SAINTS MOVE TO CALDWELL COUNTY--PERSECUTIONS BEGIN ANEW--CAPTAIN
BOGART AND HIS MOB--THE BATTLE--HAWN'S MILL MASSACRE--COLONEL HINKLE'S
TREACHERY--THE BRETHREN IMPRISONED.
When the Saints were driven from Jackson county, the people of Clay
county kindly permitted us an asylum in their midst and many individual
acts of kindness might be recorded in their favor; but the more
turbulent spirits among them began to stir up anger against us, and the
smouldering embers of persecution began to show signs of blazing forth
again. However, there were many gentlemen who were desirous of peace,
and who tried to sooth and quell the spirit of mobocracy.
During June and July, 1836, meetings were held by our people as well
as by those who desired our removal to some other locality, and it
was finally decided, after due deliberation, that the Saints should
again move. This time the place of refuge chosen was Caldwell Co., and
immediately the exodus began.
My personal affairs were such that I could not move with the majority
of the Saints but was compelled to remain until February, 1838, when
I was able to leave Clay Co. entirely free of debt, and with a little
means on hand. I felt much gratified, however, at being able to greet
the Prophet Joseph, and several other brethren, who arrived in Far West
with their families on the 14th of March following my arrival.
These brethren had come from Kirtland to shelter themselves from the
heavy storm of persecution that had set in upon them there, and which
was started by apostates. The mob had followed them on the road, armed,
and with murder in their hearts. Frequently the brethren had to hide
themselves in their wagons, their pursuers were so close upon them;
and on two or three occasions they were together in the same house.
Once they remained all night in the same building with only a partition
between them, and the oaths and threats of their enemies could be
distinctly heard. Late in the evening these fiends went into the room
where the brethren were and examined them, but although they were very
well acquainted with the brethren, they decided it was not them.
The Saints were not, however, destined to remain long in peace in
Caldwell county. Their enemies who lived in the adjoining counties
could not bear the idea of the "Mormons" becoming prosperous and they
therefore began to arouse public indignation against them. Every unjust
act of which wicked men could conceive was perpetrated against us in
the vain hope that we would retaliate on our opposers, and thereby
afford an excuse for extermination. But we calmly submitted to the
numerous indignities heaped upon us, feeling that it was better to
suffer wrong than to do wrong. Our people made many concessions to the
mob in the hope of pacifying them, but it was useless.
In this instance, as in the Jackson county mobbings, the principal
instigators were priests of various denominations. On the 24th of
October, Captain Bogart, a Methodist priest, marched a company of men
towards Far West with the avowed intention, to use his language, of
giving our city "thunder and lightning" before noon of the next day. On
receipt of this information from Brother Parson, who had watched the
movements of Bogart, and seen him camp on Crooked river, a company of
seventy-five volunteers went out to disperse the mob, and retake three
prisoners, whom the mob had kidnapped from their homes, and to prevent
the descent upon Far West.
On the following morning about daylight sixty of the brethren reached
the ford on the Crooked river, and dismounting their horses left them
in charge of a few brethren, and then went to look for the encampment.
The enemy watched the approach of the brethren, and greeted them with
a round of musketry. As soon as the brethren saw the position of the
enemy Captain David W. Patten ordered a charge, and the two parties
engaged in a hand to hand fight, when the enemy retreated, and while
pursuing them Captain Patten was mortally wounded, two or three of the
brethren were killed, and Bogart must have lost quite a number although
he only reported one.
The report of this battle spread through the country and created
quite an excitement. Rumors were afloat that Bogart's company had
been massacred, and the whole country was in commotion. This was
followed on the 27th by the infamous exterminating order of Governor
Boggs. Before sufficient force could be collected to carry out Gov.
Bogg's instructions, a party of men who had collected from Daviess,
Ray, Livingston, Carroll, and Chariton counties, led by some of the
principal men of those places, made a descent upon Hawn's Mill, where
a company of our brethren and sisters were camped. The enemy numbered
two hundred and forty mounted men. Immediately on riding up they poured
a volley from a hundred guns into our little band who had principally
taken refuge in the blacksmith shop. The massacre became general, and
but few escaped the fury of those inhuman wretches. Boys, eight, nine,
and twelve years old were murdered even while begging for mercy, and a
young lady, while fleeing from the mob, was shot through the hand, and
fell, fainting over a log, into which her would-be murderers lodged
about twenty balls.
