*^'. ""*%.- % 1*^ Division ^t-^/'' Section ^' r ,::^^,^^ 'L^^rU^^C^ i'^ THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS: A FULL AND COMPLETE HISTOET OF THE MOEMOJSTS, FROM THE FIRST VISION OF JOSEPH SMITH TO THE LAST COURTSHIP OF BRIGHAM YOUNG; INCLUDING THE STORY OF THE HAKD-CAET EMIGRATION— THE MORMON "WAR— THE MOUNTAIN-MEADOW MASSACRE— THE REIGN OF TERROR IN UTAH —THE DOCTRINE OF HUMAN SACRIFICE— THE POLITICAL, DOMESTIC, SOCIAL, AND THEOLOGICAL INFLUENCES OF THE SAINTS— THE FACTS OF POLYGAMY —THE COLONIZATION OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREAT MINERAL WEALTH OF THE TERRITORY OF UTAH. BY T. B. HrSTENHOTJSE, TWENTr-KlVE TEARS A MOEMON ELDER AND MIS8I0NAEY, AND EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR OP THE SALT LAKE DAILY TELEGRAPH. ILLUSTRATED WITH TWENTT-FOUR FULL-PAGE ENGRAVINGS, A STEEL PLATE FRONTISPIECE, AN AUTOGRAPHIC LETTER OF BRIGRAM YOUNG, AND NUMEROUS WOODCUTS. LONDON: WAED, LOCK, AND TYLEE, WARWICK HOUSE. PATERNOSTER ROW, E.G. '\-)b Books written by thinkers — men who thought and dared to express their thoughts — are always worth reading. I care not whether their authors were Atheists or Methodists, Heathen or Mohammedan ; the life's blood of the au- thor circulates through them, and in reading you feel its pulsations. But books written by men who never saw through their own eyes, who never put out their hands, and felt the world for themselves, nor took one manly step, are the faintest echoes from the distant hills compared with the heaven- shaking thunder that produced them. — Denton. PREFACE. Notwithstanding tlie frequency with wliicli the American press has kept the name of the Mormons before the public, few persons have any definite idea of what Mormonism claims to be, and what it actually is. Occupying, as the Saints do, the centre of the great high- way between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and demanding admission into the Union as a sovereiirn State, Confess cannot long refuse attention to their claim. The question, therefore, of engrafting upon the Pepublic a Theocracy which practices polygamy, teaches the barbarous doctrine of human sacrifice, and is in its sentiments inimical to the constitution of the na- tion, demands the careful consideration of all who are inter- ested in the honour and good name of the United States. In the pages of this work, the politician, the preacher, the litterateur, and the thoughtful reader, will find abundant mat- ter for studious reflection. It requires no prophetic inspiration to predicate that, in spite of all the crudity and ridiculous assumption of Mormonism, the highest wisdom of the national Government may yet be required to avert scenes of conflict which would be universally deplored. Memorials demanding the admission of Utah into the Union, under the title of " The State of Deseret," have for twenty-three years engaged the attention of Congress. Last iv PREFACE. Bession the demand was again made, and met with a much more favourable reception than ever before. Next Session it will be repeated, and, if not then successful, it will be again and again urged, until finally Statehood is secured. Emboldened by the encouragement of some prominent members of Congress, the Mormon Prophet has approved of the retirement of the monogamic Delegate who served the Territory for a dozen years, and, as a test of the disposition of the national mind, sends as his successor to "Washington an apostle — the husband of three wives. Should the nation con- sent to this innovation^ Statehood will soon be secured for Utah, and Brigham Young's Theocracy will be triumphant over the Republic and the National laws. Mormonism is not dead nor dying. Until this " Utah difficulty " is settled emphatically and finally by the voice of the people, declaring that no political or domestic institution opposed to the spirit and genius of republi- canism can ever be allowed to exist within the domain of the United States, Mormonism is destined to be the disturbing dream of every occupant of the chair of Washington. CONTENT S . CHAPTER I.. MOEMONTSM EXPLAINED.— The First Faith biblical— Spu-itual Enthusiasm of the Elders — Establishment of a Literal Kingdom predicted — Polygamy not in the Original Programme — Mormon Errors attributable to the System and Lead- ers— Argument of the Miraculous Power of Healing — Difficulty experienced in leaving the Mormon Church — Assumption of Infallible Priesthood — Mormonism summed up, 1 CHAPTER n. THE MORMON PEOPHET— His Early Life— His Visions— His Personal Charac- teristics— An Angel reveals to him the Golden Plates — His Mission announced —The Story of the Stone Box, 3 CHAPTER III. THE GOLD PLATES.— Joseph translates the " Eeformed Egyptian "—Martin Har- ris acts as Scribe — Professor Anthon pronounces the Characters and Translation "a Hoax" — A Prediction of Isaiah fulfilled — Satan and Mrs. Harris bring the Prophet into Great Trouble — Oliver Cowdery replaces Harris — John the Baptist ordains Smith and Cowdery — They baptize each other, prophesy and rejoice — Witnesses are chosen to testily to the Book of Mormon, . . . .21 CHAPTER IV. OEGANIZATION OF THE CHUECH.— Disciples receive the Holy Ghost— Ancient Apostles and Prophets revisit theEarth^ — Newell Knight is tortured by the Devil — His Experience claimed as the first " Latter-Day " Miracle — Judge Edmonds records eimilar Phenomena in Spiritualism, 30 CHAPTER V. THE FIEST CONFEEENCE.— Parley P. Pratt and Orson Pratt converted— Mis- sionary Enterprise begins — Elders sent to preach to the Indians — Sidney Eigdon converts his Campbellite Congregation — Saints commanded to gather in Ohio — Jackson County, Missouri, designated the " Land of Promise," . . .36 CONTENTS. CHAPTER YI. SATAN THREATENS THE CHURCH.— He shakes and corrupts the Ohio Saints — The Youthful Prophet labours with Great Zeal — Missionaries evangelize the Eastern States — Smith and Eigdon behold a Great Vision — They are tarred and feathered — Go to Missouri and found a Newspaper, . . . .40 CHAPTER VII. MEETING OF THE PROPHETS.— Brigham Young sees Joseph Smith for the First Time — They rejoice together In Kirtland — Brigham speaks in " Unknown Tongues" — Joseph predicts the Southern Rebellion — lie makes an Inspired Translation of the New Testament — Troubles arise between the Saints and the " Gentiles " in Missouri — The Disciples are driven from Jackson County, . 44 CHAPTER VIII. THE PROMISED LAND.—" The Lord " calls for " the Strength of his House " to reinstate the Exiled Saints in Jackson County — Two hundred and five Elders re- spond— The Prophet becomes Commander-in-Chief of " the Armies of the Lord" — A Revelation promising Restoration to the Exiles — Joseph is the Man like unto Moses to lead them to Victory, 48 CHAPTER IX. ZION'S CAMP.— The Prophet's "Army" marches to Missouri— A Great Storm— The Cholera desolates tlie " Strength of the Lord's House" — Utter Discomfit- ure of the Mormons — The Promises to restore the Saints to Jackson County a Total Failure — The Army Disbanded — The Saints sue for Peace — " The Lord was only trying their Faith" — They are to curse their Enemies — Anniversary Meet- ings of Z ion' a Camp — ^Dancing and Rejoicing, 52 CHAPTER X. TWELVE APOSTLES CHOSEN.— Quorums of " Seventies " organized— They go abroad and preach — Kirtland Temple finished — Dedication and Endowment — Joseph's Wonderful Vision of the Celestial Kingdom — A Second Pentecost — Brigham Young " Speaks in Tongues " — The Temple filled with Angels — Joseph and Cowdery are visited by Moses, Elias, and Elijah — They behold " The Lord " — Cowdery afterward apostatizes, 60 CHAPTER XI. FIKST GREAT APOSTACY.— Joseph predicts about Brigham being President of the Church— British Missions projected as a Strategic Measure— One of Joseph's own Counsellors rebels against him — He is proclaimed " A Fallen Prophet" — Troubles again threaten in Missouri, 67 CHAPTER XII. THE PROPHET BECOMES A BANKER.-Apostates and Capitalists bring him to Grief— Sidney Rigdon's Interesting View of a " Circulating Medium "—He assures Mr. Jones that the Bank Notes were never intended for Redemption^ / CONTENTS. vii The Kirtland Safety Society Bank repudiated — Joseph and Sidney fly to Mis- Bouri — Pursued by Armed Men — Extraordinary Escapes — " The Lord" protects them, 7a CHAPTER Xni. CUTTING OFF APOSTATES.— Witnesses of the Book of Mormon expelled from the Church — Joseph denounces the "Lord's Chosen " as " Blacklegs, Thieves, Liars, and Counterfeiters" — More Apostles dethroned — The Prophet locates the Garden of Eden in Missouri — It was there that Adam and Eve sported in Innocence — More Trouble looming — Eigdon's famous Declaration of Independ ence, 75 CHAPTER XIV. WAK COMMENCES.— Afldavits made against the Prophet— The Mormons and the Mob resort to Arms — The Governor calls out the State Militia — Joseph and Sid- ney propose to become Lawyers — The Mormon Settlements attacked — Houses burned — Women and Children forced to flee before an Infuriated Mob — Frightful Cruelties — The Saints fight and retaliate, 80 CHAPTER XV. THE CHURCH IN DANGER.— Apostles apostatize— Marsh and Hyde make Affi- davits against the Prophet — Charge him with aiming to be a Second Mahomet — The DaniteBand — Its Name and Origin — Dr. Avard's Statements — The Doctor's Speech — Joseph denies the Paternity of the Band — Great Excitement throughout the State — A Sensational Report — More Fighting — The Apostle Patten killed — The Saints to be rooted out, 98 CHAPTER XVI. EXPULSION OR EXTERMINATION.— Terrible Excitement throughout Missouri — The Country in Arms — General Clark placed in Command of the State Militia — The Governor's Order for the Expulsion of the Saints — Brutality of the Mob — Horrible Massacre of unoffending Mormons — Murder of Women and Childen — The Narrative of an Eye-witness, 96 CHAPTER XVII. THE PROPHET RESOLVED TO FIGHT IT OUT.— Faith struggles with Fate- Treason in the Camp of the Saints — Joseph and the leading Mormons delivered over to General Lucas — The Prisoners tried by Court Martial — Sentenced to be shot next Morning — General Doniphan protests against their Execution — The Prophet and his Brethren sent to Jail — The Revelations contradicted by Facts, 103 CHAPTER XVIII. THE MISSOURIANS TRIUMPHANT,— Grandiloquent Speech of General Clark- Mormons ordered to leave the State — Examination of the Prisoners — The Prophet not subdued — The Legislature memorialized — The Saints wavering — Joseph re- views the Situation, 109 viii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIX. IN PRISON. — The New Year opens dark and dreary — The Mormons suffer — The Missouri Legislature consider the " Persecutions " of the Saints — Brigham Young flees from Missouri — Joseph indites an Epistle from Prison — The Prisoners in- dicted— They escape from Missouri, 115 CHAPTER XX. THE EXILES FIND AN ASYLUM IN ILLINOIS.— The Prophet again at Lib- erty— Nauvoo selected for a new Zion — A City rapidly built — Brigham Young sent to Eugland — The Saints importune Congress for Redress — Joseph visits President Van Buren — The Mormons still cling to the Promises of Zion in Mis- souri, ... 120 CHAPTER XXI. THE PROPHET'S POLITICAL LIFE BEGINS.— New Men gather round him— A reorganization of the " Quorum of the Apostles " — Another Temple to be erected — " The Lord" commands the Saints to build a " Boarding House " — Kings are invited to the Aid of Zion, 126 CHAPTER XXII. THE FICKLE FORTUNE OF POLITICS.— The Legislature liberal to the Saints — The Prophet becomes a Lieutenant-General — Foundation of the Temple laid — Grand Military Display — Joseph at the Height of his Glory — Missouri seeks to re-capture him, 133 CHAPTER XXIII. POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES.— The Prophet balances between the "Whigs and the Democrats — The Neighbours of the Mormons become dissatisfied — Joseph charged with Designs upon the Life of Governor Boggs — He is arrested on a Charge of Treason — Ways that are dark — Governor Ford explains — The first Budding of Polygamy — The Beginning of the End — Serious Charges are made, 139 CHAPTER XXIV. JOSEPH PREDICTS THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ZION.— He designs to found , there an Independent State — Becomes a Candidate for the Presidency of the United States — Assails Clay and Calhoun — Great Trouble with Apostates — Poli- tics and Polygamy threaten to engulf him — The Nauvoo Expositor founded and destroyed — Writs issued for the Arrest of the Prophet — He resolves on Flight, 146 CHAPTER XXV. THE PROPHET SURRENDERS TO THE LAW.— The Governor pledges the State for his Safety — The Country intensely excited — The Destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor a Fatal Error — The Militia in Arms — The Murder of the Prophet planned — His Enemies resolve to kill him while Governor Ford visits Nau- Too, 152 CONTENTS. ix CHAPTER XXVI. LAST HOUES OF THE PEOPHET.— The Presentiment of his Death— The Mur- derers— Their Attack upon the Jail — The Assassination of the Prophet, and the Patriarch — An Apostle shot — Tlirilling Narrative of a Survivor — " Two minutes in Jail," 163 CHAPTER XXVII. POLYGAMY IN ILLINOIS.— Its Introduction among the Mormons— The " Eev- elation " given by Joseph Smith — The Sons of the Deceased Prophet dispute the Polygamic Marriages of their Father — They call for the Posterity — The Promise of a "Eighteous Seed" unfulfilled — Joseph without Issue by his score of Polygamic Wives — Married Women become his "Wives" without Divorce or Separation from their Husbands, 176 CHAPTER XXVIII. POLYGAMY EEPUDIATED.— Joseph Smith and the Mormon Leaders deny it— The Eevelations of the Church condemn it — The Sons of the Prophet defend their Father's Eeputation — The Evidences of his Polygamic Life, . . 190 CHAPTER XXIX. AFTEE THE PEOPHET' S DEATH.— Sidney Eigdon delivered over to Satan— Brigham Young and the Twelve Apostles rule the Church — Mobocracy again rampant — The Expulsion of the Mormons demanded — The Saints agree to Ex- patriation, 204 CHAPTER XXX. THE EXODUS FEOM NAUVOO.— The Hasty Departure of the Apostles— Jour- ney to the Eocky Mountains — The Sutferings of the Exiles — Nauvoo besieged and bombarded — An Exile's Story — Colonel Kane's Narrative, . . . 221 CHAPTER XXXI. ON THE MISSOUEI.— Enlistment of the Mormon Battalion— False Ideas about the Matter — Historical Facts^Elder Little at Washington — He is introduced to President Polk — Important Official Documents — Colonel Kane's Story — The Mormon Ball — Brigham receives the Volunteers' "Advance Pay" — Mormon Testimony in favour of Government — Brigham Young's Extraordinary State- ments— The Government vindicated, 236 CHAPTER XXXII. FOUNDING OP THE FEONTIEE CITIES.— Brigham's first and last " Eevela- tion" — The Departure of the Pioneers — The Discovery of Salt Lake Valley — The Eeturn to the Missouri Eiver, 250 CHAPTER XXXIII. CHANGES IN THE CHUECH.— Brigham Young assumes Joseph's Authority and Place — The Emigration from Europe re-opened — Migration of the Saints to X CONTENTS. . the New Zion — Brigham invites Presidents, Emperors, Kings, Princes, Nobles, etc., to come to the Ilelp of "the Lord" — The Pioneers en route, . . 262 CHAPTER XXXIV. THE CIVIL HISTOKY OF UTAH.— The "State ofDeseret" created— The Crick- ets destroy the Crops — A Miracle performed^Territorial Government extendi." over Utah — Trouble with the Federal Officers, 2':-:- OHAPTER XXXV. THE IREEPEESSIBLE CONFLICT BETWEEN THEOCEACY AND EEPUB- LICANISM. — The Federal Officers in Utah — Some become Sycophants to the Priesthood — Some are defiant — Brigham Young a Second Time appointed Gov- ernor— Trouble with the Federal Judges — They leave the Territory, . . 279 CHAPTER XXXVI. THE "EEFOEMATION" IN UTAH.— Its Extraordinary Origin— Shortcomings of the Saints — " Jeddy's " Frenzy — Sinners rebaptized — Terrible Enthusiasm — Tabernacle Teachings — Doctrine of the "Blood Atonement" — Human Sacri- fices commended — Erring Saints to offer up their Blood as Incense to propitiate Deity — Brother Heber declares that Brigham Young is God to the Mormons — Strange Preaching — Confessions of the Saints — Brigham's Casuistry about re- baptizing — Extraordinary Public Meeting of the Priesthood — A "Eeign of Ter- ror"— Shocking Outrages upon Citizens — Crusade against Intellect — Ee suits of the Eeformation — An Important Letter — What Brigham and the Leaders really said in the Tabernacle — Apostates and Gentiles threatened, . . . 292 CHAPTER XXXVII. EMIGEATING TO UTAH WITH HAND-CAETS.— Mr. Chislett's Narrative— The "Divine plan" for Emigrating the Poor — Outfitting in Iowa City — Organ- izing the Company — Journey through Iowa — The Elders prophesy a Successful Journey — Brother Savage protests — " Inspirational " Counsel followed — The Carts break down — Cattle are lost — The Apostle Eichards prophesies in the Name of the God of Israel— The Elders eat the Fatted Calf— Arrival at Fort Laramie — Provisions become scarce — Great Privations — The People begin to faint by the Way — Captain Willie's Bravery — The Winter overtakes them — Snow on the Mountains — The Sweetwater — Great Privations, Disease, and Death — Envoys from Salt Lake Valley — Provisions all gone — Captain Willie goes in Search of Aid — Terrible Condition of the People — Courage and Faithfulness of the Sufferers — Arrival of Timely Aid — A ThriUing Scene — Hope revived — " Too late" — Kavages of Death — A Hard Eoad — An Old Man's Death — " Thirteen Corpses all stiffly frosen " — Fifteen buried in one Grave — The ending of the Jour- ney— Great Kindness of the Elders and People of Utah — The Pilgrims enter Zion — Sixty-seven Emigrants dead on the Journey — Greater Losses in another Company — Folly of Modern Prophecies, 811 CHAPTER XXXVIII. •THE MOEMON WAE.— How it was inaugurated— Isolation of Utah— Carrying the ' Mails — Mormon Enterprise — Senator Douglas and the Saints — Anniversary Fes- CONTENTS. XI tivities at Big Cottonwood Lake — New Official Appointments for Utah — "Warlike Preparations of the Saints — Believers concentrated at Zion — Ludicrous Fears of some Elders — Major Van Vleit sent by the United States Government— Brigham receives him — Major Van Vleit's Story — Brigham's Proclamation — Defiance from the Tabernacle — ^Brigham's Wrath — Heber's Enthusiasm — Expedition of the United States Army — ^Dogberryism of Brigham — D. H. "Wells instructs the Brethren to harass the Army — The Mormons burn the United States Trains — Great Suffering of the Troops — Mules and Cattle freeze on the Eoad — Thirty -five Miles in fifteen Days, 345 CHAPTER XXXIX. THE T"WO AEMIES.— The Saints rejoice, and sing their "Warlike Songs— The Federal Troops in Camp Scott — Brigham sends them a Present of Salt — " The Lord" is to destroy the Enemies of Zion — Col. Kane arrives among the Mor- mons and converts Brigham — The Prophet concludes that he cannot "whip" the United States — He proposes Flight — Means to take Care of Himself — Col. Kane visits Gov. Cumming and arranges a Basis of Prospective Peace — He offends Gen. Johnston — A Duel imminent — The Mormons flee from their Homes, 371 CHAPTER XL. PEACE EESTORED.— Gov. Cumming visits Salt Lake City— His Passage through Echo Canon — Everywhere greeted with Honour — Brigham surrenders the Terri- torial Seal, and receives the new Governor with Courtesy — Commissioners arrive with President Buchanan's Pardon — Peace proclaimed — General Johnston with- out Opposition traverses the Streets of Zion — The Federal Troops locate Forty Miles from the City — The Saints return to their Homes — The Prophet's Boast- ing and the President's Folly suddenly terminate, 389 CHAPTER XLL THE JUDGES AT "WOEK.— The Federal Officers divided— Judge Sinclair op- posed by the District Attorney at Salt Lake City — Judge Cradlebaugh holds Court at Provo — The Charges of Murder at Springville — Attention drawn to the Mountain Meadows Massacre and other Murders — The Jury find no Bills of Indictment — The Judge discharges them — Depositions of "Witnesses taken — Terrible Eevelations — Counterfeiting on United States Treasury — Trying to ar- rest Brigham — Saving the Governor's Official Head, 400 CHAPTER XLII. THE EXPEDITION A FAILUEE.— The Mormons enriched by the Presence of the Troops — Intercourse with the Camp forbidden to the Saints — The Assertion of Personal Liberty and the Dawning of Freedom to the bold — Brigham supplies the Military with Tithing Flour — Eowdyism and Murders in the City — The Prophet guarded Night and Day— The Desperadoes are wasted away— The Eebellion in the South a Theme of Eejoicing— The Fulfilment of Joseph's Pre- diction— The Expedition recalled — Great Destruction of Munitions of War — Mill- ions of Property wasted — The Federal Troops vacate the Territory, and the Saints rejoice, 415 Xii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XLIIL THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACEE.— The Story of two Emigrant Trains — The Journey across the Plains — Arrival in Salt Lake City — Denied Provi' sions in the Mormon Settlements — The Travel to the Mountain Meadows — A Militia Eegiment follows them — Indians and Mormon Militia attack the Train—. A Fight for Four Days — Mormon Officers betray the Emigrants under a Flag of Truce — They lay down their Arms under Promise of Protection — A Hundred and Twenty Men, Women, and Children butchered— Seventeen Children pre- served— The Story of the Massacre confirmed by the Affidavit of Bishop Smith — The Author's Letter to Brigham Young — Superintendent Forney's Ee- port — Names of the Little Ones saved — Judge Cradlebaugh's Speech in Con- gress— Sale of the Emigrants' Property — ]\fajor Carlton's Story of the Monu- ment— "Vengeance is mine, I have repaid" — "Argus" defines Brigham Young's Eesponsibility — Congress deaf to the Demand for Investigation, . 424 CHAPTER XLIV. THE SPEINGVILLE MUEDEES.— The Status of the People during the Time of Blood — Brigham's Absolute Authority — Something Personal of Lee and the Leaders at Springville — How the Parrishes were entrapped and murdered — Confession of the Bishop's Counsellor — " Helping those who need Help" — How Bird '■'■worked the best he could" — "A Lick across the Throat" — Paying the Atoning Penalty — Horrible Sacrifice of an Unfaithful Wife — How John G 's Blood was " Spilled," 459 CHAPTER XLY. THE FAITH OF THE SAINTS.— The Prophet's Creed given to the Public— The Doctrines taught to the Saints — Spirits in Prison — ^Baptism for the Dead — Brig- ham Young teaches that Adam is the God of this World — Brigham and all the Mormons are to make New Worlds and become Gods — A New Version of Para- dise Lost and Paradise Eegained — Origin of the Devil — The Mormon Account of the Origin of the African Eace, 472 CHAPTER XL VI. THE MOEMON THEOCKACY.— All Earthly Government is Eebellion— The King- dom of God in Utah — The Gentiles to be destroyed — Why the Mormons pray for the Overthrow of the Eepublic — Believers to deed all their Property to Brig- ham Young, "the Lord's" Eepresentative on Earth — The Families of the Saints to be Adopted by the Apostles — Brigham's Word equal to that of God — Orson Hyde illustrates the Kingdoms of the " Gods," 495 CHAPTER XLVII. THE BOOK OF ABEAHAM.— An Extraordinary Document— The Prophet buys Egyptian Mummies — Translates Papyri found with them — Another Translation by a Scientist — Delusion, Deception, or Folly? — Was Joseph Smith a " Spirit Medium?" 607 CONTENTS. xiii CHAPTER XLVIII. THE BOOK OF MOEMON.— Orson Pratt's Account of its Origin— Ancient Hebrew Prophecies fulfilled — First Inhabitants of America — Murder of Laban — Theft of his Plates — Migration of Israelites from Palestine to America — The Building of the "Barges " — Lehi and his Sons — Jared's Interview with "the Lord" — Diffi- culties of Navigation — The Wonderful Compass — Bad Ways of the Brethren — Landing in America — Nations founded and Cities built — " Christians" in Amer- ica One Hundred Years before Christ was born — A Church founded— Persecu- tions and Preachings— Fearful Signs, Wonders, and Prophecies— Battles between the Nephites and Lamanites — Two Millions of Men slain in one Battle — The Gold Plates hid in the Hill Cumorah — Internal Evidence — ^Plagiarisms from the New Testament and Shakespeare — Analysis of the Book — The Folly of the Mor- mon Argument upon Evidence, 523 CHAPTER XLIX. THE PEIESTHOOD IN ZION.— Its Organizations, Apostolic, Judicial,-and Po- litical— The Prayers of the Saints — The Surveillance of the Teachers — The Eyes of the Priesthood over all — The Missionaries abroad — The Elders travel " with- out Purse or Scrip" — How Mormonism is introduced among the Gentiles — For- eign Missions — His Satanic Majesty attacks the Apostles in England — " Devils " attack Brother Heber — Success in Britain — The Emigration to Zion — Baptizing Converts in the Atlantic — The Journey through the States, .... 556 CHAPTER L. POLYGAMY IN UTAH.— Preached from the Tabernacle— A Terrible Trial to Women — Degradation of the Sex — Ancient Hebrew Examples adduced — "Liv- ing Martyrs" to a Debasing Doctrine — Brigham Young on Polygamy — Second and " following" Wives — Marriage Eites among the Mormons — The First Wife is not asked owe Question — Impossibility of Happiness in Polygamy, . . 581 CHAPTER LI. UTAH DUEING THE EEBELLION.— Change of Federal Officers— Brutal Attack upon Governor Dawson by Mormon Eowdies — Three of them shot — A Eival Prophet to Brigham — The "Morrisite" Community — They disregard a Writ of Habeas Corpus — The Mormon Militia acting as a Posse Comitat us— Three Days' Fighting — The Prophet Morris, his Counsellor Banks, and two Women, killed after the Surrender — Arrival of new Federal Officers — An early Difficulty— Arrival of the California Volunteers — Establishment of Camp Douglas — Brigham defies the Law of Congress, and takes "an Elderly Young Woman" to Wife — The Prophet afraid of Arrest— Citizens summoned to protect him — Chief-Justice Kinney arrests the Prophet for violating the Anti-Polygamic Law — Brigham gives Bail — The Grand Jury find no Evidence that Brigham had married again — Trouble with the Federal Officials— The Mormons invite them to leave the Territory — The Tabernacle and Mormon Press rejoice in the Calamities of the Union— General Connor and the Volunteers a Terror to Evil-Doers— A Midnight Scare — Another False Prophecy — Brigham predicts another Four Years of War only Four Days before General Lee surrendered, 591 XIV CONTENTS. CHAPTER LII. AFTEK THE WAE. — Grand Procession of Mormons and Gentiles — Prospective Pgace — Tlie Federal Officers and Mormon Dignitaries wine together — The City honours General Connor in the Social Hall — The Prophets and the Gentile Ladies decline attending the Ball — Vice-President Colfax and Literary Friends visit Zion — The Interviewwith the Prophet — The Hon. James M. Ashley sees the Difficulty of convicting the Apostles for Polygamy — He tells Tom Corwin's ^torj oi t)\e, '■'■ Fleven Jurors who had some of the Sam'''' — A Gentile marries a Mormon Elder's Second Wife — Mr. Brassfield assassinated — Great Excitement among the Gentiles — General Sherman gives Brigham a Hint that he will send Troops to Zion — Brigham hastens to assert his Innocence — Contention over the Warm Springs — Dr. Eobinson, the Contestant, is assassinated — A Foul and Dreadful Murder — Brigham joins the Gentiles in offering a Eeward for the Mur- derers— No Detection — Years after, Brigham withdraws his Eeward — Afraid of tempting Men to Perjury — Three Apostates charged with stealing a Cow — Arrested, confined, two murdered in " attempting to escape " — The Brethren arrested for Murder, and escape — Chief-Justice Titus grossly insulted, . 611 CHAPTER LIII. THE DAWNING OF FEEEDOM.— The Mercantile Struggle against Despotism— " Freezing out the Gentiles" — Police Surveillance of Apostates' Stores — The Walker Brothers — Brigham refuses a Check from them for $500 — A Bishop told to " cut away " — Handed over to the Buffetings of Satan — The Fight with Brig- ham— Fears of Violence — Gentile Merchants offer to sell out at a Great Loss and leave the City — Brigham' s Eeply — The Gentiles and Apostates under the Ban — Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution organized — Trouble among the Mor- mon Merchants — Euin of the Small Traders — " The Seed of the Prophet Joseph" go to Zion — The Eeorganized Church — "Young Joseph" — Alexander H. and David Hyrum Smith in Utah — Brigham's Jealousy — The Sons of Joseph meet with Success — The " New Movement" — The Utah Magazine — Wonderful Revela- tions of Messrs. Godbe and Harrison — Voices from Heaven against Brigham — The Beginning of the Great Apostacy — Godbe, Harrison and Kelsey expelled from the Church — The Magazine opens its Batteries upon the Prophet — The Gen- tiles and Liberal Mormons encourage the " Eebels " — The " Eeformers" start a Newspaper — They preach and write themselves into Spiritualism — The Fet- ters burst and the Gentile Merchants triumph — Brigham's Power waning — His Sceptre broken, 622 CHAPTER LIV. BEIGHAM YOUNG.— His Father's Family— His Early Life and Occupation— Brig- ham's Faith— The " Gift of Tongues"— " Brother Brigham" opposed to Mani- festations of the " Gift"— His Ideas of Unreasoning Obedience— The Prophet at Home— The " Trustee in Trust"— The Prophet's Wives— His Favourites— Brig- ham's Domestic Life— His Habits and Traits of Character— His Hours of Business — The Prophet in his Office — Extraordinary Influence with the People^Unheard- of Claims to Dictation in Secular Affairs — Lovers to ask Brigham's Permission to love — Troublesome Elders sent on Mission — Ordered to go to " Dixie " — Mission to the Indians— How the " Lamanites " were to be made a " White and Delight- "some People"— Heber's Eirit to the Missionaries, and how they took it— Brig- ham on his Travels— The "Eoyal Blood of Y'oung "—Reception of the Prophet CONTENTS. XV among the Saints — "The Lion of the Lord" in his Glory— The Saints listen to the Prophet— His Style of Preaching— The Prophet's Successor— Brigham the Second — Founding a Dynasty — Nepotism greater than Birthright and Priest- hood—The Precedent given by Brigham— George A. Smith, Brigham's Eightful Successor — Aposile George Q. Cannon — A Mission to Jerusalem — Influence of the Kailroad — Influx of Gentiles — Brigham's Lost Opportunities — Great Wealth of the Prophet— How Brigham balanced his Account with the Church— How the Prophet got rich — The Probable Future of Mormonism at his Death, . . 646 CHAPTER LV. THE TEEEITOEY OF UTAH.— Its Boundaries and Character— The Lakes— Super- ficial Area — The Settlements — Population — Excess of Male Inhabitants— Mules voting for Delegates to Congress !— " Getting up " Petitions— The Militia— The Nauvoo Legion— The Federal Governors — A Stormy Political Meeting— Gov- ernor Shaifer's Difficulties— Change of Officers — A Proclamation— Eesolute Con- duct of the Governor— His Last Official Act— Conflict between Mormon Officials and Federal Officers — Delegate Hooper justifies Polygamy in Congress — Dr. Newman discusses Polygamy with Orson Pratt— Appointment of Chief-Justice McKean — His Legal Decisions — The Hawkins Case — Decisions reserved by the Supreme Court — Brigham's Anxiety for a State Government, . . .671 CHAPTER LVI. SALT LAKE CITY.— Its Situation and Beauty — Its Eailway Communication- Water Supply— Great and Increasing Improvement— The Tabernacle— Brigham the Architect of Zion— Inspiring the Prophet with an Idea— The Great Organ —The Tabernacle Services— Eesults of the Influx of Gentiles— Brigham's Com- mercial Street— Christian Churches in Utah— Their Work and Influence— The Episcopal Church— Christian Schools— Brigham's Opinion of Gentile Instruc- tion—The Methodist Teacher's Difficulties— Polygamy opposed by Mr. Mc- Leod— The Liberal Institute— Lectures in Zion— Evidences of Prosperity- Progress of Civilization in Utah, 691 CHAPTER LVII. THE MINES OF UTAH. THE POTOSI OF THE WEST.-Early Anticipations of the Treasures of Utah- Ore discovered in the Mountains— First Discovery of Argentiferous Galena— En- terprise of General P. E. Connor— The United States Soldiers " prospect" for Mines— Mr. Eli B. Kelsey lectures on the Wealth of Utah— Incorporation of the West Jordan Mining Company— First Smelting-Furnace erected at Stockton— Eush Valley Smelting Company formed— Waiting for the Eailroad— First Ship- ments of Ore— The Utah Central Eailroad— Eich Ores in Ophir District— Silver- opolis— Valuable Mines in East Cafion— Colonel E. D. Buel's Works in Cot- tonwood—Numerous Furnaces erected— Eesults of Inexperience— First Mill in Utah— Extraordinary Success— Large Shipments of Bullion and Ores— The Emma Mine— Formation of Veins of Ore— The Action of Water and Volcanic Force- Statistics of the Emma Mine— Its Immense Value — Bonanzas— 'ExtraoTdinsivy Dividends to Proprietors— Southern Mines- True Fissure-Veins— Their Im- portance—Solfataric Action— The Mineral Springs— The Staples of the Utah jyi CONTENTS. Mines Silver and Lead — Gold in Bingham Canon — Gold in Sevier Eiver — Quartz Mines— Gold near Ogden— Iron and Lead Ores— Supply of Fuel— Gradual Improvements — Scarcity of Wood — Discoveries of Coal — Building Material — Importance of a Valid " Title" — Development of Locations— Contested Claims — Commissioner Drummond's Decision — The Vast Mineral Kesources of Utah — Im- portance of the Territory — Its Beauty, Wealth, Capabilities, and Claims to At- tention, ^09 APPENDIX, 735 INDEX, T47 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGSa 1. BRIGHAM YOlWG-Steel-plate Engraving IFirntispiece.] 2. JOSEPH SMITH'S FIRST VISION 1 3. PREACHING IN THE HIGHWAYS 2 4. DISCOVERY OF THE GOLD PLATES 19 5. MARTIN HARRIS, THE PROPHET'S SCRIBE 22 6. FAC-SIMILE OF A PORTION OF THE BOOK OF MORMON 23,24 7. THE FIRST MORMON BAPTISM 29 8. ORGANIZATION OF THE MORMON CHURCH 31,82 9. TARRED AND FEATHERED 42 10. "THE LORD'S" ARMY MARCHING TO THE DELIVERANCE OF ZION... 53,54 11. THE TEMPLE AT KIRTLAND, OHIO 62 12. THE APOSTLE HEBER C. KIMBALL 69 13. THE PROPHET BANKERS ON THE WING 73 14. MORMON TROUBLES IN MISSOURI BEGIN 81 15. MASSACRE OF MORMONS AT HAUN'S MILL 97,93 16. THE PROPHET'S FLIGHT FROM MISSOURI 118 17. THE HOME OF THE SAINTS IN ILLINOIS 121,122 18. LIEUT.-GEN. JOSEPH SMITH (Prophet, Seer, and Revelator) 131, 133 19. ORRIN PORTER ROCKWELL 141 20. THE PROPHET SURRENDERS TO THE LAW 152 21. ASSASSINATION OF JOSEPH SMITH 161, 162 22. THE APOSTLE TAYLOR 166 23. "THE END" 163 24. "THE ELECT LADY"— MRS. EMMA SIHTH 188 26. SIDNEY RIGDON 206 26. BURNING MORMON HOUSES 216 27. THE EXODUS FROM NAUVOO 219,220 28. RLTNS OP THE TEMPLE 226 29. THE BATTALION BALL '246 30. THE PIONEERS 251,252 31. MAP OF SALT LAKE VALLEY 257,233 32. THE BEGINNING OF THE REFORMATION 293 33. REFORMING A HERETIC 297 34. THE HAND-CART EMIGRANTS IN A STORM 309,310 35. PASSING THROUGH IOWA 315 xviii ILLUSTRATIONS. PAOt 86. "CAME TO ME AND BEGGED BREAD" 325 37. THE OLD MAN JAMES 329 38. WHAT OF THE PROMISES ? 330 39. JOHN CHISLETT 333 40. CROSSING THE PLATTE RIVER 335 41. THE UNITED STATES EXPEDITION TO UTAH ." 343, 344 42. BRIGHAM'S "DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE" 351 43. ECHO CASON— THE MORMON DEFENCES 363 44. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL D. H. WELLS 367 45. BURNING GOVERN^SIENT TRAINS 368 46. THE CAMP OF DEATH 370 47. WINTER SCENE-UNITED STATES TROOPS HAULING WOOD 378 48. TRIUMPHAL MARCH OF UNITED STATES TROOPS THROUGH SALT LAKE CITY 387, 388 49. THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE 425,426 50. BROTHER KANOSH, THE INDIAN CHIEF 436 51. ROAD FROM FILLMORE TO MOUNTAIN MEADOWS [IVIap] 443 63. ORSON HYDE, PRESIDENT OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES 483 53. THE APOSTLE ORSON PRATT 497 54. DIAGRAM OP THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM 506 55. EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHICS, NO. 1 511, 513 56. " " NO. n 514,515 57. " " NO. m 517,518 58. PLATES FOUND IN KENDERHOOK, OHIO 549, 550 59. SHOOTING A RIVAL PROPHET 589, 590 60. MAJOR-GENERAL P. EDWARD CONNOR 608 61. ASSASSINATION OF DR. J. KING ROBINSON 619 63. J. ROBINSON WALKER 624 63. JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET'S SON 629 64. BRIGHAM YOUNG ON HIS TRAVELS 647,648 65. BRIGHAM YOUNG'S HOME 651 60. AUTOGRAPH LETTER OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 655, 656 67. THE APOSTLE GEORGE A. SMITH 661 68. " " BRIGHAM YOUNG, JUNIOR 662 69. " " GEORGE Q. CANNON 664 70. MAP OF UTAH TERRITORY 669, 670 71. SALT LAKE CITY 689,690 72. THE MORMON TABERNACLE 695 73. THE SALT LAKE TEMPLE 699,700 74 ST. MARK'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 703 75. THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF UTAH 707 76. BINGHAM CANON 709, 710 77. LITTLE COTTONWOOD 717, 718 78. THE PIONEER MILL 721,723 79. THE EMMA MINE 725,726 IJ^TRODUOTIOJH. " Nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice." The purpose of the Author of this volume is to issue a book that will be of interest to the reading public, and of service to the people of whom it treats : the former ask for such informa- tion, and the latter cannot properly object to being understood as they really are. In addition to his own personal experience, the works that have been previously written on Mormonism, both by friends and foes, have been carefully studied and collated. The con- tents of this book may, therefore, be regarded as an impartial summary of what can be said respecting the faith of the " Mor- " mon Saints," by one who had the fellowship of the Church for over a quarter of a century, who occupied a public position in that relationship, enjoyed familiar intimacy with the apos- tles and leading elders, and for a dozen years had daily inter- course with Brigham Young. The Author has no pet theories to advance, no revelations to announce, no personal animosity to satisfy. He has simply outgrown the jpast^ and utterly disbelieves Brigham Young's recent claim to the possession of " a Priesthood that is Infal- " lible," and the assumption that the Mormon Church is the exclusive and only true Church of Christ upon the earth, XX INTRODUCTION. and membership therein the only passport to the presence of God. Having contributed both by tongue and pen, from the ros- trum and by the press, with the best years of his life and with whatever talents he possessed, to teach the Mormon faith while he believed it, he now considers it due equally to the Mormons as to the public to exhibit what that earnest people have ac- complished, and thus exemplify the ease with which a reli- giously-disposed community may naturally mistake the legiti- mate results of united faith and labour for the special mark of Divine guidance. The change which the Author has experienced in his views of Mormonism has not been the work of a day or a year, has not resulted from any personal injury ; neither is it due to any special gifts or miraculous conversion. There are to-day thou- sands of persons in the Mormon communion in Utah, travelling in the same direction, without that living faith in the an- nounced mission of their Church which they once possessed. They still cling to it with anxious solicitude, hoping for some deliverance ; knowing not what to expect, yet realizing that "something must come." Hence the readiness with which many have listened to those who claim to have received new revelations and new missions among themselves. While the tendency of the age has been to accept " revealed " truths " on account of their own intrinsic value only, and not from the assumption of their authority, the Mormon Church lias travelled in the very opposite direction, and has resusci- tated the Jewish prophets to support the teachings of modern apostles. In the examination of Mormonism, the student will meet the reproduction of nearly every principle, doctrine and usage to be found on record from Genesis to Eevelation — if not in practice, at leiist in acknowledgment ; and where the practice INTRODUCTION. xxi is in abeyance, it is not its wrong but its expediency that fur- nislies the justification of its momentary neglect. Before the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lin- coln, slavery as well as polygamy existed in Utah. The na- tion, by the stern arbitrament of the sword, settled the one, and the other is now in controversy. Both institutions, in the Mormon faith, are ordinances of God. 'No antiquity, however, is respected by the Mormon teach- er, unless it is harmonious with the inspirations of the modern priesthood. This is exemplified in the unceasing use of the Old Testament in support of polygamy, the " Blood Atone- " ment," [i. e., shedding of the saintly sinner's blood as an atonement for adultery or apostacy] and kindred teaching, while the Kew Testament is unceremoniously set aside when it militates against the establishment of " a literal kingdom of " God " upon the earth. The breathings of every anguish-burthen ed soul among the Hebrews, in its longing for the restoration of monarchy and glory to Israel, are accepted as Divine inspiration and revela- tion pointing directly to the times in which we live. That disturbing dream of the King of Babylon, interpreted by Daniel, has been a perennial fountain of living waters to the Mormon preacher. The anxious monarch and the heaven-gift- ed interpreter may not have anticipated in that hour of solici- tude in the land of Shinar, that " the stone cut out of the " mountains without hands," which was to " break in pieces " the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold " of the " great image " of the king's dream, was to find its fulfilment in the discovery of the stone box containing the plates of the Book of Mormon, by Joseph Smith, in western ISTew York, in the year of grace 1820 ! It requires considerable faith to ac- cept the statement that the migrations of the Mormons from Fayette County, New York, to Kirtland, Ohio ; thence to Jack- son County, Missouri j to !N"a"avoo, Illinois ; on to the Rocky xxii INTRODUCTION. Mountains ; spreading over tlie Great Basin ; and the Clmrcli sending thence its missionaries to the nations, was the rolling forth of the " stone " of prophecy, which was to " become a " o-reat mountain and fill the whole earth." * The dim light of a far distant past, added to their own revelations, preserves among the Mormons a perpetual coniiict between barbarism and civilization, for the people are, in head and heart, far in advance of their religious teachings. Hence the frequent " apostacy." No faith could well be more liberal than written Mormon- ism. In the beginning of its mission it was a beautiful ideal to those thoroughly imbued with its inspiration ; yet no pro- fessors of religion in the nineteenth century could be more bit- terly bigoted than the rigidly orthodox and ignorant among the Mormons to-day. "Without intending it, probably, and, it may be, even without realizing it, as others do who differ from them, their profession and their practice have been the very antipodes of each other. In moments of creed-writing they are liberal and broadly cosmopolitan in sentiment, warmly inviting to "fair freedom's feast," away up in the Kocky Mountains — " Christian sects and pagan, Pope, and Protestant, and Priest, Worsliippers of God or Dagon.f " But when once the Plains have been traversed, there the reception of, and intercourse with, the religious stranger have been like the chilling breezes of the frigid zone. After all, this very paradox is harmonious and consistent even in its contra- dictions. The written invitation is the breathing of their souls' best and divinest impulses — the Deity of their nature recogniz- ing one common parentage in the family of man, reaching forth the hand of fellowship to humanity everywhere ; but, in the practical part, in intercourse with mankind, it is the tram- * Divine Authenticity, pp. 85-6. -j- Hymn Book, page 103. INTRODUCTION. xxiii pled worm still in agony, the remembrance of " persecutions " that cliills every forward, generous impulse and withers the soul with the baneful teaching that " he that is not for us is " against us." Through the first twenty years of their occupancy of the Territory of Utah, the advanced and liberal minds among them hoped for a change from the ostracizing teachings of the Taber- nacle, but it was almost hoping against hope. A brighter day, however, is dawning, when the barriers that have forbid- den intercourse with the rest of the world, because of differ- ences of faith, will be gently lowered and a better understand- ing prevail between the favoured Saints and the unbelieving Gentiles, and in some respects the former will be tbe greater gainers by the change. " I^o feud," says the shrewd and witty Sydney Smith, " can withstand social intercourse." Throughout this work there will be found no disposition to pander to the charge of "wilful imposture" against Joseph Smith or Brigham Young. The facts of their history, to the Author's mind, do not warrant that conclusion. Men who publicly utter predictions which time must verify or prove false within the scope of their own natural lives, are entitled to the credit of honestly believing in their own mission. It is safe and sound philosophy to admit that men can be, and are frequently as zealous in the propagation of an error as of a truth ; or what shall be said of the great " army of martyrs," of whom not one in a thousand ever reached the stake, the rack, or the guillotine for an absolute verity ? I "Whatever judgment may be passed upon the faith and personal lives of the Mormon Prophet and his successor, there will be a general recognition of a divine purpose in their his- tory. Under their leadership the Mormon people have aided to conquer the western desert and to transform a barren and desolate region of a hitherto " unknown country " into a land that seems destined at no distant day to teem with millions of xxiv INTRODUCTION. human beings, and wliicli promises to stand preeminent among the conquests of the republic. It is doubtful whether any col- lective body of other citizens — unmoved by religious impulses — would ever have traversed the sandy desert and sage-plains, and have lived an age of martyrdom in reclaiming them, as the Mormons have in Utah. But this has been accomplished, and it was accomplished by faith. That was the Providence of the Saints, and it must be conceded that as a means subservient to an end, the Mormon element has been used in the Kocky Mountain region by the Almighty Euler for developing the best interests of the nation, and for the benefit of the world at large. Should this work contribute to encourage the feeble, doubt- ing Mormons to persevere in the domain of thought, to culti- vate the reflex of the Deity within their own humanity, to trust more to the whisperings of the " still, small voice " -than to the dogmas of men ; and thus aid the downcast, sorrowing, and oppressed, to reach the peace and happiness of true liberty and manly independence, the Author will feel that his labour has not been in vain. It will be a matter of sincere regret, if, in the following pages, any statement has been made that is incorrect in fact or unfair in inference ; but errors — should there be any — to which attention may be called, will be carefully eliminated from a future edition. INCEPTION OF MORMONISM— JOSEPH SMITH'S FIRST VISION, 'THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. CHAPTER I. MOEMONISM EXPLAINED.— The First Faitli Biblical— Spmtual Enthusiasm of the Elders— Establishment of a Literal Kingdom predicted— Polygamy not in the Origianl Programme— Mormon Errors attributablo to the System and Lead- ers-Argument of the Miraculous Power of Healing- Difficulty experienced in leaving the Mormon Church— Assumption of Infallible Priesthood— Mormonism summed up. The faith of the Latter-Day Saints was in the l)eginning strictly confined to Biblical doctrines, and the preaching of the first elders was something like a resuscitation of the dispensa- tion committed to the apostolic fishermen of Galilee. "With the acceptance of what they deemed the new revelation of Christ, there was no sacrifice too great to make, and no self- abnegation with which they would not strive to adorn their lives. Primitive Mormonism was to the youthful disciples the fulness of the everlasting gospel, with all the blessings, gifts and powers enjoyed by the early Christian Church, and all the promises of glory and honour in the world to come that in- spired the first disciples of Christ. The first elders were peculiarly adapted for the singular work which they had to perform. They were earnest, fiercely enthusiastic, and believers in everything that had ever been written about " visions," " dreams," " the ministering of an- " gels," " gifts of the spirit, tongues, and interpretation of " tongues," " healings," and " miracles." They wandered " without purse or scrip " from village to village and from city to city, preaching in the public highways, at the firesides or in the pulpits — wherever they had opportunity — testifying and singing : THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " The Spirit of God like a fire is burning ! The Latter-day glory begins to come forth ; The visions and blessings of old are returning, The Angels are coming to visit the earth. We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven Hosannah, hosannah to God and the Lamb ! Let glory to them in the highest be given, Ilenceforth and for ever : Amen and Amen ! " * Half a dozen sucli verses as these inspired with sentiments that ranged from Adam to the time when " Jesus descends " with his chariots of fire," sung with stentorian lungs, threw over their audiences an influence such as they had never before experienced. " The " work was of God." The barren, specula- tive, carefully pre- pared sermons of fifty weeks in the year chilled in the pres- ence of the energy and demonstration of the Mormon elders; the latter had no dead issues to deal with ; their Prophet was a live subject. In this manner Mormonism was first announced. It was the feeling of the soul, and not the reasoning of the mind. It was robust believing, not calm, intellectual understanding ; and thus by natural sequence " the number of the disciples " grew and multiplied." It was an emotional faith in both speaker and hearer. They felt that God was with them, and " feeling" at such moments sets all argument at rest. The founder of Mormonism was naturally very impressible, and at an early age conceived the idea that he was preemi- nently the subject of ancient prediction.f He soon passed * Hymn Book, p. 268. It is claimed that this effusion was given by " the gift ,' of tongues," then translated by cue of the elders, by the "gift of interpretation," into English. f The student of Mormonism will be struck with the similarity of experience and claims of Joseph Smith and Mohammed. Syed Ahmed Khan Bahador, a Mo- rrcacliing in the Uighways. MORMONISM EXPLAINED. 3 from faith to positive assertion, and the first men of talent who became converts — such as Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt, Sidney Eigdon, Orson Pratt, and other prominent elders — readily furnished him with the confirmation of his calling. These elders had nearly all been preachers, teachers, or exhort- ers, and they were not slow to discover that the Old Testa- ment abounded with, to them, evidences of prediction about America, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the reign of the Saints on earth. The Bible, that before was a sealed book, suddenly opened with living truths of the closest personal application to the new disciples and their destiny. Every verse from Genesis to Revelation was scanned with microscopic scru- tiny for evidence relative to the new faith, and, with the gene- ral reverence of Christendom for the Bible and the ready cre- dence accorded to chapter and verse, the Mormon elders were astonishingly successful with the young and piously inclined of the labouring and mechanical classes, although their teach- ings were not so readily accepted by the more intellectual and better taught. From the preaching of faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, and the gifts of the Spirit as enjoyed by the primitive Christian Church, it was an easy step for the young believer to accept Joseph Smith's statement that it had been revealed to him that " the set time to restore the kingdom to Israel " had come, and that the temporal dominion of the world by an inspired prophet was not only a proper thing, but was the consistent sequence of that prophet being chosen as the recognized medi- um between the heavens and the earth. It had been predicted that Christ should some day return to earth in power and great glory to reign a thousand years ; hence the necessity of the Saints gathering together to prepare for the day of his com- ing ; and in this " gathering " was laid, by the Prophet, the first stepping stone to worldly power.* hammedan ■writer, in a series of Essays recently published in London, treats of the prophecies concerning the Arabian Prophet, to be found in the Old and Now Testa- ments, precisely as Orson Pratt appHes them to the American Prophet. * As early as the second year of the Church, some of the leading elders of Zion (in Missouri) were " accusing Brother Joseph in rather an indirect way of seeking "after monarchical power and authority.'''' Vide Orson Hyde and Hyrum Smith's HpisUe to " the bishop, his councillors, and the inhabitants of Zion." 4 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. As the number of believers increased, the establishment of the kingdom of God as a temporal and political power became a subject of earnest discourse, and from the announcement of this literal kingdom up to the present moment there has been an unceasins: warfare between the Saints and the Gentiles, wher- ever tliey have existed together, for local supremacy. All that follows in the history of Mormonism after the enunciation of temporal sovereignty is but the working out of the Prophet's conceptions of his mission w^hich grew with his years and increased with the siiccess of the preaching of the faith. IIow far his later teachings and actions, or those of his successor, have been in harmony with the original platform, may well be questioned. Let the student of history determine for himself whether there can be found in connection with the Mormon movement any defined purpose of the Ruler of the Universe, or whether it is aught else than one of those ten thousand mys- terious providences which have had a work to perform in hu- man development, and which, after performing that work, have passed away, leaving their impress upon the history of the world. The reader will readily perceive from the following chap- ters that Mormonism has contained within itself the elements of a sincere faith, and has thereby captivated the simple, in- quiring, religiously-traditioned minds of a certain class of per- sons ; has held them for a time in the expectancy of greater and progressive truths ; and that the abandonment of the s^'S- tem by many of its most devoted adherents has been but the inevitable result of growth of intellect and the acceptance of broader and more liberal views of the purposes of a beneficent Deity. The issues which have arisen in Mormonism of late years, and which have given to it the materialistic character that it now bears, were not anticipated by the early disciples. The temporal, patriarchal government of Utah is a disappointment, not a triumph, for long ere this — according to their teachings — the wicked should have been destroyed from off the face of the earth, the elements should have melted with fervent heat, the heavens should have been rolled up like a scroll, and the elect should have been far away up in the clouds. The Apostle Parley P. Pratt, the most eloquent and forcible MORMONISM EXPLAINED. 