. I hope you will pay my bill as you agreed to do."

"Why did you deceive me?" demanded the marshal.

"I did not," replied Miller, "You deceived yourself. I said nothing to deceive you."

"All right," replied the marshal, "I will settle your bill, and you can return in the morning, if you choose."

The friendly warning gave Brigham to understand that it was [page 171] time for him to get away, that many such tricks would not be wholesome.

In the Temple I took three more wives–Martha Berry, Polly Ann Workman and Delethea Morris, and had all my family sealed to me over the altar, in the Temple, and six of them received their second anointings, that is, the first six wives did, but the last three we had not time to attend to.

On the 10th of February, 1846, Brigham Young and a small company crossed the Mississippi River, on the ice, into Iowa, and formed an encampment on a stream called Sugar Creek. I crossed with two wagons, with the first company, Brigham did this in order to elude the officers, and wait there until all who could fit themselves out could join him. Such as were in danger of being arrested were helped away first. Our police crossed over to guard the first Presidency. Those who were not liable to be arrested remained back and sent their teams forward. I took one of Brigham's wives, Emeline, in one of my wagons, with Louisa, her sister, as far as Florence or Rainsville. All of Brigham's wives, except the first, were taken by the brethren, as he did not at that time have the teams or means to convey his family across the plains, but was dependent on the brethren for help, though he had used every means in his power to raise an outfit.

Brigham called a council of some of the leading men. Among them was one Joseph L. Heywood and myself. Heywood was a merchant at Quincy, Illinois, and was doing a fair business before he joined the Mormon Church, and was considered an honorable man. When the Mormons were driven from Missouri many had occasion to bless him for his many kindnesses to them in their hour of trouble. At the council, after some conversation upon our present move, Brigham proposed to appoint a committee of men, against whom no charges could be brought, to return to Nauvoo and attend to the selling of the property of the Saints, and to see to fitting out the people and starting them forward. He proposed that I, A.W. Babbitt, Joseph L. Heywood and David S. Fulmer be that committee. Brother Heywood was asked to turn over his whole stock of goods to fit the first Presidency and the Apostles for the journey. This to Brother Heywood was a stunner. He replied that he was indebted to honorable men in the East for the most of his stock, and that he did not dare to defraud them; that he had been [page 172] taught from childhood to deal honorable with all men. He was told by Brigham that he could raise the money to pay his Eastern creditors from the sales of the property at Nauvoo. This brother Heywood thought very doubtful, as the property of the deserted city would not be very valuable. Brigham then said that his was a case of emergency, and they must have the goods; that Brother Heywood must write to his creditors and tell them that owing to the trouble among the people business had fallen off, and that he could not pay them, but would in the future. Brigham told him if he failed to raise money for the sale of city property, as soon as the Church was established that he would raise the money for him to satisfy his creditors, and this would give them more influence than ever among the outside world. They finally persuaded Heywood to turn over his goods. If time permits I will hereafter tell how he came out of the matter. For all of my services for the leading men I never received a dollar. I have managed, however, to maintain my family in good style, to pay my tithing and live independently of help from the Church. I was called a shrewd trader and a good financier, and always had plenty.

I usually had some money on hand. These were considered by Brigham noble traits in my character. He would rather a person would give to him than beg from him. . . .

[page 173] A few words in regard to the Prophet Joseph. He was tried twenty-one times for different offenses, and acquitted each time. One time when he was visiting at Peoria, he was captured by four men from Missouri, who started with him in a wagon, to take him to that State. Two of them sat beside him with cocked pistols, punching him in the side occasionally, and telling him that if he opened his mouth they would blow his brains out. He was not arrested by any process of law, but they were trying to kidnap him. Stephen H. Markham, and old tried friend of Joseph, ran ahead to the town of Peoria, employed a layer, got out a writ of habeas corpus, and had him set at liberty. When the news reached Nauvoo, the Saints were in the wildest state of excitement. The Mormon steamer there was laden with troops, who hastened to Peoria to rescue the Prophet. When they arrived there they found him at liberty. This was in 1843. The same winter he organized what was called the "Council of Fifty." This was a confidential organization. A man by the name of Jackson belonged to it, though he did not belong to the Church. This Council was designated as a law-making department, but no record was ever kept of its doings, or if kept, they were burned at the close of each meeting. Whenever anything of importance was on foot this Council was called to deliberate upon it. The Council was called the "Living Constitution." Joseph said that no legislature could enact laws that would meet every case, or attain the end of the justice in all respects. . . .

[page 174] But to return to our expedition across the plains. The snow lay about eight inches deep on the ground when the first company crossed the river. The plan of operation was this: We must leave Nauvoo, whether ready or not. All covenanted to help each other, until all were away that wanted to go. The teams and wagons sent to help others away were to be sent back as soon as a suitable place was found at which to start out with a part of my family, leaving the rest behind, and thought that now was the time to get them out before greater trouble commenced. I went into Brigham's tent and told him what I thought of the matter, and that I thought I could fit up teams in a few days and bring them all away. He replied that he had been thinking of the same thing. Said he: "Go, I will give you five days in which to sell out and cross the river again, and bring me one hundred dollars in gold."

