MILLPORT.
No sooner had the saints departed from De Witt than the Presbyterian
preacher, Woods, called the mob that had infested that settlement
together, and in a speech of frenzied hate he suggested that they
proceed at once to Daviess County and assist their friends in driving
the "Mormons" from their homes in that county, as they had already
done in Carroll County. He assured them the civil authorities would
not interfere to defend the "Mormons," and they could get possession
of their property just as well as not. He reminded them that the
land sales would soon come off, and if they could but get rid of
the "Mormons" they could secure all the lands they would want. To
appreciate the force of this part of the preacher's appeal to the
mob, the reader must remember that the whole country was wild on land
speculations, and that some of the saints were badly tinctured with it,
as explained in a previous chapter. The speech had the desired effect,
and forthwith the entire body with their cannon started for Daviess
County.
While these events were transpiring in Carroll County, Cornelius
Gilliam, who, it will be remembered, called upon Zion's Camp at Fishing
River several years before, had been engaged in raising a mob in Platte
and Clinton counties to accomplish the same object that Parson Woods
and his mob had in view. General Doniphan learned of these movements,
both on the part of Gilliam and Woods, and sent word to Joseph Smith
that a body of eight hundred men were moving upon the settlement of his
people in Daviess County. He gave orders for a company of militia to be
raised at Far West and marched at once into Daviess County, to defend
those who were threatened, until he could raise the militia in Clay and
adjoining counties to put down the insurrection. Accordingly a company
of one hundred militia-men were gotten in readiness to march into
Daviess County. The command was given to Colonel Hinckle and he started
for Diahman.
After General Parks had left the vicinity of De Witt with his mutinous
militia, he returned to Diahman, where he had left Colonel Thompson in
command, and resumed control of affairs in that section.
The mob about Diahman, hearing of the fate of De Witt, and learning
of the approach of that mob and the efforts of Gilliam in the same
direction, became bolder, and at once began to threaten the saints
and burn some of their houses and stacks of hay and grain. These
depredations were committed chiefly at a place called Millport, a short
distance from Diahman. The house of Don Carlos Smith was burned down,
after being plundered, and his wife with two helpless babes were driven
out into the night. She made her way to Diahman, carrying her children
and having to wade Grand River where the stream was waist deep.
The next day General Parks passed the ruins of this house, belonging
to Don Carlos Smith, who was then on a mission in Tennessee, and it
seemed to arouse within him a just indignation. He at once went to the
house of Lyman Wight and gave him orders to call out his companies of
militiamen--Wight holding a colonel's commission in the fifty-ninth
regiment of the Missouri militia, commanded by General Parks--and
gave him full authority to put down mobs wherever he should find them
assembled. He said he wished it distinctly understood that Colonel
Wight had full authority from him to suppress all mob violence. The
militia that Colonel Wight called out was divided into two companies;
one company, consisting of about sixty men, was placed under the
command of Captain David Patten, and the other of about the same number
was commanded by Wight in person.
Captain Patten was ordered to go to Gallatin and disperse the mobs
that were reported to be in that vicinity, while Wight and his company
started for Millport.
When Patten's company came in sight of Gallatin, he found a body of
the mob, about one hundred strong, who were amusing themselves by
mocking and in various ways tantalizing a number of the saints whom
they had captured. Seeing the approach of Patten's men, and knowing
the determination of the leader, the mob broke and ran in the greatest
confusion, leaving their prisoners behind them.
On his march to Millport, Colonel Wight found the whole country
deserted by the mob which had infested it, and their houses in flames
or in smoldering ruins. The mob having learned that General Parks had
ordered out Wight's companies of militia, was seized with sudden fear
and swore vengeance, not only upon the "Mormons," but upon Generals
Parks and Doniphan as well. To accomplish this purpose, they had loaded
up their most valuable personal effects and setting fire to their log
huts, they sent runners throughout the State with the lying report
that the "Mormons" had "riz" and were burning the houses, destroying
property, and murdering the old settlers.