THE BETRAYAL OF FAR WEST.
In the meantime the mob forces, called "the governor's troops," had
gathered about Far West to the number of two thousand two hundred men,
armed and equipped for war. The main body of these forces had marched
from Richmond under the command of Major General Samuel D. Lucas,
starting on the 29th of October. The following day he was joined by the
forces of General Doniphan at the ford of Log Creek, not far from Far
West. Here they received the exterminating order of Governor Boggs.
This order made no provisions for the protection of the innocent, the
"Mormons" were either to be exterminated or driven from the State,
regardless of their guilt or innocence as individuals.
On the morning of the 30th, the citizens of Far West had been informed
of the approach of large bodies of armed men from the south, and sent
out a company of one hundred and fifty of their number to learn the
character of these forces, whether they were friendly or otherwise.
The scouting party was soon convinced that the intentions of the
approaching forces were hostile, and found some difficulty themselves
in returning to Far West without being captured by the mob militia.
As they approached the city in the evening, they were discovered by
General Doniphan, who received permission from General Lucas to try
and capture them; but having a superior knowledge of the ground, they
escaped.
Seeing these large bodies of men approach, what militia there was in
Far West was drawn up in line just south of the city to oppose the
advance of the formidable enemy. Both parties sent out a flag of truce,
and they met between the two forces. In answer to the inquiry of the
citizens of Far West as to who the mob forces were and what their
intentions, the reply was, "We want three persons out of the city
before we massacre the rest." [A] Hostilities, however, were postponed
until the next day, and the mob began the work of encampment along
the borders of a small stream called Goose Creek. During the night,
the people in Far West constructed, as best they could, some rude
fortifications south of the city, and were reinforced in the night by
Lyman Wight and a small body of men from Diahman.
[Footnote A: P. P. Pratt's Autobiography, page 201. The man sent out
with the flag of truce from Far West was the late C. C. Rich.]
The mob forces were also strengthened during the night by the arrival
from the west of Niel Gilliam's bands, who were dressed and painted
like Indians, and doubtless more savage than the savages whose dress,
paint, and horrible yells they imitated. The mob forces under Comstock,
with their hands dripping with the blood of their Haun's Mill victims,
also joined Lucas during the night.
That was a terrible night of suspense for Far West. The people had
learned of the massacre at Haun's Mill; they knew the murderous
intentions of the mob forces encamped within two miles of their homes,
and outnumbering the people of Far West by more than four to one, and
clothed with a seeming authority by the highest officer in the State,
to resist which, however outrageous or barbarous the conduct of the mob
might be, would give further excuse for their extermination. How true
the saying: "When the wicked rule, the people mourn!"
It was with heavy hearts and sinking hopes that the saints watched the
first approach of the gray dawn that ushered in the 31st of October.
About eight o'clock a flag of truce was sent out (Joseph and other
Church writers say) by the mob forces; Lucas in his report to Governor
Boggs says: "I received a message from Colonel Hinkle, the commander of
the 'Mormon' forces, [Caldwell militia] requesting an interview with
me on an eminence near Far West, which he would designate by hoisting
a white flag. I sent him word I would meet him at two o'clock p. m.,
being so much engaged in receiving and encamping fresh troops, who were
hourly coming in, that I could not attend before."
It may be, judging from the subsequent treachery of Colonel Hinkle,
that he sent a secret messenger to Lucas requesting an interview, and
that the white flag sent out by the mob forces, of which our Church
annals speak, and which was met by Hinkle in person with a few others,
was sent to give General Lucas' answer to Hinkle's earlier request for
an interview. At any rate, the truce flag was sent out and was met by
some of the brethren, among whom was Hinkle; and if anything special
was learned, or accommodations arranged, or understanding arrived at by
the conference held with the enemy's flag of truce, our writers have
failed to mention it. The reasonable conclusion is, therefore, that the
flag of truce merely brought to Colonel Hinkle the information that
Lucas could not meet him until two o'clock; and that Hinkle did meet
him at that time; and upon his own responsibility, without consulting
with the citizens of Far West or their leaders, entered into, and bound
the people to, the following terms of capitulation:
First. To give up all their [The Church] leaders to be tried and
punished.
Second. To make an appropriation of their property, all who have taken
up arms, to the payment of their debts, and indemnify for damage done
by them.
Third. That the balance should leave the State, and be protected out
by the militia, but to remain until further orders were received from
the commander in chief.
Fourth. To give up their arms of every description, to be receipted
for.
According to Lucas' statement, Hinkle, while he readily accepted
these terms of capitulation, desired to postpone the matter until the
following morning; to which Lucas replied that if that was done he
would demand that Joseph Smith, Junior, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight,
Parley P. Pratt and George W. Robinson be surrendered to his custody
as hostages for his faithful compliance with the foregoing terms; and
if after reflection and consultation the people decided to reject the
terms offered them, these hostages were to be returned at the point
where they were delivered into his possession.[B]
[Footnote B: Report of Lucas to Governor Boggs, dated November 2, 1838.
Headquarters near Far West.]
Let us pause here for a moment's reflection. If Lucas intended to
deliver up those men again, what advantage was it for him to have them?
According to his own statement he offered Hinkle terms of capitulation
which he and the people affected were to consider and report their
conclusions upon the following day; but Lucas demands the principal
"Mormon" leaders as hostages for the faithful performance--of what?