5 preaelier of the Mormon Cliurch, over thirty years ago, in his controversy with La Roy Sunderland, editor of Zion''s Watch- man, then published in New York, nttered the following pre- diction : — " Within ten years from now (1838), the people of " this country who are not Mormons, will be entirely subdued " by the Latter-Day Saints or swept from the face of the earth; " and if this prediction fails, then you may know that the Book " of Mormon is not true." During that controversy, Farley was evidently annoyed at Mr. Sunderland, and, regarding his own indignation as the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, he pre- dicted that "within two years. La Roy Sunderland will be " struck dumb and incapacitated from speaking a loud word." At a later date, in taking farewell of New York, he penned a "Lamentation" for her citizens. Li that effusion he tells the New-Yorkers : " When the Union is severed^ when this mighty " city shall crumble to ruin and sink as a millstone, the mer- " chants undoing," &c., to " sing this lamentation and think " upon me." Parley was a sincere, good meaning man, who honoured extensively the institution of polygamy, and in adding to his family circle he aroused the wrath of an outraged husband, who pursued and killed him in Arkansas, in 1856; but the Union is not severed, New York stands where it did, with no particular signs of the " millstone," and Mr. La Roy Sunder- land still lives in Massachusetts, a very forcible speaker as well as writer. Mormon history abounds with innumerable predic- tions equally veracious.* * The following is a specimen : — " A Prophecy ; or an extract from the Word of the Lord concerning New York, Albany, and Boston, given on the 23rd day of September, 1832. " Let the Bishop " (Newel K. Whitney) " go into the City of New York, and also to the City of Albany, and also to the City of Boston, and warn the people of those cities with the sound of the Gospel, with a loud voice, of the desolation and utter aboUshment which awaits them if they do reject these things ; for, if they do reject these things, the hour of their judgment is nigh, and their house shall be lefc unto them desolate." Sixteen years later, the Millennial Star, September 15, 184S, pubHshed the fore- going prophecy, supplementing it with a lengthy extract from the Albany Express of August 17th, giving an account of a " destructive fire " in that city. The Apos- tle-Editor of the Star — Orson Pratt — doubtless felt gratified at being able to help " the Lord " a little to the verification of the prediction. Fires in great cities and in small ones are accidents of daily occurrence all over the world, and just as much 6 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. The polygamic faith contended for to-daj was not in the original programme, neither has it contributed to create the power that now reigns in Utah. It was the monogamic spirit- ual life and understanding of primitive Christianity that built up the organization which gave power and influence to Joseph Smith. It was the hearer's faith in Peter of Galilee, more than in Joseph of New York, that induced thousands of profess- ing Christians to add the new prophet to their faith, and to accept his revelations. It was their confidence that the Holy Ghost had been poured out upon disciples in Judea, eighteen hundred years before, which made the promises in America possible of belief, and acceptable in the nineteenth century, and it is this reduplication of faith in the disciples to-day in Utah and throughout the world, and not the assumed genius or abil- ity, with which he is generally credited, which clothes Brigham Young with that unchallenged authority which is a marvel to all outside the Church. The Mormon organization is thorough and complete.- It permeates every position and condition of life, and controls and governs everything from the cradle to the grave. It is a combination of iron military rule and Jesuitical penetration and perseverance, and as such in course of time it became in- tolerable to the very men who made it. The leading elders, the " witnesses," and the first apostles have almost all aposta- tized from the more recent doctrines of Joseph and Brigham, while they still cling to the original faith and believe in the ministering of angels, &c. It is this deeply rooted conviction of heavenly manifestations and their own phenomenal experi- ence, that has held and now holds the people together, and not the personal influence of Joseph Smith, and still less that of his successor. There is much in the first announcement of Mormonism, and its claim to divine origin through revelation, that may well be questioned ; but there is little in the early faith which the Bible believer can easily assail from that stand-point. The dif- the vengeance of " the Lord " as that in Albany for rejecting Newel K. Whitney's mission ; but on such predictions and their fulfilment have the Mormons been fed by the modern apostles. Nothing was said by the Prophet about the Chicago fire. With such a terrible conflagration in fulfilment of " the Word of the Lord," Mor- monism might have had a fresh lease of life. MORMONISM EXPLAINED. f ficulty which controversialists have experienced when in argu- ment with Mormon casuists has been their readiness to admit all that prophets and apostles have ever said, while they tie themselves to none. In handling the revelations of modern science and discovery they are never surprised. They willingly allow all that geology may establish, and if that hurts Moses or any one else it is nothing to them ; — when science is positive, the record has to yield. Their faith, borrowed or adopted from the ancients, is held with a loose hand, and can be parted with at any time ; but their own faith proper, that which is given through " the living oracles," can never be surrendered. ISTo authority can be accepted, or even doubtfully entertained, that disputes Joseph Smith. To the believing Mormons, he was " the end to all controversy," and this has not been forgotten in the inheritance claimed by his successor. The Mormons as a people are not justly chargeable with the wrong-doing which has been ascribed to them. There are bad men among them — dangerously bad men — who have com- mitted outrages and damning deeds which would disgrace any community. But those deeds were perpetrated by the few ; the masses were sincere and devoted to their conceptions of right and truth, as the whole course of their lives and eventful his- tory abundantly proves. This has been the united testimony of all the " Gentiles " who have lived among them. The errors of the past life of the people, whether in their treatment of apostates or in their hostility to the nation, are attributable to the system and to the men who direct the public mind. Hen and women who, for a religious faith, voluntarily abandon the homes of childhood, and rend asunder the hallowed ties of family and friends — as Mormon converts do in all parts of the earth — traversing oceans and plains, and suffering privations incident to creating new homes in a barren waste, are not per- sons devoid of the qualities of good citizens. It was the people's love of religious truth while associated with other churches, that induced them to listen to the Mor- mon elders when they proclaimed the restoration of the primi- tive Gospel in all its purity and power, with a Church organi- zation of Patriarchs, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers and Deacons. This harmony in organization — the 8 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. counterpart of primitive Christianity— binds them still to Mor- monism, in spite of the extravagances of their leaders against which their early teachings and innate sense of right revolt. To the mass of the Mormon people it is no simple matter to meet in argument their own teachers — men who have seldom, if ever, been vanquished in discussion when met by the most talented ministers of other religions. When to this difficulty is added the people's own personal experience of the power of healing in the Church, something more than an opponent's denuncia- tion is required to deliver them from the thraldom of an un- questioning faith. The educated mind takes within its range of thoughts causes and effects, and discriminates between what is general and what is special and personal, but, among the untaught masses, ninety-nine in a hundred rely upon their own experi- ence alone. " Was I not healed by the anointing of oil, the "laying on of hands and the prayer of faith? " " Did I not " see my mother carried to the waters of baptism a poor de- " crepit invalid, and when she had been immersed for the re- " mission of sins she walked home, and has been well ever " since? " " Was not my father deaf, and did he not get his " hearing by the prayers of the elders ? " " My darling child " was brought from death unto life by the prayer of faith.'* The unscripturalness of Brigham's " Adam Deity," the despot- ism of an " infallible Priesthood," and the evidence of a thou- sand outrages and murders are nothing to minds that cling to the personal reminiscence of miracles. The only hope, there- fore, is in the education of the people to the realization that those phenomenal manifestations of healing, the influences of which they have personally experienced, are not the specialty of the Mormon Church, but are to be found to some extent everywhere, in all churches, and even among persons unassoci- ated with any religious creed ; that these manifestations which the Mormon leaders have claimed as exclusive proofs of the divinity of their mission are but the result of natural causes, conditions and circumstances, and of this fact the Mormon Church furnishes the most abundant evidence. While healing the sick, through the laying on of hands by the elders, is a common experience in every part of the world MORMONISM EXPLAINED. 9 where the missionaries have travelled, it is equally true that for one case of instantaneous healing of that character which is cited as miraculous by the Mormon writers, there have been hundreds of instances of the sick being administered to in the same way, without any beneficial results whatever, and they have been left to recover by the recuperative power of nature, or the maladies have yielded to ordinary medical treatment which the Church had actually forbidden. This "gift of heal- " ing " has also been experienced more in Europe than in America, for the young Saints in Europe have more faith than the older Saints in the very bosom of the Church. Their spiritual nature is worked up to the greatest intensity, and they are always prepared to see angels, behold visions, dream dreams, speak in tongues and prophesy. A large portion of their time in foreign countries is consumed in " rejoicing to- " gether," and " building each other up," by glowing testi- monies of their experience ; but when they arrive in Utah they soon discover that another condition of affairs exists there. The hard facts of a hard life confront them, and the contemplation of heavenly things has to give place to the arduous labours for the necessaries of existence. Many, not appreciating the true causes of this change in their spiritual experience, become dis- contented, murmur, and apostatize, and those who have been the most favoured, usually become the most dejected and God- forsaken. The ignorant teacher who visits the unfortunate, disappointed, but once gifted Saint, renders his experience still worse by stating in reference to the change which he cannot explain, that " the Lord lirst greatly blessed him in order to "leave him without excuse for backsliding so that He could " the better damn him when he apostatized." The greatest dispensation of spiritual power experienced in the Mormon Church fell upon the British Saints during the Presidency of the apostle Orson Pratt, from 1848 to 1851. The other apostles are more secular than religious, and liave a great deal more to do with this world's affairs than with the hopes of the next — they have all large families to provide for. Orson also has many wives, but his better education and emi- nent ability as a writer and reasoner have preserved him more a missionary than a farmer; he is, emphatically, the gospel- 10 THE KOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. apostle of tlie Twelve. During liis mission to Europe, his pen furnished the lirst logical arguments in favour of Mormonism, and his influence spread like a consuming fire among the Saints throughout the Old World. He aroused the ambition and excited the zeal of young and old to spread abroad the new faith, and, armed as they were with his arguments, they scoured the country and invited discussion wherever they went. They penetrated the aisles of the cathedrals, ascended the pulpits of the meeting-houses, visited the houses of the big- oted, and stormed the haunts of vice and woe with their tracts and pamphlets. It was a grand revival of the mission into the highways and hedges, arousing the sinner to come to the great marriage feast. Controversy met these zealous missionaries, and often ston- ing, bufleting, and even imprisonment followed. But the Saints rejoiced the more, glorying in tribulation, and, as a natural consequence, they grew immensely in spiritual power. Mormonism in England, Scotland, and Wales, was a grand triumph, and was fast ripening for a vigorous campaign in continental Europe. There is no page of religious history which more proudly tells its story than that which relates this peculiar phase of Mormon experience. The excitement was contagious, even affecting persons in the higher ranks of social life, and the result was a grand outpouring of spiritual and mi- raculous healing power of the most astonishing description. Miracles were heard of everywhere ; and numerous competent and most reliable witnesses bore testimony to their genuine- ness. In whatever light this " healing power " may be regarded, it was at the time a grand reality of the European mission, but it has, in a great measure, passed away under the withering teachings of the polygamous era among the Saints in Zion. With the preaching of the simple word, the elders were pow- erful, the Saints were zealous, the public listened, the spirit ran from heart to heart, and miracles were common. But the cold logic of argument labouring to engraft a relic of barbarism upon an age of the highest civilization, quenched the spirit and choked the zeal which accomplished those wonders of Mormon history. MOKMONISM EXPLAINED. /l Up to the introduction of polygamy, Mormonism was solely a " Bible-Gospel " in Europe, and differed so widely from the kingdom-building scheme of Utah, that the very sons of the apostles and prophets testify, on their return to Utah from European missions, that they never knew what Mormonism was, nor the power of God, till they went abroad to preach. This is a common admission, and a damaging testimony against Zion ; but it tells a great truth, and confirms the assertion that it is especially the British mission, with latterly the Scandina- vian, that has built up Utah. It is the remembrance of their first love's joy in the Church in the Old World that preserves many of the Saints now in their dreary fellowship in the Church of the New World. It is not an easy thing to break away from a life-long hope and such early joyous experiences as most of them had in the beginning. It is not courage that is lacking. It is, in fact, easier to meet death than to live this life of anxiety and trouble ; but believers dread to assume the responsibility of breaking ofi from shepherds whom once they almost idolized, and making the things of eternity a matter between themselves and their Maker. Even among the greatest intellects, few have been able to leave the Church, though groaning under it for years, until some experience brought with it an issue that demanded the assertion of a personal right or a disputed truth at the ex- pence of fellowship. The greatest of their apostles, Orson Pratt, has been a living martyr for years, and has suffered in- dignities which manhood would never endure outside of the Mormon communion, and all this from fear of doing a greater wrong by leaving the Church in which he had spent a long life of usefulness. This consciousness of another's scrupulous fideli- ty apparently emboldens Brigham Young to test every man to his utmost endurance who breathes an independent thought. Summed up, Mormonism demands perfect submission — total dethronement of individuality — blind obedience. There is no middle path. The crowning error of Brigham Young is the claim to " a Priesthood that is infallible." No man at the head of a people ever required it less. His errors before that were all overlooked — " to err is human." It mattered not what he said or did, the people hastened to excuse him, as an- 12 THE HOCEY UOUKTAIN SAIXTS. other in liis place might be no better and might do worse ; but the assertion of Infallibility was the " vaulting ambition that " o'erleaps itself." Its assertion strips the people of human charity towards him. In his counsellings and teachings they are now required to see the authority of God, failing which they are " in darkness." He recognizes no right of thought diverging from his own, and this principle, carried to its legitimate extent, makes, in fact, one great something over a community of non- entities. "With liberty of thought and expression protected, Mormonism could have lived on, correcting its errors as it out- grew them, but with the assumption of an Infallible Priesthood its work has seen the beginning of the end. CHAPTER II. THE MOEMON PEOPIIET— His Early Life— His Visions— His Personal Charac- teristics— An Angel Eeveals to him the Golden Plates — His Mission Announced —The Story of the Stone Box. It is not the design of the Author to present in this place an extended biography of Joseph Smith, but a brief sketch of his career may be appropriately commenced at that period of jhis life when he claims to have become an object of interest to the heavenly world. Of his ancestry, little is known beyond the fact that this branch of the Smith family is of Scotch ex- traction, and reached the New "World in the beginning of the eighteenth century. Joseph himself was born December 23d, 1805, in Sharon, "Windsor County, Yermont, and was one of a family of six sons and three daughters. When he was ten years of age, the family removed to Palmyra, Ontario County (now Wayne), 'New York, and thence, four years later, to Man- chester, in the same county, and at this place, eighteen months afterwards, the Mahomet of the West, as he has appropriately been called, began his career as the originator of the new re- ligion. Of young Smith's personal appearance and life preceding this time, there is little to be said. In manhood he was very handsomely formed, tall, and athletic. In his fifteenth year — the commencement of his religious experience — he was doubt- less much like any other farm youth of very limited education, and remarkable for nothing, either good or bad. In his family he was considered a "good boy," and throughout his chequered career no one ever charged him with lacking that native frankness of soul which generally characterizes the country youth. The charges afterwards made against liim, of being 14 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " an indolent, worthless young vagabond," are, in all probabil- ity, somewhat exaggerated, for it is hardly possible that the vast energv and benevolence of his after life could have developed from any such roots. After Joseph's announcement of his prophetic mission, the neighbours of his parents who were opposed to his claims re- membered, with wonderful facility, that the Smith family had always been " dreamere and visionary persons," and applied these terms in their most offensive meaning. In a work pub- lished after Joseph's death,* his mother tells her story in an artless, guileless way, and narrates the incidents of his boy- hood as a loving, tender mother alone can speak of a darling son. Her recital leads to the conclusion that his progenitors had been highly favoured, and that the heavens had showered upon him their highest honours and choicest gifts. Whatever may be thought of the claims of the Smith family to miracu- lous powers, there can be no doubt that the modern prophet came of a stock which transmitted to him moral, mental, and religious qualities, well adapted to the after-work of his life. With such predisposition and support in his father's family, and from the impulses of his own singular nature, f he w^as fairly prepared for the " ministering of angels," with which the history of his religious life begins. He relates in his autobiography how, introductory to his first vision, his mind had been prepared, by the accidental read- ing of a portion of the 'New Testament during the excitement of a revival, to ask for heavenly wisdom, with the expectation of receiving an answer. This revival commenced with the Methodists and extended to other denominations, and a time of general conversion ensued. While the Methodists, Presby- terians, and Baptists made a general rush among the sinners, and preached to them only Christ and Him crucified, there was harmony ; but when the converts began to choose churches discussion arose upon the relative superiority of the creeds of these denominations, and the confusion of claims perplexed the * Biograpldeal Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and his progenitors for many generations. By Lucy Smith, mother of the Prophet. f Before the dissenting Mormons asserted that Joseph was " nothing more than " a highly developed medium," in the spiritualistic sense of the word, Brigham Young waa in the habit of saying of Joseph that " he was a natural-born seer.'''' JOSEPH'S FIRST VISION. 15 youthful propliet, as it lias many others before and since. His mother, two brothers, and a sister were " proselyted " to the Presbyterian Church, but he experienced in his " deep and of- " ten pungent feelings " partiality for the " Methodist sect." * He was greatly excited, and in the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, his mind by some influence was direct- ed to that Scripture which saith : " If any of you lack wisdom, " let him ask of God that giveth unto all men liberally and up- " braideth none, and it shall be given him." This admonition was j^eculiarly encouraging to one in his situation, and he re- solved to test it practically. For this purpose he retired to a solitary place in the woods, and the following is his statement of what then occurred : " After I had retired into the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to ofier up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered arovtnd me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction, not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such a marvellous power as I had never before felt in any being. Just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually tmtil it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the power of the enemy which had held me bound. When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said (pointing to the other), ' This is my be- hoved Son ; hear Him ! ' " The original purpose of the boy's prayer being to learn which of the sects he should join — for up to that time his mind had not embraced a wider range of freedom — as soon as he was able to speak he made the inquiry with the following results : * The historian has recorded that, in 1814, when he was only nine years of age, "he was powerfully awakened by the preaching of a Mr. Lane, an earnest Metho- " diat preacher." X6 TEE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. "I %vas answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight ; that those professors were all cor- rupt, they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me ; they teach for doctrine the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. He again forbade me to join with any of them : and many other things did he say unto me which I cannot write at this time. "When I came to myself again I found myself lying on my back looking up into heaven." * Froni this period he relates that he became the subject of the hottest persecution and reviling ; but he continued to tell what he had seen and what had been told him, taking comfort and encouragement from the similarity of his experience with that of St. Paul, who " saw a light and heard a voice," though few believed his testimony. He continued at his farm work, and on the evening of September 21, 1823, three years after his first vision, he received another and more important com- munication. " During the space of time which intervened between the time I had the vision, and the year 1823, having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends and to have treated me kind- ly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavoured in a proper and affectionate manner to have reclaimed me, I was left to all kinds of temptations, and mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth and the corrup- tions of human nature, which I am sorry to say led me into divers temp- tations, to the gratification of many appetites oflfensive in the sight of God. In consequence of these things I often felt condemned for my weakness and imperfections; when on the evening of the above-mentioned 21st Sep- tember, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a di- vine manifestation, as I had previously had one. "While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in the room, which continued to increase imtil the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage aj^peared at my bedside standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had * His unconsciousness during the reported interview, and the position in which he found himself on awaking, closely resemble the condition of those subject to trances among the Methodists and Spiritualists, but which phenomena appear to have been unknown to Joseph at that time. THE ANGEL'S STORY. 17 on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen ; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could ever be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant ; his hands were naked and his arms also, a little above the wrist ; so also were his feet naked as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom. " Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person wa3 glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him I was afraid, but the fear soon left me. He called me by name and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Neplii ; * that God had a work for me to do and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues ; or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people. He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Saviour to the ancient inhabitants. Also that there were two stones in silver bows (and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted Avhat is called the Urim and Thummim) de- posited with the plates, and the possession and use of these stones was what constituted seers in ancient or former times and that God had pre- pared them for the purpose of translating the book. " After telling me these things, he commenced quoting the projihecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Mala- chi, and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus : 'For behold the day cometli that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall burn as stubble, for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch ; ' and again he quoted the fifth verse, thus : ' Behold I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the Prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.' He also quoted the next verse differently : ' And he shall plant in the hearts of the children, the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the chil- dren shall turn to their fathers ; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at His coming.' " In addition to these he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the 3rd chapter of Acts, verses 22 and 23, precisely as they stand in our New Testament. He said * This should read, Moroni. In the " Book of Doctrine and Covenants," page 321, it is so stated. Moroni was the gentleman who is ^aid to have " hid up " the plates, and it is verv proper that he should reveal them. 2 18 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. that that Prophet was Christ, but the day had not yet come when ' they who would not licar his voice should be cut off from among the people,' but soon would come. " He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the 28th to the last verse. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated the fulness of the Gentiles was soon to come in. He quoted many other passages of Scripture, and offered many explanations which cannot be mentioned here. Again, he told me that when I had got those plates of which he had spoken (for the time that they should be ob- tained was not yet fulfilled), I should not show them to any person, nei- ther the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim, only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them ; if I did, I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I should see the place where they were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that I knew it again when I visited it." After this, the light in the room immediately began to en- circle the person of the angel, and " a conduit opened right up " into heaven, and the angel ascended until he entirely disap- " peared." Twice more during the night the messenger appeared in the same manner, and rehearsed the same things, adding at the third visit a caution to the effect that Satan, on account of father Smith's indigent circumstances, would tempt the son to get the plates for mei'cenary purposes, but that no other ob- ject than the glory of God was to be entertained in obtaining them, and that if he were influenced by any other motive than a desire to build up the kingdom, they could not be obtained at all. These interviews would appear to have continued through the whole night, and at daybreak Joseph arose and went to his labour, but was so exhausted and unwell that his father insisted on his returning home. In essaying to do so, he attempted to cross a fence, but his strength failed him ; he fell helpless to the ground, and for a time was perfectly uncon- scious. The first thing which he recollected w^as hearing his name called, when he looked up and beheld the same messenger standing over his head, surrounded by light as before. All that had been related during the night w^as again told him, with the instruction to tell his father of the vision and the commandments that he had received. He returned and did so, and liis father replied that it was of God, and bade him go and do as directed by the messenger. Joseph immediately repaired FINDING THE GOLD PLATES. 19 to the locality wliere be had been told tbe plates were deposited, and from tbe distinctness of the night's vision, he at once recoo-nized their place of concealment. > /'<^p Discovery of the Gold Plates. Of bis first view of the record, he says : " Convenient to the village of Manchester, Ontario County, New York, stands a hill of considerable size, and the most elevated of any in the neighbourhood. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates deposited in a stone box ; this stone was thick and rounded in the middle on the upper side, and thinner towards the edges, so that the middle part of it was visible above the ground, but the edge all roimd was covered with earth. Having removed the earth and obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up, I looked in, and there, in- deed, did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and breastplate, as stated by the messenger. The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the other things with them. I made an attempt to take them out, but was forbidden by the messenger. I was again informed that the time for bringing them out had not yet arrived, neither would until four years from that time ; but he told me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that time, and that he would there meet with mc, and that I should continue to do so until the time should come for obtaining the plates." The autobiography is not so explicit concerning this point of tbe Prophet's history as the early writings of the first disci- 20 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. pies. In the latter, the Prince of Darkness is introduced at the critical moment, surrounded by an innumerable train of his associates, who are made to pass in review before the boy, so that he might become acquainted witli them. A renewal of the " old disjiensation " would have been incomplete without the " wicked one." At the end of each year, in obedience to the instructions received, he went to this place, met with the same messenger, and from him received further information touching " the " Lord's purposes in the last days," and in what manner Ills kingdom was to be constituted. CHAPTER III. THE GOLD PLATES.— Joseph translates the " Eeformed Egyptian "—Martin Har- ris acts as Scrihe — Professor Anthon pronounces the characters and translation "a hoax" — A prediction of Isaiah fulfilled — Satan and Mrs. Harris bring the Prophet into great trouble — Oliver Cowdery replaces Hams — John the Baptist ordains Smith and Cowdery — Thoy baptize each other, prophesy and rejoice — Witnesses are chosen to testify to the Book of Mormon. Forced to earn his bread by manual labour, Joseph " hired," in October, 1825, to an old gentleman who lived in Chenango county, New York, who for a month employed him along with other men to "prospect" for a silver mine which the Spaniards were reported to have once worked in Harmony, Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania. From this originated the story of the Prophet being a money digger. During this service he boarded at the house of a Mr. Isaac Hale, and won the affections of his daugliter Emma, whom he married on the IStli of January, 1827, and who in course of time was designated in revelation as " The Elect Lady"* of the Church. As the Hale family were opposed to the union, Joseph and his young bride betook themselves to his father's residence in I^ew York. The same year, on the 22nd of September, the time ap- pointed having arrived, Joseph presented himself at the usual * Mrs. Smith had an extraordinary influence over Joseph. She was to him what Cadijah was to Mohammed. When Ayesha, a youthful beauty of his harem, suggested that Allah had given the Arabian Prophet a better wife instead of Cadi- jah ; in the mingled passions of grief for her loss, affection for the wife of his youth, and indignation at the insinuation of a better, his manly soul exclaimed : — " Never " did God give me a better ! When I was poor, she enriched me ; when I was pro- " nounced a liar, she beheved in me ; when I was opposed by all the world, she re- " mained true to me." Till polygamy came, the same might be said of Emma Smith. She was Cadijah to Joseph, and he loved her as intensely as did the Arabian his faithful wife. 22 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. meeting-place, and from the hands of the angel received the plates, with the charge that he was now responsible for them, and if by any carelessness he permitted them to be taken from him he should be cut off ; but if he did his best to preserve them till the messenger should call for them,'- he should be favoured with the Divine blessing and protection. Joseph's former troubles were as nothing to what followed after he obtained possession of the plates. In his autobiog- raphy he says : " Multitudes were on the alert continually to "get them from me if possible," but he succeeded in maintain- ing possession. Embarrassments increasing, and the bride's family being more favourably disposed, the young folks re- turned to her father's home, carrying with them the plates. They were assisted by one Martin Harris, who from this time occupies an important position in the development of the new faith, and becomes one of the " witnesses " to the Book of Mormon. Martin Harris, the Prophet's Scribe. During the winter of 1827-8, Joseph copied a number of the engravings and translated them by means of the Urim and Thummim, and this copy and translation he placed in the * To the Mormons it appeared right enough that the angel should retake pos- session of the plates after Joseph had translated the portion entrusted to him. Others have taken a rather different view of the transaction. 4^ Sot 9 o w H PL, HH O o t=^ OQ TO 'I W % s o g; i_ H ^ § ^ tj fe M S M ^ ^ w ^ o ^ S p>4 f4 M P-I H O THE GOLD PLATES. 25 hands of Harris to take to New York citj for the purpose of subjecting them to scientific scrutiny. It is probable that he was induced to take this step on account of a desire to that efiect expressed by Harris, from whom he had already proposed to borrow funds for the publication of the volume when com- pleted. Be this as it may, the circumstance was afterwards adduced as the fulfilment of a prophecy of Isaiah.- The ac- count which Harris himself gives of his visit to New York is as follows. He called, he says, upon Professor Anthon, a cele- brated linguist, who, after examining the transcript of the char- acters, stated that they were Egyptian, and were correctly translated. The untranslated copy from the plates was said by the Professor to be Egyptian, Chaldee, Assyrian, and Ara- bic, and that the characters of those languages were truly ren- dered. He gave Harris a certificate to this efiect, assuring all who might be interested in the matter, that the characters were genuine and the translation correct ; but on hearing that young Smith claimed to have received the plates through the ministration of an angel, he took back the certificate and tore it in pieces, as he regarded the whole afi'air as an attempt to cheat Harris of the money which he proposed to raise from the mortgage of his farm, for the publication of the book. Twelve years subsequently, Professor Anthon published a very difierent account of this interview. He represented the characters as a singular medley of " Greek, Hebrew, and all " sorts of letters, more or less distorted either through unskilful- " ness or design, and intermingled with sundry delineations of "half-moons, stars, and other natural objects, the whole en d- " ing in a rude representation of the Mexican zodiac." The more the man of literature denounced the affair as a mero hoax, the more the Mormon writers saw the actual fulfilment of the prophecy and believed that the Book of Mormon, the Professor, Martin Harris, and all this controversy, were the sub- jects of Hebrew inspiration. Notwithstanding the temporary financial aid which was rendered to Joseph by Martin, and the fulfilment of proph- ecy in the person of that worthy, human weakness was destined to interfere and the purposes of the heavens to be somewhat * Isa. xxis. 26 THE KOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. disarranged by his instrumentality, mncli to the chagrin of Joseph, and the subsequent annoyance of the disciples of Mor- monisra. In the autobiography published in the "Pearl of Great Price," no mention is made of this trouble, and the unsophis- ticated reader would naturally suppose that " the Lord " had wisely chosen fitting instruments for His work and that His purposes had been attained, when it is stated that " two days " after the arrival of Mr. Cowdery (being the 17th day of " April) I commenced to translate the Book of Mormon, and " he commenced to write for me." This, however, is not the whole truth, but it is here noticed as one of the bad features of modern revelation. Some one is for ever trying to make the relations between the heavens and the earth better than they actually are. Preceding the advent of Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris was Joseph's scribe while he was translating the plates. The spouse of Harris was undeveloped in her spiritual nature in the Mormon sense, and, seeing her husband devoting much of his time and not a little of his money in aid of the work, she resolved to have some satisfaction. Martin, willing to meet the demands of his wife and her abettors, importuned Joseph for permission to exhibit the translation. " The Lord " warned Joseph of Martin's weakness, and the latter was strenuously resisted for a time. But Satan, ever ready to take advantage of a woman's weakness, was powerful with Mrs. Harris, and 116 pages of the translation of the honajide Book of Mormon were at length obtained from Joseph under the most sacred pledge of faithful preservation and restoration. The manuscript, once out of the hands of the youthful Prophet, was gone for ever, and the difficulty was to replace it. Joseph was terribly humiliated, suffered intensely, and lost the " gift " by which he had been able to translate, and in this way the work was suspended from July, 1828, till the appear- ance of Cowdery, as stated, in 1829. Thus, through the strat- egy of the devil, all this important history was lost, besides nearly eighteen months of valuable time, from December, 1827, when Harris first began his work as copyist. But Satan had Btill greater affliction in store for the young Prophet. MRS. HARRIS AND THE DEVIL, 27 The ablest scholars can rarely make two translations pre- cisely alike from any foreign language, for the idiomatic ex- pressions of one tongue often find several equivalents in an- other, and when the translation has been made from hieroglyph- ics, in which a sign represents a sentence or a paragraph, the difficulty of obtaining two perfectly similar translations is pro- portionately increased. Joseph understood this. His soul was sick, and "the Lord," ever ready to aid the penitent, came to his assistance, denounced Martin Hari'is as "a wicked man," and revealed to the Prophet how the difficulty could be obviated. In the revelation which he then received,* Joseph was in- formed that Satan had inspired Martin Harris and his friends to get possession of the manuscript, and that they had deter- mined that, if his second translation differed from theirs, they would expose him, and say that he was an impostor and had only pretended to translate, and, should he make a perfect du- plicate of the first, they would alter their coj^y, and so make him contradict himself. To circumvent all this, Joseph was instructed that among the plates a " Book of Nephi " existed, and that that would serve the purpose equally as well as the lost manuscript. Joseph obeyed the heavenly oracle, and thus the sacred volume now actually commences with the Book of Nephi, instead of the Book of Mormon as originally intended. In this way was lost that narrative which had been so care- fully prepared by an ancient Judo-American prophet and engraver, under such very trying circumstances : a narrative which, according to Joseph, had been hidden up in the stone box at least twelve hundred years, until finally revealed by an angel of God for the salvation of the human family, and for the preservation of which Joseph had already suffered much perse- cution. Mrs. and Mr. Harris have much to answer for. Some persons may have read the Book of Mormon through consecutively, but as a general thing, even among the Mor- mons, the foundation of their faith is never boasted of as being an interesting document. The substitution, therefore, of Nephi for a commencement, instead of that intended by " the Lord " but stolen by the devil, has not probably caused any irrele- vancy nor cut the thread of the story — if it ever had one. * "Doctrine and Covenants," p. 169. 28 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. "Witli the assistance of Oliver Cowdcrj as scribe, tlie trans- lation went on without interruption and the character of " the " kingdom " was gradually developed. They came to a por- tion of the narrative that informed them that baptism by im- mersion for the remission of sins had been taught and com- manded to the ancient inhabitants of America, and the trans- lator, ever eager to know his " privileges," proposed, on the 15th of May, that they should retire to the woods, and " in- " quire of the Lord." " While we were thus cmi^loyed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us he ordained us, saying unto us : ' Upon you, my fellow- servants, in the name of the Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the I'eys of the ministering of angels and of the Gospel of repentance and ofiaptism iy immersion for the remission of sins ; and this shall never again he taJcen from, the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offer- ing unto the Lord in righteousness.'' He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the jDower of laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter, and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and, afterwards, that he should baptize me." * This " messenger " asserted that he was John the Baptist, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James, and John, who held the priesthood of Melchisedec, which in due time was to be conferred upon them when they would take rank — Joseph as the first elder and Oliver the second. As instructed, they went into the water together, and Joseph bap- tized Oliver by immersion, and he in turn immersed Joseph. The latter laid his hands upon Oliver's head and ordained him to the Aaronic priesthood, and Oliver afterwards laid his hands upon Joseph's head and ordained him to the same priesthood — "for so we were commanded." As they came out of the water they " experienced great and *' glorious blessings." " The Holy Ghost fell upon Oliver and " he prophesied," and then Joseph " stood up and prophesied." They had a happy time together, but, owing to the persecu- ting disposition of the unbelievers, they kept their baptism and ordination and rejoicings a secret for a time. * " Tcarl of Great Price." d. 46. THE FIRST MORMOX BAPTISM. 29 '*i^-f The preparatory work was now fast advancing. Joseph was rapidly developing, and Oliver was an excellent scribe. Three " witnesses " were to be favoured with a " manifestation " and, from among the personal friends of Joseph, David Whit- mer was selected to join Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris with the assurance that if they would exercise faith they should have a view of the plates and also of the Urim and Thummim. They did exercibC faith, and in then " testimony," pre fixed to the Book of Mormon, they " de- " clare with words of " soberness that an " angel of God came " down from heavon, " and he brought " and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates " and the engravings thereon." ^' This event occurred, accord- ing to Mormon chronology, in June or July, 1829. Another " testimony " is given to the world by eight witnesses — the father and two brothers of Joseph, four of the Whitmer fami- ly, and one Page. They affirm that they had seen the original plates, " hefted " them, and that tliey had " the appearance of " gold, and were of ancient work and curious workmanship." In the commencement of 1830 the translation was pub^ lished under the title of The Book of Mormon^ and thus was laid the foundation of the new faith. * The Author entered into correspondence with one of the Whitmers to elicit from him information concerning his mental condition during the time that he affirms he saw the plates. Whitmer was asked if he was in his usual condition of conscious-, ness and was sensible of surroimding objects while he beheld the plates ; but he refused to answer the enquiry. Harris is reported to have said that he witnessed them by " the eye of faith." The First Mormon Laptism CHAPTER IV. OEGANIZATION OF THE CnUECH.— Disciples receive tlie Holy Ghost— Ancient Apostles and Prophets revisit the earth — Newell Knight is tortured by the Devil — His experience claimed as the first "Latter-Day" Miracle — Judge Edmonds records similar phenomena in Spiritualism, On Tuesday, April 6tli, 1830, tlie " Churcli of Christ " was organized in tlie house of Peter Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca county, IS'ew York, an event which, according to the ingenious calculation of Orson Pratt, transpired exactly 1800 years to a day from the resurrection of Christ. The ten years which had elapsed from Joseph's first vision had been strictly a period of preparatory work, and there were at this date but few converts to his mission ready for organiza- tion. At the appointed time these assembled, and are thus embalmed in Mormon history : Joseph Smith [the prophet.] Oliver Cowdery [his scribe]. Hyrum Smith [an elder brother of Joseph]. Peter "Whitmer, Junr. Samuel H. Smith [a younger brother of Joseph], and David Whitmer. Alternating the Smiths and the "Whitmers gives a better appearance to the list than if the two families were separated. Martin Harris, though so important a personage in the prelim- inary work, is supposed to have been denied the honour of be- longing to the first organization, in consequence of the trouble which he caused about the lost manuscript. The chosen six " entered into covenant to serve the Lord," partook of the sacrament of the Supper, and Joseph and Oliver ordained each other as spiritual teachers to the Church. This met the unanimous approval of the two Smiths and the two ^^- <- 5i O c D K o 2i 0 cd 0 u X h 0 :z; 0 h <: N 'esent that Joseph Smith teas a great p)rophet and seer ^ and that the Booh of Mormon was a divine revela- tion.'''' * The Author, in searching an old file of papers, accidentally cast his eye upon a record of the experience of Judge John "W. Edmonds, of New York, wherein that gentleman relates in the New York Tribune., some time in 1859, his experience in " casting out devils," which is so remarkably similar to the ex- perience of Joseph Smith with Newell Knight, that it deserves the careful consideration of the Latter-Day Saints. The Judge " Casting out devils. — I take this phrase as I find it in the Scriptures, as indicating that the subject is possessed by an influence which produces violent throes, or, as it is said in Scripture, ' Straightway the spirit tare ' him, and he fell on the groimd and wallowed foaming.' " I have witnessed many instances of this when the subject was re- lieved simply by laying on of hands, and sometimes by a mere command to the spirit to depart. " I was once at a circle in Troy, some twenty persons were present, when a strong man became unconscious and violently convulsed. He beat * " Evidences of the Book of Mormon and the Bible Compared," p. 63. CASTING OUT DEVILS. 35 the table with great force with both fists. I put my hand on his head against vehement struggles on his part to prevent it, and in a few moments he was restored to quiet and consciousness. I once had a man similarly affected in my own room, who beat his head violently on a marble-top table, and fell to the floor in convulsions. He was recovered by the same means, though more slowly. A man from Chicago called on me afflicted with convulsions of his arms and legs. He was restored by the mere ex- ercise of will. Last year, at my own house, I found a man lying on the floor, distorted and convulsed. I lifted him up, and compelled him to sit in a chair, and then, with a few words, addressed not to him, but to the spirit who was influencing him, he was at once restored to comi^osure." Had Judge Edmonds known less and believed more, with such an experience, he, too, might have been presented to the world as a "prophet, seer, and revelator," and some enthusi- astic Pratt might have proved that his writings were divinely inspired. Fortunately for the world, the Judge, instead of de- livering a new Gospel, followed the profession of the law. CHAPTER V. THE FIEST CONFERENCE.— Parley P. Pratt, aud Orson Pratt Converted— Mis- Bionary Enterprise begins — Elders sent to preacli to tlie Indians — Sidney Eigdon converts his Campbellite Congregation — Saints commanded to gather in Ohio — Jackson County, Missouri, designated the " Land of Promise." On the 1st of June, 1830, the first conference was held, at which only thirty members were represented, though many others — either believers or such as were anxious to learn — were present. At this time the testimony of Joseph and his brethren did not extend far from his fatlier's residence and the neighbourhood where his wife's family resided. About the be- ginning of August, the attention of Parley P. Pratt was drawn to the movement, and soon after he was converted and bap- tized. Parley, who had been a local preacher of some denomi- nation, was fluent of speech and in every way calculated to be a zealous disciple of the cause. Soon after his own conversion, he visited and converted Sidney Rigdon, a very able Campbel- lite preacher. then residing in Ohio, and Sidney immediately as- sumed the task of converting his flock to the new faith. Orson Pratt was also numbered among the early disciples, and Joseph soon found himself surrounded by those men of talent who gave the Biblical arguments in favour of Mormonism which it has ever since retained. In common with all who believe themselves to be en- trusted with a special mission, Joseph's faith was great and he anticipated wonderful results from his preaching. The conver- sion of the world was now a ver}' urgent matter, as " the Lord" had informed him that " He was iroino; to cut short His work " in righteousness in the last days." Consistently, therefore, with the publication of the Book of Mormon as a historical SIDNEY RIGDON MEETS THE PROPHET. 37 record of the ancient inhabitants of America, the Indians on the western frontier were the first to be honoured with a special mission, and a number of the elders were set apart for this work and sent forth " without purse or scrip " to preach to the "Lamanites."