I informed the portion of my family that was with me of my intentions. My first wife was still in Nauvoo. I had the confidence of my family, and I was a man who seldom undertook [page 175] anything that I did not carry out. I started back on foot, and crossed the river on the ice. I fell in with acquaintances about La Harpe, who were in trouble about a number of wagons and teams which they had purchased in the State. The devil was to pay generally. Some of the Gentiles who had lost cattle laid it to the Mormons in Nauvoo, and they were determined to take cattle from the Mormons until they got even. I had a brick house and lot on Parley street that I sold for three hundred dollars in teams. I told the Purchaser that I would take seven wagons and teams, and before I went to sleep that night I had my entire outfit of teams. My large house, costing me $8000 (in Salt Lake City it would have been worth $50,000), I was offered $800 for. My fanaticism would not allow me to take that for it. I locked it up, selling only one stove out of it, for which I received eight years of cloth. The building, with its twenty-seven rooms, I turned over to the committee, to be sold to help the poor away. The committee informed me afterwards that they sold the house for $12.50.

I was sitting with my family, and was telling them that I must get $500 in some way, but the Lord opened no way by which I could see where I could get it, and I had but five days in which to get out of Nauvoo. In an adjoining room was an old gentleman and his daughter, who rented the room of me. They were from Pennsylvania, and the old gentleman was wealthy. The daughter stepped into her father's room, and soon returned, saying that her father wished to see me. I went into his room. He gave me a seat and said, "You once did me a kindness that I have not repaid. Do you remember meeting me once, when coming from the Temple? I had been there with my wife and only child to get my washings and anointings. I was not admitted, because I was a stranger, and no one to vouch for me. I was returning with a heavy heart, when I met you. You returned with me and used your influence, vouched for us and procured our admittance. I obtained our endowments. I had a cancer on my breast at that time, that was considered incurable. From the hour I received our endowments it has never pained me and it is healing up. Now, I am thankful I have it in my power to do you a little favor in return." So saying, he lifted the lid of a box and counted out $500 in gold coin, saying that if it would help me I was welcome to it. I offered him a team, but he said he had money enough to buy his outfit, and support [page 176] him while he lived, and that he felt thankful for an opportunity of returning my favor. This was to me an unexpected blessing from an honest heart. I wept with joyful gratitude; I had the means that I desired in my hands. The next morning I received my teams and wagons. All had to be fitted up for the journey. My family all went to work making tents and things needful for the journey. I sent my wagons to the Mormon wagon shop and told them to work night and day, and put them in the best order within three days, and I would give them $50 dollars in gold, which was $5 for a day and night's work, quite a difference from fifty cents, the usual price. They went to work in earnest, and as fast as a wagon was finished I had it loaded. . . .

[page 177] The roads were in a bad condition, and we lay here a few days, during which time I painted and numbered my wagons. Myself, Geo. S. Clark, Levi Stewart and another man were appointed hunters, as there was much game in the country we had to pass through, turkey, deer and some elk.

From here we traveled to the Raccoon Fork of Grand River, in Iowa, about seventy-five miles. At the three forks of the Grand River we made a halt. In fact the rain had made the country impassable, and our provisions were running short. Here we found some wild hogs, and the men killed several. Brigham said that they were probably some of our hogs that had become scattered when we were driven out of Missouri. This was sufficient license for many to kill anything they could find.

While we lay here two man came to our camp, named Allen Miller and Mr. Clancy. They were traders to the Potawatomie [Pottawatamie] [sic] Indians. Allen Miller had married one of my wives. They informed me that we could get everything we needed about fifty miles from there, near Grand River. We unloaded about seventeen wagons and selected out such articles as we could spare. I was appointed the Contracting Commissary, to do the purchasing for the companies. This was in April, 1846.

We started with those two men and the seventeen wagons, and drove to Miller's and made that headquarters, as he had provisions in abundance. The grass was like a meadow then. I had some horses and harness to exchange for oxen and cows. When [page 178] we had turned out our stock for the day at Miller's Mr. Clancy invited me home with him. On entering his house I found his partner, Patrick Dorsey, an Irishman, sick. Dr. Dorsey had been tormented with a pain in his eyes, in so much that he had rested neither day or night and was losing his sight. I asked him if he was a Catholic. He answered that he was. I knew their faith, as I was raised a Catholic and once believed in their doctrines. I asked him if he wished me to pray for him. He inquired if I was a minister, to which I replied that I was. He then said:

"Do pray with me, if you please, for I am in great distress." I then laid my hands upon his head, and asked the Father, in the name of the Son, and by virtue of the holy priesthood in me vested, to stay his sufferings and heal him. The pain left him instantly, as he took his hat and walked with me to Miller's house. They were astonished to see him apparently without pain, and asked him what I had done for him. He answered:

"I was in great distress; a stranger laid hands upon my head, and prayed and made me whole; but who he was, or whence he came, I know not. But this I know, that I was almost blind, and now I see; I was sick, but now I am well."