Merely to bind them to consider the terms of capitulation, according
to Lucas' statement; and if those terms were rejected after due
consideration and consultation, these hostages were to be restored
to the people! Was there any need of hostages being given to insure
the consideration of the terms of surrender offered? Not under the
circumstances. The whole thing was a plan to get the leaders of
The Church into the hands of the mob, that the governor's order of
extermination or banishment might be carried out without the mob
militia running the risk of some of them losing their lives; as
their generals believed the saints would submit to any injustice or
indignity, rather than endanger the lives of their prophet leaders
by resisting it. These men were demanded as a pledge that the whole
infamous agreement between Lucas and Hinkle should be faithfully
performed on Hinkle's part; and not to insure the consideration of his
terms of surrender as Lucas clumsily puts it. As I proceed with the
narrative it will be seen that Lucas never intended to restore the
prisoners to their friends.
Hinkle returned from the secret consultation with Lucas, and about
four o'clock in the afternoon told Joseph Smith and the other men
Lucas demanded as hostages, that the leaders of the governor's
troops desired a consultation with them outside the city limits.
Accordingly the brethren, in company with Hinkle, walked out of Far
West in the direction of the enemy's encampment. When midway between
that encampment and Far West, the little band of brethren were met
by the mob forces. Lucas occupied a central place, followed by fifty
artillerymen, with a four-pounder; while the remainder of the forces,
amounting to over two thousand, came up on the right and left. As
soon as Lucas came up, Lyman Wight shook hands with him and said: "We
understand, General, you wish to confer with us a few moments; will not
tomorrow morning do as well?"
Here Colonel Hinkle said:
"General Lucas, these are the prisoners I agreed to deliver to you."
Lucas brandished his sword and told these men from Far West that they
were his prisoners, and that they would march into his camp without
further delay!
"At this moment," says Lyman Wight, "I believe there were five hundred
guns cocked and twenty caps bursted, and more hideous yells were never
heard, even if the description of the yells of the damned in hell is
true as given by the modern sects of the day." [C] Especially horrible
and threatening were the yells and threats of Niel Gilliam's company,
costumed and painted as Indians.
[Footnote C: Wight's affidavit, Times and Seasons, Vol. 4, page 267.]
The brethren had been basely betrayed by Hinkle, as he had never
consulted with them or any of the leaders of the people in relation to
the terms of surrender offered by Lucas; and by misrepresentation he
had induced them to place themselves in the hands of their implacable
enemies. So long as treason is detested, and traitors despised, so long
will the memory of Colonel Hinkle be execrated for his vile treachery.
On reaching the enemy's camp, ninety men were called out to guard
the prisoners. Thirty were on this duty at a time: two hours on and
four hours off. The prisoners lay in the open air with nothing as a
covering, and they were drenched with rain before morning. All night
long they were mocked and taunted by the guard, who demanded signs,
saying, "Come, Mr. Smith, show us an angel, give us one of your
revelations, show us a miracle;" [D] mingling these requests with the
vilest oaths. Sidney Rigdon had an attack of apoplectic fits, which
afforded much merriment to the brutal guard.
[Footnote D: P. P. Pratt's Autobiography, page 204.]
All night long the prisoners were compelled to listen to the filthy
obscenity of those who watched them, and hear them relate their deeds
of rapine and murder, and boast of their conquest over virtuous wives
and maidens by brute force. Thus the wretched night passed away.
The morning following, which was the 1st of November, Hyrum Smith and
Amasa Lyman were brought into the mob's camp as prisoners.
According to Hinkle's agreement, the militia in Far West were marched
out of the city and grounded their arms, which were taken possession
of by Lucas, although they were not State arms, but were the private
property of the men who carried them. The mob was now let loose upon
the unarmed citizens of Far West, and under the pretext of searching
for arms they ransacked every house, tore up the floors, upset
haystacks, wantonly destroyed much property, and shot down a number
of cattle just for the sport it afforded them. The people were robbed
of their most valuable property, insulted and whipped; but this was
not the worst. The chastity of a number of women was defiled by force;
some of them were strapped to benches and repeatedly ravished by brutes
in human form until they died from the effects of this treatment. The
horrible threat made a few years before in Jackson County had been at
last carried out--_We will ravish their women!_
At night a court-martial was held, consisting of some fourteen militia
officers, among whom were Colonel Hinkle and about twenty priests of
the different denominations. Sashiel Woods and Bogart, the Presbyterian
ministers, were among them; and in addition to these spiritual
dignitaries, there was the circuit judge, Austin A. King and the
district attorney, Mr. Birch. The decision of the court was that the
prisoners should be shot the following morning at eight o'clock, in the
public square of Far West, in the presence of their families, as an
example to the "Mormon" people.
Colonel Hinkle visited Hyrum Smith and told him that a court-martial
had been held and that he had contended for his (Hyrum's) acquittal,
but it availed nothing, and all were to be shot the next morning.
General Wilson had made an effort during the day to corrupt Lyman
Wight, and get him to testify to something against Joseph Smith, but
in this he failed. About the time Hinkle went to Hyrum, General Wilson
took Wight aside and told him the decision of the court-martial. "Shoot
and be damned," said Wight. About this time General Doniphan came up
to Wilson and Wight and, addressing the latter, he said: "Colonel,
the decision is a damned hard one, but I wash my hands against such
cold-blooded murder." And he further said that he intended to remove
his troops the following day as soon as light, that they should not
witness such heartless murder. General Graham and a few others, whose
names unfortunately have not been preserved, had voted against the
decision of the court-martial, but it availed nothing.
The bold stand taken by General Doniphan the next morning, in
threatening to remove his troops and denouncing the execution of the
prisoners as cold-blooded murder, alarmed Lucas, and he changed his
mind about executing the decision of the courtmartial; in fact he
revoked the decree, and placed the prisoners in charge of General
Wilson with instructions to conduct them to Independence.