* In addition to the instruction which Joseph claims to have received from the angels who frequently visited him, he was also endowed with the " gift of revelation," by which he was able to give " the word of the Lord " on every subject and to everybody. Men were called, chosen, ordained, and sent on missions by the commandment of revelation ; they were blessed, honoured, reproved and cursed by it — as the case might require, and Joseph, as frequently as any one else, got his full share of rebuke and chastisement. Jesus Christ is said to be the author of the numerous revelations given to the Mormon Church through JosejDh Smith, and in this way the early disciples were directed in all their afiairs, whether spiritual or temporal. Jo- seph became, in the language of one of the hymns, " the mouth- " piece of God," and henceforth his address to the Saints in all matters of importance was : " Thus saith the Lord." Sidney Kigdon was successful with many of his congrega- tion and " the people round about," so that Ohio became the object of the Prophet's attention. In December, 1830, Eigdon paid a visit to the Prophet and prolonged his stay till January, aiding him in his inspired translation of the !N^ew Testament, after which the Prophet returned with him to Ohio. During this visit " the Lord commanded the Saints in the State of " JSTew York to gather in Ohio," and instructions to that efl'ect were promulgated and obeyed. In a few" months they w^ere comfortably situated in the northern portion of that State. But all this was only temporary. Joseph had ever present in his mind the " New Jerusalem " that was to be built up somewhere in the last days, but where that was to be he had not yet learned. " The Lord," who guided Joseph, would appear to have re- solved to keep the locality of the New Jerusalem secret as long as possible and therefore only spoke of it in vague terms. " In " February, 1831, the Saints were commanded to ask the Lord " and he would in due time reveal unto them the place where * The designation of the Indians in modern revelaticn. 38" THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " the New Jerusalem should be built and where the Saints " should eventually be gathered in one." On the Yth of March they were commanded to gather up their riches with one heart and one mind to purchase the inheritance which "the Lord " would point out to them. Of this inheritance they knew noth- ing definite, but were told that it was somewhere on the west- ern frontiers. In June, about thirty elders were sent out west- ward on a preaching tour. They were to go out by twos, and were to build up branches of the Church wherever the people would listen to them, and were eventually to meet together when the place of the New Jerusalem would be made known to them. About the middle of July, Joseph and several of the elders met at Independence, Jackson county, Missouri, and then at length the revelation about the New Jerusalem was forthcoming. It was very explicit concerning the great things " the Lord " would do in this generation, but, as will presently be seen, that troublesome devil, who never to the moment of his tragic death forsook Joseph, was determined to thwart the purposes of " the Lord " and lead the Prophet and his brethren into fear- ful affliction. By the liglit of facts which have since transpired, the fol- lowing revelation of " the Lord " on the gathering to Missouri becomes intensely interesting, showing as it does the measure of confidence which the world can place in modern revelation, and inculcating a salutary lesson to the Mormons themselves now under the prophetic guidance of Brigham Young. " Verily this is the Word of the Lord, that the City New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the Saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the Temple, which Temple shall be reared in this generation, foi verily this generation shall not pass away until an house shall he built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest wpon it, which cloud shall he even the glory of the Lord which shall fill the house.'''' * " Hearken, O ye elders of my Church, saith the Lord your God, who have assembled yourselves together according to my commandments in this land, which is the land of Missouri, which is the land which I have ap- pointed and consecrated for the gathering of the Saints ; wherefore this is the land of promise and the place for the City of Zion. And thus saith the Lord your God, If you will receive wisdom, here is wisdom. Behold the place * " Book of Doctrine and Covenants," p. 82, pai-. 2. THE NEW JERUSALEM. 39 which is now called Independence is the centre place, and a spot for the Temple is lying westward upon a lot which is not far from the court house." * This revelation is dated, " Zion, July, 1831." In another, given September 22, 1832, it is stated that the place was " ap- " pointed by the finger of the Lord," and the gathering of the Saints and the building of the I^^ew Jerusalem are again as- sured. The succeeding history of the Mormons in Missouri exhibits anything but the fulfilment of these promises : on the contrary it relates only the overthrow of the hopes of the un- fortunate believers. The few Saints from Colesville, Broome county, ]S"ew York, who had been commanded to gather to Ohio and afterwards to Missouri, had now arrived, and on the 2nd of August the foundation of the first house was laid, twelve miles west of In- dependence, twelve men taking part in laying that foundation in honour of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The land of Zion on that occasion was dedicated unto the Lord by prayer, and on the following day the Temple lot was dedicated in the presence of eighteen men. IText day the first conference was held in the land of Zion. A few days afterwards, Joseph and Sidney left Independence to return to Kirtland, where they arrived on the 27th of August, and immediately afterwards Joseph had an abundant outpouring of revelation. * " Book of Doctrine and Covenants," pp. 165-6, par. 1. CHAPTEK VI. SATAN TIIEEATENS THE CHUECH.— He shakes and corrupts the Ohio Saints — The Youthful Prophet labours with Great Zeal — Missionaries evangelize the Eastern States — Smith and Eigdon behold a Great Vision — They are tarred and feathered — Go to Missouri and found a Newspaper. During tlie absence of the young Prophet in Missouri, the believers had not been doing as well as he expected. He was, therefore, immediately armed with a revelation reproving them for seeking " signs." In that revelation (August, 1831) occurs this singularly explicit statement : — " with whom God is an- " gry^ he is not well pleased.^'' * Uninspired persons would pro- bably consider such a declaration somewhat unnecessary ; it almost requires a second revelation to explain its meaning. Even at that early day a few of the new converts appear to have exhibited loose notions of morality. Of these, some, charged with being " adulterers and adulteresses," were stat- ed to have " turned away," and the others were warned to " beware and repent speedily." All through the history of the Church during the life-time of Joseph may be noticed a dispo- sition to free-loveism. The new spirit was very affectionate, and required to be strictly guarded. It is, however, due to Joseph to add that his revelations were severe in condemnation of the lack of chastity. Some idea may be formed of the zeal with which Joseph was building up the kingdom and preparing for the future, when it is stated that, during the year 1831, he received no less than thirty-seven revelations. In addition to the cares of the Church, preaching, testifying, and administering, he had collected the J^ew York and Pennsylvania Saints in Ohio, had * ''Covenants and Conamandments," p. 110. THE PROPHET TARRED AND FEATHERED. 41 commanded them to go to Missouri, went there himself, and dedicated to " the Lord " the land " promised to believers for an "everlasting inheritance," gave some portion of his time to furnishing the world with an inspired translation of the ISTew Testament, and successfully defended himself in two lawsuits, which were instigated by " the wicked," who " sought to per- " secute him." In 1832 the work extended over the States, and many con- verts were added to the new Church. The missionaries had no compensation, but whenever one was required, Joseph could with the greatest facility call an elder to labour in " the Lord's " vineyard. It was nothing to him at what sacrifice this might be done. It was " a day of sacrifice," and the greater that was the nobler the reward in the world to come. Tlie labour that is hired is limited, but the labour of the Mormon elders was never over. This was the secret of their successful preach- ing. There was no boundary to their harvest field, they were commanded to " thrust in the sickle and reap," wherever there was a call for help or wherever the Spirit might direct. Thus influenced and undeterred by any difficulty the elders travelled everywhere. They braved every danger, faced a frowning world, rejoiced in tribulation, blessed the Saints, cursed their enemies, and sang and shouted : " The kingdom is come, glory, " glory, hallelujah ! " Meanwhile Joseph was not idle. On the 16th of February, while he and Sidney were engaged in the translation of the Bible, they claim to have beheld a great vision. They saw " many things unspeakable and unlawful to be uttered," and at the same time " many great and marvellous things that they " were commanded to write while they were yet in the Spirit." About the end of March, Joseph and Sidney were very roughly treated by a mob who tarred and feathered them both. The mobbers were very cruel, and tried tc, force some poison- ous liquid down Joseph's throat, bu*" the phial was broken against his teeth, and the contents spilt. They then leaped on his chest and trampled him with their feet till they thought he was dead. The Mormon historian says that Joseph's spirit left his body during the outrage, but afterwards returned and re-took possession. Sidney was not served quite so badly, 42 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Tarred and feathered. but he bore it worse than Joseph, and never forgot it. The Prophet had some diflaculty in getting altogether free from the tar, and the stamping severely injured his chest, but " the Lord "healed him up again," and next day (March 26th) it is re- ported that he was " acknowledged to be the President of the "High Priesthood," at a General Coun- cil of the Church. A few days later he set out the second time for Missouri, and ar- rived at Independ- ence on the 24:th of April. During his two weeks' stay in Mis- souri, it was resolved to publish the revela- tions in book form, and to establish at Independence a journal called The Evening and Morning Star, under the editorial direction of Elder W. W. Phelps, a brother who performed a very important part in the history of Mormonism. The career of " W. W.," as he is familiarly styled, has been somewhat chequered, but he still lives, and is " not to taste of death." He is about eighty years of age, and has the promise of living till Jesus comes again.* He is a singular genius, greatly gifted in interpreting disen- tombed inscriptions, especially upon old coins. He is usually credited with having furnished the political papers of Joseph with their " high falu tin," and distorting several languages to make the word " Mormon " mean " more good," although pro- * Since the foregoing was written, the Salt Lake papers have pubhshed the fol- lowing notice : " Plielps — William Wines Phelps, born in the State of New Jersey, February, 1792, died March 7th, 1872, m Salt Lake City." Alas, poor Phelps ! Often did the old man, in public and in private, regale the Saints with the assurance that he had the promise by revelation that he should not taste of death till Jesus came. The last time that the Author spoke with " Broth- er " Phelps, the latter was fully satisfied that the revelation of Joseph Smith could not fail in its fulfilment. ROUGHLY HANDLED IN MISSOURI 43 fane opponents insist that the word is derived from the Greek, and signifies something neither pleasant nor beautiful.* At that time, however, he was well-fitted to be publisher of the journal, as he had been a practical printer, but his writings do not seem to have suited the Missourians, and doubtless contributed much to the commencement of troubles among them. J'oseph returned to Kirtland in June, and devoted his la- bours to the Saints of that place, but at the same time he maintained a correspondence with " Ziou in Missouri," direct- ing and controlling afiTairs in both places. * Joseph Smith, when questioned on the subject, gave the following as the proper derivation of the word : " I may safely say that the word Mormon stands independent of the learning and wisdom of this generation. Before I give a definition, however, to the word, let me say that the Bible, in its widest sense, means good ; for the Saviour says, according to the Gospel of St. John, ' I am the good shepherd ; ' and it will not be beyond the use of terms to say that good is amongst the most important in use, and though known by various names in different languages, still its meaning is the same, and is ever in opposition to bad. We say from the Saxon, good ; the Dane, god; the Goth, goda ; the German, gut; the Dutch, goed ; the Latin, bonus ; the Greek, kalos ; the Hebrew, tob : and the Egyptian, rno?i.. Hence with the addition of more, or the contraction mor, we have the word Mormon, which means literally, tnore good." Notwithstanding all this pedantic parade of learning on the part of the Prophet, uninspired scholars have expressed an opinion that the word was derived from the Greek, ixopfidv, a spectre or hideous shape. CHAPTEE YII. MEETING OF THE PKOPHETS.— Brigham Young sees Joseph Smith for the First Time — They rejoice together in Kirtland — Brigham speaks in "Unknown Tongues " — Joseph predicts the Southern Rebellion — He makes an Inspired Trans- lation of the New Testament — Troubles arise between the Saints and the " Gen- tiles" in Missouri — The Disciples are driven from Jackson County. In November, 1833, Joseph first met Brigham Young, who had been baptized in the preceding April. At that time the latter resided in ISTew York, following the business of a painter and glazier ; but he had not hitherto enjoyed an opportunity of meeting the Prophet face to face. Heber C. Kimball and Joseph Young accompanied Brigham, and they had a high time of rejoicing in Kirtland. During this brief visit, Brigham and his relative, John P. Green, " spake in tongues," and this was the first time that the " gift " had been demonstrated. The same influence fell upon others, and they also " spake in " tongues," and Joseph the Prophet is said to have been among the gifted ones. On Christmas Day he received the famous prophetic reve- lation relating to the rebellion in the South. On the 27th, " the Lord " intimated his desire that a house should be built to his name, in which " the School of the Prophets " should as- semble, and everything in the shape of prayer and teaching be done in perfect order — thus preparing the way for the Kirtland temple. To Joseph and the Saints, the year 1833 was destined to be an eventful time. The general cause was advancing, but the faithful in Missouri were doomed to suffer persecution. Early in the year Joseph finished the inspired translation of the New Testament, and by the beginning of July completed DRIVEN FROM JACKSON COUNTr. 45 the revision of the Old Testament. In June he received the revelation giving the dimensions of the temple that " the Lord " required to be built by the Saints in Kirtland, and on the 23rd of Julj the first stone was laid. From the day of trouble between the first sons of Adam there never was a controversy without a double statement of what were the contributory causes. In Mormon history, charges and recriminations concerning the hostilities in Missouri are prolific ; but it is generally admitted that at the first outbreak the anti-Mormons " were actuated much more by a fear of what " the Mormons would do when they had the power than by " what they had already done." * On the other hand, the Mor- mons, proud of the promises of a glorious future, were boastful of the favours and possessions that awaited them ; and proba- bly some of them taunted the Missourians with the coming change. But even this, however injudicious, was not likely to lead to armed hostility. Before men resort to bloodshed, there is generally something that outrages them in a personal way, and when once that is the case a very slight pretext alone is necessary to produce a collision. At the commencement of hostilities, the country of the New Jerusalem was only sparsely settled, and the Mormons probably numbered about 1,500 souls. Whatever evidence there is to support the charges of wrong-doing which were after- wards made against some of them in other parts of Missouri, and later still in Illinois, they were, in 1833, both too few in number and too sincere in faith to assume an aggressive a,tti- tude. As a people, they could not have been very bad ; for Joseph was constantly chastening them for the slightest neglect of the revelations, and they had gathered to Missouri in the full belief that Christ was coming thither to join the faithful band. Under such circumstances, it is but fair to consider them, how- ever chimerical in faith, intentionally right in practice, except where there is the evidence of fact to the contrary. The other citizens of Missouri had little sympathy with the new arrivals, and saw very clearly that, with the constant ac- cession to their numbers, it would only be a short time before the Mormons would ])ecome a political power among them — * " Mvstevics and Crimes of Mormor.ism." d. 41. 46 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. would Qontrol the elections in the county, and have everj^thing their own way. According to that not very elegant expression so frequently heard in the Mormon sermons, it was destined that " Israel should be the head and not the tail." As citizens, the Mormons had political rights, and would exercise these in their own interest ; and, while no sensible person could blame them for this, the other citizens none the less felt that it was a calamity to them that these strangers had come amongst them. The only direct charge against, the Mormons met with in the publications of the day is that of tampering with the slaves. The Evening and Morning Star had published something offen- sive on this subject ; for though the Mormons believed that "Ham is a servant unto his brethren," they were opposed to the general treatment of the Africans in the South. On the 20th of July a mob tore down the office of the Star, tarred, feathered, and whipped a number of the brethren, and insisted upon the Mormons leaving Jackson county. Three days later a second mob assembled, and at length the leaders of the Mormons in that locality agreed to leave. Some time in October, elders "W. W. Phelps and Orson Hyde carried a petition to the Governor of the State for protection, and his Excellency answered that they had a right to the protec- tion of the law if they chose to stay in the county and fight it out. The anti-Mormons were, however, determined that the fol- lowers of Joseph should leave the county, and they resolved to get rid of them — " peaceably, if we can : forcibly, if we must, " and believing, as we do, that the arm of the civil law does " not afford us a guarantee, or at least a sufficient one, against " the evils which are now inflicted upon us, and seem to be in- " creasing by the said religious sect, deem it expedient and of " the highest importance to form ourselves into a company for " the better and easier accomplishment of our purpose." Such was the resolution which was followed by the pledge to each other of " bodily powers, lives, fortunes, and sacred honour." On the 4th of November this hostile organization com- menced its work ; a " battle " took place, some persons were shot, and the people driven out of the county. Parley P. Pratt, in his "History of the Missouri Persecutions," presents a sad pic- CRUEL OUTRAGES ON THE SAINTS. 47 tare of personal suffering, cruelty, and outrage to men, women, and children, and the wanton destruction of property. The world has grown older since then, and, after a lapse of nearly forty years, it seems scarcely possible that such scenes could liave been enacted during the present century, and in an Ameri- can State. A few of the Saints were shot, some tied up and cruelly whipped, over two hundred of their houses were burned, fences were torn down, cattle and horses stolen, and household effects, goods, and chattels destroyed or taken from them. Men, wom- en, and children fled terrified before their enemies in every di- rection seeking protection. A party of about one hundred and fifty children are said to have wandered out on to the prairie, and remained there for several days without shelter, and with only the aid of half a dozen men who went with them to pro- vide as well as they could for the helpless little ones, while their fathers and mothers were being hunted down like wild beasts. Some of the exiles sought refuge in Yan Buren (now Cass) county, but were not permitted to settle either there or in La Fayette. Most of them ultimately settled in Clay county, where they were received with some degree of kindness. CHAPTEE YIII. THE PKOMISED LAND.—" The Lord" calls for " the Strength of his House" to reinstate the Exiled Saints in Jackson County — Two hundred and five Elders re- spond— The Prophet becomes Commander-in-Chief of " the Armies of the Lord" — A Eevelation promising Eestoration to the Exiles — Joseph is the Man like unto Moses to lead them to Victory. An eastern sage has said tliat " the beginning of strife is " like the letting out of water " — it is easier to commence hos- tilities than to stop them — and thus it proved in the history of the Missouri troubles, for the end has not yet come. The Mormons were driven out of Jackson county and their ene- mies were now successful, but war was only begun. The Saints never yield to wrong while life serves them. They can be vanquished and humbled, but never conquered. The very nature of their faith forbids the thought — " The Lord is on " our side " — to yield is to deny the faith. When undoubted facts are against them, they admit defeat, but then only. When in the right, if overwhelmed, " the Lord " may counsel expe- diency and the point at issue may seem to be conceded ; but it is only so in appearance and temporarily in order to gain some greater advantage in future. It is now over thirty-seven years since the first Missouri persecution began, but the Saints who were then expelled from Jackson county still believe in a tri- umphal return to their inheritances and still expect to see the temple built in " this generation." In the very nature of things, the " generation " in which the revelation and prophecy were delivered must pass away with- out witnessing their fulfilment, yet the last of these Jackson county Saints will go down to his grave believing that there has been no failure. Joseph who delivered the prophecy and THE PROPHET TAKES THE SWORD. 49 fought manfull}' for its fulfilment, and Brigham who has made it his principal stock in trade to raise the hopes and aspirations of his followers, will both remain as before, unchallenged in their claims to a " priesthood that is infallible." Such is faith ! While the troubles in Missouri were raging, the Prophet deemed it advisable not to provoke the fury of the mob by his presence, and therefore concluded to labour elsewhere while he still showered upon the Saints encouraging revelations. The anti-Mormons offered to buy the lands from which their an- tagonists had been driven and to pay them for their improve- ments, but negotiation was impossible. " The Lord " had commanded them to gather in Missouri and had pointed out with his own finger the place for the Temple in Independence. They could not sell their inheritances without also selling the revelations of " the Lord," his promises and the prophecies of his servant. Joseph counselled the Saints not to sell, and they obeyed, and to this day many of the faithful rejoice in the possession of their title-deeds. When Federal troops, dur- ing the rebellion, swept through those counties of western Mis- souri laying waste and devastating everywhere they went, the Saints in Utah saw in them the avenging angels of the Lord, and their hopes of an early return to Jackson county revived. Joseph, during the troubles in Missouri, was closely occu- pied with the building of the Temple in Kirtland, and raising the means to continue that work was a herculean task. To these labours he added a mission to the Eastern States and to the Canadas. About this time it was also decided to re- vive the Star^ that had been so ruthlessly dealt with in Mis- souri, under the designation of the Latter-Day Saints' Messen- ger and Advocate^ at Kirtland. During his mission abroad, Joseph baptized many into the Church, and " his hands were "strengthened," though the people around him were poor and apostacy began to trouble him. Up to this time Joseph had been a Prophet, Seer, Eeve- lator, and Translator; but now another role was opened to him — he was to become a military leader and restore the Saints to their possessions in Jackson county. A lengthened revela- tion was given in February, 1834, to raise " the strength of the " Lord's house," and go up to Missouri to redeem Zion, and the 50 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Prophet became, by the election of a council of elders, " Com- " mander-in-chief of the Armies of Israel." Revelations under the most favourable circumstances are not always over clear to ordinary mortals, and there is often con- troversy about the fulfilment of a prophecy; but this revela- tion given through Joseph for " the redemption of Zion " is so palpably applicable to this special period of Mormon history that it is deserving of particular attention. The situation of the exiled Saints from Jackson county, the gathering of " the " Lord's hosts " to reinstate tliem in their possessions, the march- ing of those brethren a distance of 1,200 miles, and their unflag- ging zeal and faith up to the last moment, are unequivocal facts, yet the whole " pomp and circumstance of glorious war " ac- complished nothing that was promised. Here is the revelation : . . . " Verily I say unto you, I have decreed that your brethren which have been scattered shall return to the land of their inheritances, and build up the waste places of Zion, for after much tribulation, as I have said unto you in a former commandment, cometh the blessing. Behold this is the blessing which I have promised after your tribulations and the tribulations of your brethren, your redemption and the redemption of your brethren, even their restoration to the land of Zion to be established no more to be thrown down, nevertheless if they pollute their inherit- ances they shall be thrown down, for I will not spare them if they pol- lute their inheritances. Behold I say unto you the redemption of Zion must needs come by power, therefore I will raise up unto my people a man who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel, for ye are the children of Israel and of the seed of Abraham, and ye must needs be led out of bondage, by power, and with a stretched-out arm, and as your fathers were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be. Therefore let not your hearts faint, for I say not unto you as I said unto your fathers, mine angel shall go up before you, but not my presence ; but I say unto you, mine angels shall go before you, and also my presence, and in time ye shall possess the goodly land." . . . " Therefore let my servant Baurak Ale [Joseph Smith] * say unto the strength of my house, my young men and the middle aged, gather yourselves together unto the land of Zion, upon the land which I have bought with monies that have been consecrated unto me ; and let all the churches send up wise men with their monies and purchase land even as I have commanded them, and inasmuch as mine enemies come against you to drive you from my goodly land, which I have consecrated to be the * For the purpose of protecting Joseph when the revelations were printed, in those of a warlike character, he is designated as Baurak Ale, and in others he is represented by Enoch, Gazelam, and Seth. THE ARMY OF THE LORD. 51 land of Zion, even from your own lands after these testimonies which ye have brought before me against them, ye shall curse them, and whomso- ever ye curse, I will curse, and ye shall avenge me of mine enemies, and my presence shall be with you even in avenging me of mine enemies, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. " Let no man be afraid to lay down his life for my sake, for whoso layeth down his life for my sake shall find it again, and whoso is not wil- ling to lay down his life for my sake, is not my disciple. It is my will that my servant Sidney Rigdon shall lift up his voice in the congregations in the Eastern Countries in preparing the Churches to keep the command- ments which I have given unto them concerning the restoration and re- demption of Zion. It is my will that my servant Parley P. Pratt and my servant Lyman Wight should not return to the land of their brethren until they have obtained companies to go up unto the land of Zion by tens, or by twenties, or by fifties, or by an hundred, until they have ob- tained the number of five hundred of the strength of my house. Behold this is my will ; ask and you sliall receive ; but men do not always do my will ; therefore if you cannot obtain five hundred, seek diligently that peradventure you may obtain three hundred, and if ye cannot obtain three hundred, seek dDigently that peradventure ye may obtain one hundred. But verily I say unto you a commandment I give unto you that ye shall not go up imto the land of Zion until you have obtained one hundred of the strength of my house to go up with you unto the land of Zion, Therefore, as I said unto you, ask and ye shall receive ; pray earnestly that peradventure my servant Baurak Ale may go with you and preside in the midst of my people, and organize my kingdom upon the consecrated land, and establish the children of Zion upon the laws and command- ments which have been and which shall be given unto you." This " revelation " is certainly very specific and direct, and evinces an nnequivocal disposition on the part of " the Lord " to destroy his enemies. With such a termination to the expe- dition, as will be read in the following chapter, it is with pity mingled with a sense of the ludicrous that one peruses this page in the history of the Mormon Church. CHAPTER IX. ZION'S CAMP. — The Prophet's "Army" marcbes to Missouri — A Great Storm — The Cholera desolates the " Strength of the Lord's House " — Utter Discomfiture of the Mormons— The Promises to restore the Saints to Jackson County a Total Failure — The "Army" disbanded — The Saints sue for Peace — " The Lord was only trying their Faith " — They are to curse their Enemies — Anniversary Meet- ings of Zion's Camp — Dancing and Eejoicing. Theke is no event in the history of Mormonism of such im- portance as that which is portrayed in the preceding chapter — it was the " call of the Lord " for " the strength of His house " to go against His enemies." The Church so understood it and the brethren answered to " the Lord's call." The Com- pany was organized in Kirtland on the 7th of May, and as " Zion's Camp " took up their march westward. They num- bered 130 men, among whom were Hyrum Smith, Brigham Toung, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, Orson Hyde, Orson and Parley P. Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, and many other leading elders. This little army was divided into com- panies of twelve men, each company choosing its own officer. The Prophet's cousin, Geo. A. Smith, was elected to be his ar- mour-bearer.* Camp discipline was rigid, everything thi'ough- out the day had its appointed time, and at the sound of the evening trumpet the little " host " were called to their devo- tions, returning thanks for the past and invoking the protec- tion of "the God of battles." By the time the camp reached Missouri its numbers had increased to 205. Orson Hyde and Parley P. Pratt had been despatched in advance as delegates to the Governor of Mis- * All through Mormonism there is a constant eifort to imitate something He- braic. Nothing can be done without some allusion to Biblical history. The above, of course, was in allusion to Saul and his faithful armour-bearer. The same may be said of the " Armies of the Lord," " the Host," and " the God of battles." THE PLAGUE IN THE CAMP. 65 souri to ask that the Mormons might be allowed to settle again in Jackson county, but Governor Dunklin refused to interfere^ on the ground that it was impracticable. On the 19th of June " Zion's Camp " reached the vicinity of Clay county, where the exiled Saints had located, and tried to effect a junction with them, but were unsuccessful. That night Joseph's, or " the Lord's," army encamped between the Little and the Big Fishing rivers, and the " mobbers," or anti- Mormons, who had learned of their coming were not far from them and ready for attack. At this important moment the elements interfered, the camp of the anti-Mormons scattered to the winds, their horses stampeded and one was killed by lightning. On the second day (June 21st) the cholera broke out with terrible fierceness in " Zion's Camp." So sudden and overpow- ering was the attack that the strongest men fell to the ground with their guns in their hands. In four days, sixty-eight were attacked and fourteen of them died. Joseph went about laying on hands and " rebuking the destroyer," until he was himself prostrated. This visitation he ascribed to the disobedience of some, showed the necessity of submission, and promised that if they would " humble themselves and covenant to obey Mm as " the Prophet of the Lord^"* the plague should be stayed. The Mormon historians assert that " not another was stricken with " the cholera from that hour." The previous " revelations " of Joseph Smith admitted of no verification beyond that of individual faith and experience ; but this concerning " the redemption of Zion " revealed the reve- lator himself: While giving to it all the scope that the utmost devotion could claim, it must be allowed that it carries upon its surface anything but the evidence of a divine origin. The overthrow of " Zion's Camp " was a palpable failure and disap- pointing in every particular. There was a native honesty in Mohammed going to the mountain when the mountain would not come to him, which commands admiration, but the Ameri- can Prophet lost his opportunity when, in the midst of " Zion's Camp " on the banks of the Big Fishing river, he failed to con- tribute to posterity a companion picture to that of his Arabian brother. Instead of that, he received another revelation : 56 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " Behold I have commanded my seryant Baurak Ale [Joseph Smith] to say unto the strength of my house, eveu my warriors, my young men and my middle-aged, to gather together for the redemption of my people, and throw down the towers of mine enemies, and scatter their watchmen ; but the strength of mine house have not hearkened unto my words. I have prepared a blessing and an endowment for them if they continue faithful. I have heard their prayers and will accept their offering ■ and it is expedient in me that they should be brought thus far for a trial of their faith." The Mormons would be very critical over such revelations if found in the history of any other religious people. The very revelation itself instructed Joseph to ask for 500 men of the Loi'd's house, but should he find dilBculty in raising that number he was to be contented with 300 ; and even with 100 he was not to hesitate, but to hasten to the assistance of his brethren in Missouri, for " the Lord had decreed " the restora- tion of the exiles. Full of faith and hope, Joseph and " the " strength of the Lord's house " reached the place of action, preaching, praying, and exhorting each other to courage, for had not a Hebrew Prophet said that one of the chosen of the Lord should chase a thousand, and two should put ten thousand to flight ? Ancient bravery and ancient miracles were thought of and descanted upon during the journey, and the " warriors " were ready for the fray ; but when the moment for action arrived, ^' the Lord " had changed his mind. The hard-working outcasts from Jackson county, it was now said, had not learned to be obedient, they were full of all manner of evil, were not united, and did not deserve to be restored until they had been chastised and learned obedience. How different was the revelation of February in Ohio from that of June in Missouri ! At the for- mer date " the Lord " was determined to have a fight and re- store the exiles " to their inheritances." At the latter date " the Lord " concluded that the Jackson county Saints de- served all the affliction they had got, and needed a little more of the same chastisement ! " The Lord's " reasons for refusing to restore the people to Jackson county were probably very satisfactory, for such a bad and undeserving people as they were now represented to be, could not be expected to command so great a manifestation of divine power as would have been necessary to restore them THE LORD'S AVENGERS. 57 to their homes and farms. But it certainly looks a little singu- lar, if what Joseph asserted was true, that " the Lord " had not discovered this condition of things before. The second excuse is still worse than the first — " the "strength of mine house have not hearkened unto my words." Thus because of the dilatoriness of the Saints in the East, the Saints in the West were to remain outcasts from Jackson county, and " the Lord's " decree of the restoration of the people was to become a dead letter ! What a contrast was this to the ancient story of " the sword of the Lord and of " Gideon ! " To cap the climax, the warriors in " Zion's Camp " were informed that in due time they should be properly re- warded, but would have to regard the present disappointment as " a trial of their faith ! " This Jackson county trouble has been a sad affair for the Mormon Church in many ways. It was, to say the least, very questionable instruction to declare — " ye shall avenge me of " mine enemies." There is enough of natural vindictiveness in men without elevating vengeance into a religious obligation. 'No people as zealous and devoted as the Mormons could re- ceive such a commandment without partaking of its spirit and reducing it to practice. It makes it a duty for every fanatic to curse and avenge in the Lord's stead. How well it has been performed in spirit if not always in practice let the anathemas of the Tabernacle and the persecution of apostates tell. Up to this period the Saints had no conception that they were the instruments of "the Lord's" vengeance, and it is tc be regretted that they were ever enlightened upon the subject. They had already been informed that it was better to obtain Zion by purchase than by force, and they were now instructed to buy up — " all the lands in Jackson county that can be purchased, and in the adjoining counties. . . . and after these lands are purchased, I will hold the armies of Israel guiltless in taking possession of their own lands, which they have previously purchased with their own monies, and of throwing down the towers of mine enemies that may be upon them, and scattering their watchmen, and avenging me of mine enemies, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." To this excellent advice of purchasing all the lands and 58 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. keeping their enemies far from them, " the Lord," when en- joining vengeance, diplomatically adds — ^'■hut first let my army lecome very great.''^ In the meantime the Mormons are to sue for peace. This is a very practical endorsement of the First Napoleon's opinion that Providence was always on the side of the best generalship and the strongest battalions. Such very wholesome comisel was of course properly ap- preciated. The " warriors " were instructed to disperse among the settlements or to return to their homes, and Joseph as directed, was also to conclude some arrangement by which the Saints who were still able to stay in Jackson county could enjoy peace ; but the throwing down of towers, scattering the watclimen, and restoring the people to their inheritances, were apparently no more to be thought of. A "High Council " was organized in Clay county, and Joseph left for Kirtland on the 9th of July. Thus ended this extraordinary but brief campaign of two months and two days — a period fraught with good instruction to those who could take it. Brigham Young annually invites the remnant of " Zion's " Camp " to meet him in Salt Lake City — generally at the close of the October Conference — and they have a pleasant reunion in the Social Hall, where they with their families enjoy them- selves in the dance together. The chief bishop of the Church entertains them at dinner and supper. Usually during the evening they are " addressed ; " they sing their songs of days gone by, and one or two of the very aged brethren will try a "jig " or " hornpipe," to show the others " how well they hold " out." It is a very harmless kind of mutual admiration. They all feel honoured in having been members of Zion's Camp, and probably would tliink it very daring for any one even to suggest a failure of that memorable campaign. Brigham never omits at this gathering to tell how much he was compen- sated for his marching experience by the teachings he listened to from the Prophet's lips. He seems to feel that something is needed just there, and he furnishes the supply. The leader says that he was " compensated"; the "remnant" then viust feel that they also were c« mpensated ; and in two or three gen- erations from this time their descendants will d< iibtless read ZION NOT YET REDEEMED. 59 with great satisfaction of the trial of their ancestors' faith, aud it is not at all unlikely that, in tlie course of time, their posterity will be fully satisfied that the Saints in Jackson county were not restored to their inheritances and were not " led out of bondage by power and with a stretched-out arm, as ' the Lord ' had decreed ! ' CHAPTER X. TWELVE APOSTLES CHOSEN.— Quorums of "Seventies" organized— They go abroad and preach — Kirtland Temple finished — Dedication and Endowment — Joseph's Wonderful Vision of the Celestial Kingdom — A second Pentecost — Brigham Young " speaks in Tongues " — The Temple filled with Angels — Joseph and Cowdery are visited by Moses, Elias, and Elijah — They behold " The Lord " — Cowdery afterwards apostatizes. Laying aside for a time the sword and buckler, the Prophet betook himself to the olive branch, and meditated the greater expansion of the kingdom by the preaching of the Gospel. He had all the winter of 1834-5 in Kirtland to prepare for the spring campaign. His Missouri mission had taught him something. If he had not thrown down towers, he had at least picked lip a lesson. Miraculous interference was all good enough to predict and talk about, but facts are accomplished by organization. From that time to the day of his death his brain was never free from an organizing scheme of some sort. Mormonism was henceforth not to " lay around loose " and de- pend upon the heavens alone, it was to be a working organism. The Christian Church began with the choosing of the Twelve Apostles. Joseph had followed no definite plan since his Church was organized. It was now time to choose his " Twelve," * and send them to " all nations, kindreds, tongues, " and people, to preach the Gospel of the New Covenant." On the 4th of February, 1835, the selection was made in the fol- lowing order: — Lyman E, Johnson, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, David W. Patten, Luke Johnson, William E. McLellin, John F. Boynton, Orson Pratt, William * In his public sermons, Brigham frequently announces that he is an Apostle of Josepii. Smiiii. It is his theory that "the Kingdom was given unto Joseph.''^ TWELVE APOSTLES CHOSEN. 61 Smith, Thomas B. Marsh, and Parley P. Pratt. At a later date the order of rank was determined by seniority, which gave the Presidency to Thomas B. Marsh. During the same month Joseph introduced another organi- zation— " The Seventies." This was to be a " Quorum " com- posed of seventy elders, the first seven members of which were to be seven presidents over the whole quorum, and the first of these seven to preside over all ; the seventies to be auxiliaries to the twelve apostles, and to form a sort of minor apostleship. Some idea of what was working in Joseph's brain at this time, about the conquest of the world, may be drawn from his in- structions to the President of the Seventies : "If the first Seventy are all employed, and there is a call for more la- bourers, it will be the duty of tlie seven Presidents of the first Seventy to call and ordain other seventy, and send them forth to labour in the vine- yard, until, if need be, they set apart seventy times seventy, and even until they are one hundred and forty-four thousand." Joseph began the selection of the elders for the first seventy from the ranks of Zion's Camp, and since that organization (Feb. 28, 1835) others have followed, till there are now in the Mormon Church eighty -five Quorums of Seventies. Early in May the twelve apostles started from Kirtland on their missions to the Eastern States to disseminate the new faith, and labour " wherever a door was open " during all the Bummer and fall, returning to Kirtland in December, to relate their success, to get fresh instructions, and to tarry till the completion of the temple, when they were to be " endowed " with great power from on high." During their absence Jo- seph was severely tried by " apostates and false brethren," and the return of the young apostles was very timely in strength- ening the Prophet and encouraging the Saints. The Kirtland Temple was now the object of hope, faith, prayer, and hard work. Everything depended upon its early completion. Disciples who begin their career with the experi- ence of signs and wonders are always the slowest to compre- hend facts, and are ever clamorous for a renewal of marvellous experience. " The Lord," as they believed it, thoroughly com- prehended their wants, and held before them " great expecta- 62 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. tions." The J contributed their mites and their labour, and by the 2Tth of March, 1836, " the House of the Lord " was so far finished as to admit of dedication. It was no Solomon's Temple, but, for the few Saints who reared it, it was a commanding building. In those days " the " Lord " had to do everything, so that this house was not built up " after the manner of the world," and he commanded that " the size thereof shall be fifty and five feet in width, and let it " be sixty-five feet in length, in the inner court thereof." The Prophet having given the general outline, the Temple went up and was reported to be finished in this fashion : The Temple at.Kirtland, Ohio* " Outside dimensions sixty feet in width and eighty feet in length ; its height from the ground to the top of the eaves, about fifty feet ; fi'om the basement forty-four, giving two stories of twenty-two feet each, besides an attic story in the roof for school rooms. It was lighted by thirty gothic, three Venetian, two dormer, one circular, and two square gable windows. The dome of the steeple was one hundred and ten feet high, and the bell about ninety feet from the ground." The internal divisions were arranged for the gradations of Priesthood : the west end of the lower court to the Melchise- * The Saints, under the leadership of the eldest son of the Prophet, are now negotiating for the possession of the Temple. It has a wonderful hold upon the faith of all Saints. DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE. 63 dec, and the east end to the Aaronic Priesthood. The attic story was appropriated as a place for the studj of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. This curious mixture of earth and heaven was like the man himself. Had he lived to the age of Methu- selah, his span of years would have been too short to have car- ried out all the projects that had passed through his brain. Thus early he began to study foreign languages, and stimulated the elders to do likewise before they could some of them pro- perly write their own names, or speak their mother tongue. In the beginning of January a Hebrew professorship was estab- lished in Kirtland, and on the 21st of that month the long- promised endowment was given, and during three days in the latter part of March the Temple was dedicated. The endowment and the dedication were very important events in Mormon history, and are, almost more than anything else in the experience of the Saints, claimed to be a divine con- firmation of Joseph's mission. The narrative as given by the Prophet and his biographers is too ample to permit of being quoted at length, but can be easily comprehended from a brief statement. The " visions of eternity " were opened to the elders ; angels ministered ; " the power of the Highest rest- " ed upon them ; " and " the house was filled with the glory of " God." It is very certain that, on the occasion stated, the Saints had a very lively time, and caused a great deal of com- motion. An antagonistic writer of the period accused them of being merry from another "spirit" than that which they claimed from above. During the shouting of " Hosanna to God " and the Lamb," Joseph claims to have had a marvellous vis- ion, in which he says : " I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, wheth- er in the body or out I cannot tell. I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like circling flames of fire; the blazing throne of God, whereon were seated the Father and the Son. I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold. I saw Father Adam,* * Joseph does not state how he came in possession of these names. He makes some blunder here or somewhere else, for he evidently makes Adam and Michael two distinct persons, while in other revelations he sets forth that Adam is Michael. Such confusion does not tend to increase faith. 64 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. and Abraham, and Michael, and my father and mother, my brother Al- vin," * etc., etc. This was a very great time, but it was only tlie forerunner of the Pentecost that was in store for them at the forthcoming dedication of the Temple. On the 27th March, 1836, a thou- sand Saints had assembled, and in that number wei'e all the apostles, seventies, and elders who could possibly get there. They had come to receive great blessings, and were mentally in excellent condition for anything that the heavens might . send them. A dedicatory prayer was offered by the Prophet, and the Saints were asked if they accepted the prayer dedicat- ing the House of the Lord. They shouted affirmatively, par- took of the Sacrament together, and then began to relate their experience and to testify. Brigham led off with " speaking in " tongues," and the services of the day closed with more shout- ing of " Hosannas '^ and " Amens." They were worked up to a high pitch of excitement. In the evening Joseph met the Quorum of elders, and what then transpired and subsequently during the days of dedi- cation is thus related by the Mormon historian : " He gave the elders instructions respecting the Spirit of Prophecy, and called upon them to speak and not to fear, and the Spirit of Projihecy should rest down upon them. Brother George A. Smith arose and began to prophesy when a noise was heard like a rushing, mighty wind, which filled the Temple, and all the congregation simultaneously arose, being moved by an invisible power. Many began to speak in tongues and prophesy ; others saw glorious visions, and Joseph beheld that the Temple was filled with angels, and told the congregation so. The people of the neighbourhood, hearing an unusual sound within the Temple, and seeing a bright light like a pillar of fire resting upon it, came running together and were astonished at what was transpiring. . . . "Next Sunday (April 3rd) two of the twelve apostles preached in the forenoon, and in the afternoon the Sacrament was administered ; after which Joseph retired to the pulpit, and the veils being dropped he bowed * Joseph, in his Autobiography, expressed great surprise at beholding his broth- er Alvin, as Alvin when he died knew nothing of the Mormon faith, and conse- quently could have no title to such a lofty position in the heavens ; but the Prophet seems not to have anticipated the natural astonishment which the reader must feel that he could see his mother in Paradise, as she was not only then in the flesh, but Uved long enough to write an affectionate biography of him himself after his own death. GREAT VISIONS IN THE TEMPLE. 65 himself, with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn and silent prayer to the Most Hio-h. After rising from prayer, a most glorious vision of the Lord was opened to both of them. The veil was taken from their minds, and the eyes of their understandings were opened. They saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit before them. Under His feet was a paved work of pure gold, in colour like amber. His eyes were as a flame of fire ; the hair of his head was like the pure snow ; his counte- nance shone above the brightness of the sun, and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah saying — ' I am the first and the last ; I am he who was slain ; I am your advocate with the Father.' He spoke many words of encouragement unto them, and gave them precious promises, and told them things that should come to pass. " After that vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto them, and Moses appeared before them and committed unto them the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the Ten Tribes from the land of the North. Elias then appeared and com- mitted the dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham. " After that vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon them, for Elijah the Prophet, who was taken to heaven without tast- ing death, stood before them and said — ' Behold the time has fully come which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fa- thers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse. Therefore,' said he, ' the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.' " * After such, evidences of what is claimed to have been a di- vine attestation of the mission of Joseph, it is to be regretted that the greater portion of the v^^itnesses of these glorious visions " fell away " and apostatized from Joseph. Within six months from that time one of his own counsellors and three of his apos- tles were suspended from fellowship, and in the following year this same Oliver Cowdery, who had seen, heard, and was or- dained by angels, and had the most ecstatic visions, was also cut ofiP from the Church ! At the time when these manifestations are said to have oc- curred in the Temple at Kirtland, few persons outside of the Mormon communion believed anything of the report ; but the multitudes scattered throughout the world who now believe in * "Autobiography of Joseph Smith." 