FINAL EXPULSION FROM FAR WEST--DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY--ESCAPE OF
JOSEPH SMITH AND BRETHREN--ATTEMPT TO VISIT PARLEY P. PRATT AND
BRETHREN IN PRISON--FORCED TO FLEE TO ESCAPE MOB VIOLENCE--ASSEMBLY OF
APOSTLES AND OTHERS ON TEMPLE SITE ACCORDING TO REVELATION--ARRIVAL IN
ILLINOIS--WORD OF THE LORD FULFILLED.
Judge King having ordered the removal of the prisoners from Liberty to
Daviess County, fearing that we might get a change of venue to some
other place, Brother Daniel Shearer and I were appointed to visit
Judge Hughes, who had formerly been an Indian agent, and get him to
go to Daviess and attend the sitting of the court there. He expressed
himself in friendly terms towards Joseph and the brethren. Being a very
rough man in his language, he cursed the judges and the governor and
everybody else that would not step forward and help our friends out
of the hands of their persecutors, for he did not believe they were
guilty of any of the crimes alleged against them. Said he, "There is no
proof that these men have committed any crime worthy of imprisonment or
death, and the Mormons have been treated mean." Looking us directly in
the eye, he said, with an oath, "Look at their eyes; see how bright and
keen they are! They are whipped but not conquered; you can see that in
their eyes."
There were several men in Liberty who were very friendly to the
brethren. I called on them when I went there and they treated me with
great civility. Among these were General Doniphan and Atchison and the
keeper of the tavern where I put up at, and several of the foremost men
who belonged to the masonic fraternity.
Those men whom I have named, and several others, revolted at the
scenes enacted against the "Mormons," and would have liberated the
brethren, had it not been for the "outside pressure," that is, the
strong prejudices imbibed by the people generally against us, and their
blood-thirsty desire to kill the Prophets.
I sent one hundred dollars by Brother Stephen Markham to Joseph, and
also various sums at different times by other individuals.
The mob continued to threaten the few Saints who remained in Far West,
and accordingly on the 14th of April, 1838, the committee, who had been
left there to look after the wants of the poor, removed thirty-six of
the helpless families into Tenney's grove, about twenty-five miles from
Far West. I was obliged to secrete myself in the corn-fields and woods
during the day and only venture out in the evening, to counsel the
committee and brethren in private houses.
On the morning of the 18th, as I was going to the committee room to
tell the brethren to wind up their affairs and be off, or their lives
would be taken, I was met on the public square by several of the mob.
One of them asked, with an oath, if I was a "Mormon."
I replied, "I am a 'Mormon.'"
With a series of blasphemous expressions, they then threatened to blow
my brains out, and also tried to ride over me with their horses, in the
presence of Elias Smith, Theodore Turley and others of the committee.
It was but a few minutes after I had notified the committee to leave
before the mob gathered at the tithing house, and began breaking
clocks, chairs, windows, looking-glasses and furniture, and making a
complete wreck of everything they could move, while Captain Bogart, the
County judge, looked on and laughed. A mobber named Whittaker threw an
iron pot at the head of Theodore Turley and hurt him considerably, when
Whittaker jumped about and laughed like a mad man; and all this at the
time when we were using our utmost endeavors to get the Saints away
from Far West. The brethren gathered up what they could, and fled from
Far West in one hour. The mob staid until the committee left, and then
plundered thousands of dollars worth of property which had been left by
the brethren and sisters to assist the poor to remove.
One mobber rode up, and, finding no convenient place to fasten his
horse to, shot a cow that was standing near, while a girl was milking
her, and while the poor animal was struggling in death, he cut a strip
of her hide from the nose to her tail, to which he fastened his halter.
During the commotion of this day, a great portion of the records of the
committee, accounts, history, etc., were destroyed or stolen.
Hearing that Joseph and his brethren had escaped from their guard while
they were on their way from Daviess to Boone County, to which place
they had obtained a change of venue, I called on Shadrach Roundy, with
whom I started immediately towards Quincy, Illinois.
On reaching Keetsville I stopped at the house of Colonel Price. The
Colonel hearing of my arrival, came directly into the house, and,
discovering who I was, said, "Joseph and Hyrum Smith and the other
prisoners have escaped."
I enquired what he knew about them, and he answered, "Their guard took
breakfast here this morning. They have turned back, saying they were
going back to Richmond, by way of Tenney's grove. I know that the
guards have been bribed, or they would evince more interest in pursuing
them."