The mob now grew bolder and bolder, and committed depredations upon the
settlements in Caldwell and Daviess counties, so that our people had to
flee into Far West from all quarters to save themselves. Many could not
get into houses, and had to take shelter in wagons, tents, and under
bed-clothes, and while in this situation we had a severe snow storm,
which rendered their sufferings intense.
On the 29th, the news reached the city that a large number of troops
had advanced into our county, and committed great depredations. It was
thought advisable to send out a company of about one hundred and fifty
men to ascertain the situation of affairs. On the 30th, these troops
showed themselves before the city, and immediately the brethren flew
to arms, with the determination to defend their wives and children to
the last extremity. The troops withdrew to about a mile from the town
and camped, Those who had been sent out were on the other side of the
troops but came into the city about sundown, in two parties. These
brethren without going to their homes joined the ranks of the brethren,
and assisted to barricade and fortify the town.
A white flag was sent by each party, but judge our surprise, when on
enquiring their designs, our flag-bearer was informed that they wanted
three men out of our city, and then they designed to massacre the rest.
The day following a flag was sent by the enemy, and some of our
brethren went and learned that they were commissioned by the chief
executive, and that their commission authorized them to exterminate the
Mormons _en masse_, and they had three thousand troops to carry these
orders into effect.
Col. Hinkle went out to meet a flag of truce and secretly made
arrangements to deliver up the Church leaders to be tried and punished;
to have the property of the Saints delivered over to pay the expenses
of the expedition and the damage done to them, and arranged that the
Saints should leave the state, and their arms should be delivered up to
the enemy.
In the evening the first step in this base treachery was taken. Col.
Hinkle represented to Brother Joseph and others that the officers of
the militia desired an interview in the hope that the matter might be
settled without carrying out the exterminating order. They complied
with the request, and were delivered up to the mob by Hinkle, and
claimed as prisoners of war. They were put into a small hollow square,
and strongly guarded; and the enemy set up a most horrid yell, and
continued it for hours; the noise was past description, and had there
been ten thousand wolves yelling for their prey it would not have been
worse.
On the morning of November 1st, Hinkle took another step to carry out
his nefarious designs. The bugle sounded for the brethren to assemble,
armed and equipped. Every man went out well armed and was paraded and
delivered over to the enemy. The brethren were surrounded and required
to surrender their arms, and were then guarded all day while the
rapacious soldiery went from house to house, plundering, pillaging,
and destroying, and even driving many helpless women and children
from their homes, and committing deeds even worse than these in some
instances.
A court martial was held by the officers and priests, and without being
heard in their own defense, the brethren were sentenced to be shot on
Friday morning on the public square in Far West, in the presence of
their wives and families. At this imprecedented action General Doniphan
objected, saying he would have nothing to do with such cold-blooded
actions, and he would draw off his brigade from the army. This probably
saved the lives of the prisoners, as the sentence was changed and the
prisoners were taken to Independence, Jackson county.
The designs of the enemy were, without doubt, to destroy the brethren
when they arrived there, but the Lord did not suffer it, for their work
was not yet finished. They were thrust into prison and held until a
demand was made by General Clark to have them forwarded to Richmond,
where they underwent a mock trial and were remanded to Liberty jail to
await a further investigation.
On November 6th, General Clark paraded the brethren at Far West and
delivered a most insulting speech, requiring the fulfillment of Col.
Hinkle's stipulations in full, and telling us to get out of the state
as quickly as possible; also that we need not look to see our prophet
or his brethren any more who were in the hands of the militia, "for,"
said he, "their fate is fixed, their die is cast, their doom is sealed."
Although our arms had been taken from us and treaties made that we
should remain in peace until the Spring, yet small parties of armed
men, were continually making incursions into Caldwell county, insulting
our women, driving off our stock, and plundering wherever they could
get a chance. Even life was not held sacred, and Brothers Tanner and
Carey were grossly misused while prisoners, the latter having his
brains dashed out with a gun.
Our persecutions did not abate in the least and it seemed as though all
hell was aroused to do us injury. The brethren confined in Liberty jail
after being subjected to the most terrible indignities during their six
month's imprisonment, finally succeeded in making their escape and soon
joined the body of the Saints.