66 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Bpirit-manifestations will credit the thousand spectators and witnesses at the dedication with having had a " wonderful ex- " perience." * * There is a great diversity of statement respecting the source of the endow- ment and the character of its manifestations. The orthodox Mormons claim that the angels and the Holy Spirit gave the endowments, and that, though the com- pany had been together eight hours, everything was conducted with the greatest solemnity and the best of order preserved. Two Mormons present on the occasion, — William E. McLellin and John Corrill — the former an apostle, and the latter a high priest, publish very different statements. McLellin says : " As to the endowment in Kirtland, I state positively, it was no endowment from God. Not only myself was not endowed, but no other man of the five hundred who was present — except it was with wine!" — "True Latter-Day Saints' Herald," vol. 19, p. 437 Corrill says : " The ceremony was first performed upon the first presidency, together with the bishops and their counsellors ; after which the elders in their turn attended to the ceremony, and it was alike upon all occasions. They were to purify their bodies by washing them entirely with pure water, after which they were to wash each other's feet, and anoint each other with oil, pronouncing mutual blessings during the performance. The sacrament was then administered, in which thQj partook of the bread and wine freely, and a report went abroad that some of them got drunk ; as to that, every man must answer for himself" Since that endowment, " bread and wine," anointings and prophesyings have often cheered the hearts of the elders. CHAPTER XI. riEST GEEAT APOSTACT.— Joseph predicts that Brigham will be President of the Church — British Missions projected as a Strategic Measure — One of Joseph's own Counsellors rebels against him — He is proclaimed " a Fallen Prophet " — Troubles again threaten in Missouri. A CRITICAL period in tlie existence of the Church was now reached. The endowments had been given and the Temple had been dedicated, yet there was dissatisfaction among the disciples. Their anticipations had not been realized. The spirit of apostacy was abroad. But it was not the faith that so much tried the people as it was Joseph's life. Everyone had his own ideas of what a prophet should be. He was now greatly changed. The humble plough-boy had merged in the Prophet-ruler. The men who had devoted to him their best abilities in the beginning, and had contributed to shape the crude elements of his supernatural creations into form, thought that they had a right to some part in " the kingdom." Joseph saw in them only instruments subordinate to his own success — he was to be the head and front of everything. It was difficult for fi-ee-born Americans cradled in democracy to comprehend at once Joseph's theocracy. It takes time for men to strangle their truest instincts. Joseph had none of that experience himself, and he could not appreciate the cost of it in others. All the manliness of his ambitious nature found ample scope in working out what he believed to be his divine mission, and in announcements of faith. JS^orainally, he accorded the same privileges to his brethren, but practically, it was the very oppo- site. It was for him to speak ; it was for them to obey. He was " the Lord's servant," and they had no right to criticise him. If he erred, " the Lord " could correct him. The man who 68 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. dared to suggest was as impious as lie who in the ancient Israel- itish story stretched forth his hand to steady the tottering ark, and deserved the same punishment — the judgment of Heaven. It is asserted that when Joseph first saw Brigham Young he prophesied that " the time would come when Brother Brig- " ham should preside over the Church." * With such a predic- tion ringing in his ears, it is not difficult to trace Brigham's influence with Joseph, from the beginning of their acquaint- ance, and to see therein laid the foundation of that unchal- lenged authority which now characterizes his reign in Utah. Nearly all the leading men during the first years of Mormon history fell out with Joseph over his personal rule ; but Brig- ham was among the very few who clung to him. He never — or, at the farthest, but once only — challenged Joseph's right to do as he pleased, and he permits none to dispute his own. But the Saints grew weary, and it was necessary to direct their attention away from home. So " the Lord " revealed to Joseph that " in order to save His Church " a foreign mission must be improvised, and Great Britain was selected as the new field of labour. Republicanism was at war with theocracy, and it became necessary to seek an element that had been cradled with kings. The Apostles Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde were ac- cordingly chosen to introduce the Gospel to Europe. On the 12th of June, 1837, they left Kirtland, and thus began the first foreign mission. These apostles were accompanied by other elders, and in a few months were successful in converting great numbers in England, and in doing so saved the Church in America. During the summer, Joseph, accompanied by Sidney Rig- don and Thomas B. Marsh, the President of the Twelve Apostles, made a tour through Canada, preaching and visiting the Saints, while Brigham Young remained at home. But troubles began to loom up again in Missouri, and apostacy was coming to a crisis in Ohio. On the return of Joseph from Canada, a special conference * Some old Mormons relate that they heard Joseph also say some time before his death : " If Brigham Young ever becomes President of the Church, he will lead it to hell." Not a few believe the latter prediction to be as correct as the forir.eK. JOSEPH PROCLAIMED A FALLEN PROPHET. 69 ^ The Apostle Heber C. Kimball. was assembled at Kirtland, on the 3rd of September. Every- thing was in confusion ; the devil was ravaging the flock. Frederick G. Williams, one of Joseph's counsellors, and the third man in the kingdom, was in rebellion ; Luke Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson, and John F. Boynton, three of the Apos- tles, " fell away." At the same time, Brigham Young was exceedingly energetic, and attempted to neutralize the influence of the apostates. The Missourians in Clay county had also become dissatisfied with the Mormons, and asked them to leave the county. They were obliged to move, and scattered into Carroll, Davies, and Caldwell counties, founding in the latter the City of Far "West. Joseph and Sidney visited Missouri in October, and re- mained there some weeks, counselling and encouraging the brethren and sisters in building up Zion. At the same time it was thought best to proceed no further with the great Temple in Jackson county. During Joseph's absence in the "West, the leading " apos- " tates " in Ohio proclaimed him " a fallen prophet " and his followers heretics, and a warm time appeared to await him wherever he went. 5 -^ - CHAPTEK XII. THE PKOPHET BECOMES A BANKEE.— Apostates and Capitalists bring him to Grief— Sidney Eigdon's Interesting View of a " Circulating Medium " — He as- sures Mr. Jones that the Bank-notes were never intended for Eedemption — The Kirtland Safety Society Bank repudiated — Joseph and Sidney fly to Missouri — Pursued by Armed Men — Extraordinary Escapes — " The Lord" protects them. Some time preceding the apostacy, the Prophet had added to his responsibilities that of being the cashier of a Safety So- ciety Bank, of which his counsellor Sidney Rigdon was Presi- dent. In connection with this some very hard stories are told about Joseph and the leading men, and Joseph is in turn as severe against the " apostates " and the Gentiles who con- spired to break his bank and get him into trouble. The bank was not a success ; indeed, it was altogether a failure, and Jo- seph and Sidney were obliged, through the operations of " apostates " and bankers, to leave very hurriedly for Missouri — " between two days." The evening of the 12th of January, 1838, found them on the wing ; and Brigham had left precipi- tately three weeks before that. The necessity for flight was somewhat pressing, as the historian states that the cashier and president made about sixty miles the first night, and " theix " enemies " continued the pursuit for about two hundred miles. The pursuers were often close upon the fugitives, and some- times passed them on the road. On one occasion they stopped with them all night in the same road-side inn, with only a thin partition between the two parties, and once they even overtook and examined them without recognizing their features. For these wonderful escapes " the Lord " is duly credited. He protected His servants, and blinded their pursuers. This banking episode in Kirtland clearly shows the confi- THE DEVIL AND APOSTATES CRUSH THE BANK. 71 dence which the " outside world " placed in the integrity of the Mormon leader at that early period of his life. The notes of the Safety Society Bank were received with greater confi- dence than most of the bank paper then in circulation in the "West. The banks in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Illinois no longer paid in specie, but were doing a " suspended business." The Safety Society paper obtained a wide circulation ; for, however fanatical and deluded the people might be considered, their honesty had up to this time never been questioned. " The names of Joseph Smith as cashier and Sidney Eigdon as presi- dent were signed to the beautifully engraved bank-notes. As these men professed to be prophets of the Lord, having daily communion with angels, with Christ, and even with God himself, no one supposed that they would lend themselves to a fraudulent issue of bank paper. Those who saw the notes to which their names were attached supposed the bank to be simply a savings institution in which the Saints could deposit their earnings, while they would be invested so as to jjay interest, and that the notes rep- resented actual money in bank, or the paper of good men." * This kindly supposition was further extended, and the Safety Society Bank paper became a favourite medium of circu- lation with Saint and sinner. Bankers took it freely, and the people preferred it because it was " safe," while so much other paper at that period was of very doubtful character. The out- fitting of the Eastern Saints for Zion in the west, the purchas- ing of cattle, wagons, farming and mechanical tools, and every- thing needed for a new home, afibrded the paper, under such a favourable reception, an extensive circulation. But a crisis came whicli the Mormon historian charges to the wiles of the devil aided by " apostates," the bankers being the direct in- struments. Joseph accused the bankers of having combined to crush him, and the bankers claimed that tliey only wanted to be assured of the ability of the Safety Society Bank to meet its liabilities before they received too much of its paper, which was surely not a very unreasonable precaution. The Pittsburg bankers deputed a Mr. Jones, one of their number, to visit Kirtland, and with a well-packed satchel he found himself in due time in the presence of the inspired bank- ers. Mr. Jones's recital of that interview is very touching. — * Extract from a letter by a Pittsburg banker to the Author. 12 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. He first enquired about the success of " the Lord's cause," and how it prospered everywhere, and evinced considerable interest in the Latter-Day religion in general. This he claims was a matter of courtesy, but it was unfortunate, for on opening the satchel and producing huge bundles of the Safety Society Bank j)aper, the whole proceeding was regarded by brother Eigdon, the President, as " the march of a wolf in sheep's " clothing," which opinion Sidney unhesitatingly announced to the astonished Jones. Brother Bigdon must have very largely mingled humour with his severity, for he is reported to have told the Pittsburg banker that the paper had been put out as a " circulating medium for the accommodation of the " peoj^le," that it would be an injury to them for the paper to come home and be redeemed, that it could only benefit them by remaining out. The bank redeemed nothing. Mr. Jones pleaded for a deviation from the rule in his case, and pledged himself never to return with Safety Society paper, if only this time he could get the cash or convertible paper of other banks. Sidney was, however, faithful to the programme of the bank, exasperating Mr. Jones with the information that they " had " never asked him or anyone else to take the paper," and re- ferring him to that important epoch when the profession to which Mr. Jones belonged were scourged and driven out of the Temple at Jerusalem. Mr. Jones returned to Pittsburg, and when the bankers heard the above report from their represen- tative, no more of the Safety Society Bank paper was taken. Silence was maintained for a time, and, acting out the saying " dog eat dog," much of the unredeemed paper was put out, but at the same time much of it was forced back into the hands of the bankers by those who received it from them. That Joseph Smith and Sidney Eigdon contemplated in that experiment a deliberate swindle, is very inharmonious with their life and programme at that period. The large number of Saints who were looking to them for direction, sug- gested the bank as a protective measure against the frequent losses by the failures of that period ; and with the credit of a good name, which is admitted on all sides to have existed, the Prophet established the Kirtland Bank. Had not trouble arisen among themselves, and the usual amount of detraction FLIGHT OF THE PROPHET-BANKEHS. 73 ensued, which weakened the confidence of the Saints, and led them to present their own bank paper for redemption, it is very probable that Mr, Jones would have got his money. But this precautionary combination of bankers at Pittsburg, coming as it did at an untoward moment, killed the Prophet's institution. As some one must be abused, it is very natural that the respon- sibility of that inevitable fiasco should be relegated to the shoulders of his Satanic Majesty. It was well known to the Saints that he was the guilty party, and was trying to break up " the kingdom." The Prophet-Bankers on the Wing All these troubles were spoken of by Joseph as '- persecu- " tion." Of his flight from Kirtland he writes : " A new year dawned upon the Church at Kirtland in all the bitterness of the spirit of Apostate Mobocracy, which continued to rage and grow hotter and hotter, until Elder Rigdon and myself were obliged to flee from its deadly influence, as did the apostles and prophets of old, and as Jesus said, ' When they persecute you in one city, flee ye to another ; ' and on the evening of the 12th of January, about 10 o'clock, we left Kirtland" on horseback, to escape mob violence which was about to burst upon us, under the colour of legal process to cover their hellish designs, and save themselves from the just judgment of the law. The weather was ex- tremely cold, and we were obliged to secrete ourselves sometimes, to elude the grasp of our pursuers, who contmued their race more than two hundred miles from Kirtland, armed with pistols, etc., seeking our lives." After this, the Prophet never returned to Kirtland, but he appointed an agent for the settlement of his own unfinished 74 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. business in Ohio. In different parts of his autobiography he pubhshes cards from business men expressive of their satisfac- tion at the manner in which the agent had adjusted the ac- counts. The Prophet disclaimed any responsibility for the failure of the bank, and charged one of the brethren with dis- honesty, which produced this result. He was evidently proud of a good commercial name. Before this period, and when all was pleasant in Ohio, it was announced that " the Lord " had accepted the Saints there and had established his name in Kirtland for the salvation of the nations. But this honour was short-lived. Kirtland was soon abandoned for ever. Joseph and Sidney as fugitives took their families with them to Missouri, and overtook Brigham Young and his family before they reached the promised land. The experience of the prophets and apostles had been any- thing but pleasant in the East ; it was destined to be worse in the West. They arrived in Far "West on the 12th of March, 1838, and in less than a month they had to cut off from the Church two of the most important witnessess of the Book of Mormon. CHAPTEE XIII. CUTTING- OFF APOSTLES.— Witnesses of the Book of Mormon expelled from the Church — Joseph denounces the "Lord's Chosen" as " Blacklegs, Thieves, Liars, and Counterfeiters " — More Apostles dethroned — The Prophet locates the Garden of Eden in Missouri — It was there that Adam and Eve sported in Inno- cence— More Trouble looming — Kigdon's famous Declaration of Independence. On tlie 6tli of April, 1838, the eighth anniversary of that organization in which he so much rejoiced, and was so much favoured, Oliver Cowdrey was destined to find himself cast out of the Church and consigned to the tender mercies of Satan. After those extraordinary experiences with heavenly beings had all been rehearsed, Oliver still persisted in rebellion, and was formally " turned over to the buffetings of the devil." But Cowdery was not alone ; another rebel was found in the person of David "Whitmer, the second witness to the Book of Mormon. Martin Harris, the third witness of this remarkable production, had already been consigned to the infernal regions, and thus the excommunication of Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer during the conference completed the work of apostacy among those who had seen the angel, and heard the testimony about " the plates," and their translation into English. From the beginning, the devil had desired that he might possess these " witnesses," and at last " the Lord " made the transfer, with the understanding and instruction that his Sable Majesty was to heap upon the rebels all the agony under which they could wriggle. The modern prophets trench pretty closely upon " Anathe- " ma Maranatha " of the ancient Sanhedrim, and evidently consider that it is the correct thing. A Mormon Bishop cursing 76 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. an " apostate " is a perfect realization of the prayer of Burns's " Holy Willie : " " Curse thou his basket and his store, Kail and potatoes. Thy strong right hand, Lord, make it bare Upo' their heads ; Lord, weigh it down, and dinna spare For their misdeeds." From this time Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer are handed down to posterity in Mormon Church history charged with being " connected with a gang of counterfeiters, thieves, " liars, and blacklegs of the deepest dye," and with " cheating " and defrauding the Saints." In the formal list of charges for Cowdery's excommunication was another : '' Seeking to " destroy the character of Joseph Smith, Jr., by falsely insinu- " ating that he was guilty of adultery." Martin Harris had previously been catalogued with " negroes who wear white " skins," and he and his associates were " so far beneath con- " tempt that a notice of them would be far too great a sacrifice "for a gentleman to make." * Hyrum Smith, the brother of the Prophet, after his deliverance from a Missouri j)rison, charges the brothers Oliver and Lyman Cowdery with going to his house while he was " held in durance vile," and robbing him of his valuables under the cloak of friendship. Such were the men whom " the Lord " had selected as witnesses to the divinity of the Book of Mormon. During this conference the apostles who were in rebellion at Kirtland were formally excommunicated, viz. : Luke John- son, Lyman E. Johnson, and John F. Boynton. Another apostle was added to the list of apostates — William E. McLellin ; and William Smith, another apostle, and brother of the Prophet, had a narrow escape from expulsion. This was a trying time to the Saints, and many left the Church, but Joseph was in- domitable. It was during his severest trials and in the face of approaching danger that Joseph displayed the greatest faith in his mission. At this moment he saw the shadows of coming * " History of Joseph Smith." * THE GARDEN OF EDEN IN MISSOURI. 77 events that would trj men's souls, but be would make no com- promise with " the rebels." He was resolved on victory or martyrdom. His confidence was heroic : in himself he had unbounded faith. Joseph saw the necessity of a new gathering place. Kirt- land was gone ; a few of the Saints only were conditionally tolerated in Jackson county, and in the other counties of Mis- souri where they had taken refuge a continuance of peace was very doubtful. A new city was to be laid out on the north side of Grand River, twenty miles distant from Far West. The brethren called the new location Spring Hill, but Joseph had a revelation naming it Adam-Ondi-Ahman.* There has always been some mystery about the exact loca- tion of the Garden of Eden, the early residence of the inno- cent progenitors of the human race — Darwin aside— but it has generally been supposed to have been somewhere on the east- ern continent. On the occasion of naming this new gather- ing place, Joseph was informed that the Garden of Eden, with all the rich incidents of the morning of creation, was localized in Jackson county, Missouri, and that this new spot selected for the gathering of the Saints and named Adam-Ondi-Ahmau ' was the identical region where Adam and Eve betook them- selves after the expulsion from the historical garden. Joseph also gives with considerable minuteness a statement about a great gathering or conference held there of the leading men of Adam's posterity about three years preceding the departure of that first patriarch from this mundane sphere. In that par- ticular valley the Saints were now commanded to gather in the last days ; but this heavenly intelligence changed in noth- ing the hearts of the Missourians toward the Mormons. Governor Dunklin had advised the expelled Mormons to seek redress in the courts for their losses in Jackson county ; and, ever ready to assert their claims, the Saints failed not to follow the suggestion thus offered. The consequent prosecu- tion of some of the leading " mobocrats " was a constantly- recurring element of strife, which, added to the growing po- litical influence of the Saints, afforded politicians and anti- Mormons the opportunity of combining against the com- * " The valley of God in which Adam blessed his children." ^S THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " " mon enemy, as thej claimed to regard the followers of the Prophet. The Kh'tland Colony was now entirely broken up, and the eastern Saints j)onred into Missouri. Proud of their growing strength, and chafing under past persecutions, Sidney Rigdon in the Fourth-of-July oration delivered a.Mormon " Declaration " of Independence," informing the Missourians that they must cease their oppression and persecution of " the Saints of the "Most High God." It was the enunciation of an enthusiast's programme, and just such a foolish speech as the Missourians wanted to hear. It set the country on fire, and hostile action was resolved upon. The anti-Mormons were waiting for a pre- text, and Sidney furnished it. His language on that occasion is thus reported : " We take God and all the holy angels to witness this day that we warn all men in the name of Jesus Christ, to come on us no more for ever. The man, or the set of men, who attempts it does so at the expense of their lives. And the mob that comes on us to disturb us, it shall be be- tween us and them a war of extermination, for we will follow them till the last drop of blood is spilled, or else they will have to exterminate us ; for we will carry the seat of war to their own houses and their own families, and one part or the other shall be utterly destroyed. Remember it, then, all men ! . . . " No man shall be at liberty to come into our streets, to threaten us with mobs, for if he does he shall atone for it before he leaves the place, neither shall he be at liberty to vilify and slander any of us, for sujQTer it we will not in this place.* We therefore take all men to record this day, as did our fathers, and we pledge this day to one another, our fortunes, our lives, and our sacred honours, to be delivered from the per- secutions which we have had to endure for the last nine years, or nearly that. Neither will we indulge any man or set of men in instituting vexa- tious law suits against us, to cheat us out of our just rights ; if they attempt it, we say woe be unto them. We this day, then, proclaim ourselves free, with a purpose and a determination that can never be broken. No, never ! No, never ! ! No, never ! ! ! " * This oration is known as " Sidney's Salt Sermon." It was inspired by ven- geance, and breathed not only death to the Missourians, but also to the brethren who, still having control of their reason, dissented from the fire-and-sword doctrine that was preached against their neighbours. These were immediately designated " apostates," and for their special edification Sidney chose the text : " If the salt have lost its savour, it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trod- den under foot of men." That he meant this as literally as language could express, there was no doubt. The people who heard it, and to whom it was addressed by implication, so understood it, and in such a neighbourhood and at a time when SIDNEY RIGDON'S "SALT SERMON." fjg The elections were at liaiicl, and the old settlers saw in the incoming Mormons from the East a repetition of the tradition- ary story of Aaron's rod, and they resolved not to be swallowed up or exterminated as Sidney threatened.* Danitism was taught — whether by the authority of Joseph Smith or without, it matters not — the terrible dread of vengeance was all the same. The Mormons have had whispered into their ears that the story of Ananias and Sapphira " falling down dead " at the rebuke of Peter was no work of the heavens, as is generally supposed, but that " the young men " who were with Peter literally " trod them under their feet " till their bowels gushed out. Sidney's Salt Sermon had all that significance. * Brigham Young, during the trial of Sidney, some years afterWards, said: " Elder Rigdon was the prime cause of our troubles in Missouri, by his Fourth-of- July oration." — " Times and Seasons," Vol. 5, page 667. The Apostle Woodruflf calls the oration a " flaming speech, which had a ten- dency to bring persecution upon the whole church, especially the head of it." — " Times and Seasons," p. 698. CHAPTER Xiy. WAE COMMENCES.— Affidavits made against the Frophet— The Mormons and the Mob resort to Arms — The Governor calls out the State Militia — Joseph and Sidney propose to become Lawyers — The Mormon Settlements attacked — Houses burned — Women and Children forced to flee betore an Infuriated Mob— Frightful Cruelties — The Saints fight and retaliate. On the 6tli of August the election at Gallatin, Davies county, furinshed the opportunity for a collision. A Colonel Peniston, who had headed a mob in Clay county against the Mormons, was a candidate for some office in Davies county. In the forenoon of the election he delivered an anti-Mormon speech from the head of a barrel, and " Dick " Welding, one of his admirers, just drunk enough for discussion, attacked Sam Brown, a Mormon. Periy Durpliy, another Mormon, essayed the role of peace-maker, when five or six Missourians suddenly seized him, clubbed him, and sought to kill him, Abraham Nelson, another Mormon, seeing his brethren in danger, joined in and got served as badly as Durpliy. Hiram J^elson flailed around with the butt end of his whip, and did good service. Riley Stewart, another Mormon, reached the head of the redoubtable " Dick •' and felled him to the ground. Riley in turn got the general attentions of the Missourians, and was badly injured, when John L. Butler joined in the free fight and brought up the scuffle to a general breathing time. Butler was an earnest man and claimed the right as an Ameri- can citizen to fight for his liberty as his fathers had done be- fore him. But the authorities of the county urged a with- drawal of the Mormon belligerents from the vicinity of the bal- lot boxes, as the Missourians were determined that they should not vote. Some wounds had to be dressed, and the Mormons FIRST BLOOD SHED IN MISSOURI. 81 withdrew ; but the country was now aroused and the Missouri- ans gathered with arms. Thus began the troubles in Missouri that eventually resulted in the imprisonment of the Mormon leaders, and the final expulsion of the Saints from that State. None of the Mormons were killed, but some of them were badly wounded, while several of the Missourians " had their " skulls cracked,'' and two were reported dead. The Mormon historian states that " about one hundred and fifty Missourians Mormon Troulles in Missouri be^in. " warred against from six to twelve of our brethren who fouo-ht " like lions ; " to which Joseph's gushing soul ejaculated : " Blessed be the memory of those few brethren who contended " so strenuously for their constitutional rights and relio-ious "freedom against such an overwhelming force of despera- "does." The following day, Joseph, accompanied by some of the leading Mormons, and followed by brethren from difi'erent parts of the country, rode out to learn the facts of this affray. They stopped with brother Colonel Wight over night, and next morning came up to the scene of trouble. They then called upon a Justice of the Peace, Adam Black, to learn how he stood in respect to the question of mobocracy and constitu- tional right. He had not given them satisfaction in his pre- vious relations, and they now wanted to know " whether he " was their friend or enemy, whether he would administer the " law in justice ; and they politely requested him to sign an 82 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " agreement of peace." Adam handed them a satisfactory document, but thej did not believe in his sincerity, and in that they were not disappointed. Affidavits were immediately made by the orator Peniston, Adam Black, and others, charging Joseph Smith and his lead- ing men with collecting and directing a large body of armed men in Davies county, " whose movements," according to Pen- iston, "were of a highly insurrectionary character " to take vengeance for some injuries, or imaginary injuries, " done to some of their friends, and to intimidate and drive " from the county all the old citizens, and possess themselves " of their lands, or to force such as do not leave to come into " their measures and submit to their dictation." The country was greatly agitated, and in a few days Joseph was waited upon by a sheriff from Davies county. That offi- cial, learning that he could not act out of his own county, the writ was laid aside. Before the end of the month in which the trouble commenced, Adam Black had made affidavit before a justice of the peace of his own county, declaring that — " A hundred and fiftj'-four armed men had surrounded his house and family, and threatened him with instant death if he did not sign a certain instrument of writing binding himself, as a Justice of the Peace for said county of Davies, not to molest the people called Mormons ; and threatened the lives of myself and other individuals, and did say they intended to make every citizen sign such obligation, and further said they intended to have satisfaction for abuse they had received on the Monday previous, and they could not submit to the laws." "Whether the accusations on either side were true or false, the ball was now in motion. Governor Boggs issued an order to Major-General D. E. Atchison, 3rd Division Missouri Mi- litia, to raise immediately four hundred mounted men, armed and equipped as infantry or riflemen, as " a precautionary meas- " ure " to aid in suppressing Indian disturbances on the fron- tier, or to act where wanted in Caldwell, Davies, and Carroll counties. The excitement increased, and extravagant rumours were in circulation. Joseph Smith and Colonel Lyman Wight were the particular objects of attention. It was commonly reported that they had said they would not be taken by the officers of ' THE PROPHET STUDIES THE LAW. 83 the law, and the whole of Upper Missouri was in an -uproar and confusion. In the midst of this, the Prophet sent for General Atchison to come and counsel with him. This meeting resulted in Jo- seph very adroitly employing General Atchison and his part- ner, General Doniphan, as his lawyers and counsellors-at-law ; and the same day Joseph and Sidney Rigdon commenced the study of law under these distinguished gentlemen, who kindly encouraged the Prophet and his counsellor with the hope of being admitted to the bar in the course of twelve months if they were diligent in application. Acting on the advice of General Atchison, Joseph and Lyman Wight volunteered to be tried by Judge Austin A. King, who held them to bail in the sum of $500 each. But this did not satisfy the Missourians in Davies county, and the gathering of armed men continued. The anti-Mormon Justice of the Peace, Black, and Circuit Judge, King, represented to the Governor that no writs could be served on the Mormons without military assistance ; where- upon his Excellency issued orders to General Atchison to aid the civil authorities in Davies county. Brigadier-General Doni]3han was also called into the field, commanding tlie 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Missouri Militia. By the presence of these Generals the mob was held in check, and the Mormons renewed their assurances of readiness to meet the demands of the law. In the mean time the Saints were everywhere preparing for defence. General Atchison rej^orted to the Governor, on the 17th of September, the general condition of the county; that there was a great deal of excitement, but that the troops under his com- mand would be no longer required if the mob would disperse. The Governor, acting upon previous information from other parties, ordered General S. D, Lucas, of the Fourth Division, forward with an additional four hundred mounted men to the scene of difficulty to cooperate with General Atchison. Simi- lar orders were issued to Major-Generals Lewis Bolton, John B. Clark, and Thomas D. Grant. It was evident that the Governor had a plan of his own. On the 20th, General Atchison disbanded the troops, with S4 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. the exception of two companies nnder Brigadier-General Parks, that were deemed necessary to be retained in service till the excitement had entirely subsided. Tlie mob were dis- persing and the Mormons were returning to their homes. On hearing this, the Governor stopped the further advance of tlie reinforcements to General Atchison, and everything seemed to indicate peace. The Mormons in Davies county, where the trouble had begun, were willing to leave that county and were negotiating for the sale of tlieir property. Joseph and his associates were again at their religious duties, preaching, or- daining missionaries, and building up Zion ; and General At- chison was assuring the Governor that "he had no doubt his " Excellency was deceived by the exaggerated statements of " designing or half-crazy men." Dr. xVustin, of Carroll county, who was the leader of the mob in Davies county, visited the Mormons at De Witt, a very small settlement in Carroll county, and could not resist the temptation to provoke a conflict. Immediately upon hearing the report of renewed hostilities, General Parks hastened to the scene of trouble and found on arrival Dr. Austin with between two and three hundred men, w^ell armed and in possession of a piece of cannon. Colonel Ilinkle, a Mormon officer, had reached there with three or four hundred brethren, but General Parks had to report to General Atchison that he could do nothing. He had issued orders for more troops, but the Missourians paid no attention to him, and those that he had could not be relied upon. In the history of the Church, Joseph alleges that the General was more favour- ably disposed towards the mob than towards the Saints. The " notorious Bogart " was one of the captains, and the men un- der him were eager to join the mob. The closing paragraph of General Parks's report to General Atchison rather favours Joseph's impressions of unfriendliness : " Nothing seems so much in demand here (to hear the Carroll county- men talk) as Mormon scalps ; as yet they are scarce. I believe Hinkle with the present force and position will beat Austin with five hundred of his troops. The Mormons say they will die before they will be driven out, etc. As yet, they have acted on the defensive, as far as I can learn. It is my settled opinion the Mormons will have no rest until they leave ; whether they will or not, time only can tell." THE SAINTS DRIVEN FROM DE WITT COUNTY. 85 The easy manner with which General Parks treats the de- mand for " Mormon scalps," and the unconcerned notice of the probability of a fight, while he knew these poor people were hemmed in and prospectively doomed to starvation, if not overwhelmed by the constantly increasing numbers of the mob, indicate anything but a lively interest in their welfare. The Saints suffered severely. Their provisions were entire- ly exhausted, and several of the men perished from starvation, while the mob subsisted upon their cattle and the products of their fields. With no prospect of aid from the Governor, the Mormons listened to the proposition of the mob that they would purchase their property if they would leave the county. After ten days' siege the agreement was made, the property was appraised, and the next day the Mormons collected about seventy wagons and started for Caldwell county, and they had no sooner got ready to leave than the mob began to harass and fire upon them. On their first night's encampment one of the sisters died from exposure soon after confinement, and was buried without a coffin, by the wayside. It was a terrible time of suffering, and they reached Caldwell almost entirely desti- tute of everything. The same mob hastened to Davies county to assist their friends in expediting the departure of the Mormons from that county also. It was now very evident to the lawless banditti that the authorities would not interpose in behalf of the Mor- mons. To the 23etition of the latter, the Governor replied that it was an affair between the mob and the Mormons and they might fight it out. General Doniphan, on learning that eight hundred mobbers were marching towards a Mormon settlement in Davies county, ordered Colonel Hinkle to raise a force in Caldwell and help the Saints till the militia could be raised and reach that place. The same cruel work that had marked the operations of the mob at De Witt was reenacted at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. The houses outside of the settlement were first attacked and some of them were burned down; the horses and cattle were driven away and stolen, and a general sacking and destruction of everything ensued. To add to the bitterness of their situation, 6 86 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. there was a snow-storm for two days, and tlie homeless terri- fied women and children had to battle with it in their flight to their friends in Adam-Ondi-Ahman. It was a woeful sight, for they brought nothing with tliciii, and were only too glad to escape with their lives. One poor woman, the wife of Jo- seph's brotlier, Don Carlos, is mentioned by the historian as fleeing before the savage mob with two helpless babes in her arms, and forced to wade Grand Kiver with her sacred charge in order to reach the settlement, while her house was being- burned down. Her husband was absent at the time on a preaching mission in Tennessee. At this period the Mormons were accused by the Mobocrats of having burned some of their houses, but the former strenu- ously deny the accusation and charge it to the strategy of the mob when they saw they could not drive them out from their possessions. This it is alleged was done for the purpose of raising "the hue and cry " that "the Mormons were burning " and destroying all before them." Some log-houses certainly were burned, whoever did it, and the whole country was aroused against the supposed incendiaries. During the 2nd Session of the 26th Congress, a document of nearly fifty pages was published by order of the Senate [No. 189] giving the testimony taken before the judge of the fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of Missouri, on the trial of Joseph Smith, Junr., and others for high treason and other crimes against that State. This document asserts that the Mormon leaders were guilty of the grossest outrages upon the Gentiles. Burning their houses and stealing from them were common occurrences ; and threatenings of death to apostates, or those who would not take part in the general fight against the Missourians, were the teachings of the pulpit orators. With such an array of circumstantial evidence, confirmed by a vari- ety of persons — Mormons and anti-Mormons — it is difficult not to believe that the few leading men around Joseph Smith, particularly Lyman Wight and Sidney Rigdon, were not thor- ough fanatics and guilty of gross crimes ; and if Joseph was less culpable it was due to his greater realization of resjDonsi- bility and better judgment. Lyman Wight seems to have possessed all tlie characteristics of a religious " jay-hawker "-:— WIGHT AND RIGDON CRAZY FANATICS. 87 a sort of mixture of fanatic and " Border ruffian." He was doubtless the inspiring deity of Joseph's revelation, that called into existence Zion's Camp and " the Lord's " armies. He was rightly designated " the "Wild Ram of the Mountains." Sidney Rigdon was an eloquent, full-fledged fanatic, ever ready to roast heretics and annihilate all who opposed the wild flights of his imagination and ambition — a most dangerous man in the midst of such a people as he had around him in Missouri. CHAPTEE XV. THE CIIUECH IN DANGEE.— Apostles apostatize— Marsli and Hyde make Affi- davits against the Prophet — Charge him with aiming to be a Second Mohammed — The Danite Band — Its Name and Origin — Dr. Avard's Statements — The Doc- tor's Speech — Joseph denies the Paternity of the Band — Great Excitement throughout the State — A Sensational Eeport — More Fighting^The Apostle Patten killed — The Saints to be rooted out. After tlie dispersion of the mob, Josepli returned to Far West in liopes of finding rest ; but there was none for liim. Troubles were gathering thickly around him, but still he was confident that " the Lord was on his side," "When he saw Far West literally crowded with refugees, he remembered that " the word of the Lord " had commanded the Saints to gather into the cities some months before, but they had been slow to obey.* He did not relish the hasty fulfilment of the com- mandment, but even in the midst of discomforts and sufierings it was something to know that " the Lord " had willed it. Affidavits of the most inflammatory kind were now made by the leading mobocrats. Upper Missouri was on fire, and nothing but the utter expulsion of the Saints from the State would satisfy their enemies. At this very moment of trial, when fidelity was but a common virtue, some of the leading Mormons deserted Joseph, and made affidavit against him. It is claimed that Thomas B. Marsh, the first President of the Twelve Apostles, and Orson Hyde, another of the apostles, who made these affidavits against him, were in j^eril of their * This is very characteristic of the Mormon Prophets. The people are always in the wrong. In this particular, Brigham Young is still worse than Joseph Smith. When any of his schemes fail [and many have failed], the responsibility is always saddled upon the people — " Had they hearkened to counsel all would have been "right" APOSTLES APOSTATIZE AND DENOUNCE THE PROPHET. 89 lives when they signed the document, and this was probably true, for it was a very unsafe time ; but there is no evidence to show that either Marsh or Hyde was in any more jeopardy than the rest of the Mormons, and could not have been spared as well as any of the brethren who bravely faced death rather than deny their faith. As a page of history, the affidavits are interesting : AFFIDAVIT OP THOMAS B, MAESH. " They have among them a company, considered true Mormons, called the Danites, who have taken an oath to support the heads of the Church in all things that they say or do, whether right or wrong. Many, how- ever, of this band are much dissatisfied with this oath, as being against moral and religious principles. On Saturday last, I am informed by the Mormons, that they had a meeting at Far West at which they appointed a company of twelve, by the name of the Destruction Company, for the purpose of burning and destroying, and that if the people of Buncombe came to do mischief upon the people of Caldwell, and committed depreda- tions upon the Mormons, they were to burn Buncombe ; and if the people of Clay and Ray made any movement against them, this destroying com- pany were to burn Liberty and Richmond. " The plan of said Smith, the Prophet, is to take this State ; and he professes to his peoj^le to intend taking the United States, and ultimately the whole world. This is the belief of the Church, and my own opinion of the Prophet's plans and intentions. The Prophet inculcates the no- tion, and it is believed by every true Mormon, that Smith's prophecies are superior to the laws of the land. I have heard the Prophet say that he would yet tread down his enemies, and walk over their dead bodies ; that if he was not let alone he would be a second Mohammed to this genera- tion,* and that he would make it one gore of blood from the Rocky * It is somewhat singular that Robert Souther, the Poet Laureate of England, should, thirteen months before the organization of the Mormon Church, have in hii " Colloquies " put the following words into the mouth of Sir Thomas More : "America is in more danger from religiotis fanaticism. The Government there, not thinking it necessary to provide religious instruction for the people in any of the new States, the prevalence of superstition, and that perhaps in some wild and terrible shape, may be looked for as one likely consequence of this great and por- tentous omission. An Old Man of the Mountain might find dupes and followers as readily as the All-friend Jemima; and the next Aaron Burr who seeks to carve a kingdom for himself out of the overgrown territories of the Union, may discern that fanaticism is the most effective weapon with which ambition can arm itself ; that the way for both is prepared by that immorality which the want of religion naturally and necessarily induced, and that camp-meetings may be very well direct- ed to forward the designs of military prophets. Were there another Mohammed to arise, there is no part of the world where he would find more scope or fairer oppor- tunity than in that part of the Anglo-American Union into which the older States 90 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean ; that like Mohammed, whose motto ia treating for peace was ' the Alcoran or the Sword,' so should it be event- ually with us, ' Joseph Smith or the Sword.' These last statements were made during the last summer. The number of armed men at Adam-Ondi- Ahman was between three and four hundred. Thomas B. Marsh. " Sworn to and subscribed before me, the day herein written. " Henry Jacobs, " J. P., Ray County, MissourL "EiCHMOND, MissoTJKi, Octdbev 24, 1838." AFFIDAVIT OP ORSON HYDE. " The most of the statements in the foregoing disclosure I know to be true ; the remainder I believe to be true. Orson Hyde. " EiOHMOND, October 24, 1838. " Sworn to and subscribed before me, on the day above written. " Henry Jacobs, J. P." To these affidavits is appended a " certificate " of seven persons, a " committee on the part of the citizens of Ray " county," who assm'e the world that Marsh was President of the Twelve Apostles, that Hyde was one of the Twelve, that they had left the Church, " and abandoned the faith of the "Mormons from a conviction of their immorality and im- " piety." It mattered little whether there were a word of truth or not in these affidavits, they served the purpose of inflaming the Missourians, and they furnish the reader with the actual thoughts of the people about the purposes and programme of the modern Prophet. There is much in the first part of the document that sounds like truth ; for it would be very strange if the Mormons had not organized some means for making re- prisals. "Wliatever might have been the commencement of the war in Missouri, at that date the Mormons had only the option of self-defence, butchery, or banishment. "With mobocracy that had neither respected the virtue of women, the innocence of children, nor the helplessness of age, the Mormons would continually discharge the restless part of their population, leaving laws and Gospel to overtake it if they can, for in the march of modern colonization both are left behind." A prediction as early fulfilled as this was would have made Joseph a great Prophet. THE DANITE BAND ORGANIZED. ftl have been despicable if they had done less. The rest of the document is such extravagant nonsense that sober people could well have afforded to laugh at it ; but, to the excited populace who received it as true, it was considered to be a full justifica- tion of and incitement to the annihilation of the Saints. Much has been written about the existence of aDanite Band among the Mormons. It is said to be composed of reliable men who are ever ready to "take off" inimical persons, and plunder or destroy the property of the offenders. Marsh makes affidavit to the fact of its existence in Missom'i, but Joseph de- nies that the Church had any such organization. He says that at one time a certain Dr. Sampson Avard did plan the forma- tion of such a band, and for the purposes stated by Marsh, but " when a knowledge of Avard's rascality came to the Presi- " dency of the Church, he was cut oftV At or about the time of Marsh's statement. Dr. Avard was in full fellowship with Joseph. He was with the Prophet at the house of Adam Black, the Justice of the Peace, and intro- duced him to that dignitary. He was unquestionably believed by the Mormons to be in the confidence of " the heads of the " Church." He organized the brethren into companies of tens and fifties, appointed captains over each company, gave " signs " and " grips " by which they should know each other by day or by night, binding themselves by the most sacred oaths to preserve in secrecy their works of darkness. Every Mormon who realizes, as indeed nearly all of them must, the strict surveillance which " the authorities " exercise over the actions of individuals, will have diflicult}^ in believing that Dr. Avard was alone in the organization of the Danite Band. It is very improbable that he or any other individual could impose upon the Saints to such an extent as to introduce the organizations that are admitted to have existed without some show of authoritative recognition. The historian again charges " Satan " with being in this way " busy in striving to " stir up mischief in the camp of the Saints," but Dr. Avard was more direct and avers that "he had received his authority " from Sidney Pigdon ; " and as Avard's projects and Sidney's Declaration of Independence have a strong family resemblance, there is no question that the Doctor thought that he was acting 92 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. harmoniously in doing as lie did, even if it be denied that he was instructed to that effect. After addressing the Danite companies about the coming glories of the kingdom, the Doctor is reported to have said : " My brethren, as you have been chosen to be our leading men, our captains to rule over this last Kingdom of Jesus Christ, who have been organized after the ancient order, I have called upon you here to-day to teach you and instruct you in the things that pertain to your duty, and to show you what your privileges are, and what they soon will be. Know ye not, brethren, that it soon will be your privilege to take your respect- ive companies and go out on a scout on the borders of the settlements and take to yourself sj^oils of the ungodly Gentiles ? For it is written, ' The ' riches of the Gentiles shall be consecrated to my people, the house of ' Israel ; ' and thus waste away the Gentiles by robbing and plundering them of their property ; and in this way we will build up the Kingdom of God, and roll forth the little stone that Daniel saw cut out of the moun- tain without hands until it shall fill the whole earth. For this is the very way that God destines to build up his Kingdom in the last days. If any of us should be recognized, who can harm us ? For we will stand by each other and defend one another in all things. If our enemies swear against us, we can swear also. [The captains were confounded at this, but Avard continued.]