After we had partaken of refreshments, Brother Roundy and I pursued
our course towards Quincy about fourteen or fifteen miles, when, being
thoroughly satisfied that the prisoners had escaped, we turned back
towards Far West.
When we arrived at Tenney's grove, a man came to me and presented an
order drawn on me, by Joseph Smith, for five hundred dollars, saying it
was for horses furnished him. I immediately raised four hundred dollars
and paid him, when he proceeded to Richmond, Ray County, where he paid
out the money to secure some of the lands that we had been driven from.
Brother Roundy and I started a few hours afterwards for Richmond, being
on our way to Far West, for the purpose of visiting Parley P. Pratt and
others in jail.
On our arrival at Richmond, I went directly to the prison to see
Parley, but was prohibited by the guard, who said they would blow my
brains out if I attempted to go near him. In a few minutes, Sister
Morris Phelps came to me in great agitation and advised me to leave
forthwith, as Brother Pratt had told her that a large body of men had
assembled with tar, feathers and a rail, who swore they would tar and
feather me, and ride me on the rail. They suspected I was the one who
had assisted Joseph and the other prisoners to escape.
I immediately informed Brother Roundy, and we jumped on our horses and
fled towards Far West, which was forty miles distant. We rode all night
and reached Far West about the break of day. Expecting Brother Brigham
Young and the Twelve to arrive there that day, I kept myself concealed
in the woods, and passed around the country notifying the brethren and
sisters to be on hand at the appointed time to witness the work upon
the temple.
On the night of April 25th, which was pleasant, clear and moonlight,
Elders Brigham Young, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford
Woodruff, George A. Smith and Alphens Cutler arrived from Quincy,
Illinois, and rode into the public square early on the morning of the
26th. All seemed still as death.
We held a conference at the house of Brother Samuel Clark, cut off
thirty-one persons from the Church, and then proceeded to the building
spot of the Lord's house, where, after singing a hymn on the mission
of the Twelve, we recommenced laying the foundation, agreeable to the
revelation given July 8th, 1838, by rolling a stone, upwards of a ton
in weight, upon or near the south-east corner.
We ordained Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, who had been
previously nominated by the First Presidency, accepted by the Twelve,
and acknowledged by the Church at Quincy, members of the quorum of
the Twelve Apostles. We ordained as Seventies, Darwin Chase and
Norman Shearer, who had been liberated from Richmond prison two days
previously, where they had been confined about six months for the cause
of Christ.
The Twelve then, individually called upon the Lord in prayer in the
following order: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John
E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, kneeling
on the corner stone; after which "Adam-ondi-Ahman" was sung, when the
Twelve took leave of the Saints, agreeable to the revelation.
The brethren wandered among our deserted houses, many of which were in
ruins, and saw the streets in many places grown over with grass.
We went to Father Clark's, got breakfast, and before sunrise we
departed. We rode thirty miles that day, and camped at night with the
families of Elders Clark and Turley.
On arriving at Quincy on the 2nd of May, I found my family well and
in good spirits; and on reading the words of inspiration which I had
written, my wife bore record to the truth of that part which says,
"Trouble not thyself about thy family, for they are in my hands. I
will feed them and clothe them and make unto them friends," etc. I
learned from her that my family continued with Brother Brigham until
they crossed the Mississippi to the town of Atlas, in Illinois, where,
through the instrumentality of George Pitkin, my wife got introduced to
a Widow Ross, who let her have a comfortably-fitted-up room, and the
privilege of cooking by her fire, and who was as kind to her as an own
mother or sister. Here my wife tarried seven weeks, and only had to pay
fifty cents a week. At the end of that time, John P. Greene came with
his wagon and horses and carried my family up to Quincy, forty miles,
and rented a good room where I found her.
She had had no lack of friends and had every comfort bestowed upon
her that she could have had among her own kindred; and I can say in
my heart, God bless all who aided and assisted my family. Jesus says
every man shall be rewarded for every good deed that he doeth and even
if a man giveth a cup of cold water to a disciple he shall receive a
disciple's reward.
In relation to that part of the Lord's word to me which said I should
have many sons and daughters, my wife was rather in doubt, as she
considered she was too advanced in years, and the thought had never
entered our minds that the Lord would establish in this Church the
doctrine of plurality of wives in my day; still I believed it would be
restored to the earth in some future time.