THE TERRIBLE TEMPEST ON FISHING RIVER--VISIT OF COL. SCONCE--CHOLERA IN
CAMP--JOSEPH SMITTEN--SIDNEY GILBERT'S DEATH--PROPHET VISITS ZION.
Shortly before sunset on the 19th of July, 1834, two hundred armed
men stood on the southern bank of the Missouri river ready to cross.
Seventy armed men waited for them on the opposite shore, and sixty
more, also armed, were marching from Richmond, Ray county, to meet
them. Many of these were ruffians of the worst stripe; they had tied
up innocent men and whipped them almost to death, they had frightened
women and children out into the darkness and cold, and torn down or
burned their houses. Some of them were murderers and all now had murder
in their hearts.
A few miles away was another band of two hundred men, just at this time
pitching their tents and preparing to spend the night. These had some
weapons also, but were not so heavily armed as were the others. What
they had, however, were near at hand and ready for use, for an attack
was expected at any moment.
This was a body of God-fearing men, who had come from afar, bringing
food to the hungry and clothing to those in need. They hoped also to
help their brethren and sisters home to their lands in Jackson county.
These men held the Priesthood of the Lord of hosts; they had come
at His command; they would not have harmed an animal purposely, and
certainly not a human being; but they were determined not to be robbed
and killed, and they were ready to fight to the death in self-defense.
If God in His wisdom had seen fit to let the mob come on, blood
would have flowed like water and martyr and murderer would have died
together. But He had another fate for His servants than to die there
at the hands of blood-thirsty Missourians. This was the hour to show
His power. He spoke to the winds and they went rushing over the
whole heaven, bearing the black clouds that gathered at His call. He
commanded the lightning and the rain and the hail, and they obeyed.
Within a few miles of the Camp of Zion on every side, the hurricane
raged. The great hail-storm beat down fields of corn and cut off
branches from the trees, and the wind in many places twisted the trunks
to splinters. Lightning flashed through the heaven all night long in
great zigzag streaks, thunder crashed, and the earth shook.
The puny, weak creatures that had a few hours before defied God's work
lost all their boldness and quailed at the sight of His anger. The
rain wet them to the skin and spoiled their ammunition. The hail cut
holes through their clothing and bruised their bodies. All who could,
ran to their homes or hunted nearer shelter. Forty of the two hundred
from Jackson county had crossed the Missouri and the boat had gone back
for more when the storm came up. Of course the forty were very anxious
to go back home then, but they could not swim the great river, and so
spent the night with the storm beating down upon them, thinking over
their own bad lives.
In Zion's Camp no hail fell, and there was little wind and rain. A
few tents were blown down and some of the brethren were wet. Many
found shelter in an old meeting house, and Joseph sent them to pay
for the use of this on the following day. The storm did not frighten
the brethren. They knew the Lord had raised it, not to harm them but
to keep them from harm. When morning came they found great streams of
water flowing between them and their enemies. Big Fishing river which
was only ankle deep the night before was now forty feet in depth, and
men from the mob said that Little Fishing river rose thirty feet in
thirty minutes.
That day the Camp moved about five miles to a place where it would be
harder to attack them, and stayed three days. While there, Colonel
Sconce with two other men rode up. They came into the Camp, and when
they were face to face with Joseph and the brethren the officer
trembled so much that he could not stand up. After his nervousness had
somewhat passed away he rose and asked what the Camp intended to do. He
said he had led armed men from Ray county to fall upon the Camp, but
the storm had driven him back, and he knew that an Almighty Power was
protecting this people.
The Prophet answered him. He said that the Camp had come one thousand
miles to bring supplies to their friends and to help them back to their
homes. They hated bloodshed and their firearms were brought only to
defend themselves. They intended to obey all laws and harm nobody. He
told the sad story of the pitiful sufferings of the Jackson county
Saints, and when he ended Colonel Sconce and his friends were in tears.
These men were like Paul, the Apostle; they had tried to destroy the
truth, believing it was evil. As soon as they learned that they had
done wrong they sought to undo it. They rode over the country and told
the people the truth about Joseph Smith and his followers.