* Why do you startle at this, brethren ? As 'the Lord' liv- eth, I would swear a lie to clear any of you ; and if this would not do, I would put them or him under the sand as Moses did the Egyptian, and in this way we will consecrate much unto ' the Lord,' and build up his Kingdom ; and who can stand against us ? And if any of us transgress we will deal with him amongst ourselves. And if any of this Danite So- ciety reveals any of these things, I will put him where the dogs cannot bite him." Joseph's explanation of the possibility of such language be- ing addressed to his brethren, even though he says they rejected it, is plausible, but not altogether satisfactory to any one con- versant with the history of those times. He charges the Doctor witli being ambitious to "become the leader of the people, and " aspiring to rise a mighty conqueror at the expense of the "overthrow of the Church," and who "watched the opportu- " nity with the brethren at a time when mobs oppressed, robbed, " whipped, burned, plundered, and slew, till forbearance seemed " no longer a virtue, and nothing but the grace of God without " measure could support men under such trials." * The Mormon historian's note — not the Author's. HOW THE DANITES GOT THEIR NAME. 93 The intelligent Mormon knows to-day that though there may be no lonafide organization called the Danites, there have been in church fellowship, from the days of Avard up to the present, men who have done the deeds charged to the Danites. ready to execute the dirtiest and most diabolical plans that ever human or demoniac vindictiveness could conceive. Elder John Hyde, in his work upon Mormonism,* published fifteen years ago, believing in the existence of the Danite Band, gives the following suggestion as to the origin of its name : " When the citizens of Carroll and Davies counties, Mo., began to threaten the Mormons with expulsion in 1838, a ' death society ' was or- ganized under the direction of Sidney Rigdon, and with the sanction of Smith. Its first captain was Captain ' Fearnaught,' alias David Patten, an apostle. Its object was the punishment of the obnoxious. Some time elapsed before finding a suitable name. They desired one that should seem to combine spiritual authority with a suitable sound. Micah iv. 13 furnished the first name : ' Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion ; for I will ' make thy horn iron and thy hoofs brass ; and thou shalt beat in pieces ' many people ; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord of the ' whole earth.' This furnished them with a pretext ; it accurately described their intentions, and they called themselves the ' Daughters of Zion.' Some ridicule was made at these bearded and bloody ' Daughters,' and the name did not sit easily. ' Destroying Angels ' came next ; the ' Big ' fan of the thresher that should thoroughly purge the floor ' was tried and dropped. Genesis xlix. 17 furnished the name that they finally assumed. The verse is quite significant : " Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an ' adder in the path that biteth the horse's heels so that his rider shall fall 'backward.' The ' Sons of Dan' was the style they adopted, and many have been the times that they have been adders in the path, and many a man has fallen backward and has been seen no more." Joseph and the Church withdrew fellowship from Avard, his Danite organizations were broken up, his teachings were disavowed ; he shook hands with the mob, and asserted that Danitism in the Church was a fact. That such an organization exists to-day is believed by many, and that such sentiments have been entertained by the fanatical, and have been in some degree executed by the desperate, there are many reasons for believing. Brigham himself contributes the following confirma- tion : * " Mormonism ; Its Leaders and Designs," pp. 104-5. 94 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " If men come here and do not behave themselves, they •will not only find the Danites, ■whom they talk so much about, biting the horses' heels, but the scoundrels will find something hiting their heels. In my plain re- marks I merely call things by their own names." * With the documents of sucli men as Marsh, Hyde, and others in their possession, the people in Missouri were prepared to believe every report against the Mormons, and the mob leaders were not slow to supply sensational rumours. The following' is a fair specimen of the means used to rally the peo- ple : Cabrollton, Missouei, October 24ut the perusal of the testimony taken before Judge Austin A. King, at that very time, supports General Clark in this representation. The answer of a Mormon apologist that the testimony referred to was given by men who had left the Church and apostatized, could be of no weight with him. There were doubtless exaggerations on both sides, but General Clark's letter to the Governor was a faithful reflex of what he heard ; and he witnessed enough to partially confirm it. Vide Senate Document. 112 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " of the court." It was the beginning of that " border ruffianism " that afterwards so much disgraced botli Kansas and Missouri. At the close of the examination sixty prisoners were "honour- " ably acquitted," or held to bail ; but the Prophet, his brother Hyrum, Sidney Kigdon, Lyman Wight, Alexander McKae, and Caleb Baldwin were sent to jail in Liberty, Clay county, to await their trial on the charges of treason and murder.'-^ The " treason," says Joseph, " for having whipped the mob " out of Davies county and taking their cannon from them, " and ' murder,' for the man killed in the Bogart battle." Having " whipped " the mob, sounds as if Joseph hugely en- joyed that part of his experience. The other prisoners — • Parley P. Pratt, Morris Phelps, Luman Gibbs, Darwin Chase and ]^ormon Shearer, were placed in Richmond jail tp await their trial on the same charges. The body of the Saints were to leave the State in the spring, and their labours were devoted to preparation for that exclusively ; but it was exceedingly difficult to procure the necessary means. The banditti that roamed through the coun- ties where the Mormons resided, after the militia was dis- banded, swept away everything that was valuable, and wan- tonly destroyed what they could not use. Some of the leading Mormons sent a memorial to the State Legislature representing the terribly impoverished condition of the Saints, and asking for redress and the rescinding of the Governor's order of expulsion. The documents presented by the Mormons were fairly dealt with by many members of the Legislature who were ashamed at the course of the Governor and for the unconstitutionality of his orders for expulsion ; but the majority of the Legislature were against the Mormons, and * The evidence given during this examination revealed the most disgraceful con- duct on the part of some of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon, and this evi- dence, too, was given by the orthodox Mormons in fellowship with Joseph Smith. A document draughted by Sidney Rigdon, and subscribed by eighty-four Mormons, addressed to Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, John Whitmer, Wm. W. Phelps, and Lyman E. Johnson, exhibits these witnesses, and apostles, and their associates, to have been unmitigated scamps. " The Lord " could not well have chosen a more despicable set of thieves and liars than they were — taking the testimony of their brethren as evidence. Mormonism did little for them in the way of reformation and grace. They must have been " a hard lot " before they accepted the new revelation. MORMONISM BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE. 113 $200,000 was voted to meet tlie expenses of tlie war ! To aid the people of Davies and Caldwell, $2,000 was ordered to be distributed ; but of that the Mormons had a small share. All hope of receiving aid from the State was now extin- guished, and the Saints had to depend upon their own exer- tions during the winter to provide themselves with the neces- sary means of travel. Joseph, in the mean time, w^as busy in prison writing letters of encouragement to the Saints, and at- tacking with bitterness his enemies, especially the " apostates." His letter of December 16th is a curious mixture of " grace, " mercy, and the peace of God abide with you," with severe and coarse denunciation of the renegade witnesses of the Book of Mormon, and other chief men who had deserted him. It was, in fact, an exhortation to the practice of the highest moral- ity, a general review of the charges against the Saints, a de- nunciation to the eflect that " he or she was a liar " who " rep- " resents anything otherwise than what we now write," and a tapering off with the words : " "We commend you to God and the work of His grace, whicli is able to make us wise unto salvation. Amen. — Joseph Smithy Junr^ Some of the Saints had been greatly shaken by the disas- ters in Missouri, and upon Brigham Young (then President of the Twelve Apostles) the responsibility of keeping together the Church devolved. In a meetino; held at Far West, Brig;- ham expressed himself thoroughly satisfied with the Prophet. Heber's faith was " as good as ever ; " Simeon Carter " did not " think that Joseph was a fallen prophet," still he thought that " Joseph had not acted in all things according to the best wis- " dom." Thomas Grover was " firm in the ftiith," and believed that " the time would come when Joseph would stand before "kings and speak marvellous words." Solomon Hancock be- lieved in all the Church books, was satisfied that " brother Jo- '• seph was not a fallen prophet, but will yet be exalted and " become very high." Another brother was " stronger than " ever in the faith," thought that the scourging they had got was necessary ; and another brother, following after this one, " felt ready to praise God in prisons, and in dungeons, and in " all circumstances." Such might be regarded as a representa- 114 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. tion of the faith of tlie people generally at ibis epocli of their histor3\ They had been greatly afflicted and cast down, had some doubts of the wisdom of their leaders, and acknowledged that the brethren had brought upon themselves much of their trouble ; but, nevertlieless, Joseph was still their prophet. In his autobiography he views the course of events, closing with the following pointed queries : " But can they hide the Governor's cruel order of banishment or exter- mination ? Can they conceal the facts of the disgraceful treaty of the generals with their own officers and men at Far West ? Can they conceal the fact that twelve or fifteen thousand men, women, and children have been banished from the State without trial or condemnation ? And this at the expense of two hundred thousand dollars — and this sum appropri- ated by the State Legislature, in order to pay the troops for this act of lawless outrage ? Can they conceal the fact that we have been imprisoned for many months, while our families, friends, and witnesses have been driven away ? Can they conceal the blood of the murdered husbands and fathers, or stifle the cry of the widow or fatherless ? Nay ! The rocks and mountains may cover them in unknown depths, the awful abyss of the fathomless deep may swallow them np, and still the horrid deeds stand forth in the broad light of day for the wondering gaze of angels and men ! They cannot be hid ! . . . Thus, in a free land, in the town of Liberty, Clay county, Missouri, I and my fuUow-prisoners, in chains, dim- geons, and jail, saw the close of 1838." CHAPTEE XIX. IN PEISON. — The New Year opens Dark and Dreary — The Mormons sufler — The Missouri Legislature consider the " Persecutions " of the Saints — Brighaui Young flees from Missouri — Joseph indites au Epistle from Prison — The Prisoners in- dicted— They escape from Missouri. The instinctive buoyancy of feelings that ever greets a new year was little shared by the imprisoned Prophet at tlie open- ing of 1839, His first burst of awakening thought was dedi- cated to the nation : " O Columbia, Columbia, how art thou fallen ! The land of the free, the home of the brave ! — the asylum of the oppressed — oppressing thy noblest sons in a loathsome dungeon, without any provocation, only that they have claimed to worship the God of theii* fathers, according to his own word, and the dictates of their own consciences ! ! ! " There is a charming innocence in such spurts of eloquence. Joseph never doubted the right of his own position, and expect- ed every one to look at everything from his standpoint, failing which they were certain to be corrupt and worthy of damna- tion, and the world's liberty was a farce. His youthfid claims to be a prophet had in a measure with- drawn him from the ordinary experience of the world. He knew little of the diversity and wide range of human thought and the influence of circumstances upon hmnan judgment. The sentiments of his Arabian brother — " Great is Allah ! and "Mohammed is his Prophet," was the true interpretation of his thoughts. Joseph always believed that he ought to be the first subject of interest to the whole world, as his mission was its salvation or damnation. It has ever been difiicult to pre- vent men of his kind from drawing down fire from heaven. During the winter the lawless and unscrupulous in Upjper IIG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Missouri were very cruel to the Saints. ISTo Mormon's life was safe outside the settlements of that people, and any attempt to gather up the remnant of their farm property was certain to meet with fierce opposition and personal violence. A recital of barbarity is to be met with in the records of those times, such as would scarcely be credited now had not the " Jayhawk- " ins: raids " in Missouri and Kansas rendered easy of belief the worst stories related by the Mormons.* The Missouri Legislature was not at rest concerning the ex- pulsion of the Mormons. They felt that there was something wrong. The free States were liberal in their denunciation of the slave State, and many honourable gentlemen in Missouri felt the justice of the reproach. Even Governor Boggs is re- ported to have acknowledged the unconstitutionality of his ex- terminating order, and was desirous of preventing the cruel excesses to which the remaining Mormons were subjected, and General Atchison again appeared in their defence in the Leg- islature. A joint committee of two senators and three representa- tives was appointed to investigate the causes of the late dis- turbance between " the people called Mormons and other in- " habitants of this State, and the conduct of the military " operations in repressing them." This was of no service to the Mormons. The committee was to meet on the first Mon- day in May, and by that time the Mormons were nearly all out of the State, and the testimony could only be heard from their enemies. * " That many of these fanatics are great scoundrels we are very well aware ; but who after reading the following horrible details will have any sympathy for their oppressors ? We speak of tyranny and oppression abroad, we sympathize with scoundrels, pour out our blood and money like water for graceless vagabonds, such as Keller and his clique, and neglect the sterner duties of humanity at home. It appears that after the Missouri mob had captured Joe Smith, Rigdon, and others, the mob entered the town of the Mormons and perpetrated every conceivable act of brutality and outrage, forcing fifteen or twenty Mormon girls to yield to their bru- tal passions ! ! ' Of these things,'says a respectable authority, ' I was assured by many persons while I was at Far West, in whose veracity I have the utmost confidence ; I conversed with many of the prisoners, who numbered about eight hundred, among whom I recognized many old acquaintances who had seen better days. There were many young and interesting girls among them, and I assure you a more distracted set of creatures I never saw.' " — N. Y. Herald, Dec. 20, 1838. THE EXODUS FKOM MISSOUKI. H7 Brigliam Young and the other apostles and elders still at liberty were in the mean time devoting their best energies to prepare for a thorough exodus. The brethren covenanted to put all their property into the hands of a committee for this purpose so that the poor who had been plundered of everything could leave as well as those who were more favoured. Illinois was greatly moved by the recital of their wrongs, and offered the exiles an asylum. In tliat State, land was plentiful, oifers were numerous, and terms liberal. Universal sympathy with affliction was apparent. The citizens vied with each other in acts of kindness to the helpless. But it was im- possible as yet to decide upon a locality for their gathering- f)lace. Joseph was still in prison. The banks of the Mississippi, however, seemed to be appropriate for the general rendezvous. The persecution that had centred on Joseph now fell upon Brigliam, and in the middle of February he had to escape from Far West to save his life. He directed his fleeting steps towards Quincy, Illinois, whither many of the Saints had preceded him. After some investigation in Missouri had taken place, Sid- ney Eigdon was released, but had for safety to return to prison till a favourable opportunity otfered for making his escape out of the State. He also in due time reached Quincy. Joseph protested against being tried before Austin A. King, of the Circuit Court. In one of the early difficulties in Jack- son county a brother-in-law of Judge King had been killed. His Honour had also presided at some meeting hostile to the Mormons, and Joseph concluding that the Judge's impartiality would not be of the clearest stamp, resolved to get out of his jurisdiction. A petition " to Judge Tompkins, or either of the "judges of the Supreme Court for the State of Missouri," was presented to the former, asking for the issue of a writ of habeas corpus^ that the prisoners might be heard in their defence. This failing, Joseph resolved to escape from prison. He tried, but did not succeed. With the Saints fleeing from Missouri and wandering like sheep without a shepherd, it appeared that the end of Mor- monism had been reached ; but it was far otherwise. There is vitality in prophecy, and Joseph's faith rose with his difficulties. Shortly after his failure to escape from prison he issued a 118 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. letter to tlie Saints wliicli perhaps may be considered the most interesting document of his life — one which gives the reader ideas more characteristic of the man than anything he ever published. AVhen surrounded by clerks and literary men the Prophet is not always discernible in the papers that bear his name, but in those issued from Liberty Trison the very man himself is visible in every word. The differences of style in this document, his arguments in one place and the bursting forth of the exuberance of his soul in prayer and prophecy in another furnish the key to his reveLations. At one moment he humbly supplicates, and at another the remembrance of the wrongs that he had suffered tires him with indignation and carries him beyond himself. In April, the Prophet and his fellow prisoners were indicted in Davies county on charges of " treason, murder, larceny, theft and stealing." The trial never occurred. The prison- ers asked for a change of venue to Marion county, as the same men who sat on the grand jury during the day acted as their guard at night. They were granted a change of venue to Boone county, and while being conveyed thither, the sheriff who had them in charge gave them permission to escape. The State authorities were evidently anxious to get rid of them, and the prisoners longing for freedom availed themselves of the sheriff's courtesy and fled from "the land of promise." Joseph turned his back for ever upon the soil of the new Jerusalem. Jackson county, with all the marvels and magnifi- FLIGHT FROM THE PROMISED LAND. 119 cence that had been decreed for her during " this generation," was hereafter only to be sung in song. Forty years have al- ready passed away since the revelation was given, and there is not a single Mormon acknowledging the leadership of Brigham Young upon all the holy land. Notwithstanding all that has transpired, many of the aged Saints in Utah have not lost their faith, and yet look for some- thing marvellous to occur in the ever-changing wheel of time, to favour the day when the promises of the Prophet Joseph will be fulfilled ! The frequency with which Brigham has al- luded to the return of the faithful Saints in Utah to Jackson county has shaken a great deal the credit that has been ac- corded to him for sincerity of faith. For many years he held the most positive language on this point ; but latterly he has prudently added — " If the Lord will." Before he goes down to his grave he will probably taper even that off with the affirmation that " the Lord " has tried the faith of his Saints, and is now satisfied, and will not require them to fulfil the prophecies in " this generation." Brigham Young's love of the wealth which he has acquired in Utah is an effectual bar- rier against his ever fulfilling that prophecy. CHAPTER XX. THE EXILES FIND AN ASYLUM IN ILLINOIS.— The Prophet agahi at lib^ erty — Nauvoo selected for a New Zion — A City rapidly Built — Brigham Young sent to England — The Saints importune Congress for Eedress — Joseph visits President Van Buren — The Mormons still cling to the Promises of Ziou in Missouri. The abandonment of Missouri shook the faith of many of the disciples, but the majority were unchanged — " They lived and spoke and thought the same." The Missourians had been victorious they knew, but what Joseph had said about the coming glories of Zion, the New Je- rusalem, and the Temple in Jackson county, was, they neverthe- less believed, true and from heaven. All would yet be right. Of those who abandoned the faith, some remained in Mis- souri, and others returned to their former homes in the eastern States ; and, in the language of an ancient record, " even unto " this day " they may be found — half Mormon and half noth- ing else — scattered throughout Ohio, 'New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and most of the New England States. Early in the spring the citizens of Qiiincy saw a large in- crease to their numbers of poor, destitute Mormons. They were utterly helpless, and many of them bordering on starva- tion. ^Meetings were called and measures adopted for their particular benefit. At the same time, the ignorant were as- ..ured that the Mormons had no design of lowering the prices of labour, but were only seeking " to procure something to " save them from starving," and that they were, " by every " law of humanity, entitled to sympathy and commiseration." Those were humble days ; but they were soon to change. 1> ^□a□ /J JQa_.u JD lujauuujanua _j_ _iLjJj^jil lan ' 3[J[ 'T ziDamn, JUL ''-'j^ aA JLjUI [JL J ] JJJDQLUULiJLL J NAUVOO THE ZION OF THE SAINTS. 123 Joseph himself, like the Angel of Deliverance, came bound- ing into their midst. The gloom of death that so darkly over- hung their horizon vanished before the beams of the Prophet's rising sun. Ilis chief advisers had already received and debated the offers of sections of land ; it was now for him, with the guidance of Heaven, to decide. The east bank of the Mississippi, forty miles above Quincy and twenty miles southwest of Burlington, Iowa, was the favour- ed spot. Here on a bend of the river, upon rising ground that commanded a magnificent view of the winding Mississippi for many miles, was to be the new home of the Saints. A group of huts and houses called Commerce was the place selected ; but the name was an every-day word. The " Reformed Egyp- " tian " of the Book of Mormon supplied a better name — " Nauvoo " — the beautiful. By revelation the scattered Saints from Missouri and from all parts of the earth were now com- manded to gather to this new Zion. The apostle Parley P. Pratt, and the other leading elders, who had been imprisoned in Missouri, after great suffering and privations, also made their escape and reached Illinois. They laid the foundation of new homes at Nauvoo, but " the Lord " deemed it prudent that they should not remain in the United States, and in August and September the principal apostles and elders were appointed missions to England. Among these were Brighani Young, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, and George A. Smitli. Ileber C, Kimball, who had already been to that country, returned in company with Brigham Young. Nauvoo soon became an important city. The foundation of the first house was laid in 1839, and in less than two years over two thousand dwellings were erected, besides school- houses and public edifices. The foundation of the Temple was laid, and scores of mechanics and labourers were ens^ao-ed on " the House of the Lord." Everything was going smoothly. In the mean time, a statement of the losses of the Saints in Missouri was carefully prepared, and in October, Joseph, Sid- ney Rigdon, and Judge Elias Higbee visited Washington to petition Congress in their behalf, and to seek redress. President Martin Yan Buren received the petitioners cour- teously, and listened patiently to them ; but the sovereignty 124 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. of tlie States was then in tlie fulness of its glory, and the Chief Executive of the Republic replied : " Gentleinen^ your cause is "Jtfsf, Ijut I can do nothing for yoxiP The petitioners thoroughly understood the President — the support of Missouri could not be risked. The reply of " Matty," as Joseph ever afterwards contemptuously styled President Van Puren, will never be forgotten by the Mormons. It has served as tlie text for thousands of sermons at home and abroad on " the Persecutions of the Saints," and it is to be found in nearly every declaration of grievance against the Government. In a statement of their sufferings, published by Orson Pratt, Washington, January, 1854, reference is thus made to that circumstance : " After fifteen thousand American citizens had been driven from the State of Missouri under the exterminating orders of Governor Boggs, hav- ing previously applied to the judicial and legislative authority of that State in vain, they sent their delegates with a memorial to the President and to Congress, who had the unblushing impudence to refer them for redress to the very State whose Governor had driven them from her bor- ders, and whose Legislature had voted two hundred thousand dollars to pay her troops for their bloodthirsty and unconstitutional acts. Yes, they were told to go and seek redress from their murderers, and from the mur- derers of their wives and children." * At this time Sidney Rigdon, as a native of Pennsylvania, addressed a memorial to the Senate and House of Representa- tives of that State, setting forth what he and his co-religionists had suffered, and as the authorities of Missouri had refused him redress, he asked that " the whole delegation of Pennsyl- " vania, in both houses, be iustructed to use all their influence "in the national councils to have redress granted." Nothing advantageous to the exiles was ever heard from either the me- morial to Congress or that to the Legislature of the " Keystone " State." By revelation, Joseph had been instructed to " seek "redress from the least in authority even to the greatest." In Missouri they began their petitions with the Justice of the Peace, and then ascended in regular gradation till they reached the Chief Executive of the State. They had finished theii' task for the time being, when they had memoralized Congress * "Seer," p. 197. MORMON HATRED OF THE NATION. 125 and laid tlieir petition before the President of tlie United States. By their perseverance, and tlie official negative re- sponse that they everywhere received, it is understood by the Mormons that the whole national authority is culpable in the sight of Heaven, as participators in shedding the blood of the Saints in Missouri. This is the key to the bitterness of senti- ment that may be heard in the Mormon Tabernacle, or read in the Mormon press, and the nation may be assured of this, that tiiere never will be an end to it while Mormonism exists.^ The claim to tlieir lands in Jackson county will never be aban- doned, nor will the Government be forgiven till the Mormons are restored to their " inheritances " in Missouri. They will never be silent, and when they reach the halls of Congress their senators and their representatives will be heard for ever de- manding redress and restoration. It cannot be denied that there is justice in their claim. Satisfied that compensation for the past was not to be hoped for at the seat of government, the Prophet and his friends returned to Nauvoo. Protection for the future was only to be found in their own ability to cope with their enemies, and with that conclusion they set themselves to work to provide for con- tingencies. * " If the Government cannot protect citizens in their lives and property, it is an old granny, anyhow, and I prophesy, in the name of the Lord God of Israel, that unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the Saints in the State of Missouri, and punish the crimes committed by her officers, that in a few years the Government will be utterly overthrown and wasted, and there will not be so much as a potsherd left, for their wickedness in permitting the murder of men, women, and children, and the wholesale plunder and extermination of thousands of her citizens, to go unpunished." — Joseph SmitJCs Autobiociraphy. ■ CHAPTER XXI. THE PEOPHET'S POLITICAL LIFE BEGINS.— New Men gather round him- A Reorganization of the " Quorum of Apostles " — Another Temple to be erected — " The Lord" commands the Saints to build a " Boarding-House " — Kings are invited to the aid of Zion. In Nauvoo tlie Prophet saw himself and his people in cir- cumstances totally different from those in Missouri. He had scattered the Mormons in that State in order that they might "become the possessors of the land surrounding the " ISTew Jeru salem," and that they might preserve it as " an everlasting in- "heritance for the Saints." In Illinois he had now to concen- trate them. Other circumstances demanded other tactics. He had sent off the preaching apostles to England ; he now drew around him politicians. From this time an entirely different class of men became prominent in Mormon history and flut- tered around the Prophet. A Whig Senator and a Whig Eepresentative had intro- duced the memorial to Congress. The Democratic Association in Quincy had rendered the exiles some services when they came fleeing from Missouri. Both Whigs and Democrats real- ized the strength of a united vote, and that Joseph could com- mand it, and they sought to gratify his wishes. Thus in apparent triumph he became enmeshed in that whirlpool which was destined to engulph him. Release from the long imprisonment in Missouri, and from the terrible anxieties that preceded that confinement, brought fully back to Joseph his natural buoyancy of feeling. He appreciated the kindly reception of the Saints in Illinois, and the general sympathy extended everywhere to the Mormons, on account of their recent sufierings, inspired him with the THE SECOND ORGANIZATION OF APOSTLES. 127 hope of a brighter future. With the devotion of his brethren and sisters to him in the hour of their greatest trials, and the alacrity with which tliey rallied again at his call, he was greatly touched, and, as new men of considerable talent and social standing in the world were gathering around him, and Saints were flocking to his standard from Europe, he naturally appre- ciated his position. Among the prominent men who were attracted towards Mormonism and sought alliance with Joseph at this time was one Dr. John C. Bennett, who was destined to occupy a dis- tinguished position in the Prophet's history. Some others also about this time joined the Church, no doubt honestly hoj^ing that it might realize their spiritual requirements, and there were others who joined from more interested motives. Among the politicians who sought his early acquaintance and political influence in Illinois was Senator Stephen A. Douglas, whose name for many years was held in reverence by the Saints. In all his intercourse the Prophet was confiding, frank and open. He realized that he was the tallest tree in the forest, and was never afraid of being overtopped. He gave to every man the fullest scope for the development of talent or useful- ness, and the heavens were never slow in sanctioning and ap- proving of his preferments. In a very short time Dr. Bennett was a very useful man, and soon became the mouth-piece of the Prophet. Under the nom de plume of " Joab, a general in Israel," he told Missouri of her evil deeds, of her wrongs to the Saints, and the retribu- tion that awaited her. A very lengthy revelation was received by Joseph on the 19th of January, 1841, placing everyone in his proper position, reorganizing the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and extend- ing a kindly word to every prominent man. Many of the first apostles had " fallen away," and it was necessary to commence again and fill up the quorum. " The Lord " made the follow- ing selection. " I give unto you my servant Brigham Young to be a President over the Twelve travelling council, which twelve hold the keys to open up the authority of my kingdom upon the four corners of the earth, and after that to send my word to every creature ; they are Ileber C. Kimball, Par- 128 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Icy P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Orson Hyde, William Smith, John Taylor, John E. Page, Wilford Wcodrutf, Willard Richards, George A. Smith ; David Patten I have taken unto myself; behold his priesthood no man taketb from him ; but verily I say unto you, another may be appointed unto the eame calling." Colonel Lyman Wight was elected to fill this vacancy. The members of the quorum were afterwards thus flatteringly designated by W. W. Phelps : "Brigham Young, the Lion of the Lord ; Parley P. Pratt, " the Archer of Paradise ', Orson Hyde, the Olive Branch of '"'' Lsrael ', "Willard Kicliards, the Lvee/per of the Rolls', John "Taylor, the Charainon of Right ; William Smith, zJ/'e; P«!!W- " archal JacoFs Stciff j Wilford Woodruff, the Banner of the " Gospel / George A. Smith, the EntaMatvre of Truth • Orson "Pratt, the Gauge of Rhilosoj>hyj John E. Page, the Sun '■'■ Dial ; and Lyman Wight, the Wild Ram of the Moun- " tains P This new revelation extended to forty-six paragraphs, and in the light of subsequent as well as of preceding events it is very interesting. It is a marvellous revelation. It heals up the wounds of the Jackson county Saints and declares for their future guidance that whatever "the Lord" may command them to do and their enemies may prevent them from doing, " the " Lord " will accept the unfinished work at their hands the Bame as if it had been accomplished. Another Temple was ordered to be erected " to tbe name of the Lord ; " and, for the convenience of travellers visiting ISTauvoo, " the Lord " also commanded " a boarding-house to be built ! " " And now I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding-house which I have commanded you to build for tlie boarding of strangers, let it be unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my servant Joseph and his house have place therein from generation to generation ; for this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him ; and as I said unto Abra- ham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant Joseph, In thee and in thy seed shall the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Therefore let my servant Joseph, and his seed after him, have place in that house from generation to generation, for ever and for ever, saith the Lord, and let the name of that house be called the Nauvoo House, and let it be a delightful habitation for man, and a resting-place for the weary traveller that he may contemplate the glory of Zion and the glory of this the cor- THE LORD'S "BOARDING-HOUSE." 129 ner-stone thereof, that he may receive also the counsel from those whom I have set to be plants of reno-mi, etc." This revelation excludes all " dead-heads " and speculators. The lowest amount of stock was to be $50, the highest to any one man $5,000, and none of it was to be handed over till the ' money was paid doion in full, and the whole was to be kept by the posterity of the purchasers, and " not to be sold by them, '- from generation to generation." These stock purchasers were also required to be believers in the Book of Mormon. Some prominent men were commanded by name to take stock in it. Dr. Isaac Galland, who was designated as " a notorious horse- " thief and counterfeiter in his early life," * is instructed to " put stock into that house," for " I, the Lord, love him for the " work lie hath done, and will forgive all his sins." All the prominent moneyed men are similarly kindly instructed for the benefit of themselves and their seed after them, "from gen- " eration to generation." Eobert B, Thompson is called to help Joseph to write a proclamation after this fashion : " Awake ! O kings of the earth ! Come ye ! oh, come ye, with your gold and your silver, to the help of my people, to the house of the daugh- ter of Zion." To this work " My servant John C. Bennett " is also called to assist Joseph " in sending my word to the kings of the peo- " pie of the earth, and [to] stand by you, even to you, my ser- " vant Joseph Smith, in the hour of affliction, and his reward " shall not fail if he receive counsel^ Eobert D. Foster is next instructed to " build a house for my servant Joseph, ac- " cording to the contract which he has made with him," and to " repent " and quit grumbling, and " hearken unto the counsel "of my servants, Joseph, Hyrum, and William Law," and " it " shall be well with him for ever and for ever. Even so. Amen." To make room for the elevation of a new man at this time, Joseph retired his brother Hyrum from the Presidency of the Church, but still preserved him in rank almost equal to his ovv'n. This same revelation instructed that — * "Mysteries and Crimes of Mormouism," p. 61. 130 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " My servant William [Law] be appointed, ordained, and anointed as a counsellor unto my servant Joseph, in the room of my servant Hyrum ; that my servant Hyrum may take the office of priesthood and patriarch, which was appointed unto him by his father, by blessing and also by right." etc., etc. " My servant William " at this time was a wealthy mer- chant, and an influential man among the Mormons ; but, un- fortunately for the Prophet, he proved to be unprepared for the richer developments of the patriarchal relations that were " to burst from the heavens " upon the Church, and in course of time he became one of Joseph's fiercest opponents. .^ X^ X ~§..x^x LIEUTENANT-GENERAL JOSEPH SMITH. [Prophet, Seer, and Kevelator.] CHAPTER XXII. THE FICKLE FOETUNE OF POLITICS.— The Legislature liberal to the Saints The Prophet becomes a Lieutcnant-General— Foundation of the Temple laid— Grand Military Display— Joseph at the Height of his Glory— Missouri seeks tc recapture him. The Saints had contributed largely to the success of the Whig ticket in 1840, and the Democrats comprehended clearly the advantage it would be to them to secure their influence. "When Joseph's agents presented themselves to the Legislature of Illinois, during the session of 1840-1, asking for a city charter for Nauvoo, and the incorporation of the militia into a body to be called " the Nauvoo Legion," they were very kindly received and their wishes hastily granted. The charters were passed without a dissenting voice. The eleventh section of the city charter read thus : " All power is granted to the city council to make, ordain, establish, and execute all ordinances not repugnant to the Constitution of the State or of the United States, or, as they may deem necessary for the peace and safety of said city.'''' This was all that Joseph required. It was now for him to decide what was " necessary," and, had troubles not afterwards arisen in Illinois, the liberality of the charter would probably never have been regretted, for at that date Joseph was, in the sight of every law-abiding citizen, justified in seeking, by every means that had the appearance of constitutional law, to pre- Berve himself and the people against the demands of Missouri. . The city charter provided for a mayor, four aldermen, and nine councillors, a mayor's court, with exclusive jurisdiction in all cases arising under the city ordinances ; a municipal court. 134 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. with tlie mayor as chief justice, and the four aldermen as associ- ates, with power to issue writs of habeas corpus. The Legion was organized, and was rendered independent of all the militia officers of the State, save the Governor as commander-in-chief. It established its own court-martial, and provided for every- thing within itself. Dr. Bennett was elected mayor of the city, and Joseph Smith lieutenant-general of the Legion. The city council immediately prepared for eventualities, and passed an ordinance that no citizen could be taken from Nauvoo by any process of law whatever, without the endorse- ment of the mayor as to its legality. The charter admitted of this, and almost any construction that the city council chose to give it. The Governor, who had signed the charter, soon after- wards perceived the blunder, and before long saw his own war- ; rant for the arrest of Josejah set aside. Li a communication, dated September Tth, 1842, he says : " I must express my surprise at the extraordinary assumption of power by the board of aldermen, as contained in said ordinance ; from my recol- lection of the charter, it authorizes the municipal court to issue writs of halcas corpus^ in all cases of imprisonment or custody, arising from the authority of the ordinances of said city ; tut that poicer was granted or intended to he granted to release persons held in custody under the authority of writs issued iy the courts or the executive of the State, is most absurd and ridiculous, and an attempt to exercise it is a gross usurpation o'f power that cannot be tolerated." " Absurd and ridiculous " as the assumption of such powers might seem twenty months after his Excellency, Governor Car- lin, had attached his signature to the charter approving of it, at the time of its passage through the Legislature, no such language was held by any one. At a later date Governor Ford, his successor, had to be more explicit. He, too, was embar- rassed by the liberality of the charter, and he saddles the responsibility of Joseph's interpretation where it justly be- longs : " The powers conferred were expressed in language at once ambiguous and undefined, as if on purpose to allow of misconstruction. The great law of the separation of the powers of government was wholly disregard- ed. The mayor was at once the executive power, the judiciary, and part of the Legislature. The common council, in passing ordinances, were re- strained only by the Constitution. One would have thought that these THE CLIMAX OF THE PROPHET'S GLORY. I35 charters (the city, the Legion, and the Nauvoo House) stood a poor chance of passing the Legislature of a republican people, jealous of their liber- ties. Nevertheless, they did pass unanimously through both houses. Messrs. Little and Douglas managed with great dexterity -with their re- spective parties. Each party was afraid to object to them for fear of los- ing the Mormon vote, and each believed that it had secured their favour. A city government under the charter was organized in 1841, and Joe [Jo- seph] * Smith was elected mayor. " In this capacity he presided in the common council and assisted in making the laws for the government of the city, and as mayor also he was to see these laws put into force. He was ex-officio judge of the mayor's court, and chief-justice of the municipal court, and in these capacities he was to interpret the laws which he had assisted to make. The Nauvoo Legion was also organized with a great multitude of higli officers. It was divided into divisions, brigades, cohorts, regiments, battalions, and compa- nies. Each division, brigade, and cohort had its general, and over the whole, as commander-in-chief, Joe [Joseph] Smith was appointed lieu- tenant-general. These officers, and particularly the last, were created by an ordinance of tha court-martial, composed of the commissioned officers of the Legion. " Thus it was proposed to re-establish for the Mormons a government within a government, a legislature with power to pass ordinances at war with the laws of the State ; courts to execute them, with but little de- pendence upon the constitutional judiciary, and a military force at their own command, to be governed by its own laws and ordinances, and sub- ject to no State authority but that of the Governor." t In ecclesiastical affairs " the cause " was quite as prosper- ous. The British mission was a grand success. The apostles and elders found " the harvest " ripe and ready for the sickle. Thousands had been converted. The Book of Mormon had been re-published, a book of hymns adapted to the new faith had been issued, and the Millennial Star was founded. "Wealth came with the new converts, and a goodly immigration poured into Nauvoo. Under such favourable conditions the corner- stones of the " House of the Lord " in IsTauvoo were laid on the 6th of April, 1841 — the eleventh anniversary of the organi- zation of the Church. This was the most pleasant season of Joseph's life ; but his happiness was of short duration. As so * As Governor Ford thought it no coQclesccnsion to address the Prophet, while living, as "President," " General," " Honourable," and "Mr. Smith," the Author assumes the liberty of correcting the appellation " Joe " wherever it appears iD these quotations. f Ford's " History of Illmois," p. 265. 136 THE KOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. long an account of his tribulations lias been given, the reader may now, perhaps, glance with interest at his short-lived glory. Consistent with the character of the great mission that was ever uppermost in his mind, it was to him very appropriate that the military on this occasion should be blended with the ecclesiastical in laying the foundation of the Temple. As the Church was advancing to " power and great glory," it was proper that the Lieutenant-General should take precedence of the Prophet. The Legion was, therefore, the first in the pro- gramme. The Times and Seasons — the organ of the Church at Nau- voo — furnishes the picture of that " great day in Israel " : " At an early hour the Lieutenant-General was informed that the Le- gion was ready for review, and accompanied by his staff, consisting of four aides-de-camp and twelve guards, nearly all in splendid uniforms, took his march to the parade ground. On their approach they were met by the band, beautifully equipped, who received them with a flourish of trump- ets and a regular salute, and then struck up a lively air, marching in front to the stand of the Lieutenant-General. On his approach to the parade ground the artillery were again fired, and the Legion gave an appropriate salute. This was indeed a glorious sight, such as we never saw, nor did we ever expect to see such a one in the "West. The several companies pre- sented a beautiful and interesting spectacle, several of them being uni- formed and equipped, while the rich and costly dresses of the officers ■would have become a Buonaparte or a Washington, " After the arrival of Lieutenant-General Smith, the ladies, who had made a beautiful silk flag, drove up in a carriage to present it to the Le- gion. Major-General Bennett very politely attended on them, and con- ducted them in front of Lieutenant-General Smith, who immediately alighted from his charger and walked up to the ladies, who presented the flag, making an appropriate address. Lieutenant-General Smith acknowl- edged the honour conferred upon the Legion, and stated that as long as he had the command it should never be disgraced, and then politely bow- ing to the ladies, gave it into the hands of Major-General Bennett, who placed it in possession of Cornet Robinson, and' it was soon seen gracefully waving in front of the Legion. During the time of presentation the band struck up a lively air, and another salute was fired from the artillery. "After the presentation of the flag, Lieutenant-General Smith, accom- panied by his suite, reviewed the Legion, which presented a very imposing appearance, the difl'erent officers saluting as he passed. Lieutenant-Gen- eral Smith then took his former stand, and the whole Legion passed before him in review." FOUNDATION OF THE NAUVOO TEMPLE LAID. 13 Y As soon as this was ended a procession was formed with the Lieutenant-General-Prophet at its head, followed by his aides, brigadiers, military band, infantry, and cavalry, and " a troop " of young ladies, eight abreast." On arrival at the Temple block, the generals, with their staffs and the distinguished vis- itors, took their position inside the foundation ; the ladies formed on the outside next the wall, the gentlemen and in- fantry behind, and the cavalry in the rear. When all was ready the signal was given, and the choir burst forth with a new hymn. Sidney Rigdon was the orator, and passed in re- view the history of the Saints from their small beginnings, their constant persecutions, mobbings, and drivings, till now they had got where they could in peace lay the foundation of a Temple with the prospect of completing it without the interruption of mobs. Another hymn and the invocation of the blessing of the Almighty, prepared the Prophet for the ceremony of laying the " first corner-stone of the Temple of Almighty God." The entire proceeding terminated with the Prophet offering a sol- emn prayer, imploring the favour of Heaven for the Saints that they might be prospered and preserved to build that house in which to worship the God of their fathers. The Times and Seasons, inspired by the glory of the day, presaging, as the Saints believed, the beginning of a new era, gave expression to a hope of peace, which proved sadly delusive : " It was a gladsome sight and extremely aflfecting to see the old revolu- tionai'y patriots, who had been driven from theii* homes in Missouri, strike hands and rejoice together in a land where they Tcnew they would he pro- tected from mols, and where they could again enjoy the liberty for which they had fought many a hard battle. The day was indeed propitious ; heaven and earth combined to make the scene as glorious as possible." Alas ! how soon this sunshine of prosperity was to be cloud- ed, and this rejoicing in peace to be turned into mourning ! Governor Boggs was not yet through with the Prophet. He made a requisition upon Governor Carlin, of Illinois, to sur- render Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and other leading Mor- mons, " as fugitives from justice." A writ was issued for their arrest, but the sheriff " could not find them ! " The M'rit was returned, and the matter for the time dropped. Public ojiin- 138 THE KOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. ion was everywhere against Missouri, and the press sustained the Mormons. Some months afterwards Joseph was arrested on the same charge, and on a writ of habeas corpus the case was heard be- fore Judge Stephen A. Douglas, of the Circuit Court, and the prisoner was discharged on the ground that the writ, having been previously returned to the Governor, was null and void. CHAPTER XXIII. POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES.— The Propliet balances between the Whigs and the Democrats — The Neighbours of the Mormons become dissatisfied — Joseph charged with Designs upon the Life of Governor Boggs — He is arrested on a Charge of Treason — Ways that are dark — Governor Ford explains — The First Budding of Polygamy — The Beginning of the End — Serious Charges are made. The people of Illinois were now becoming better acquainted with their new fellow-citizens and comprehending the inevita- ble political issue between a community voting as a unit and the divisional voting of promiscuous citizens. Their immedi- ate neighbours were now as dissatisfied with their presence as were the Missourians formerly, and serious charges were pre- ferred against them. Joseph Smith and the Mormons had their own purposes and advancement to serve, and they used the Whigs or the Democrats as best suited them. This the politicians fully ap- preciated and were ready for any measure that would rid them of the power that threatened to control them. Meetings and conventions were held and an anti-Mormon organization was formed for the purpose of urging the Legislature to cancel the liberal charter that had been granted to Nauvoo, to disband* the Legion and, if possible, to get rid of the Mormons alto- gether. Whigs and Democrats were equally hostile and equally zealous in the work, but the Prophet for a time out- generalled them all and maintained his own. A citizen of Nauvoo, in his narrative of those days and cir- cumstances, groups together the facts and fears that then agi- tated the anti-Mormons : ' " The issue was for the first time clearly drawn, the election in due time came off, and the Prophet was triumphant. He had elected everything ]40 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. on the connty ticket. By his combinations he had completely defeated the anti-Mormon movement and had for county officers his trusty friends devoted to his interests. If his enemies chose to appeal from the decisiou of the poUa, he was ready for them. His battalions were models of disci- pline, devoted to his service, numbered by thousands, and armed with an efficiency which distinguished no other troops in America. The walls of the Temple were progressing rapidly. The anti-Mormons looked upon the structure with many doubts and apprehensions. Everything the Mor- mons did was veiled in mystery. This structm-e resembled no chm-ch, its walls of massive limestone were impervious to the shot of the heaviest cannon. It had two tiers of circular windows which looked to the won- dering Gentiles very much as if they were port-holes for the maneeuvring of cannon. The building was near the centre of a square of four acres, to be surrounded by a massive wall ten feet in height and six in tliickness. This the Mormons said was for a promenade ; the anti-Mormons would have told you, it could have been constructed for no other purpose than a fortification, and one which would have stood a heavy bombardment with- out being breached." * To add to the feverish excitement, an attempt was made to shoot ex-Governor Boggs, of Missouri, at liis residence in In- dependence, The woukl-be assassin in firing througli the win- dow missed the fatal aim, but the ex-Governor was severely w^ounded in the head. Charges were preferred against Jo- seph Smith and Ori-in Porter Rockwell f — the former as the instigator and the latter as the instrument in this attemj^t at murder. An indictment was found to this effect and a requi- sition was made upon Governor Ford for the person of Joseph Smith, A writ was issued in August, 1843, but the Prophet was protected by a writ of habeas corpus^ and the matter was heard in January following before Judge N. Pope, in the United States District Court, at Springfield, wdjich resulted in " an * This reported enormous strength of the Temple and wall was purely imaginary. f " Port," as he is generally termed, is commonly credited with being the chief of the Danites. He was a faithful friend of Joseph, and in moments of danger was ever near the Prophet. He was apprehended and tried on this charge, but was able to prove that he was a few miles distant from the place at the time of the attempt at assassination. The firing was probably the act of another, but he, doubtless, was no stranger to the Mormons. The Governor owed his preservation to the mis- direction of the assassin's pistol, " caused by the reflection of the light upon the "window glass." It is said that Joseph promised "Port" protection to his life so long as his locks were uncut. This story smacks something of Samson and De- lilah ; " Port," however, still wears unshorn locks. ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF GOVERNOR BOGGS. 141 " honourable acquittal ; " the Judge directing " this decision " to be entered on the records in such a way that Mr. Smith " be no more troubled about the matter." Another demand lor Joseph soon followed from Missouri ; this time on a charge of treason, and the sheriffs of Jackson county, Missouri, and Carthage, Illinois, stole in upon him while visiting at some dis- tance from Nauvoo ; but the sleepless vigilance of the Mor- ' %\^^l "^ '-^^^ r^' ^ Orrin Porter EockwelL mons discovered the Prophet's critical situation in time to ef- fect his rescue before the sheriffs could run him into Missouri. A writ of habeas corpus brought Joseph and them to Nauvoo, where the municipal court discharged the prisoner from arrest " on the merits of the case," and upon the further ground of substantial defects in the writ issued by the Governor of Illi- nois. The sheriffs had used freely the muzzles of their revolvers against the ribs of the Prophet to hasten his travel from the neighbourhood of his friends, and by way of revenge, on their arrival in Nauvoo, he made them guests at his " mansion," and was profuse in kindness to them. Subsequently he sued them 142 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. for false imprisonment and for using unnecessary violence in his arrest, recovering damages and costs of suit. The Missourians, still eager for the man who had so often baffled their attempts to take him back to that State, made another application to Governor Ford, asking him to call out the militia of Illinois to effect the Prophet's arrest, but the Governor refused to do so, fearing to lose the political influence of the Mormons, which just at that time was particularly valu- able to the Democratic party. In those troublous times the jurisdiction of the municipal court of Nauvoo was a constant subject of controversy, and especially in this assertion of its right to discharge Joseph from arrest upon the writ of the Governor of the State. Cy- rus Walker, a leading Whig politician and able lawyer, sustained the municipal court, and was successful in securing the libera- tion of Joseph ; in gratitude for which the latter promised the former his vote at the pending election for members of Con- gress. The Democratic party in the mean time were at work with others of the leading Mormons, and " the Lord " was with them— a circumstance probably unique of its kind in political experience. Mr, Walker very naturally highly estimated the promise of Joseph's vote, and with this imagined Mormon aid he could " read his title clear " to the House of Representatives, but, in the last moments preceding the election, Joseph's brother, Hyrum, received " a revelation " commanding the Mormons to vote for Mr. Hoge, the Democrat. Here was a dilemma ! Jo- seph kept his word to Mr. Walker and personally voted for him, but left the people to vote for whom they pleased, assur- ing them before the election that he " never knew his brother " Hyrum to tell a lie in his life," and thus Hoge was overwhelm- ingly elected. Joseph doubtless intended, when he promised his personal vote to Walker, that the Mormons should vote the Whig ticket ; but when subsequently the demand was made by Mis- souri that Illinois should call out the militia and take the Prophet back to Missouri, Governor Ford's refusal to so employ the militia of Illinois, and " the Lord's " revelation command- ing the Mormons to vote the Democratic ticket, were plainly TIIE PROPHET OUTWITS A POLITICIAN. 143 a very earthly negotiation. The Governor denies having been a party to this negotiation with the Mormons, but he admits that three years afterwards he learned that a prominent Dem- ocrat had given such a pledge in his name. Politics, under the most favourable circumstances, have never been classified with the highest morality, and, to the Mor- mons of Hancock county, the life and liberty of Joseph Smith were of more importance than the election of Mr. Walker. Be- sides, the disappointed candidate could be consoled with Jo- seph's kindly recognition and patronage in the world to come — a promise which the Prophet Smith was never slow to make to those who served him. This little strategy had, however, an unlooked-for and a very unpleasant issue. Governor Ford, in his " political his- " tory of Illinois," exhibits its bearing on the worldly destiny of the modern Prophet : " It appears that the Mormons had been directed by their leaders to vote the Whig ticket in the Quincy as well as the Hancock district. In the Quincy district Judge Douglas was the Democratic candidate, O. H. Browning the candidate of the Whigs. The leading Mormons at Nauvoo having never determined in favour of the Democrats until a day or two before the election, there was not suflBcient time, or it was neglected, to send orders from Nauvoo into the Quincy district to effect a change there. The Mormons in that district voted for Browning. Douglas and his friends being afraid that I might be in his way for the United States Sen- ate, in 1846, seized hold of this circumstance to affect my party-standing, and thereby give countenance to the clamour of the Whigs, secretly whis- pering it about that I had not only influenced the Mormons to vote for Hoge, but for Browning also. This decided many of the Democrats in favour of the expulsion of the Mormons." * Of ISTauvoo, in its first flush of power, the Governor con- tinues : "No further demand for the arrest of Joe [Joseph] Smith having been made by Missouri, he became emboldened by success. The Mormons be- came more arrogant and overbearing. In the winter of 1843-4 the com- mon council passed some further ordinances to protect their leaders from arrest on demand from Missouri. They enacted that no writ issued from any other place than Kauvoo for the arrest of any person in it should be executed in the city, without an approval endorsed thereon by the mayor; that if any public officer, by virtue of any foreign writ, should attempt to * Ford's "History of IlUnois," p. 320. 144 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. make an arrest in the city, without such aj^proval of his process, he should be subject to imprisonment for life, and that the Governor of the State should not have the power of pardoning the offender without the consent of the mayor. When these ordinances were published they created general astonishment. Many people began to believe in good earnest that the Mormons were about to set up a separate government for themselves in defiance of the laws of the State." This was certainly an extraordinary municipal jurisdiction, but remembering the expulsion of the Saints from Missouri, and the constantly recurring demands of its authorities, en- dorsed by the writs of the Governor of Illinois, for the person of Joseph Smith (with the view, as was generally averred, by both Saints and sinners, of murdering him), it is evident that the JSTauvoo municipality fully compreliended the desperation of their situation. Add to this the sequel of the dastardly as- sassination of the Prophet and his brother, while in jail await- ing trial, under the promised protection of the Governor of the State, and the adoption of any means, however unconstitution- al, which promised, if nothing more, temporarj'^ protection to the Prophet, can be readily understood. But the trials of the Prophet were not only with the " out- " siders." Trouble from within was brooding over the Church. Polygamy was dawning upon the minds of the Prophet and a few of the leading elders, and preceding shadows of some- thing resembling " affinity," and what was termed the " spirit- " ual-wife " doctrine, began to develop in the lives of some prominent men. This period of Mormon history is a perfect muddle of affirmation and denial, charge and counter-charge, oath and counter-oath. Men like John C Bennett were charged by the Mormon leaders with the grossest corruption and marital infidelity. They, in turn, reversed tlie responsibil- ity, and charged Joseph with teaching it to them. Councils were afterwards held, trials, witnesses, " confessions," and " forgiveness " were recorded, then soon after some new phase of the same kind of dark work was again revealed, the accused were " excommunicated" for their " iniquities" and " corrupt " practices," and an irreconcilable breach was made. The testi- mony on both sides is so perfectly bewildering that even to-day may be found, in Salt Lake City, a husband and wife in the MARITAL DIFFICULTIES AMONG THE SAINTS. 145 Mormon Church, much affected by a circumstance of these times, who are still as valiant as ever — the husband in asserting the immaculate purity of the Prophet, and the wife as stoutly asserting the opposite — from her own knowledge. Surrounded, as Joseph Smith was at that time, with so many difficulties, it would be reasonable to expect that he would have been extraordinarily circumspect in the introduc- tion of any proposed change in the marital relations ; but with all his caution he was unsuccessful in protecting himself from charges of the gravest description. His revelation on polyg- amy contains sufficient evidence that he regarded the Christian marriage as utterly wrong, and that the ceremony of any priest was valueless in comparison with his own order of priesthood ; but that he advocated, or in any way countenanced, the jpro- miscuous intercourse that was charged to him by such men as Bennett, the Author has been unable to find any evidence be- yond that of the one lady alluded to, and whose statement is somewhat neutralized by the fact that it is made as a counter- charge to one of Joseph's, accusing Bennett of the outrage of an absent husband. Many, however, believe the lady's state- ment. Bennett made a tour through the West, lecturing on the enormities of Mormonism, and stirring up the people to mob- violence, while Francis M. Higbee had Joseph arrested for defamation of character, on a writ granted by the circuit court of Hancock county. But the municipal court of Nauvoo, ever ready at his call, protected him with a writ of habeas corpus^ and on examination he was discharged on the ground that the suit was instituted through malice. CHAPTEE XXIY. JOSEPH PKEDICTS THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN ZION.— He designs to found there an Independent State — Becomes a Candidate for the Presidency of the United States — Assails Clay and Calhoun — Great Trouble with Apostates— Poli- tics and Polygamy threaten to engulf him — The Nauvoo Expositor founded and destroyed — Writs issued for the Arrest of the Prophet — He resolves on Flight. Haeassed by prosecutions from every side, in constant dan- ger of being surprised and carried off to Missouri, and realiz- ing that political jealousies were working up the State of Illi- nois against him and the Mormon people, the Prophet turned his eyes towards the Pacific to find there an abiding-place for Zion. As early as 1842, he prophesied that the Saints w^ould remove to the Pocky Mountains, and in the spring of 1844, while troubles were increasing uj)on him, he selected a com- pany of men to explore that unknown region, prophesying at the same time that within five years from that date, the Saints should be located there beyond the influence of mobs. In his private history he writes under date of February 20th, 1844 : "I instructed the Twelve Apostles to send out a delegation and investi- gate the localities, California and Oregon, and hunt out a good location where we can remove to after the Temple is completed and where we can build a city in a day and have a government of our own : get up into the mountains where the devil cannot dig us out, and live in a healthy cli- mate where we can live as old as we have a mind to." Ilis design was to found an independent State somewhere west of the Rocky Mountains, and to further that end he sent a delegation to Washington seeking the countenance and, if possible, the cooperation of the Government to his scheme. The apostle Hyde,* as chief of that delegation, wu-ote from the * This is the same Hyde who apostatized and left the Church ia Missouri. He repented, pleaded with Joseph and the Church, and was reinstalled in full feather. THE PROPHET ON NATIONAL POLITICS. 147 seat of government, April 25, 1844, that the Prophet's propo- sition to go West found great favour with leading senators, es- pecially with Senator Stephen A. Douglas, and some members of the Cabinet, but the Government feared that a misunder- standing might arise with England. Oregon was then by treaty jointly occupied by both nations, and it was apprehended that going as the emigrants would, as something like an armed force and in such numbers, it might be regarded by England as an infraction of that treaty, and so the Government declined any recognition of the proposed exodus. Inexplicable enough, as it seemed to the uninitiated, at the very time that this proposition was made by Joseph to move to the West, his name was put forth as a candidate for the Presidency of the United States, and hundreds [Governor Ford says " two or three thousand "] of the elders were sent over the States preaching Mormonism and electioneering for Joseph. At that time Clay and Calhoun were rival candidates, and Jo- seph failed not to ask them categorically what their course of action would be towards the Mormons in case of election. The Prophet was never without a double string to his bow — if it were possible to have two, and when he apprehended that per- sonally he might fail in reaching the chair of Washington, he wanted to know what either of the other candidates would do before he cast the Mormon vote in Illinois. Joseph was dissatisfied with both Clay and Calhoun. He handled them severely in lengthy communications for the inde- finite answers they had sent him, and issued his own " Address "to the American people" on the leading topics of the day. It is difficult to believe that Joseph meant more in giving his name as a candidate than simply to place before the public his views upon national policy, and exhibit, as he believed, his fitness as a statesman to become the chief executive of the nation. The incidents in the history of N'auvoo from this time to the assassination of Joseph Smith, and after that to the expul- sion of the Mormons from Illinois, are intensely interesting, and as Governor Ford's record of the circumstances of those times is in a measure official, citations from it are doubly valuable and will be freely used. No writer on either side of a conten- 148 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. tion could well be perfectly unbiased or even strictly truthful, as lie could not personally know the movements of both sides. The reader will, therefore, receive with caution even the Gov- ernor's statement, observing, however, that whatever colouring there may be here and there against the Mormons, it is more than balanced by the damaging admissions he makes against their enemies. He says: " Soon after these institutions were established, Joe [Joseph] Smith began to play the tyrant over several of his followers. The first act of this sort which excited, attention was an attempt to take the wife of William Law, one of his most talented and principal disciples, and make her his spiritual wife. By means of his common council, without the authority of law, he -established a recorder's office in Kauvoo, in which alone the titles of proj^erty could be recorded. In the same manner and with the same want of legal authority, he established an office for issuing marriage licenses to the Mormons, so as to give him absolute control of the marry- ing propensities of his people. He proclaimed that none in the city should purchase real estate to sell again, but himself. He also permitted no one but himself to have a license in the city for the sale of spirituous liquors ; and in many other ways he undertook to regulate and control the business of the Mormons. This despotism administered by a corrupt and un- principled man soon became intolerable. William Law, one of the most eloquent preachers of the Mormons, who appeared to me to be a deluded but conscientious and candid man, Wilson Law, his brother, major-gen- eral of the Legion, and four or five other Mormon leaders, resolved upon a rebellion against the authority of the Prophet. They designed to enlighten their brethren and fellow-citizens upon the new institutions, the new turn given to Mormonism and the practices under the new system, by procur- ing a printing-press and establishing a newspaper in the city,* to be the organ of their complaints and views. But they never issued but one num- ber. Before the second could appear the press was demolished by an or- der of the common council, and the conspirators were ejected from the Mormon Church. " The Mormons themselves published the proceedings of the council in the trial and destruction of the heretical jjress ; from which it does not appear that any one was tried, or that the editor or any of the owners of the property had notice of the trial, or were permitted to defend in any particular. " The proceeding was an ex-parte proceeding, partly civil and partly ecclesiastical, against the press itself. No jury was called or sworn, nor were the witnesses requ.ired to give their evidence upon oath. The coun- cillors stood uj), one after another, and some of them several times, and related what they pretended to know. In this mode it was abundantly * The Nauvoo Expositor. DESTRUCTION OF THE NAUVOO "EXPOSITOR." 149 proved that the owners of the proscribed press were sinners, whoremastcrs, thieves, swindlers, counterfeiters and robbers, the evidence of which is re- ported in the trial at full length. It was altogether the most curious and irregular trial that ever was recorded in any civilized country ; and one finds difficulty in determining whether the proceedings of the council were more the result of insanity or depravity. The trial resulted in the convic- tion of the press as a public nuisance, the mayor was ordered to see it abated as such, and if necessary to call the Legion to his assistance. " The mayor issued his warrant to the city marshal, who, aided by a portion of the Legion, proceeded to the obnoxious printing-office, and destroyed the press and scattered the types and other materials." * The editor and seceding Mormons hastened to Carthage, and writs were issued for the arrest of the mayor of l^anvoo, Joseph Smith, and others engaged in the destruction of the Expositor. The municipal court of Nauvoo set aside the writs and discharged the prisoners. Aroused by the inflamma- tory reports of what the Mormons were charged with contem plating, and believing that there was an " irrepressible conflict " at hand, a committee was appointed at Carthage to visit the Governor and ask that the militia be called out to execute that writ. The Governor determined to investigate in person the complaints, and immediately visited Carthage. On his arrival he found an armed force already assembled and hourly increas- ing under the summons and direction of the constable of the county, to serve as a jposse comitatus^ to assist in the execution of that writ. The general of the brigade had called upon the militia of the counties of McDonough and Schuyler, and a con- siderable number had been gathered at Warsaw under com- mand of Col. Levi Williams. Governor Ford informed the mayor and council of Kauvoo of the complaint, and requested a committee to be sent to meet him, to lay before him their statement of the difiiculty. Such acknowledgments were made by this committee that the Gov- ernor readily concluded what the facts really were. He says : " Convinced that the Mormon leaders had committed a crime in the destruction of the press, and had resisted the execution of process, I de- termined to exert the whole force of the State, if necessary, to bring them to justice. But seeing the great excitement in the public mind, and the manifest tendency of this excitement to run into mobocracy, I was of opin- * Ford's " History of Illinois," pp. 322-3-4. 150 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. ion that before I acted, I ought to obtain a pledge from the officers and men to support me in strictly legal measures, and to protect the prisoners in case they surrendered ; for I was determined, if possible, the laws of the land should not be made a cats-paw of a mob to reduce these people to a quiet surrender, as the convenient victims of popular fury. I there- fore called together the whole force then assembled at Carthage, and made an address, explaining to them what I could, and what I could not, legally do, and also adducing to them various reasons why they as well as the Mormons should submit to the laws ; and why, if they had resolved upon revolutionary proceedings, their purpose should be abandoned. The as- sembled troops seemed much pleased with the address, and upon its con- clusion, the officers and men unanimously voted with acclamation to sus- tain me in a strictly legal course, and that the prisoners should be protect- ed from violence. Upon the arrival of additional forces from Warsaw, McDonough, and Schuyler, similar addresses were made with the same result. " It seemed to me that these votes fully authorized me to promise the accused Mormons the protection of the law in case they surrendered. They were accordingly duly informed that if they surrendered they would be protected, and if they did not the whole force of the State would be called out, if necessary, to compel their submission. A force of ten men was dispatched with the constable to make the arrests, and to guard the prisoners to headquarters. " In the mean time, Joe [Joseph] Smith, as lieutenant-general of the Nauvoo Legion, had declared martial law in the city ; the Legion was as- sembled and ordered under arms ; the members of it residing in the coun- try were ordered into town. The Mormon settlements obeyed the sum- mons of their leader, and marched to his assistance. Nauvoo was one great military camp, strictly guarded and watched, and no ingress or egress was allowed, except upon the strictest examination ' " However, upon the arrival of the constable and guard, the mayor and common council at once signified their willingness to surrender, and stated their readiness to proceed to Carthage next morning at eight o'clock. Martial law had previously been abolished. The hour of eight o'clock came, and the accused failed to make their appearance. The con- stable and his escort returned. The constable made no efibrt to arrest any of them, nor would he or the guard delay their departure one minute be- yond the time, to see whether an arrest could be made. Upon their re- turn they reported that they had been informed that the accused had fled and could not be found." * The crisis had arrived. Writs for his apprehension, and writs of habeas corpus for his discharge, had in turn done their work till the culmination had been reached. Joseph resolved * Ford's " History of Illinois," pp. 332-3. THE PROPHET AGAIN MEDITATES FLIGHT. 151 on flight. He crossed the river to Montrose, where he could conceal himself till ready for his departure for the Eastern States or the Canadas, as reported by some, or for the Rocky Mountains, as reported by others.* * The apostle John Taylor says : " It was Brother Joseph's opmion that, should we leave for a time, public excitement, which was then so intense, would be allayed ; that it would throw ou the Governor the responsibility of keeping the peace ; that in the event of any outrage, the onus would rest on the Governor, who was amply prepared with troops, and could command all the forces of the State to preserve order ; and that the acts of his own men would be an overwhelming proof of their seditious designs, not only to the Governor, but to the world. He moreover thought that, in the East, where he intended to go, public opinion would be set right in re- lation to these matters, and its expression would partially influence the West, and that, after the first ebulition, things would assume a shape that would justify hia return." CHAPTER XXy. THE PROPHET SURRENDERS TO THE LAW.— The Governor pledges tlie Protection of the State for his Safety — The Country intensely excited — The De- struction of the Nauvoo Expositor a Fatal Error — The Militia in Arms — The Mur- der of the Prophet planned — His Enemies resolve to kill him while Governor Ford visits Nauvoo — A Review of the Prophet's Life and Works. Mrs. Emma Smith, to whom Joseph was warmlj devoted, notwithstanding the number of the other Mrs. Smiths, held empire in his heart, and at this critical moment was used bj some " faint-hearted " brethren " to begr Joseph's return to Nauvoo. The lady is said to have writ- ten, to him and to his brother Hyrum who was with him, "a " cruel and indignant " letter,'' reproaching them as " coward " shepherds who had "left the sheep in " danger and fled." Joseph was anything but a " coward," and though he seemed to fully comprehend the danger of his position, he resolved at once to return to Nauvoo and give himself up to tlie officers of the law. Governor Ford furnishes the incidents leading to the assas- sination of the two brothers : " On the 23rd or 24th day of June, Joe [Joseph] Smith, the mayor of Nauvoo, together with liis brother Hyrum and all the members of the The Prophet surrenders to the Law. THE PROPHET IN JAIL. 153 council, and all others demanded, came into Carthage and surrendered themselves prisoners to the constable on the charge of riot. They all voluntarily entered into a recognizance before the justice of the peace for their appearance at court to answer the charge, and all of them were dis- charged from custody except Joe [Joseph] and Hyrum Smith, against whom the magistrate had issued a new writ on a complaint of treason. They were immediately arrested by the constable on this charge and re- tained in his custody to answer it. . . . " Soon after the surrender of the Smiths, at their request I dispatched Captain Singleton with his company, from Brown county, to Nauvoo to guard the town, and I authorized him to take command of the Legion. He reported to me afterwards that he called out the Legion for inspec- tion ; and that upon two hours' notice, two thousand of them assembled, all of them armed, and this after the public arms had been taken away from them. So it appears that they had a suificiency of private arms for any reasonable purpose. " After the Smiths had been arrested on the new charge of treason, the justice of the peace postponed the examination because neither of the parties were prepared with their witnesses for trial. In the mean time he com- mitted them to the jail of the county for greater security. . . . Neither they nor 1 seriously apprehended an attack on the jail through the guard stationed to protect it. Nor did I apprehend the least danger on their part of an attempt to escajDc ; for 1 was very sure that any such attempt would have been the signal of their immediate death." * If his Excellency's heart was void of all rancour against the Prophet, his head might possibly deceive itself respecting the better disposition of others towards the prisoners ; but it re- quired no great acumen to discover a plan and purpose to com- pass the death of the Smiths. In the midst of such excitement and threatenings as those which he witnessed and lieard, no promises from those in arms — partly mob and partly militia — should have been asked ; not the slightest confidence could be placed in them ! The Governor's pledge of protection based on his own personal honour, the honour of the officers under his command and the honour of the State, was too great a trust to be committed to the hands of Captain Smith of the Car- thage Grays. With such surroundings and associations while in Carthage, the Governor's repeated assurances of protection lacked evidence of that good faith which marks a resolute and reliable man. In prison, on the 26th, Governor Ford pledged himself to * Ford's " History of Illinois," pp. 337-8. 10 154 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. the Prophet tliat he would not go to Naiivoo, .is he then |)i'o- posed, without taking him and his brother Hyrum with him ; but on the following morning he did set out without them for the City of the Saiiits. To the Prophet and his friends this violation of his pledge was regarded as the beginning of the doom in store for them : " Tbe force assembled at Carthage amounted to about twelve or thir- teen hundred men, and it was calculated that four or five hundred more were assembled at Warsaw. Nearly all that portion resident in Hancock were anxious to be marched into Nauvoo. This measure was supposed to be necessary to search for counterfeit money, and the apparatus to make it, and also to strike a salutary terror into the Mormon people by an exhi- bition of the force of the State " Two or three days' preparation had been made for this expedition. I observed that some of the people became more and more excited and in- flammatory the further the preparations were advanced. Occasional threats came to my ears of destroying the city and murdering or expelling the inhabitants. I had no objection to ease the terrors of the people by such a display of force, and was most anxious also to search for the alleged apparatus for making counterfeit money ; and in fact to inquire into all the charges against that people if I could have been assured of my com- mand against mutiny and insubordination. But I gradually learned to my entire satisfaction that there was a plan to get the troops into Nauvoo, and there to begin the war, probably by some of our own party or some of the seceding Mormons, taking advantage of the night to fire on our own force, and then laying it on the Mormons. I was satisfied there were those amongst us fully capable of such an act, hoping that in the alarm, bustle, and confusion of a militia camp the truth could not be discovered, and that it might lead to the desired collision." * The Governor urged these considerations upon a council of oiBcers, but " such was the blind fury prevailing at this time," that the majority of the council adhered to the first resolution of marching into Nauvoo. This induced him to disband the troops both at Carthage and Warsaw, with the exception of three companies, two of which were retained as a guard to the jail, and the other to accompany him to ISTauvoo. After es- saying to excuse himself from the censure of having placed the Smiths under the guard of the Carthage Grays — their well- known enemies — the Governor continues : " Having ordered the guard, and left General Demming in command in Carthage and discharged the residue of the militia, I immediately de- * Ford's "History of Illinois," p. 339-40. ARRESTED FOR TREASON. I55 parted for Nauvoo, eighteen miles diotant, accompanied by Colonel Buck- master, quartermaster-general, and Captain Dunn's comj)any of dragoons. " After we had proceeded four miles, Colonel Buckmaster intimated to me a suspicion that an attack would be made on the jail. He stated the matter as a mere suspicion, arising from having seen two persons converse together at Carthage with some air of mystery. I myself entertained no suspicion of such an attack ; at any rate, none before the next day in the afternoon, because it was notorious that we had departed from Carthage with the declared intention of being absent at least two days. I could not believe that any person would attack the jail whilst we were in Nau- voo, and thereby expose my life and the life of my companions to the sud- den vengeance of the Mormons upon hearing of the death of their lead- ers. Nevertheless, acting upon the principle of providing against mere possibilities, I sent back one of the company with a special order to Cap- tain Smith to guard the jail strictly and at peril of his life until my re- turn." * From the moment that the Mormon leaders arrived at Car- thage it was clearly evident that there was a determination to murder the Prophet. He and his associates went there to an- swer for the destruction of the JSTauvoo Expositor, and for that alone. On the morning of the 24th, the accused appeared be- fore Robert F, Smith, a justice of the peace and captain of the Carthage Grays, and, after examination, gave bail, each in the sum of $500, to appear at the succeeding term of the Han- cock county Circuit Court. Immediately after they were set at liberty, a writ was sworn out against Joseph and his brother Hyrum for " treason," by Augustine Spencer and a man named .... Norton — " two worthle.-^s fellows." This " treason " consisted in " levying war against the State of Illinois," and found its interpretation in the Prophet fortifying ]^auvoo and " calling out the Legion to resist the force under the command " of the Governor." This charge was a mere pretext and an act of gross injustice to '' Lieu tenant-General " Smith — what- ever his religious profession might be — for, as lieutenant-gen- eral of the Legion, he was instructed by Governor Ford on the outbreak of the disturbances to call out the militia to de- fend the city against the mobocracy that threatened its de- struction. For treason, no bail could be accepted ; and as nei- ther the parties for the prosecution or the defence were ready to go to trial, but desired a postponement of the case, the jus- * Ford's " History of Illinois," pp, 345-6. 156 THE KOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. tice of the peace remanded both the Prophet and the patriarch back to prison. The counsel for tlie accused — two very able " Gentile " lawyers — protested against the commitment of their clients \vithout a hearing, and an appeal was made to the Governor, but — " he was sorry that the thing had occurred ; that he did " not believe the charges ; that he thought the best thing to " be done was to let the law take its course." The two broth- ers were now in the snare that had been prepared for their feet, and they quietly submitted to incarceration. In order to return to Carthage that same night, to prevent, as he claims, an attack upon the jail, the Governor halted the baggage wagons and hurried on to ISTauvoo with his company. He arrived there about four o'clock in the afternoon of the 27th of June, when he assembled the citizens and reviewed the situa- tion : " In this address I stated to them how, and in what, their function- aries had violated the laws, also the many scandalous reports in circula- tion against them, and that these reports, whether true or false, were gen- erally believed by the people. I distinctly stated to them the amount of hatred and prejudice wliich prevailed everywhere against them, and the causes of it, at length. I also told them plainly and emphatically that if any vengeance should be attempted openly or secretly, against the persons or property of the citizens who had taken part against their leaders, that the public hatred and excitement was such that thousands would assemble for the total destruction of their city, and the extermination of their peo- ple, and that no power in the State would be able to prevent it. During this address some impatience and resentment were manifested by the Mor- mons at the recital of the various reports enumerated concerning them, which they strenuously and indignantly denied to be true. They claimed to be a law-abiding peojile, and insisted that as they looked to the law alone for their protection, so were they careful themselves to observe its provisions. Upon the conclusion of this address I proposed to take a vote on the question, Avhether they would strictly observe the laws, even in opposition to their Prophet and leaders. The vote was vmanimous in favour of this proposition. The anti-Mormons contended that such a vote from the Mormons signified nothing." * In the narrative of " the martyrdom of Joseph Smith " there is a very different version given of the spirit and intent * Ford's " History of Illinois," p. oil. FATAL ERROR OF THE PROPHET. 15 7 of the -whole course pursued by the Governor from that which his own pen has traced. The apostle Taylor's relation of a semi-conversation, semi- discussion between Governor Ford and the Prophet in the Car- thage jail has in the light of after-acts, both Mormon and anti- Mormon, an air of strict truthfulness, and exhibits Joseph with the advantage of the argument relative to everything in ISTau- voo history that was the subject of conversation, save the de- struction of the press. There the Prophet doubtless realized that his action as mayor had not the support of legal form, and with that fact the Governor made his strong point against him, and treated all his statements of grievances against " apos- "tates" and anti-Mormons with ill-concealed indiiference. " The press," said his Excellency, " in the United States is " looked upon as the bulwark of freedom, and its destruction " in Nauvoo was represented and looked upon as a high-handed " measure and manifests to the people a disposition on your "part to suppress the liberty of speech and of the press. " That act," added his Excellency, " together with the refusal " to comply with the requisitions of a writ were the principal " causes of the difficulty." The Prophet at that time, however, was able to clear him- self of all other charges, and while he claimed that he had acted in good faith in destroying the press " as a nuisance," and calling out the Legion to protect Nauvoo on the instruc- tioTis of the Governor ; he also announced himself ready to meet the legal liabilities for the destruction of the Expositor^ if they had been in error. But it was now too late. The ar- gument of the Prophet or that of Governor Ford could avail little ; his enemies had determined that the prisoners should be murdered, and the Governor was not the man to fight and conquer the contemplated crime. The eventful history of the Mormon Prophet is now draw- ing to a close. The singular commencement of his public life, his angel visits, his visions and his revelations, have been given sufficiently in extenso where a principle, a fact, or a link in history was necessary to elucidate his career. The insignifi- cant number of disciples at the organization of his Church, the poverty of his family, his lack of education and social stand- 158 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. ing in society, and tlio barriers that crossed the path iu which he was destined to tread, have been already portrayed to the reader. He is seen surmounting every obstacle, treating his defi- ciencies as Heaven's favours, and presenting to the religious world his revelations with an impetuosity that stamps him as a man of extraordinary faith, or the boldest of impostors. Dis- ciples gather round him, hang upon his words as to life, and subjugate themselves with a servile humility and obedience in- consistent with the age and the natural progress of the hu- man race. The endearments of paternal homes, and the most sacred associations of life are rent asunder that the faithful may gather at his word. Intellect, aspiration, ambition, wealth, and personality are thrown at his feet. The founda- tions of cities are laid, temples are erected, missions over sea and land are undertaken at his bidding, and the rude life of portentous war is accepted as a duty as readily as the preach- ing of peace and salvation. The poor farm labourer merges in the preacher, the preach- er becomes a translator, a prophet, a seer, a revelator, a banker, an editor, a mayor, a lieutenant-general, a candidate for the presidency of the world's greatest Republic, and last of all, though not the least difficult of his achievements, he becomes the husband of many wives. This variety of work, accom- plished within the short space of fourteen years, exhibits a fer- tility of brain, and a restless activity which stamps Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, as one of earth's most remarka- ble men. From the beginning to the end of his public career he never once doubted his mission — never once wavered in the belief that he was ordained " before the world was," to lay in this age the foundation of a kingdom whose empire should cover the habitable globe, and reaching by doctrine, by principle, by ordination, by endowment, by organization, by faith, from earth to heaven, make of the posterity of Adam one grand and universal brotherhood. Such was his dream. He knew no sectarianism in his faith, though in his work- ing " the Saints " alone were the favourites of Heaven, and the objects of its peculiar and special care. There was nothing of REVIEW OF THE PROPHET'S LIFE AND WORK. 159 mysterious awe associated with liim. In one hour of the day he might be found locked up in his sanctum with his amanuen- sis, giving to earth the secrets of the Gods ; * the very next hour he was brooding over some scheme for his people's ag- grandizement, or it might be that the hour which succeeded the revelation was spent in his favourite wrestling with the strongest of the brethren whom he chanced to meet. He would visit the sick, administer to them by the laying on of hands in holy ordinance, and following that, as likely as not, he was ready to kick some one out of his presence who had insulted either him or any of his brethren. He was sociable with every- body, and was convivial at times with his special friends. In brief, there was nothing about him, outside of his announced prophetic mission, to create reverence or inspire his disciples with awe. This was really the secret of his unlimited power and influence over the people. In his presence every one was at ease. His eccentricities or errors were rather virtues tlian defects. They loved him because he was to them so human and so like themselves, and yet, when necessary, his dignity was ready, and his mission became divine in their wondering eyes. His success was not due to studied art ; it was the singular- ity of a nature that upheaves itself among the masses of hu- manity at but rare intervals in history. He was only suited to what he did, and following the instincts and leadings of his nature he only did what he did. Had he tried another role than that of leader of a peculiarly believing mass who needed just such a leadership, he would have failed. The world is sparsely strewn with such a people. He was their prophet. ♦When he essayed the banker he was a failure, when he became the merchant he was muddled ; but when he talked of glory in the Temple, or on his military charger was speaking to an audience which had everything to hope for — kingdoms, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, and universal empire were all within the range of their vision. Finance and commerce required the method and control of close calculation. Method was a burden to him, and control he never knew. In the re- * " With Gods he soared in the realms of day, And men he taught the heavenly way." Hymn 290, 160 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. gion of the clouds, in the far-distant stars, and in the glory of Kolob, next to where " the Greatest dwells," he was perfectly at home, and knew it all. To him his priesthood was the key that unlocked the mystery of the past, made clear the present, and laid bare the future. He never assumed to be other than mortal, and taught every one to " be natural." He confessed his faults, when overtaken in public in moments of joyousness, with the simplicity of a child ; but in his projects he out- dreamed humanity, and ambitioned nothing short of peerage with the Gods.* Such was the man, in the full-tide of his popularity, in the flush of a proud manhood, less than two-score years of age, whom the reader is now to visit in Carthage jail, on the 27th of June, 1844. * A metrical review of the mission and greatness, past, present, and future, of Josepli, from tlie pen of the apostle Taylor, illustrates the Mormon idea of the Prophet's dignity : " Unchan.^ed in death, with a jSariour's love, He pleads their cause in the courts above. " His home's in the sky, he dwells with the God.\ Far from the furious rage of mobs. " He died ! he died for those he loved ; He reigns ! he reigns in the realms above. " Shout, shout, ye Saints ; this boon is given — We'll meet our martyred Seer in heaven." CHAP.TER XXYL LAST HOUES OF THE PKOPHET.— The Presentiment of his Death— The M ur- clerers — The Attack upon the Jail — The Assassination of the Prophet and the Patriarcli — An Apostle shot — Thrilling Narrative of a Survivor — " Two Minutes in Jail." "When he left Naiivoo, on the morning of the 23rd, the Prophet was accompanied to Carthage by a number of the leading men of the Chnrch, in addition to those summoned to the same place for the destruction of the Expositor. After bail had been accepted for the appearance of the accused, they nearly all returned to Nauvoo, leaving, however, behind as many of his friends as he desired to stay with him. Between this time and his death a number of gentlemen called upon him, who were deeply solicitous for his safety, yet hopeful of his deliverance, and it was probably not until after Governor Ford's departure for Nauvoo, on the morning of the 27th, that any conversation took place respecting the probabil- ity of murder. Had that issue been apprehended, the Mor- mons at ISTauvoo would have delivered him, even if the whole State of Illinois had forbidden their marching to his aid. The consequences would never have been considered. His safety was to them everything. But the hours in Carthage jail were fleeting with that omi- nous haste that ever marks the ebbing current of life's career. As the shadows on the prison walls announced the receding day, the approach of death was sensibly felt by the Propliet and his friends. Dr. Richards, one of the apostles, proposed to Joseph that if his life might be accepted in the Prophet's stead, he would freely give it. The apostle Taylor asked only permission, and "in five hours he would take him from his 1G4 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. "prison," These were no idle offers. Life and deliverance were his for half a word ; but at this critical moment Joseph seemed to forget all thoughts of life and of the world. It is claimed by the believing Saints that he had premonitions of his approaching end, and that on some occasions previous to the Expositor difficulty, he had spoken of the termination of his mission. So long had his bow been strung to its utmost tension, that this feeling of indifference can readily be appreciated with- out either miracle or divine manifestation ; but to him and his, impressions had special interpretations. Add to this the gall- ing humiliation of being chided by some brethren as a " cow- " ard " when he attempted to escape on tlie presentation of the sheriff's writ, and then the weariness of earthly things is easy to comprehend. Life at last had lost its charm; the charge of cowardice had stung him, and he was ready to die. It was neither want of friends nor want of ability to secure his escape. He was weary, and with his fertile faith it was easy to listen to the suggestion of those ever-ready words — " The " blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Chm^ch.'' Besides, a " prophet " never dies. The portals of another, world hail him as the advancing conqueror, and the field of his labours be- comes more extended. Joseph was ready for the change.* It is stated that on leaving j^auvoo for Carthage he said : " I * Notwithstanding this apparent readiness to meet death, aud the deep and clear divine impressions claimed to have been impai-ted to the Prophet of his forth- coming end, it is understood that he managed to send from prison a communication to the Mormon officer in military command at Nauvoo, to bring with all possible dispatch a portion of the Legion to protect him from treachery, and from that as- sassination which he had then so much cause to apprehend. This military com- mander put the Prophet's communication into his pocket and gave no heed to the call for help. No one was acquainted with the contents of the paper, and the officer was, therefore, he presumed, safe in disregarding it. After the Prophet's death, by some accident or other, this communication was lost and was picked up on the street and read. The intelligence that Joseph had called for aid and none had been rendered him was soon bruited among the Saints, and excited their deepest indiguation, as they were not only ready to march at a moment's notice, but were eager for the opportunity. Some time afterwards, when all was quiet, this "coward and traitor " as some of the Mormons called him, or " fool and idiot " as others said, was sent on a mis- sion to the Western frontiers, accompanied by a faithful elder. While travelling alone with his companion, he fell ill and died, it is said of dysentery. His companion buried him. DEATH BROODING OVER THE PRISONERS. 165 " am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a " summer morning. I have a conscience void of oflenee tow- " ards God and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it " shall yet be said of me ' He was murdered in cold blood.' " * Governor Ford was at Nauvoo, haranguing the Mormons, and reading to them homilies on obedience to law ; the Prophet and his friends were in Carthage jail, impressed with thoughts of treachery, abandonment, and probably coming death, while at the same instant the murderers were preparing for their tragic role. Death was on the wing. To impress the Mormons with the power of his might, the Governor had conceived the notion of parading the militia un- der his immediate command through the streets of ISTauvoo ; but intimations of possible danger had at the last hour coun- selled the abandonment of that project. The triumph of " crowing over the Mormons," as expressed by a Gentile writer, was a natural ambition for the class of men who had rushed to arms in their hatred of Mormonism and its Prophet ; but the Governor's timely abandonment of the scheme was a fortunate decision. The march of two thou- sand militia through a city containing five tliousand men in- imical to them, with arms in their hands, in possession of every house, and these, too, men as ready as ever fanatics were, to fight the world for their religion and for their leader, must cer- tainly have been a dangerous experiment. The Governor claims for his prudence other considerations, but the disbanded militia exclaimed bitterly against their disappointment. . Golden's Point, about six miles east of !Nauvoo, was fixed upon as the rendezvous of the troops on the morning of the 27th. Those who were in and around Carthage were at once disbanded, with the exception of one company of the Carthage Grays, under the command of Captain Smith, who, as justice of the peace, had committed the Prophet and his brother for treason. This company was to perform the double duty of pro- tecting the prisoners and repelling any attempt at their rescue. The regiment from the southwest part of the county, un- der the command of Col. Levi "Williams, had not yet reached Carthage. The Governor selected Thomas C. Sharpe, the edi- * " Doctrine and Covenants," p. 335. 1G6 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. tor of the "Warsaw Signal, who had written more inflamma- tory articles against the Mormons than all the others put to- gether, to carry the orders for disbanding his regiment to Colonel Williams. The Prophet and his brethren in jail " felt umisiially dull " and languid, with a remarkable depression of spirits." One by one his personal friends had left during the afternoon to attend tosome matters of business which interested the prison- ers. These the guard at the jail from this time would not per- mit to return, and this was additional cause for alarm. One of them was driven at the point of the bayonet out of the town, and threatened with death if he returned. He immediately The Apostle Taylor. repaired to Nauvoo to raise men to protect the prisoners ; but the opportunity for such service was past. Another of the brethren, on leaving the prison, handed his revolver to the Prophet and this was the only weapon that Joseph, Hyrum, and the two apostles had among them. After dinner they sent another brother for some wine, for they " were dull and heavy ; " and he, also, was not permitted to return. The prisoners hoped that the stimulant " would revive them," but no vinous med- icament could elevate their spirits ; — death was brooding over them. Elder Taylor sang Montgomery's pathetic hymn : " A poor vrayfaring man of grief," ASSASSINATION OF THE PROPHET AND PATRIARCH. 