This little occurrence created quite an excitement in the settlement, and nothing would do but I must preach the next evening. During the next day I made several trades. Evening came, and I preached at my friend Miller's. When I closed they made me up a purse of five dollars, and offered to load one of our wagons with provisions.

We remained here about a week and did finely in trading. On Sunday quite a large attendance, for a new country, turned out to hear me preach. I was weary and did not feel much like preaching. However, I preached about an hour and a half. At the close of the service they made up ten dollars for me, and a Mr. Scott, a wealthy farmer, said that if I would drive my wagons to his establishment he would fill them all with flour, bacon, potatoes, etc. I had the use of my friend Miller's store to store away our traps, as I had more than we could take away.

The people were anxious for me to stop there and take up a farm, make my home with them, and preach and build up a church. I told them I was bound for the Rocky Mountains. As for Mr. Dorsey, he offered me all he had, and wanted to know what to do to be saved. He gave me a history of his life. He told me [page 179] he led a company of men from Carroll County, Missouri, when we were driven from the State. I reflected a little and gave him a list of city property at Nauvoo that I would turn out to him at one-fourth its value, for such property as he wanted to turn out to me. He said he had twelve yoke of oxen and some twenty-five cows, and other stock; four bee stands, three wagons, some six to eight hundred dollar's worth of bacon, flour, meal, soap, powder, lead, blankets, thirty rifles, guns, knives, tobacco, calicoes, spades, hoes, plows, harrows; also twelve feather beds and all of his improvements. He said he only wanted his carriage and a span of black horses, to take himself, wife and partner to Nauvoo. All the above property he turned over to me, and I gave him deeds to property in Nauvoo. He was to go back with our return teams, as Brigham had commenced making a settlement at the place where he was camped. He called the place Garden Grove. We returned to camp, laden with all our teams could haul, besides the three wagons that I had got from Dorsey. There was a great deal that we could not move away. I took a forty-gallon cask of honey and a quantity of whisky and brandy from Dorsey. The bee stands, improvements and farming utensils I turned over for the use of the settlers that remained at Garden Grove.

This circumstance confirmed me in my oft-expressed opinion that much of the trouble that has followed this people has been created by wild, ignorant fanatics; for only a few years before these same people were our most bitter enemies, and when we came again and behaved ourselves, they treated us with the utmost kindness and hospitality.

I also made arrangements for all the labor needed by the company that was left, so that they could be planting crops and raising supplies while building houses to live in. The company left would be strengthened by others who would follow. All the borrowed teams were returned to bring others forward, and those who had teams of their own went on and made another settlement called Pisgah, and then went on to Council Bluffs, which was afterwards called Kanesville, in honor of Col. Thomas L. Kane. From this point I took a cargo of traps, consisting of feather beds, fine counterpanes, quilts, and such goods, and went down to Missouri, with a large number of wagons, to obtain a cargo of supplies, and beef cattle and cows. During my absence a call was made on the Mormons for five hundred [page 180] men to go to Mexico, to defend the American flag. Col. Ethan Allen and Thos. L. Kane came to raise the required number of men. An express was sent back to Pisgah and Garden Grove to furnish their number. The ranks were nearly full before I reached camp. Dr. Richards said to me:

"I am glad you have returned. We want you for one of the Captains."

"All right," I answered, and started to enroll my name. Brigham Young called me back and said he could not spare me; that there were men enough to fill the bill without me. The battalion was filled, and Col. Allen, a United States officer, marched them to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

From Council Bluffs I returned to Missouri, to buy a drove of cattle for Brigham Young, Dr. Richards and others, they having received some money from England. I also loaded some twenty wagons with provisions and articles for trade and exchange. I also exchanged horses for oxen, as the latter were low and the former high in price. About the middle of August I returned, with about five hundred head of cattle.

While I was gone the camp had moved across the Missouri River, at a place called Cutler's Park. The cattle swam the river, but the provision train was still on the Iowa side of the river. A. Grant, and some other of Brigham's men, teamsters and waiters, crossed back for a couple of loads of provisions for Brigham and some others. Without saying a word to me they loaded up from the train their supply of provisions. When I heard of it I was considerably ruffled, as this train was in my charge and I was responsible for it. . . .

Main Page - Master Index - Surname Index - Charts

Compiler:
Bonnie Ruefenacht

This page was created by John Cardinal's Second Site v1.9.4.
Site updated on 8 July 2012 at 9:11:14 PM from bonnie; 9,366 people