THE RELIEF OF MANTI--THE OVERTHROW OF THE KING MEN--PACHUS SLAIN--THE
STRUGGLE AT MORONI--TEANCUM SLAYS AMMORON, BUT AT THE COST OF HIS
OWN LIFE--TEANCUM'S NOBLE CHARACTER.
(ALMA CHAP. 58 TO 62.)
After the battle at Cumeni, the Lamanites retreated eastward to Manti,
which was situated on the upper waters of the Sidon. Nor was it for
several months that this city could be taken, as owing to internal
dissensions at the Nephite capital, and the attempts on the part of
some of the people to overthrow the republic and establish a monarchy,
Pahoran, the chief judge, was unable to supply the necessary provisions
and reinforcements.
In this strait Helaman and his fellow officers called on the Lord in
fervent prayer, which was not unanswered. They received assurances of
deliverance and victory. These blessed assurances inspired fresh faith
and infused renewed courage in the war-weary hearts of those not given
to the love of carnage. Fired with the determination, by God's grace,
to conquer, they entered on a campaign against the city of Manti,
which, by strategy, they captured before the end of the year (B. C.
63). The moral effect of this victory was so great that the Lamanites
retreated into the wilderness, evacuating the whole of the territory on
the west, but unfortunately taking with them, as prisoners, many women
and children.
For more than a year Moroni could not send the needed help to Helaman.
The rebels in Zarahemla had driven the chief judge out of the city,
and he had taken refuge in Gideon. From there he wrote to Moroni to
come to his assistance, which that officer did at the earliest possible
moment, leaving the armies in the north-east under the command of Lehi
and Teancum. As he advanced he rallied the people on his line of march
to the defense of the liberties of the republic, and was so successful
that, after having joined the chief judge, Pahoran, he succeeded
in overthrowing the "king men," killing their leader, Pachus, and
completely crushing the rebellion. This being accomplished, he sent
6,000 men with the necessary provisions to reinforce Helaman (B. C. 61).
The campaign during this year, along the Atlantic coast, was a decisive
one. At last the soldiers of Ammoron were driven out of Omner,
Morianton, Gid, Lehi, Nephihah, and every other Nephite city on that
sea-board, except the outlying one, called Moroni, where the whole of
the invading host was massed for a final desperate stand, and around
which Moroni, by hurried and lengthened marches, had concentrated his
warriors.
It was the night before an expected decisive battle, and the Nephite
officers and soldiers were too fatigued to either devise stratagems or
execute them. Teancum alone was in a condition of unrest. He remembered
with intense bitterness all the bloodshed, woes, hardships, famine,
etc., that had been brought about in this great and lasting war between
the two races, which he rightly attributed to the infamous ambition
of Amalickiah and Ammoron. He reflected how he had slain the former,
and determined that as he had slain Amalickiah, so should Ammoron
fall. In his anger he stole forth into the enemy's camp, let himself
over the walls of the city, sought out the king's tent, and when he
had found the object of his search, he cast a javelin at him, which
pierced him near the heart. But, unlike Amalickiah, Ammoron's death was
not instantaneous. He had time to awaken his servant before he passed
away. The alarm was given, the guards started in pursuit; Teancum
was overtaken, caught and slain. On the morrow Moroni attacked the
Lamanites, defeated them with great slaughter, captured the city, and
drove them entirely out of Nephite territory. (B. C. 61).
The writer of the Book of Alma records: When Lehi and Moroni knew that
Teancum was dead, they were exceedingly sorrowful; for behold, he had
been a man who had fought valiantly for his country; yea, a true friend
to liberty, and he had suffered very many exceeding sore afflictions.
But behold, he was dead, and had gone the way of all the earth.
In that glorious galaxy of patriot-priests, or warrior-prophets, call
them which we may, to whose stern integrity, inspired valor, and
unflinching virtue the Nephite republic, in the days of which we write,
owed so much of its stability and was so greatly indebted for its
perpetuity, Teancum shines among the brightest. View him from whatever
point we please, there is no mistaking the man. His ardent disposition,
his fiery impetuosity, his zealous patriotism, his undaunted courage,
his love of liberty, his entire disinterestedness, shine forth in
every action. Indeed, we might almost call him rash, so little did he
consider his personal safety when he thought the good of his country
required the sacrifice.
In picturing the heroes of those days, Teancum looms up before us
almost as a Hotspur or Murat. In our mind's eye we can see him charging
the solid phalanxes of the Lamanites, rushing at full speed towards
the enemy several lengths ahead of his line of battle; his commanding
presence inspiring confidence, his unwavering voice ringing out the
word of command, his bright armor shining in the sun, and his hair
streaming from beneath his helmet, as, regardless of all save the
liberties of his country, he falls upon the thickest of the foe,
seeking out their chief captains, that by their death an end may
possibly be put to the horrors of war. Thus we find him slaying with
his own hand, at different times, Morianton, Amalickiah and Ammoron.
In fact, it is quite noticeable that in nearly all the great battles
of this age, the Nephites appear to have made it a conspicuous part
of their policy to slay the commander of the opposing hosts. So fell
Amlici, Morianton, Jacob, Coriantumr and others.