167 to a plaintive air as appropriate to the occasion as Mozart's " Dead March " in Saul. " It was very much in accordance " with our feelings at the time," wrote elder Taylor, " for our " spirits were all depressed, dull, gloomy and surcharged with " indefinite ominous forebodings." After a little while, Hyrum asked the Elder " again to sing that song." He pled that he " did not feel like singing," but Hyrum felt the cordiality of a responsive soul, and they continued : "In prison I saw him next condemned To meet a traitor's doom at morn ; The tide of lying tongues I stemm'd, And honoured him 'mid shame and scorn," The Elder had just got through with the last comfort he could administer to his friend on earth, and the echoes of his sonorous voice had hardly died away when the closing scene of the tragedy opened. A gentleman, a resident then and now of I^auvoo, uncon- nected with either the Mormons or the mob, furnishes the Au- thor with the following facts. " The afternoon of the day was dull and quiet. The disbanded troops had returned to their homes, and the people of the little village of Car- thage congratulated themselves on the restoration of quiet and order about their homes. Their joy at their deliverance was, however, of short duration. Near sunset an armed force, numbering perhaps one hundred men, was seen stealthily approaching in single file upon the Nauvoo road. Their destination was evidently the jail, as they bent their steps in that direction. This body of men was well armed with rifles and muskets. Their faces were disfigured with paint, so that recognition was impossible. Their march was silent as the grave. The bewildered by-stauders sjiecu- lated on the meaning of the apj^arition of these silent yet grim and de- termined soldiers. Many supposed it was a party of armed Mormons in- tent on the rescue of their leaders fi'om imprisonment : others, who were shrewder or in possession of better means of information, thought it meant anything but a happy deliverance for the imprisoned Saints. The silent and rapid approach of the intruders soon set at rest all occasion for speculation. On their arrival at the jail several shots were fired, and a scuffle took place with the guard. It apparently took but a moment to overcome all resistance, and the triumphant mob forced their way to the front door of the jail and burst into the lower room, which was immedi- ately filled by a threatening mass of men with disguised and determined faces. They advanced up the narrow stairway which led to the room 168 TUE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. where the prisoners were confined. Arriving at the head of the stairs, a volley was instantly fired through the door into the prisoners' apartment. One of these random shots passed through the panel with force sufiicient to inflict a mortal wound on the person of Hyrum Smith, from which he instantly expired. The door was now forced, and the excited mob burst into the room, firing volley after volley. The contest was too hot and too unequal to last long. The Prophet was armed with a revolver, with which he defended himself with the haste of desperation. He discharged his weapon three times, and it is said, each time with effect. He now turned to an oijen window, with a view to escape, but the mob was below in the prison yard as well as around him. He hesitated; he clutched the win- dow-sill to which he was suspended, and cast a wild and imploring look below. A volley was fired by the unrelenting mob, and the Prophet fell to the ground, if not lifeless, at least insensible. " The mob meant sure work. The mangled and bleeding body was set up against a well-curb in the jail yard, and a volley was fired at the insouoible corpse, and thus the spirit of the Prophet was released from its earthly prison-house. " The act of the mob was at once cool, systematic, and ferocious. To plan and consummate such an act of violence coolly, in the centre of a village, in broad daylight, with the whole community looking on, required a great amount of boldness, and many bold men. But no sooner was the deed committed than they appeared to be appalled and terrified at their own bloody acts. The mob broke up in squads, and retreated in difi'erent directions. In an incredibly short space of time not a man was left who had had any connection with the bloody tragedy. Theii- retreat was wild and precii)itate. " The village was panic-stricken. The apprehension was universal that the news of the death of the Smiths reaching Nauvoo would instantly cause an uprising of the Mormons ; that the Nauvoo Legion, numbering THE GOVERNOR'S STORY. 109 its thousands, would immediately march on Carthage and take complete and sanguinary Tengeance upon the town and its inhabitants for the death of the Smiths. The result was that the whole population tied, with the exception, however, of one family who were persuaded at the urgent re- quest of John Taylor and Willard Richards (who were confined in the jail with the Smiths) to remain and take care of the dead bodies. It was only after repeated pledges, and the strong assurance of these Mormon magnates, that the family in question was induced to remain." The Governor on liis return from Nauvoo met the bearers of the dismal tidings to the Saints, and afraid of the interpre- tation that might be put npon his part of the tragedy, he ar- rested their further progress. Of his fears and of the excite- ment in the country he gives the following picture : " A short time before sun-down we departed on our return to Carthage. When we had proceeded two miles we met two individuals, one of them a Mormon, who informed us that the Smiths had been assassinated in jail, about five or six o'clock of that day. The intelligence seemed to strike every one with a kind of dumbness. As to myself, it was perfectly as- tounding ; and I anticipated the very worst consequences from it. The Mormons had been represented to me as a lawless, infatuated, and fanati- cal people, not governed by the ordinary motives which influence the rest of mankind. If so, most likely an exterminating war would ensue, and the whole land would be covered with desolation. " Acting upon this supposition, it was my duty to provide as well as I could for the event. I therefore ordered the two messengers into custody and to be returned with us to Carthage. This was done to get time, and make such arrangements as could be made, and to prevent any sudden explosion of Mormon excitement before they could be written to by their friends at Carthage. I also dispatched messengers to Warsaw to advise the citizens of the event, but the people there knew all about the matter before my messengers arrived. They, like myself, anticipated a general at- tack all over the country. The women and children were removed across the river, and a committee was dispatched that night to Quincy for assist- ance. Tlie next morning by day-light the ringing of the bells in the city of Quincy announced a public meeting. The people assembled in great numbers at an early hour. The Warsaw Committee stated to the meeting that a party of Mormons had attempted to rescue the Smiths out of jail ; that a party of Missourians and others had killed the prisoners to prevent their escape ; that the Governor and his party were at Nauvoo at the time when intelligence of the fact was brought there ; that they had been at- tacked by the Nauvoo Legion, and had retreated to a house where they were then closely besieged. That the Governor had sent out word that he could maintain his position for two days, and would be certain to be massacred if assistance did not arrive by the end of that time. It is un- 170 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. necessary to say that this entire story is a fabrication. It was of a piece with the other reports put into circulation by the anti-Mormon party to influence the public mind and call the people to their assistance. The ef- fect of it, however, was, that by ten o'clock, on the 28th of June, between two and three hundred men from Quincy, under command of Major Flood, embarked on board a steamboat for Nauvoo, to assist in raising the siege, as they honestly believed. " As for myself, I was well convinced that those, whoever they were, who assassinated the Smiths, meditated in turn my assassination by the Mormons. The very circumstances of the case fully corroborated the in- formation which I afterwards received, that upon consultation of the assassins, it was agreed amongst them that the murder must be committed whilst the Governor was at Nauvoo ; that the Mormons would naturally suppose that he had planned it, and that in the first out-pouring of their indignation, they would assassinate him by way of retaliation. And that thus they would get clear of the Smiths and the Governor all at once. They also supposed that if they could so contrive the matter as to have the Governor of the State assassinated by the Mormons, the public excite- ment would be greatly increased against that people, and would result in their expulsion from the State at least. " Upon hearing of the assassination of the Smiths, I was sensible that my command was at an end ; that my destruction was meditated as well as that of the Mormons, and that I could not reasonably confide longer in one party or in the other." * Besides the above statement, the act of assassination was graphically, though hastily, described by the Apostle Willard Richards, who was with the Prophet at the time of his murder, under the title of "TWO MINUTES IN JAIL. " A shower of musket balls was thrown up the stairway against the door of the jirison in the second story, followed by many rapid footsteps. While Generals Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Mr. Taylor, and myself, who were in the front chamber, closed the door of our room against the entry at the head of the stairs, and placed ourselves against it, there being no lock on the door and no latch that was usable — the door is a common panel — and as soon as we heard the feet at the stairs' head, a ball was sent through the door, which passed between us, and showed that our enemies were desjjeradoes, and we must change our position. General Joseph Snuth, Mr. Taylor, and myself sprang back to the front part of the room, and General Hyrum Smith retreated two-thirds across the chamber, directly in front of and facing the door. A ball was sent through the door, which hit Hyrum on the side of the nose, when he fell backwards, extended at * ford's " History of Illinois," pp. 348-9. TWO MINUTES IN JAIL. 171 length, without moving his feet. From the holes in his vest (the day was warm, and no one had on a coat but myself), pantaloons, drawers, and shirt, it appears evident that a ball must have been thrown from without, which entered his back on the right side, and passing through lodged against his watch which was in his right vest pocket, completely pulveriz- ing the crystal and face, tearing off the hands, and smashing the whole body of the watch, at the same instant the ball from the door entered his nose. As he struck the floor he exclaimed, emphatically, ' Fm a dead man!'' Joseph looked towards him, and responded: ' Oh, dear brother Hyrum ! ' and opening the door two or three inches with his left hand, discharged one barrel of a six-shooter at random in the entry, from whence a ball grazed Hyrum's breast, and entering his throat, passed into his head, while other muskets were aimed at him, and some balls hit him, Joseph continued snapping his revolver round the casing of the door into the space as before, three barrels of which missed tire, while Mr. Taylor, with a walking-stick, stood by his side and knocked down the bayonets and muskets which were being constantly discharged through the door- way, while I stood by him, ready to lend any assistance with another stick, but could not come within striking distance without going directly before the muzzles of the guns. When the revolver failed we had no more fire-arms, and expected an immediate rush of the mob into the room and instant death. Mr. Taylor rushed into the window, which is some fifteen or twenty feet from the ground. When his body was nearly on a balance, a ball from the door within entered his leg and a ball from without struck his watch, a patent lever, in his vest pocket near his left breast, and smashed it into ' pie,' leaving the hands standing at five o'clock sixteen minutes and twenty-six seconds — the force of which ball threw him back on the floor, and he rolled under the bed which stood by his side, where he lay motionless. The mob from the door continued to fire upon him, cutting away a piece of flesh from his left hip as large as a man's hand ; and were hindered only by my knocking down their muskets with a stick, while they attempted to reach their guns into the room, probably left- handed, and aimed their weapons so far around as almost to reach us in the corner of the room, whither we retreated and dodged, and then I recommenced the attack with my stick again. Joseph attempted, as the last resort, to leap through the same window from whence Mr. Taylor fell, when two balls pierced him from the door, and one entered his right breast from without, and he fell outward, exclaiming : ' 0 Lord my God I ' As his feet went out of the window my head went in, the balls whistling all around. He fell on his left side, a dead man. At this in- stant the cry was raised : ' ITe's leajyed the window ! ' and the mob on the stairs and in the entry ran out. I withdrew from the window, thinking it of no use to leap out on a hundred bayonets then around General Smith's body. Not satisfied with this, I again reached my head out of the win- dow, and watched some seconds to see if there were any signs of life, re- gardless of my own, determined to see the end of him I loved. Being' 11 172 TUE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. fully satislied that lie was dead, with a hundred men near the body, and more coming around the comer of the jail, and expecting a return to our room, I rushed towards the prison door at the head of the stairs, and through the entry from whence the tiring had proceeded, to learn if the doors into the prison were open. "When near the entry Mr. Taylor called out : ' Take inc.'' I pressed my way until I found all doors unbarred ; returned instantly, caught Mr. Taylor under my arm, and rushed by the stairs into the dungeon or inner prison, stretched him on the floor and covered him with a bed in such a manner as not likely to be perceived, expecting an immediate return of the mob. I said to Mr. Taylor : ' This is a hard case to lay you on the floor ; but if your wounds are not fatal I want you to live to tell the story.' I expected to be shot the next moment, and stood before the door awaiting the onset." Who committed this dastardly deed is still a mystery upon which no light has ever yet been thrown. The foregoing facts render it highly probable that the plan of assassination was devised by other men than those who carried it into execution. It is hardly likely that Governor Ford had anything to do with the concoction of the project ; but it is impossible to dis- pel from the mind the idea that he was not entirely ignorant of the possibility of such an event being anticipated, if indeed not contemplated. It is quite probable that his disbandment of the troops was seized upon by greater minds than his own as a propitious circumstance that favoured the accomplishment of the desperate deed. A person of the name of Daniels, who was a private in the regiment commanded by Col. Levi Wil- liams, made statements preceding and during the trial which afterwards took place, to the effect that when the editor of the Warsaw Signal, Thomas C. Sharpe, brought dispatches from the Governor, ordering the disbandment of the troops, on the morning of the 27th, the intelligence created great excitement. They were clamourous to march upon Nauvoo, and were al- ready a few miles on their way to that place. When the order was received, the troops were formed into line, and Sharpe was invited to address them. This Daniels asserts that, in his speech, Sharpe counselled the command to march eastward to Carthage, take the jail by storm, and kill the Smiths ; that the Governor had already gone to Nauvoo ; and that the Mor- mons, upon hearing of the death of the Smiths, would kill the Governor, and that they would then be rid of his interference. EMBALMED IN HISTORY. l73 Other speakers on the occasion favoured the proposition ; but some opposed it, maintaining as fiercely their opposition to " killing men in jail." Finally, a call was made for volun- teers, vs^hereupon "William K. Grover was the first to advance, and was followed by the company that committed the murder. The assassination of Joseph Smith was deplored by every right-thinking person. Aside from the horror and detestation naturally entertained against the crime of murder, it was read- ily seen that the dignity of martyrdom was the Prophet's crown of glory. It carved for him a place in history to which a natural death would never have conducted him.* It has been difficult for public writers to agree when sum- ming up his character. To one class he has appeared as the knave and the impostor ; to others, the fanatic and self-de- ceived ; to his own people he was the greatest of prophets ; while others still have suggested that he was the victim of the extravagances of spirit-communications with an imagination crude, uncultivated, and superstitious. Knowing little and believing much, every impression was to him a revelation, and every calamity to the world an evidence that " the end " was nigh at hand. An English writer, closing a notice of the Prophet's career, says of him : " If anything can tend to encourage the supposition that Joseph Smith was a sincere enthusiast, maddened with religious frenzies, as many have been before and will be after him ; and that he had a strong invincible faith in his own high pretensions and divine mission, it is the probability that, unless supported by such feelings, he would have renounced the un- profitable and ungrateful task, and sought refuge from persecution and misery in private life and honourable industry. But whether knave or lunatic, whether a liar or a true man, it cannot be denied that he was one of the most extraordinary persons of his time, a man of rude genius, who accomplished a much greater work than he knew, and whose name, what- ever he may have been whilst living, will take its place among the nota- bilities of the world," t * " He is embalmed in the affectionate memory of thousands ; and as time lends a halo of enchantment to encircle his name, hymns of praise and legends of his holy deeds will be sung and cherished by those who beUeve that the Prophet- Saint of earth is to reign a god over a brilliant world of his own creation, sur- rounded by happy queens and carolling children, through his own blessed eternity." — Lieut. Gunnison's Work, p. 165. f " The Mormons," p. 165. Mackay. 174 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. The Saints in Nauvoo received the news of the assassina- tion on the following morning. Their grief was indescribable. It was " a day of sorrow and of darkness — a day of lamenta- "tion, and mourning, and of woe." With the news from Carthage came the recommendation, from the apostles Taylor and Eichards, and Samuel H. Smith (a brother of the murdered men), to the Saints to " be still — be " patient." The Governor added to that brief epistle an in- junction that the Mormons should act upon the defensive un- til protection could be furnished them. The Legion was called out at ten o'clock in the morning, and addressed by W. W. Phelps, Colonel Buckm aster, the Governor's aide-de-camp, and others. Preparations were made to receive the last remains of the murdered Prophet and hi& brother, the Patriarch. "When the bodies were brought to the city in the afternoon, they were met by ten thousand people of every age and of both sexes, who followed the earthly relics of the martyrs to the Mansion House, and there Willard Kichards, Judge Phelps, and other prominent men, addressed the multitude. Every heart was stirred. Sorrow and indignation were mingled in every breast, and a desire for vengeance smouldered beneath the sen- timents of wonder and grief. The assembly separated peacefully, resolved to trust to the law for justice upon the assassins, and, if that failed, their im- plicit confidence in God for deliverance remained unshaken.* * The interment of the mortal remains of the Prophet and Patriarch was at- tended to with proper solemnity, and a sorrowing multitude aceompanied the mourn- ers to the burial-place ; but there was a sequel to the public services which the people never knew. The bodies of Joseph and Hyrum were not in that funeral procession : they were reserved for private interment. It was believed that sacred as the tomb is always considered to be, there were persons capable of rifling the grave in order to obtain the head of the murdered Prophet for the purpose of exhibit- ing it or placing it in some phrenological museum — the skull of Joseph Smith waa worth money. This apprehension in point of fact proved true, for the place where the bodies were supposed to be buried was disturbed the night after the interment. The coffins had been filled with stones, etc., to about the weight which the bodies would have been. The remains of the two brothers were then secretly buried the same night by a chosen few in the vaults beneath the Temple. The ground was then levelled and pieces of rock and other debris were scattered carelessly over the spot. But even this was not considei-ed a sufficient safeguard against any violation of the dead, and on the following niirlit a still more select number exhumed the THE ASSASSINS ACQUITTED. iVS The Governor from tliis time did everything in his power for the preservation of peace, but this momentary check was only a temporary lull in the storm. Human efforts were now ineflfectual to stem the tide of trouble which rolled in upon the Saints. At the October term of the Hancock Circuit Court indict- ments were found by the Grand Jury against Levi Williams, Thos. 0. Sharpe, M. Aldrich, Jacob C. Davis, "Wm. K Grover, John Allyer, Wm, Davis, John Willis, and Wm. Gallagher, for the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Tlie Governor, aware of the unenviable position that he occupied in respect to the alleged charges of complicity with the mob, resolved that the prosecution should be ably and fairly conducted, and, in addition to the District Attorney, called in the aid of the Attorney-General for the State. Out of three hundred persons summoned, and after three days' challenging, a jury was at last empanelled. Of the in- dicted, four only were arrested — Sharpe, Grover, Davis, and Williams. The trial lasted nine days, when the jury retired, and, after an absence of three hours, returned a verdict of " Not Guilty ; " a conclusion which sui'prised no one. remains and buried them beneath the pathway behind the Mansion House. The bricks which formed the path were carefully replaced, and the earth removed was carried away in sacks and thrown into the Mississippi. [N. B. If this l.ist statement is true, the bodies must have been removed a third time, as, since writing tlie above, the Author has it on unquestionable authority that they now repose in quite a different place.] Brigham Young has endeavoured to obtain possession of the remains of the Prophet, that they might be interred beneath the Temple at Salt Lake. It is stated "by Brigham that Joseph, like the son of Jacob, made the request that the Saints ■when they went to the Rocky Mountains should carry his bones with them. The family of Joseph maintain that the Prophet never expressed any such desire, but said very much to the contrary. It is affirmed that, " previous to Joseph's death, lie predicted that the Church would be scattered, and saw that the time might come •when Brigham Young would lead the Church ; and that if he did, he would lead it to perdition. He told his wife, Emma, to remain at Nauvoo, or if she left, to go to Kirtland, and not to follow any faction." To have given the bones of Joseph into Brigham's charge would have been to confirm the Saints in the Rocky Mountain Zion, to which the Smith family are de- cidedly opposed. The remains of the martyrs are destined for Zion in Missouri. CHAPTER XXVn. POLYGAMY IN ILLINOIS.— Its Introduction among the Mormons— The " Reve- lation " given by Joseph Smith — The Sons of the Deceased Projihct dispute the Polygamic Marriages of their Father — They call for the Posterity — The Promise of a " Righteous Seed" fulfilled — Joseph without Issue hy his Score of Polyg- amic Wives — Married Women become his " Wives " without Divorce or Sepa- ration from their Husbands. The subject of this chapter may suitably be divided into two parts — one pertaining to the announcement of the revela- tion to Joseph Smitli, and the other tracing its introduction among the Saints. Without a copy of the Revelation which has played such an important part in the development of the Church, any his- tory of Mormonism would be incomplete ; that document is therefore here given unabridged and intact, and it will doubt- less prove of special interest to the historical student : CELESTIAL MARRIAGE. A Revelation on the Patriarchal Order of Matrimony, or riurallty of Wives. Given to Joseph Smith, the Seer, in Nauvoo, July 11th, 1843.* I. " Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Joseph, that in- asmuch as you have inquired of my hand, to know and understand where- in I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraliam, Isaac, and Jacob ; as also Moses, David, and Solomon, my servants, as touching the i^riuciple and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines : Behold ! and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee as touching this matter: Therefore, prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give unto you ; for all those who have this law revealed unto them, must obey the same ; for behold ! I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant ; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned ; for no one can reject this covenant, and be permitted to enter * " Seer," p. 7. THE REVEL ATIOX ON POLYGAMY. 177 into my glory ; for all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as was instituted from before the foundation of the world : and as per- taining to the new and everlasting covenant, it was instituted for the ful- ness of my glory ; and he that receiveth a fulness thereof, must, and shall abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord God. II. " And verily I say unto you, that the conditions of this law are these : AH covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, perfor- mances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into, and scaled, by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him ayIio is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, and that too most holy, by revelation and commandment, through the medium of mine anointed, whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this power (and I have ap- pointed unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the earth at a time, on whom this power and the keys of this Priesthood are conferred), are of no eiBcacy, virtue, or force, in and after the resurrection from the dead ; for all contracts that are not made unto this end, have an end when men are dead. III. " Behold ! mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion. Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lard, that is not made in my name ! Or, will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed ! And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law, even as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the world was ! I am the Lord thy God, and I give unto you this commandment, that no man shall come unto the Father but by me, or by my word, which is my law, saith the Lord ; and everything that is in the world, whether it be ordained of men, by thrones, or principalities, or powers, or things of name, whatsoever they may be, that are not by me, or by my word, saith the Lord, shall be thrown down, and sliall not remain after men are dead, neither in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord your God ; for what- soever things remaineth, are by me ; and whatsoever things are not by me, shall be shaken and destroyed. IV. " Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me, nor by my word ; and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world, and she with him, their covenant and marriage is not of force when they are dead, and wlien they are out of the world ; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world ; therefore, when they are out of the world, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage ; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are minister- ing servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory ; for these angels did not abide my law, therefore they cannot be enlarged, but remain sejiarately and singly, without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity, and from henceforth are not Gods, but are angels of God, for ever and ever. V. " And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife and make a covenant with her for time and for all eternity, if that covenant is not by 178 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. me, or by my word, which is my law, and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, through him whom I have anointed and ajipointed unto this power — then it is not valid, neither of force wlien they are out of the world, because they are not joined by me, saith the Lord, neither by my word ; when they are out of tlie world, it cannot be received there, because the angels and the Gods are a])pointcd there, by whom they cannot pass •, they cannot, therefore, inherit my glory, for my house is a house of order, saith the Lord God. VI. " And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, nnto whom I have appointed this power, and the keys of this Priesthood; and it shall be said unto tliem, ye shall come forth in the first resurrec- tion ; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, princiiDalities, and powers, of dominions, all heights, and depths — then shall it be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that lie shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed inno- cent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity, and shall be of full force when they are out of the world ; and they shall pass by the angels, and the Gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a ful- ness and a continuation of the seeds for ever and ever. VIL " Then shall they be Gods, because they have no end ; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue ; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be Gods, because they have all power, and the angels are sub- ject unto them. VIII. " Verily, verily I say unto you, except ye abide my law, ye can- not attain to this glory ; for straight is the gate, and narroAv the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world, neither do ye know me. But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation, that where I am ye shall be also. This is eter- nal lives, to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent. I am He. Receive ye, therefore, my law. Broad is the gate, and wide the way that leadeth to the death ; and many there are that go in thereat ; because they receive me not, neither do they abide in my law. IX. " Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife according to my Avord, and they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, according to mine appointment, and he or she shall commit any sin or transgression of the new and everlasting covenant whatever, and all manner of blas- phemies, and if they commit no murder, wherein they shed innocent blood — yet they shall come forth in the first resurrection, and enter into THE REVELATION ON POLYGAMY. 179 I their exaltation ; but they shall be destroyed hx the flesh, and shall be de- livered unto the buffetings of Satan unto the day of redemption, saith the Lord God. X. " The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be for- given in the world, nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder, wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God ; and he that abideth not this law, can in no wise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord. XL " I am the Lord thy God, and will give unto thee the law of my Holy Priesthood, as was ordained by me, and my Father, before the world was. Abraham received all things, whatsoever he received, by revelation and commandment, by my word, saith the Lord, and hath entered into his exaltation, and sitteth upon his throne. Xn. " Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins — from whose loins ye are, namely, my servant Joseph— which were to continue so long as they were in the world ; and as touching Abraham and his seed, out of the world they should continue ; both in the world and out of the world should they continue as innumerable as the stars ; or, if ye were to count the sand upon the sea-shore, ye could not number them. This promise is yours, also, because ye are of Abraham, and the promise was made unto Abraham ; and by this law are the con- tinuation of the works of my Father, wherein He glorifieth Himself. Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham ; enter ye into my law, and ye shall be saved. But if ye enter not into my law, ye cannot receive the promise of my Father, which He made unto Abraham. Xni. " God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abra- ham to wife. And why did she do it ? Because this was the law, and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises. Was Abraham, therefore, under condemnation ? Verily, I say unto you, N'ay ; for I, the Lord, commanded it. Abraham was commanded to offer his son Isaac; nevertheless, it was written, thou shalt not kill. Abraham, however, did not refuse, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. XIV. " Abraham received concubines, and they bare him children, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given un- to him, and he abode in my law, as Isaac also, and Jacob did none other things than that which they were commanded ; and because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels, but are Gods. David also received many wives and con- cubines, as also Solomon and Moses my servants ; as also many others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time ; and in noth- ing did they sin, save in those things which they received not of me. XV. " David's wives and concubines were given unto him, of me, by the hand of Nathan, my servant, and others of the Prophets who had the 180 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. keys of this power ; and in none of these things did he sin against me, save in tlie case of Uriah and his wife ; and, therefore, lie hath fallen from his exaltation, and received liis portion ; and he shall not inherit them out of the world ; for I gave them unto another, saith the Lord. XVI. " I am the Lord thy God, and I gave unto thee, my servant Jo- seph, an appointment, and restore all things ; ask what ye will, and it shall be given unto you according to my word : and as ye have asked con- cerning adultery — verily, verily I say unto you, if a man receiveth a wife in the new and everlasting covenant, and if she be Avith another man, and I have not appointed unto her by the holy anointing, she hath committed adultery, and shall be destroyed. If she be not in the new and everlast- ing covenant, and she be with another man, she has committed adultery; and if her husband be with another woman, and he was under a vow, he liath broken his vow, and hath committed adultery, and if she hath not committed adultery, but is innocent, and hath not broken her vow, and she knoweth it, and I reveal it unto you, my servant Joseph, then shall you have power, by the j^ower of my Holy Priesthood, to take her, and give her imto him that hath not committed adultery, but hath been faith- ful ; for he shall be made ruler over many ; for I have conferred upon you the keys and power of the Priesthood, v/herein I restore all things, and make known unto you all things in due time. XVII. " And verily, verily I say unto you, that whatsoever you seal on earth, shall be sealed in heaven ; and whatsoever you bind on earth, in my name, and bj' my word, saith the Lord, it shall be eternally bound in the heavens ; and whosesoever sins you remit on earth, shall be remitted eternally in the heavens ; and whosesoever sins you retain on earth, shall be retained in heaven. XVIII. " And again, verily I say, whomsoever you bless, I will bless, and whomsoever you curse, I will curse, saith the Lord ; for I, the Lord, am thy God. XIX. " And again, verily I say unto you, my servant Joseph, that whatsoever you give on earth, and to whomsoever you give any one on earth, by my word, and according to my law, it shall be visited with bless- ings, and not cursings, and with my power, saith the Lord, and shall be without condemnation on earth, and in heaven ; for I am the Lord thy God, and will be with thee even unto the end of the world, and through all eternity ; for verily, I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father, with Abraham your fiither. Behold, I have seen your sacrifices, and will forgive all your sins ; I have seen your sacrifices in obedience to that which I have told you ; go, there- fore, and I make a way for your escape, as I accepted the ofi'ering of Abraham, of his son Isaac. XX. " Verily I say unto you, a commandment I give unto mine hand- maid, Emma Smith, your wife whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself, and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her ; for I did it, saith the Lord, to prove you all, as I did Abraham ; and THE REVELATION ON POLYGAMY. 181 that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice : and let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me ; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be de- stroyed, saith the Lord God ; for I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice ; and I give unto my servant Joseph, that he shall be made ruler over many things, for he hath been faithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him. XXL " And I command mine handmaid Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment, she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord ; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her, if she abide not in my law ; but if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said ; and I will bless him and mul- tiply him, and give unto him an hundred-fold in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of eternal lives in the eternal worlds. And again, verily 1 say, let mine handmaid forgive my servant Joseph his trespasses, and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses, wherein she hath trespassed against me ; and I, the Lord thy God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart to rejoice. XXIL " And again, I say, let not my servant Joseph put his property out of his hands, lest an enemy come and destroy him ; for Satan seeketh to destroy ; for I am the Lord thy God, and he is my servant ; and be- hold ! and lo, I am with him, as I was with Abraham, thy father, even unto his exaltation and glory. XXin. " Now, as touching the law of the Priesthood, there are many things pertaining thereunto. Verily, if a man be called of my Father, as was Aaron, by mine own voice, and by the voice of him that sent me : and I have endowed him with the keys of the power of this Priesthood, if he do anything in my name, and according to my law, and by my word he will not commit sin, and I will justify him. Let no one, therefore, set on my servant Joseph ; for I will justify him; for he shall do the sacrifice which I require at his hands, for his transgressions, saith the Lord your God. XXIV. " And again, as pertaining to the law of the Priesthood : If any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent ; and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified ; he cannot commit adultery, for they are given unto him ; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else ; and if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him, therefore is he justified. But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my com- mandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before 182 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. the foundation of the ■world; and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men ; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that He may be glorified. XXV. " And again, verily, verily I say unto you, if any man have a wife who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her the law of my Priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe, and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God ; for I will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who re- ceive and abide in my law. Therefore, it shall be lawful in me, if she re- ceive not this lav/, for him to receive all things, whatsoever I, the Lord ais God, will give unto him, because she did not administer unto him ac- cording to my word ; and she then becomes the transgressor ; and he is exempt from the law of Sarah, who administered unto Abraham accord ing to the law, when I commanded Abraham to take Hagar to wife. And now, as pertaining to this law, verily, verily I say unto you, I will reveal more unto you, hereafter; therefore, let this suffice for the present. Be- hold, I am Alpha and Omega. Amen." On a matter of such grave importance as the engrafting of polygamy upon the faith of the Saints, it lias always been a cause of sincere regret on the part of the intelligent Mormon elders, that nothing has ever been stated about the previous teachings which Joseph Smith received on this subject — if he ever had any.* On the introduction of the other doctrines of the Church, its principles of faith and commandments, there is & freedom of statement that carries the impression of honest sincerity, fearing no criticism ; but on this there is an unpleas- ant silence. In defence of this concealment it is argued that polygamy was offensive to the traditions of the people ; that it had to be stealthily introduced, as bigamy was punishable by law, and the less that was published about it the better. There is * Elder W. W. Phelps said in Salt Lake Tabernacle, in 1862, that while Joseph was translating the Book of Abraham, in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1835, from the papyrus found with the Egyptian mummies, the Prophet became impressed with the idea that polygamy would yet become an institution of the Mormon Church. Brigham Young was present, and was much annoyed at the statement made by Phelps, but it is highly probable that it was the real secret which the latter then divulged. The conscientious Mormon who calmly considers what is here written on the intro- duction of polygamy into the Mormon Church will readily see that its origin is probably much more correctly traceable to those Egyptian mummies, than to a revelation from heaven. The first paragraph of the Revelation has all the musty ■odour of the catacombs about it, and that Joseph went into polygamy at a venture there cannot be the slightest doubt. iJOUBTFUL ORIGIN OF POLYGAMY. 183 weight in this statement as an ai'gument, for no one can fail to appreciate the difficulty of introducing a practice which the civilization of a thousand years had condemned as a relic of barbarism ; it was indeed necessary to be secret. But when once that silence was broken, and a lengthy revelation was given to the world, commanding all people to whom it miglit come to obey it, or " be damned," reticence as to its origin could be no longer needful. On a matter of such tremendous consequence as that which polygamy claims to be, the Prophet could not have been too explicit. This revelation is dated " Nauvoo, Illinois, July 12, 1843,'* and was given to the Church and to the public nine years later^ at a conference in Salt Lake City. Since that time, tens of thousands of sermons have been preached on its divine origin, voluminous treatises have been published in its exposition, and the Mormon press has teemed with articles in its defence ; but in all of them the beginning of polygamy with the Mormons is left out. Some of the elders who were early acquainted with the Prophet state that he was instructed by some one of his angel visitors on the marital relations of the patriarchs while he re- sided in Ohio, and was then informed that the time would ar- rive when polygamy would become the faith of all the Saints ; but of this there is no evidence. The first traceable indication of any such purpose on the part of the Prophet was in the year preceding the date of the revelation, and then so furtively was it introduced that many thousands, who at that time believed, and still believe, in the mission of Joseph Smith, as set forth by himself, deny that he ever taught such a doctrine. It was brought before the public in a quarrel between the Prophet and that shining light, Dr. John Cooke Bennett, the major-general of the Nauvoo Legion, and the mayor of the city. With a people who subordinate their own judgment and sense of right and wrong to authoritative teaching, it was an easy matter for any doctrine to be introduced, however false and vicious it might be ; and when to that disposition in the people is added their constant expectation of mysterious reve- lations, there is no extreme of folly or crime which may not be 184 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. easily imposed upon their credulity. Bennett's relations with the Prophet being of the most intimate character, it was easy for him to succeed in imposing upon silly women the " spirit- *' ual-wife " doctrine as an emanation from Heaven ; and this he is charged with doing with a success that is humiliating to confess. Those who have not lived under the influence of an " in- ^' spired prophet " can form no idea of the facility with which a religious people can be taught any doctrine, and be led on to lay aside their education, or their sense of morality, and thus be cast in the mould of a teacher's mind. It was this, and not natural depravity, that enabled such men as Bennett to succeed in con- taminating and debauching very respectable ladies in ISTauvoo. Bennett, it is said, taught the Mormon sisters with whom he had accquaintance that he had been instructed by the Prophet in this Mormon phase of " affinity ; " but before the city council he affirmed that Joseph, " as far as he knew, had " ever been highly moral in his conduct ; " and before Alder- man AYells he made affidavit that he never knew him to teach anything contrary to the strictest principles of virtue. "When Bennett got away from Nauvoo he denied these statements, and claimed that they were made by him when his life was in danger.* Many even of the " good Mormons " have always believed that Joseph taught Bennett of the proposed introduc- tion of polygamy, but that Bennett ran ahead of his teacher, and introduced free-loveism in its broadest sense, f * Bennett says that Joseph threatened him with half-a-dozen different kinds of death. His narrative of " duress " is too tlieatrical. f There is, no doubt, much truth in Bennett's book, " Mormonism Exposed," but no statement that he makes can be received with confidence. As a justification of his separation from Joseph, and his exposure of the " mysteries " of Mormonism, he states that he never was a believer, but only assumed the faith in order to become thoroughly initiated, and qualify himself for its exposure. It is not unlikely that his faith in the Prophet was very limited, but his association with " the Lord's ser- " vant " sprang from no such consideration as that which he states. Governor Ford gives him the following friendly notice : " This Bennett was probably the greatest scamp in the Western country. I have made particular enquiries concerning him, and have traced him in several places in. which he had lived, before he joined the Mormons, in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, and he was everywhere accounted the same debauched, unprincipled, and profligate character." — History of Illinois, p. 263. Notwithstanding Bennett disclaimed that he ever had any faith in Mormonism, THE PKOPHET'S SONS DENY HIS POLYGAMY. 185 Many interesting affidavits were given to tlie public in de- nunciation of Bennett and in defence of tlie Prophet. Every- thing that could be thought of was done to mislead the public as to the veritable teachings promulgated concerning marriage, and from the time of this outbreak with Bennett in 1842, un- til the announcement of the revelation by Brigham Young, in Salt Lake City, in 1852, it was the duty of the Mormon mis- sionaries to prevaricate, and even positively deny, when neces- ' sary, that the Mormon Church was other than monogamic, and the extent of demoralization growing out of these denials would be incredible were the facts not incontrovertible. The sous of the Prophet have been very restive under the imputation of polygamous practices being attributed to their father. They have laboured indefatigably in decrying polyg- amy, and have devoted a large share of their time, talent, ink, and paper in hostility to it, as they evidently believe it is both a great error and a great sin. But as the facts of Joseph's marital relations with " sisters " who claim to be his " wives," in the Mormon sense, are overwhelming, the sons, in denying their sire's polygamy, are driven to the alternative of silently allowing the inevitable charge of practical " free-love," " adul- " tery," or whatever others may choose to call it. At the present time there are probably about a dozen " sisters " in Utah who proudly acknowledge themselves to be the " wives of Joseph," and how many others there may have been who held that rela- tionship— " no man knoweth." The defenders of the Prophet have called for the posterity of that polygamy as evidence of the claim, and the Mormons, seeing the force of the challenge, would have been glad to have accommodated the sons by presenting " the righteous seed " of the father for their recognition ; but the only semblance there ever was of success was a case which once made some stir for a short time, but ended in total failure. A daughter of one of these "wives," living north of Salt Lake City, was claimed to be Joseph's ; but it is said to have required more faith than he figured extensively as a devoted believer at a conference of Mormons, under the leadership of James Strang, at Vorce, Wisconsin Territory, in October, 1846, four years after his public and scandalous denial. Governor Ford's judgment of him is too well founded. 186 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. even BrigLam Young could muster to reach that conchision, and so that frail link failed to serve the desired end — much to the credit of Brigham's honesty. While the argument of the young Smiths and the friends of the Prophet has a semblance of force, it is really very weak. The greater portion of the Prophet's patriarchal experience was within a few years preceding his death ; and with arrests threatening him daily, and the sleepless eye of Mrs. Emma Smith for ever on his track, the frequent visits to the domiciles of his unrecognized wives might hnd an easy physiological explanation ; while the fact that the divorce did not always jprecede the second Tnatrimony would account for much in a very natural way. Joseph's love was neither Platonic nor arithmetically cir- cumscribed. He was strong in impulse, with a thorough dis- regard to the conventionalities of the Gentile world — he was " a law unto himself." It is well known in Utah that two sisters, Mrs. B and Mrs. J , were " sealed " wives to Joseph while they were still the wives of Mr. B and Mr. J . To the latter a son was born, long after Mrs. J. had been " sealed " to Joseph, and since these two sisters have been in Salt Lake City, the one has added a son and the other a daughter to Joseph's family register, through the kindness of Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, who became " proxy " husbands to the widows of the deceased Prophet. Strange and anomalous as all this may appear, the sons of Mrs. J. take it in good part and exhibit towards their father no lack of filial regard, while by the teach- ings of the faith they cling still closer to their mother with the warmest afiection — the wife of the Prophet was greater than the wife of the elder. There was no domestic trouble between this elder and his wife. They were very affectionately attached to each other, but the Prophet's eye had fallen upon his neighbour's wife, and revelation made the acquisition easy of attainment. It was years after the death of Joseph before the husband knew that his wife was the wife of another. On the banks of the Mis- souri river, in an Indian country where redress was impossible — had it even been desired — Brigham called up the husband THE PROPHET AND HIS NEIGHBOURS' WIVES. 187 and told him that his domestic rehitions in that quarter were at an end : that he must not again be a husband to his wife ! She whom he idoh'zed, who had been to him the partner of his joys and cares, who liad borne to him his children, and who had filled his soul witli the hope of a happy future, was to be ac- counted his no more ! Joseph had concealed the fact of his marital relations with his wife from him, and the wife, faithful to the Prophet, had for these years been reticent until silence could no longer be maintained. The Prophet's widow had chosen the Prophet's successor for her proxy husband,* and he [Brigham] could maintain no doubtful relationship towards her,. The elder was cavalierly informed that he could take another wife, and soon after that he was sent on a preaching mission to England, where he could assuage his grief by a second experi- ence of connubial bliss ! There is a temptation to add more, but where people have lionestly accepted a principle of faith, as the Mormons have polygamy, and paid for it as dearly as they have, there would be no justification for adding to personal misery by the public relation of that which the parties affected would feel hurt to read. The curiosity of the reader is, however, entitled to be gratified by the statement that the sadly wronged husband is still a Mormon and that that thrice-wedded wife is practically husbandless, being kindly provided for by the excellent husband of her daughter — the ofispring of Brigham in this world, but, according to the Mormon faith, the child of Joseph in the world to come. What a j)age of life ! It is only a few years ago that Brigham in a moment of confidence communicated to one of the leading apostles, that the wife whom he [the apostle] had cherished as the companion of his youth — a wife to him, as he supposed, for about two- score years — had actually been " sealed " to Joseph during the life-time of the latter. How many other apostles and elders * In this confused marital relationship there is a principle of faith discernible. To have continued to live with Mr. J. and to have borne more children to him would not have added " glory " to Joseph ; besides, it was very proper that Mr. J., having lost bis wife, should have the opportunity of securing another wife who should be altogether his own. The general idea, therefore, that the lady was actuated solely by ambition in her choice of Brigham as a " proxy " for Joseph may perhaps be without foundation. 13 188 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. ■will "wake up in the morning of the resurrection" and find their wives the glory of a Prophet's crown, it is hard to con- jecture ! Mrs. Emma Smith may feel justified in denying that her husband was a polygamist ; for she may neither assent to the use of the term, nor acknowledge the principle. But there is, to the Author's mind, the most satisfactory evidence that Joseph Smith had " sealed " to him a large number of women some time before his death, many of whom have stated to the Author that they were " the wives of Joseph Smith ; " that " Mrs. Emma Smith was aware of the fact," and that it was the trouble growing out of the discovery of such relationship that called forth the "Eevelation." Of this the "Kevelation" it- self bears much internal evidence. "The Elect Lady," Mrs. Emma Smith* I Joseph's elder brother, Hyrum, believed at first (and well he might), that his Prophet-brother had taken counsel of his own passions, and he opposed him publicly as well as in pri- * The above is from a recent photograph. The author regrets that he could not obtain a portrait of an earlier date. The Prophet's widow, some years after his assassination, became the wife of Major Bidamon, and continued to reside at Nau- voo, where she is the object of much attention and respect. WHY THE KEVELATION WAS GIVEX. 