Cornelius Gillium, sheriff of Clay county, also visited them, and
after learning why they had come he told them about the people and
the country and advised them how to avoid trouble. After leaving, Mr.
Gillium published a true report of what he had learned.
Again on the twenty-third of June the Camp moved, now going toward
Liberty, Clay county. Before they reached the town General Atchison,
who, as you know, was employed by the Jackson Saints as lawyer, met
them. He with other leading men came out to urge Joseph not to pass
through Liberty, as they feared trouble. Of course it would have been
silly after this warning to run chances of rousing a mob, so the Camp
turned, passed by Liberty, and pitched their tents that night at the
end of their journey, on Rush creek, among the Saints.
You remember that when Sylvester Smith and others rebelled against the
Prophet, about three weeks before this, Joseph told them the Lord would
scourge the Camp. And now the scourge came in the form of cholera.
Two or three cases had appeared as a kind of warning before the Camp
reached Rush creek and Joseph foretold what would come. He said he was
sorry, but he could not help it.
On the following day, June 24th, the terrible disease broke out in
earnest and continued four days. There were about sixty-eight cases,
and thirteen persons died. Elder John S. Carter tried to rebuke the
disease, but it at once seized him and he died. Joseph laid on hands
and commanded it to depart from one of those afflicted. The disease did
leave but came upon the Prophet. At the same time Hyrum was struck down.
Three times they kneeled and prayed for their lives, and the last time
they made up their minds to keep on until they were healed. While they
were pleading with the Lord, Hyrum saw in vision their mother back in
Kirtland praying for her absent boys. God listened to her prayer and
theirs, and they rose up well and strong again.
The Prophet learned a great lesson at this time. He knew that the Lord
was going to punish the Camp in this way and he should not have tried
to interfere with the Lord's purposes by using his Priesthood to hinder
them.
Among those who died was Algernon Sidney Gilbert, who had charge of
the Lord's store-house. He was an able, useful man, and had shown much
bravery in the Jackson county troubles, but now he brought his own
death upon him. The Prophet called him to go with others to Kirtland
and after receiving his endowments to go on a mission. Brother Gilbert
had suffered much from those outside the Church and was filled with a
wrong spirit toward them. He answered that he would rather die than
preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. God took him at his word, the
cholera came upon him and he died.
These were terrible days. Men who were standing guard about the Camp
fell down at their posts, and groans from those in agony came from all
sides. Many faithful men suffered as well as some who were to blame
for the scourge. But the true and obedient ones who were smitten will
have their reward. The Camp was not united, therefore it was punished.
At last a cure was found for the disease, and that was to put a person
into cold water or pour it over him.
But while the cholera was still raging in the Camp, excitement and
unrest were running high outside. To stop this Joseph announced
publicly that he would disband those who had come to Missouri with him,
and this he did on the twenty-fifth of June, 1834, nearly two months
after the first party left Kirtland. The Prophet knew, too, for the
Lord revealed it to him, that though the Camp had been successful in
bringing food and clothing to the Saints, it could not help them back
to their homes. The Church in Missouri had failed to keep the saintly
union and faith that must be possessed by those who build up and
inherit the center stake of Zion.
On the first of July Joseph crossed the Missouri with some of the
brethren and went to Independence. He saw the same land that the Lord
had dedicated as Zion three years before, now entirely in the hands of
the wicked. It must have made him sad, but he did not lose courage. It
was not the part of a fearful man to go into Jackson county as Joseph
did. True, he was not known very well in that neighborhood, but if he
had been recognized it would probably have meant death.
Two days later he organized a High Council in Clay county, for the
Saints in Missouri. This was formed like the Council at Kirtland, only
David Whitmer and two counselors presided in place of the Presidency of
the Church. After visiting another week among the Saints the Prophet
set out for home. He reached Kirtland alone about the first of August,
after a wearisome journey and after three months of hardest toil and of
most valuable experience.