189 vate, Mrs. Smith was indignant, and rendered his life mi- liappy."'^ In those moments of gloom and deep solicitude the Prophet realized the necessity of something to turn away wrath and hostility from his door. There are Mormons still living who affirm that they know from Joseph's own lips that " a " revelation was necessary, and would be had, to satisfy Hy- "rum, and to allay the storm that was brewing among the " married women, and also to satisfy the young women " whom it was desirable to convert. The Prophet went into his office one morning, closed the door, was inspired, and his amanu- ensis— elder William Clayton, now in Salt Lake City — wrote that "Eevelation" as Joseph dictated to him. In a measure, his point was now accomplished. His brother Hyrum was converted, and took other wives himself. Peace reigned thereafter in that branch of the Smith family. But Mrs. Emma Smith was never truly converted to the " Revela- " tion," though it is claimed that she " softened down " and w^ent so far as to acknowledge several, if she could not " re- " ceive all that have been given unto my servant Joseph." Such were the circumstances attending the birth of this famous " Revelation." * " The wife of the Prophet Joseph rebelled against it, and declared if he per- sisted she would desert for another." — Gimnhon, p. '72. Mrs. Smith evidently thought something of separation, and Joseph made prep- arations for such an event. But "the Lord" came to his aid, and that famouS' revelation on polygamy contains the following very significant menace : " And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none el.se. But if she will not abide this commandment, she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord ; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law." — Hevelaiion on Pokigamy, par. 21. CHAPTER XXYIII. POLYGAMY KEPUDIATED.— Joseph Smith and the Mormon Leaders denj^ it— The Ecvelations of the Church condemn it— The Sons of the Prophet defend their Father's Keputation — The Evidences of his Polygamic Life. The storm that arose from Bennett's exposure of what he asserted to be the teachings of the Prophet suggested the pub- lication of counter-statements. In the Times and Seasons there was inserted on page 939, YoL III., an article upon "Mar- ^' riage," written by OHver Cowdery, and placed as an appen- dix to the book of modern revelations. To this, Joseph added an editorial note in which he states : " We have given the above rule of marriage as the only one practised in this Church, to show that Dr. J. C. Bennett's secret- wife system is a mat- ter of his own manufacture, and further to disabuse the public ear and show that the said Bennett and his misanthropic friend, Origen Bachelor, are perpetrating a foul and infamous slander upon an innocent people, and need but to be known to be hated and despised." A certificate from " persons of families " followed, in which it was declared that they knew of " no other rule or system of " marriage than that one published from the ' Book of Doctrine " and Covenants,'" and "that Dr. John C.Bennett's secret- " wife system is a creature of his own make." To this is ap- pended a dozen names of leading elders, which was followed by another certificate and declaration from " members of the " Ladies' Relief Society, and married females," to the same purport and almost in the same language. The signatures were headed by Mrs. Emma Smith. It is quite possible that those dozen elders and apostles, those nineteen " married and unmarried females " were fully justified in asserting that " Dr. John C. Bennett's secret-wife THE SAINTS DENY POLYGAMY. 191 " system is a creature of bis own make," and " a disclosure of " bis own make, and tbat tliey knew of no sucb society in tbe " place, nor never did ; " but bow some of tbem could " certify " and declare" in October, 1842, tbat tbey knew of no otber tban tbe monogamic marriage prescribed in tbe " Doctrine and " Covenants," is a little more than marvellous. ISome of thcrn did knoio it ! The names appended to tbose certificates will be read witb interest by the Mormon people. Tbey are as follows : S. Bennett ; George Miller ; Alpbteus Cutler ; Eeynolds Ca- boon; WilsoTi Law; Wilford Woodruff; K. K. Wliitney ; Al- bert Petty ; Elias Higbee ; John Taylor ; E. Kobinson ; Aaron Johnson ; Emma Smith — President [Ladies' Relief Society] ; Elizabetb Ann Whitney — Counsellor ; Sarab M. Cleveland — Counsellor ; Eliza R. Snow — Secretary ; Mary 0. Miller ; Lois Cutler ; Thyrza Caboon ; Ann Hunter ; Jane Law ; Sophia P. Marks ; Polly Z. Johnson ; Abigail Works ; Catherine Petty; Sarab Higbee; Pbcebe Woodrufi"; Leonora Taylor; Sarab Hillman ; Posannab Marks ; Angelina Pobinson. Had tbe revelation on polygamy not followed Bennett's exposure of the Prophet's teachings, there might have been good grounds for doubting bis — Bennett's — statement ; but witb tbe immediately subsequent avowal of polygamy, and tbe acknowledgment in the revelation itself tbat " the Lord " bad already given wives unto his servant Josepb, the reader will readily perceive tbat the denials and prevarications M^ere unfortunate for tbe Church. It is easy to comprehend tbe statement so frequently made by tbe Mormon teachers tbat, influenced by certain notions of duty, even good men may try to " steal a marcb " upon their fellow-men with the purpose of doing tbem service; and also, that kind-hearted parents may find it inconvenient to answer directly the awkward questions of juvenile minds about mari- tal relations and many otber matters of daily life. But it seems a pity tbat a whole people's conceptions of tbe necessities of Deity should partake so mucli of this doubtful morality, under tbe name of " policy." In tbe early history of Mormon polyg- amy, it is claimed that it was tbe conclusion among tbe lead- ing elders tbat " tbe world " should not know everything that 192 TnE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " the Lord " had revealed, and that evasiveness on the subject of marriage was an obligation for the protection of the Church, and to aid " the Lord " in the establishment of that institution until it became strong enough to take care of itself. Besides, great truths freely offered to the world might be like " casting " pearls before swine." Support for this equivocal position is drawn from the re- port of Peter denying his acquaintance with Christ ; of Abra- ham, who, to avoid personal injury, called Sarah his " sister ; " and of some other gentleman in Bible history who feigned imbecility in an enemy's camp until favoured with opportunity to escape. The j)ersonal evasiveness named, where the situa- tion was accidental and not courted, is not without a certain amount of defence ; but the evasive denial of polygamy by the Mormon elders does not fare so well, as they were in no accidental position, but in one of their own choosing. With the cases cited from the Bible, the act and consequences termi- nated with the deliverance of the persons mentioned ; but the Mormon Church may never see the end of the denial of poly- gamy. It requires no profound study of hmnan nature to comprehend to what that principle may extend. If once ad- mitted to be justifiable, how frequently and to what other ends may it not be used ? It is indeed a dangerous doctrine. As early as 1835, when the revelations given through Jo- seph Smith were compiled and published, under the title of " The Book of Doctrine and Covenants," the opportunity was seized to assure the world in an article upon " Marriage," in the Appendix of that book, that the Saints were monogamic and pure. That " Book of Covenants " was published by Joseph Smith, and contains the following passages : " Inasmuch as this Church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication and polygamy ; we declare that we believe that one man should have one wife, and one woman hut one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again. After relating the form of marriage ceremony to be used in the Church, the person officiating is to address the parties about to be united : " You both mutually agree to be each other's companion, husband and wife, observing the legal rights belonging to this condition ; that is, IMPORTANCE OF THE WORD "BUT." 103 keeping yourselves wholly for each other, and from all others during your lives." This very definite language was well calculated to silence those who " reproached " the Church, and to assure at least its lay members that there was no foundation for the charges against their leaders, of either "fornication or polygamy" as. a principle of faith. Sincerely believing that there was nei-| ther a quibble in language, nor double meaning in the manner of its expression, the missionaries cited it in sermons and pub- lished it from the press in every country where Mormonism was taught. Unfortunately it is now very clearly evident that those very passages upon marriage were written purposely for the deception of the public. From the light thrown upon the writing of this Appendix by Brigham Young — in a sermon delivered in Logan, Utah, five years ago, and which the Author listened to — it is now easy to see that the article upon marriage was published to de- ceive. Brigham on that occasion made the damaging avowal that the Appendix was written by Oliver Cowdery against Jo- seph's wishes, and was permitted to be published only after Cowdery's incessant teasing and Joseph's warning to him of the trouble which his course would create.* According to this confession, Cowdery would seem to have had either a glimpse of polygamy at that early day, or that he was, at the very moment of receiving revelations, a profligate in morals, for he insisted, Brigham says, upon adding to his marital relations a young woman familiar with his family, and did hold the relation of husband to her. To silence the clam- our and surmising that arose over this " second wife," he wrote that Appendix; and, as will be seen hereafter, it has been used by the apostles in the Mormon Church for many years — fnd that, too, after they well knew that its use was a direct dccpo- tion and falsehood. Throwing the responsibility of the Appendix on to Cowdery * Brigham is peculiarly unctuous in confessing other men's sins to the public, but his own are never mentioned. It would have been equally proper for him on this occasion to have explained why he, for nearly a quarter of a century, had preserved that falsehood in the " Book of Covenants," notwithstanding the opportunities he had of re.noving it in the several editions of the book that have been published under his Presidency. 194 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. seemed to Brigham better than no defence at all, but it is cer- tainly a very damaging confession. It places tbe greatest wit- ness that the " Divinity of Mormonism " ever claimed to have, in a most unenviable position, and it opens up a budget that h exceedingly suggestive. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery must as early as the first year of the Church have contemplated the introduction of polygamy at some time in the future, or Cowdery could not well have become a " practical polygamist,'* and still have maintained fellowship with Joseph as he did, if there were any standard of morality in the Church. The reader in re-perusing these short extracts from Cow- dery's pen will now perceive with greater force the double de- ceitfulness of their wording when it is observed that " crime '* is only attached to the word fornication, but not to polygamy — "the crime of fornication, and polygamy." The Mormon apologist claims that the expression being " crime," and not " crimen," the condemnation is not attached to polygamy, but only to fornication. Grammatically, the apology is good ; mor- ally, it is very bad — a pious fraud, corrupting and degrading. The " witness," Cowdery, is further interesting. — " We declare," says he, " that one man should have one wife, and " one woman hut one husband." The " lut " is here cleverly put in. He designed to deceive under the guise of fairness. " One " man should have one wife" {at least " one," is the after inter- pretation), and as many more as he should find it convenient to get, take, or acknowledge ; and " the woman hut one hus- band." She, of course, was to be the monogamist of the family. As in every experience of falsehood, this doubly- deceitful Appendix has wrought the greater wrong the more it was be- lieved and the longer it has lived. Nearly twenty years after i*- was first published, the apostle John Taylor, in a public dis- cussion at Boulogne-sur-mer, in France, in 1850, made use of it to answer the charge brought against the Mormons of prac- tising polygamy then. When pressed on the subject, elder Taylor answered : " "We are accused here of polygamy and actions the most indelicate-., obscene, and disgusting, such as none but a corrupt and depraved heart could have contrived. These things were too outrageous to admit of be- lief; therefore leaving the sisters of the 'white veil,' the 'black veil,' and MARRIED TO MOTHER AND DAUGHTER. I95 all fclie other ' veils ' with those gentlemen to dispose of, together -with their authors, as they think best, I shall content myself with reading our views of chastity and marriage., from a work published by us containing some of our articles of faith, 'Doctrine and Covenants,' page 330." * Elder Taylor read the entire chapter upon marriage, from which the foregoing passages from the pen of Cowdery have been cited, and he undoubtedly satisfied the audience that the Mormon Church had been vilely slandered by the accusation of polygamy. At the very time that " brother Ta3dor " read these pages in Boulogne-snr-mer, he had himself^ living in Salt Lake City, Jive wives ^ one of his two companions who like- wise testified during the discussion, had also two wives there; and the other companion had likewise tioo wives in the ]per- sons of a mother and her own daughter ! In less than eighteen months after that discussion the revelation on polygamy was publicly proclaimed. Whatever value may have been placed upon this momentary triumph in France, the victory was soon seen to be dearly pur- chased in England. The native elders in Britain waxed so bold in the monogamic argument after the Boulogne discussion, that they raised an almost impregnable barrier against the polyg- amy that was soon to be introduced. What was temporarily gained in France was a thousand times permanently lost in Britain. That an institution so repugnant to the spirit of the age, so much at war with the natural instincts of woman, could be ac- cepted by disciples of the Prophet's own converting, already-*- believing in monogamy, and that also confirmed by his own teaching, must be inexplicable to all outside of Mormonism. Were the personal testimony not so abundant that Joseph Smith both taught and practiced polygamy, " or," as a Mor- mon lady who knew him well once said, '' practiced something " else," there would be good grounds for believing that the foregoing revelation was not of his authorship — it is so inhar- monious with his own preceding revelations and so distinctly condemned by his own translated Book of Mormon. The following passages from these Mormon Church books are exceedingly forcible : * " Public Discussion," p. 8. 196 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. "And now it came to pass that the people of Nephi, under the reign of the second king, began to grow hard in their hearts, and indulge them- selves somewhat m wicked practices ; such as, like unto David of old, desir- ing many zcivcs and conciMnes, and also Solomon his son." — Book of Mor- mon, ID. 115. " And were it not that I must speak unto you concerning a grosser crime, my heart would rejoice exceedingly because of you. But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For, behold, thus saith the Lord, this people begin to wax in iniquity ; they understand not the Scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whore- doms, hecause of the things which were written concerning David and Solomon his son. Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, tchicJi thing icas abominable before me, saith tlie Lord.'''' " Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise me up a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph. Wherefore, I, the Lord, will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old (i. e., David and Solomon). Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, aud hearken to the word of the Lord : for there shall not any man among you have, save it he one wife ; and concuMnes lie shall have noney — Book of Mormon, p. 118. To tliis the Mormon polygamist aHsw^ers : " Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes. For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, / will command my people, other- wise they shall hearken unto these things." — Page 118. In a revelation given February, 1831, tiie Prophet was very explicit in commanding m.07io(jainy : " Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her, and none else." — ^Book of Covenants, p. 124. A month later a revelation given to Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, and Lemon Copley, in which occurs the following passage : " Marriage is ordained of God unto man ; wherefore it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh." — Book of Cove- nants, p. 218. It is not a little singular that the most forcible arguments that have yet been adduced against Mormon polygamy are those furnished by the pens of the three sons of Joseph Smith. The name of the eldest son of the Prophet is found at the JOSEPH'S SONS APPEAL TO CONGRESS. 197 head of a " Memorial to Congress," protesting against Brig- liam Young's Church being regarded as the true " Latter-Day " Church founded by his father — principally on account of polygamy. In that memorial the following points are given : " We, your memorialists, would therefore submit for the consideration of Congress, in its action on the Utah question, and in its legislation on the question of the right of Congress to interfere with polygamy, as being a part of the faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints : " 1. That the law of the Church, as found in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Covenants, accepted by the polygamists them- selves, expressly forbids to one man more than one living wife. " 3. That the law contained in these books is the Constitution of the Church; that no law can obtain in the Church in contravention thereof; and that therefore the pretended revelation on piolygamy is illegal and of no force. " 3. That in the remonstrance presented to Congress by t]ie polygamists of Utah, dated March 31, 1870, the non-publication of this pretended rev- elation till the year 1852, is admitted in the following language : " ' Eighteen years ago, and ten years before the passage of the Anti- Polygamy Act of 1863, one of our leading men, elder Orson Pratt, was expressly deputed and sent to Washington to publish and lecture on the principles of plural marriage as practiced by us. . . . For ten years before the passage of the act of 1863, the principle was widely preached throughout the Union and the world, and was universally known and recognized as a principle of our holy faith.' " 4. That the plea of polygamy not being at variance with the law of the land, because not expressly in violation of any law on the statute-book of the Territory of Utah, is not admissible for this reason : The polygamic revelation claims to have been given in 1843, when the Cliurch as a body was in Illinois, in which State bigamy or polygamy was then, as now, a crime. " 5. That polygamy, being a crime against the law of the State of Il- linois, could not have been authorized by revelation from Him who, polyg- amists themselves alErm, gave the revelation found in 'Book of Covenants,' Sec. 58, par. 5, which declares : ' Let no man break the law of the land ; for he that Tceepeth the laws of God hath no need to hrealc the laws of the land; wherefore he svlject to the p)Owcrs that &e.' — (Old Edition, Sec. 18.) " 6. That the pretended revelation on polygamy v,-as not published till 1853, is strong presumptive evidence that it was not in existence ; but, even if it were, it would still be of no force in the Church, as it con- travenes revelations previously given to and accepted by the Church, and is, therefore, precluded from becoming a Church tenet, by that clause of the Church law before quoted, which declares : ' Neither shall any- thing be appointed unto any of this Church contrary to the Church covenants.' " 198 THE KOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. This statement of the sons of Joseph is lucid and forcible to the rationally thinking portion of the Mormon Church. But while the force of the sons' argument is acknowledged, the teaching and practice of the father silence everything. When he secretly taught polygamy to be a divine institution, he was right, according to the ideas of the Saints : when he publicly denied it within the same hour, he was equally right in their estimation. Stripping this period of Mormonism of all the verbiage of tlie Tabernacle, banishing that faith which accepts all things, and looking at the facts of its history, Mor- monism was at this time a fearful tumult of contradiction and very doubtful morality.* One of the highest dignitaries of the Mormon Church at that period, William Law, the principal counsellor of Joseph, writing to the Author, November 24, 1871, says : " I have but a faint recollection of the certificate you speak of, signed by a number of ladies ; but I presume that most of them stated the truth, as they knew of no doctrine of the kind at that time, for it was denied most positively by Joseph and Hyrum, at even a later date. In 1842 I had not heard of such teaching. I believe now that John C. Bennett did know it, for he at that time was more in the secret confidence of Joseph than perhaps any other man in the city. Bennett was a tool of Josepli for a time, but for some cause which I never knew, Joseph cast him off. Per- haps there was jealousy in the matter. " I think it was in 1843 that I first knew of the ' plurality doctrine.' I believe, however, it existed possibly as early as 1840. A great many, like myself, were considered not strong enough in the faith to swallow such ' strong meat ; ' so we were fed on milk, hoping that we should get * The evidence is so overwhelming that Joseph Smith introduced polygamy into the Mormon Church, that the addition of more testimony seems superfluous ; but if more were necessary, the distinct mention of polygamy in Governor Ford's " His- tory of Illinois " [pp. 322 and 327], written only a few years fJter the assassination, clearly demonstrates that polygamy did not originate, as it is asserted, with Brigham Young after he left Illinois. It is very probable that before long " the Reorganized Church of Latter-Day Saints," over which Joseph Smith, junior, presides, will drop the discussion of polygamy, and tacitly, if not explicitly, admit that the elder Joseph went astray in affairs of love. Wm. Marks, counsellor to Joseph Smith, the son, knows full well that Joseph Smith, the father, was a polygamist. It is said that Joseph confessed to Marks, only a few days before his death, that polygamy was an error, authorized him to preach against it, and intimated that ho himself would make confession of the error, and forbid its further practice. This he probably would have done had he lived. THE PROPHET DENOUNCES POLYGAMY. 199 our strength after a time, and be able to appreciate the good gifts of heaven (or hell). " I think Joseph's sons knew that their father taught and practiced the ' spiritual- wife ' doctrine. Their mother knew all about it, and, I believe, opposed it at first. But her antagonism, or the opposition of others, availed nothing. I begged of Joseph, and pled with him, as a man might plead for the life of his best friend, to stop all these evils, and save the Church from ruin ; but he seemed determined to rush on to utter de- struction, and carry all with him that he could ; and thus he met his doom," In tlie Times and Seasons, Vol. lY., p. 143, March lotli, 184:3, appears the following : " We are charged with advocating a plurality of wives, and common property. Now this is as false as the many other ridiculous charges which are brought against us. No sect has a greater reverence for the laws of matrimony or the rights of private property ; and we do what others do not, we practice what we preach." Four months after tliis date the revelation was ffiven, and on February 1st of the following year, it is denied again, and an elder is excommunicated for teaching the " false and cor- " rupt doctrine : " * " As we have lately been credibly informed that an elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, by the name of Hyrum Brown, has been preaching polygamy and other false and corrupt doctrines^ in the county of Lapeer, State of Michigan, this is to notify him, and the Church in general, that he has been cut off from the Church for his ini- quity ; and he is further notified to appear at the special conference on the 6th of April next, to make answer to these charges. " (Signed) Joseph Smith, and Htrum Smith, "Presidents of said Church." A little more than three months before his death, Hyrum published the following letter : Nauvoo, March 3, 1S44. " To the brethren of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, living on China Creek, in Hancock county. Greeting : Whereas Brother Richard Hewett has called on me to-day to know my views concerning some doctrines that are preached in your place, and states to me that some of your elders say, that a man having a certain priesthood may have as many wives as he pleases, and that doctrine is taught here, I say unto you, that that man teaches false doctrine, for there is no such doctrine taught here, neither is there any such thing practiced here.'''' f * 7\m.es and Seasons, Vol. V., p. 423. f Ibid., p. 474. 200 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Five months after tlie deatli of the Prophet and Patriarch, there was publislied, in the Times and Seasons, a letter from " an Old Man in Israel," in which the following paragraph oc- curs : " The laws of the land and the rules of the Church do not allow any man to have amj more than one wife alive at once ; but if any man's wife die, he has a right to marry another, and to be sealed to both for eternity — to the living and the dead ! l There is no law of God or man against it. This is all the sjnritual-wife system that ever was tolerated in the Church, and they know it." There was no parade of this polygamic revelation to the Church in Joseph's lifetime, but its purport was conveyed to a few valiant men and some excellent women, who were deemed worthy to he entrusted with the secret, and though it might be unjust to charge Joseph with seeing thus far and so planning, it was the most certain way of securing the intro- duction of polygamy among the people. It did a better work for " the cause " in secret than it would have done by public proclamation ; especially as bigamy was punishable by statute in Illinois ; and there is such a luxury in secretly defying the laws of men when the believers are persuaded that they do so by the commandment of God. The favoured few could not do less than honour " the "Lord" by a return of the confidence which he had been pleased to show them. Thus, with the bewildering credulity of a secret revelation, and the defiance of all earthly power, the intimate friends of Joseph Smith were " sealed up unto " eternal life," and became peers with Abraham and all the patriarchs. To doubt a revelation through Joseph was to entertain the suspicion that he was a " fallen prophet ; " and an immediate issue between the teacher and the taught was inevitable. Some bolder spirits dared to think and question his revelations, but few indeed among them have had the courage to openly op- pose them. Joseph was " the servant of the Lord ; " he was accountable to no one on earth. When his teaching was in- harmonious with the age, that was nothing — the world was wrapt in midnight darkness : when it came in contact with his own preceding revelations, the ready answer was — " to POLYGAMY IN ENGLAND. 201 " babes is given milk, to men and women strong meats." The transition, therefore, from monogamy to polygamy in the Mor- mon Church was only a question as to the submission and credulity of the disciples. Had this revelation been presented to the Mormons with the " first principles " taught by the elders, not one in ten thousand among them would have accepted it as an emanation from Jesus Christ. But educated by their priesthood to re- gard all questioning of a revelation through the Prophet as the subtile working of Satanic influence to darken the mind and to mislead the disciple into rebellion, and with the terrible consequences of " apostacy " pictured to them and ever present in their thoughts, the Mormons could do no other than try to believe the doctrine of polygamy. But even under these fa- vourable predispositions, the great majority of both men and women have fought against it, and its acceptance at all has been a terrible trial of faith and a hazardous chancing of the future. When it was iirst published, the British mission was in the liighest prosperity ; the elders were travelling all over that island, meeting with great success ; calls for preaching were everywhere heard, and large numbers were being baptized into the new faith. The Utah elders then in England, and a few only of the native elders, knew some little time before, as one of them rather coarsely expressed it in a council of the Priesthood in London, that " the cat was soon to be let out of the bag." The Millennial Star^ the organ of the Church, had been for some months preparing the way for its debut by the weekly publication of extracts from a work on " Marriage among the " Jews ; " but almost the entire mass of the European elders, and the " Saints " there, had no knowledge of this revelation, and were constantly defending the cause in public against the charge of polygamy in Utah. On the 1st of January, 1853, it was published in the Star. It fell like a thunderbolt upon the Saints', and fearfully shat- tered the mission. The British elders, who in their ignorance had been denying polygamy, and stigmatizing their opponents as calumniators, up to the very day of its publication, were confounded and paralyzed, and from that time to the present the avenues of preaching have closed, one after another^ and the 202 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. mission that was once tlie glory of the Mormon Church has •withered and shrivelled into comparative insignificance. The ontside world misjudges the Mormon people when it imagines that polygamy was ever a favourite doctrine. Doubt- less to some few it was a pleasant revelation ; but it was not so to the mass of the people, for they resisted it until they were compelled to yield their o2:)position, or else abandon the Church in which they had faith. The statistical reports of the mission in the British Islands — June 30th, 1853 — show that the enormous number of seven- teen hundred and seventy-six persons were excommunicated there during the first six months of the preaching of polygamy. The entire Church then numbered, men, women, and chil- dren over eight years of age, 30,690. There were forty " sev- " enties," and eight " high-priests," from Utah, in Britain at that time, carrying with them a powerful personal influence to help the Saints to tide over the introduction of this doctrine. These Utah missionaries were aided by a native priesthood of 2,578 elders, 1,854 priests, 1,416 teachers, 834 deacons ; and yet no less than 1,776 recusants were excommunicated. That tells its own tale. That all these persons withdrew from the fellowship of the Mormon Church on account of polygamy would be an unfair inference. Still, doubtless, polygamy was the great contribut- ing cause of apostacy then, and more persons have left the Mormon communion on account of polygamy and Brigham's favourite deity — Ad aim (which he first preached in October of the same year), than all else put together. Few of the Mormon women have ever accepted polygamy from the assent of their judgments. They have first been led by their teachers to consider the doctrine true, and afterwards have been afraid to question it. Their fears have counselled submission. Many of them have never been able to give it a careful and deliberate reading. Some have probably never read it at all. When first placed in their hands it was, as can readily be conceived, received under the excitement and irrita- tion of unlooked-for and unwelcome news, and hurriedly read to see what it did contain, then cast aside, in a burst of grief, and seldom if ever taken up again. JOSEPH SMITH AND MOHAMMED. 203 It is to be regretted that the Mormon women (and their husbands, too) have not read it more ; for the more frequently it is perused, and the horrors it threatens are faced, the more satisfied must they become that the charge of its authorship to Jesus Christ is an atrocious libel upon His name, or else the record of His life has been greatly misunderstood by the world. From a common-sense standpoint the " revelation " is sug- gestive a thousand times more of Moses than of Christ. Had it been addressed by the former to the Israelites in their Egyp- tian bondage, in the wilderness where they, as children, were terrified and alarmed by the thunders of Mount Sinai, there might be some consistency in the oft-repeated announcement of authoritative teaching. In that one revelation — There are ten times — " Saith the Lord ; " Eight times—*' I am the Lord thy God ; " Six times — " Saith the Lord your God ; " Once each — " Jesus Christ, I am He ; " " I, the Lord thy " God ; '' " I, the Lord, am thy God ; " And, finally concluding with—" I am Alpha and Omega." It is astonishing what amount of submission and credulity can be developed when the mind is properly worked up with devotional feeling and is awe-stricken by threats of damnation. Not inaptly or without logical force has Joseph Smith been designated the Mohammed of America. Between the prophet of Arabia and the prophet of Nauvoo (each claiming divine, prophetic powers) there is a strong family resemblance and a more than singular coincidence of experience. 13 CHAPTER XXIX. AITEE THE PEOPHET'S DEATH.— Sidney Eigdon delivered over to Satan— Brigliam Young and the Twelve Apostles rule the Church — Mobocracy again rampant — Burning the Houses of the Saints — The Expulsion of the Mormons demanded— The Saints agree to Expatriation. It was very natural that " the Saints " should recall to mind the sayings of their martyred Prophet when, even in the remotest manner, he had expressed an apj)rehension of early death — such as " I am going like a lamb to the slaughter," etc., or when he had done anything that could be interpreted as preparatory to " shuffling oif this mortal coil." These were now sacred reminiscences and confirmed his prophetic char- acter in the estimation and love of the people. Unfortunately, however, for the peace and unity of the Church, in all the mul- titude of his sayings and doings he made no direct and open preparation for the presidency of the Church in case of his death,* and thus his martyrdom wrought confusion among the disciples. They were left " like sheep without a shepherd." The apostles Taylor and Richards were with Joseph in Car- thage jail, and all the other apostles were preaching in the States. On hearing the news of the tragedy, most of them hastened to Nauvoo, to counsel together upon the necessities of the situation. Joseph and Hyrum Smith, with Sidney Rigdon, had con- stituted " the first Presidency of the Church : " they were the ruling powers of the Kingdom. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had, in a conventional way, been recognized as * It is claimed that " young Joseph " — eldest son of the Prophet — " was ap- pointed through his father according to the law of lineage, by prophecy, and bless- ing, in Liberty jail, Missouri; by revelation in 1841, and by a formal anointing in a Council in Nauvoo, in 1844," to be the successor of his father. THE SCRAMBLE FOR JOSEPH'S PLACE. 205 " equal iu authority to the First Presidency : " but up to this time the acknowledgment was merely nominal. At the death of the Smiths, Eigdon alone, of the First Presidency, remained, while the Quorum of the Apostles was entire. For several years preceding this period, Rigdon had been somewhat lukewarm and unreliable. Still, he clung to the faith, loved the Saints, and was certain to be present on the great occasions of Mormon demonstration. Sidney had never fairly got over the sufferings he endured in Missouri. His en- thusiasm was chilled ; and, besides this, Joseph, in seeking the hand of his daughter, Nancy, greatly offended him. At the time of the Prophet's death, Rigdon was residing with his family in Pittsburg, Ohio, trying to take life easily, while Brigham Young, the Pratts, Hyde, and other apostles were out on missions. When the news of the assassination arrived, he set out in haste and arrived first in Nauvoo. Parley P. Pratt, Brigham Young, Orson Hyde, Heber C. Kimball, and other apostles arrived soon after. Who should rule the Church was now an open question. Rigdon — aware of the logical fact that one is the smaller part of three, and realizing that his active fellowship with the living Joseph had been questionable for some years back — pro- posed to the Saints the appointment of a " guardian " over the Church, a sort of regency, until further development should manifest " the will of the Lord." He had no hopes that he would then be accepted as a " prophet, seer, and revelator," though he had been ordained to all those high offices. Like a brevetted general, he had only worn his titles of glory. He was, therefore, contented to become the " guardian " — if only he could attain to that position. Marsh had apostatized ; Patten had been killed ; and, by the accident of seniority^ Brigham Young was at the head of the Quorum of the Twelve. ]N^o one questioned his fidelity to the Prophet up to this time ; but, personally, he was remark- able for nothing — except being "hard-working Brigham " Young." He was infinitely inferior in education and mental development to the Pratts and Hyde, but the apostacy of Marsh and the death of Patten, his predecessors in the ranks of the apostles, had brought him uppermost in that Quorum. 206 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. The Church was now splitting into fragments. Many were uncertain of the future, and many more began to be doubtful of the past. In the language of Brigham, the people began to be " much every way." " Some were for Joseph and Hyrum, "the Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants, the Tem- "ple and Joseph's measures; some were for Lyman Wight; "some for James Emmett ; some for Sidney Eigdon, and, I " suppose, some for the Twelve." Eigdon had been the Boanerges of the new faith, and had given it the first important aid which it received ; but he was now waning in everything. He had seen Joseph revel in vis- ions, dreams, and revelations, and had witnessed their wonder- ful eflfect upon the bewildered minds of the Saints. To step securely into Joseph's shoes, he had to do something like him, or to be for ever overthrown — like Lucifer, for his ambition in seeking the headship of the Church. He essayed the role of Joseph and entered upon the shadowy regions of revelation. He had nightly visions about Gog and Magog, and saw wonder- ful things which were soon to take place. The great battle of Armageddon was at hand, and Eigdon was to lead on the hosts. RIGDON DELIVERED OYER TO SATAN. 207 of the Lord to the slaughter till the blood flowed up to the horses' bridles. AVhen that was all done and got through with, he, as a conqueror, was to be privileged with the honour of " pulling the nose of little Yic. ! " This mad raving before public audiences, and the familiarity of language in using the name of her most gracious majesty, the sovereign of Great Britain, render comment on such fanat- icism unnecessary. In private assemblages of the brethren he announced that he held " the keys of David," and he ordained some special friends to be "prophets, priests, and kings," and made general preparation for the maintenance of his claims, by force if necessary, to the guardianship of the Church. Rigdon was brought up for public trial before the High Council in Nauvoo, on the 8th of September, w^th eight of the apostles as " witnesses" — who in reality acted as principal ac- cusers. Brigham led oflf with a speech about Rigdon's history, and was followed by the other apostles and all who had any- thiner to sav about the matter. He was charged with the de- termination to '• rule or ruin the Church." Brigham was as determined that he should do neither. Eigdon was said to be sick, and failed to appear at trial ; but that was no hindrance. The accusations were listened to, and the family quarrel was anything but edifying to the Saints. Finally, it was moved " that he be cut off from the Church and delivered over to the *' buffetings of Satan until he repent." To this the reporter adds : "Elder Young arose, and delivered Sidney Rigdon over to the buflfet- ings of Satan in the name of the Lord; and all the people said, Amen." Some ten persons voted in favour of Rigdon, and these were immediately " suspended " from fellowship. Brigham's notions of freedom of voting are singularly amus- ing. He works up his audience to the affirmative of what he has to propose, and as he calls for an expression of the people's mind by a show of uplifted hands, he stands up in the congrega- tion to watch the operation. He then asks for a negative vote, and should any unfortunates differ from him they are captured. He has more recently added to this amusement of free voting the instruction beforehand to the congregation : " Wow, breth- 208 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " ren, look around you, and see wlio are votinp^ ; we want " every one to vote one way or another." Should the voting be the "oneway," all is serene; should it be " the other way," he then forces a collision which terminates with something analogous to King Richard's ejaculation — " Off with his " head ! So much for Buckingham ! " Brigham's free voting assemblies closely resemble those of the ancient parliaments of France, which were only convened to ratify the arbitrary edicts of the absolute monarchs of that kingdom. For some time after the trial, Sidney showed considerable disposition to tight the position assumed by Brigham and the Twelve, and for that purpose he revived the Latter-Day Saints* Messenger and Advocate^ in Pittsburg, Pa. ; but it had only a short-lived existence. He is now very feeble with age and in- firmit}^ and living in Friendship, New York. It has been generally expected that some day he would confess to having aided Joseph Smith in fabricating, from " Solomon Spaulding's "Manuscript," the Book of Mormon; but there seems to be no ground for such a hope. All through his trial those who knew him before he was a Mormon spoke of him in such a manner as leaves no room to doubt Rigdon's own sincerity in the Mormon faith, and his total ignorance of the existence of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon till after that work had been published. As soon as Sidney was disposed of, the change in the gov- ernment of the Church was almost magical. Joseph was al- ways gushing over with inspiration and abounding in revela- tions. He had one or two men around him who aided him with counsel ; but, after all, Joseph was the dominant figure throughout. Over the Church there were now twelve men, most of whom were ambitious to work. They were in new spheres of action, and set out, in the language of the conventi- cle, to " magnif}' their calling." In entering upon a new page of history, they thought it prudent to revise the past. Joseph had trusted more to mirac- ulous interpositions, " the Lord," and outside politicians, than had been profitable. Brigham had been a hard-working man, and he knew the superiority of practical labour over visions, dreams, and revelations. He knew, too, the uncertainty of • WHO SHALL RULE THE CHURCH? 209 politics. He had studied Joseph's troubles, liad witnessed the terrible effect of Sidney's flighty attempts at continuing reve- lation, and had resolved to change the thoughts of the people. Joseph was " a natural born seer," and had a pedestal of his own. There Brigham intended that he should remain — alone and undisturbed. With Joseph among them, the Saints had "walked by sight." With Brigham, they were now to "walk by faith." That was the safer position. Instead of vaulting to the prominence of the " Revelator," Brigham brought down the revelations to the grasp of the people, and distributed them broadcast among them. " Every member," said he, "has the right of receiving revelation for himself." This was a flattering privilege, and a great consolation ; it had to satisfy the Saints, and it saved Brigham the unpleasantness of comparison. " Let no man presume for a moment that his " [Joseph's] place will be filled by anotlier," was the language of the hour ; " you are now without a prophet present with "you in the flesh to guide you ; but you are not without apos- "tles who hold the keys of power to seal on earth that which '"'shall he sealed in heaven ... I am not a prophet, seer, or revela- " tor, as Joseph was^'^ continues Brigham ; " neither do I give " revelations with' Thus saith the Lord,' as he did, and so mucli " the better for the Saints, for if I did so, and they did not live " up to those revelations, they would be condemned." This was certainly a very kind consideration. What a deal of condemnation the Saints would have been saved if Joseph had only thought of it in his time ! They now, however, had only " Hobson's choice," and were obliged to accept the situation. It is a sensible axiom that " half a loaf is better than no " bread : " the Saints could not make a Joseph, they had of necessity to accept a Brigham. The soul and inspiration of Morraonism were gone. There was no successor to Joseph — there could be none. Brigham at once announced that Joseph had left enough of revelation to guide them for twenty years. To build up " the kingdom " to Joseph, and to carry out Joseph's measures, were henceforth to be ambition and glory enough. Brigham might occupy Joseph's seat on the platform, but he could never fill his place in the Church, and no one knew this better than Brigham himself. He saw before him a multitude 210 TEE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. of people wlio had been gathered by revelation, and who had fed iij)on it daily. There was but one thing that conld be ■done — make them work out an idea. " Build up the kingdom ■*' to Joseph : build it to Joseph ! " — " He is looking down upon •*' us, and is with us as mucli as before." The people laboured for Joseph, and Brigham controlled and garnered the results for himself The past style of doing business was to be ■changed ; the loose ends were to be tied up, and everything was to be put upon a strictly commercial basis. The Saints were to gather to Nauvoo as before, but every member of the Ohurcli was to " proceed immediately to tithe himself or her- ^' self a tenth of all their property or money, and pay it into '' the hands of the Twelve," and " the members can then em- ^' ploy the remainder of their capital in every branch of enter- '^' prise, industry, and charity, as seemeth them good ; only ■" liolding themselves in readiness to he advised in such manner ■*' as shall be for the good of themselves and the whole society." Brigham meant to control everybody and everything ; and from the time when he signed the first epistle — "Brigham *' Young, President of the Twelve, Nauvoo, August 15th, ■^' 184:4," to the present hour, he has never lost sight of that part of his programme. In politics he was equally emphatic. iN^one of the candi- dates for the presidential chair had " manifested any disposi- •" tion or intention to redress wrong or restore right, liberty, or '" law," and the Saints were counselled to " stand aloof from all *'men and measures till some one could be found who would " carry out the enlarged principles of our beloved prophet and •^' martyr. General Joseph Smith." In the mean time " the ■*' Twelve Apostles of this dispensation stand in their own ■^^ place and always will, both in time and eternity, to minister, ^' preside, and regulate the affairs of the whole Church." The coup d'etat that overthrew Rigdon and placed Brig- ham on the throne was then complete. All that remained to be done, was to officially decapitate Rigdon and hand him over to Satan, which, as before stated, Brigham duly attended to on the 8th of Sej)tember. There is something strikingly characteristic of the man in the foundation then laid of his present position. He has been THE THIN END OF THE WEDGE. 211 charged with inconsistency in assei'ting at the time of Joseph's death that " no man should stand in his place," while subse- quently he filled that place himself. But to this he has a ready answer : " No one can take the place of Joseph ; he is still *' in his place at the head of the Church, and will always be " there throughout time and eternity." This language is some- what diplomatic, but it is consistent with the whole tenor of his life — " the end justifies the means." That the people should not understand Brigham's ulterior purposes is not a matter of surprise. He understood them him- self, and seized the eai-liestopportunity of preparing for the con- templated change as soon as the people should be ready for the experiment. On the 2nd of September an editorial appeared in the Times and Seasons, in which occurs the following shrewd, half-expressed anticipation of the change : " Great excitement prevails throughout the world to know who * shall be the successor of Joseph Smith.' In reply, we say — be patient, le patient a little, and we will tell you all. ' Great wheels move slowly.' At present we can say that a special conference of the Church was held at Nauvoo on the 8th ultimo, and it was carried without a dissenting voice that the * Twelve ' should preside over the whole Church, and when any alteration in the presidency shall le required^ reasonable notice shall le given ; and the elders abroad will best exhibit their wisdom to all men by remaining silent on those things they are ignorant of." That the Twelve should preside over the whole Church, is placed in the fore-ground to be seen of all men, and to be spoken of openly, but, " when any alteration in the Presidency shall be required," a silent reserve was to be maintained, which only the wise could understand. Discussion was imprudent — silence was wisdom. Shrewd Brigliam ! From a neutral standpoint, and taking the two men and their antecedents into account, the Church, however little it may have gained, lost nothing by preferring Brigham before Higdon ; but to a people like the Mormons, accustomed to so much revelation as Joseph had given them, and the guidance of " the Lord " in everything — even to the building of a "boarding-house" — this period of their history is singularly suggestive. — The " Revelator " was truly gone. The distinctive feature of Morraonism was henceforth to be 212 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. implicit, unquestioning " obedience " — an utter subjugation of Avill and personality to the dictates of the Priesthood. " Religion was made up of obedience, let life or death come.'" " Satan was hurled from heaven for resisting authority." * The past troubles of Mormonism were all then traceable to freedom of thought. The murderers of the Smiths were " a " Imndredth part " less guilty than the " apostates." " A lit- " tie diiference of feeling ; a little difference of opinion ; a lit- " tie diiference of spirit ; and this diiference has finally ended "in bloodshed and murder." From this time the Mormon lead- ers have intensely hated " apostates," and to this day they have not discovered the possibility of any person leaving the Mor- mon faith, without at the same time " thirsting for the blood " of the Prophet." "While the Rigdon-Young difficulty about the succession was going on, Lyman Wight, one of the twelve apostles, and "William Smith, another apostle and brother of the murdered Prophet, were objects of some anxiety ; but the former was " let alone severely," and the latter, for a time, was spoken of with patronizing kindness as " the remaining brother of the " Prophet and the Patriarch." Wight went to Texas with a small company to form a settlement. There they suffered a good deal together, and finally broke up and scattered where they could. The Prophet's brother was soon after accused of sowing his " wild oats," without proper regard to the order of the new revelation ; and he was easily got rid of. He has since managed to maintain a happy obscurity.f John E. Page, another apostle, became discontented, apostatized, and was cut off, while Gladden Bishop, Strang, Brewster, Hendrick, Cut- ler, Emmett, and a host of other elders were in the enjoyment * "Epistle of the Twelve." Times and Seasons, Vol. V., page 618. f From the beginning of Mormonism the ruling authorities have accepted defa- mation of character as the best weapon with which to assail the discontented. Without challenging the Mormon charges against the Prophet's brother, it is due to the latter to append the following from the Clayton County [Iowa] Journal : "During the war with the South he served nearly two years as a soldier, in help- ing to put down the rebellion. In 1841 and '42 he served in the legislature as rep- resentative from Hancock county, in the State of Illinois. He has followed the oc- cupation of a farmer in the vicinity of Elkader, and upon Sundays occasionally preaching. As a man, he is candid, honest, and upright — a citizen of whom rumour speaks no evil, and he is a faithful expounder of true Mormonism, while he depre- cates polygamy." GREAT EXCITEMENT IN HANCOCK COUNTY. 213 of a fearful amount of new and bewildering revelation about who should succeed Joseph Smith, and all of them opposed to Brigham Young's leadership of the Church. Unborn, yet blessed and prophetical! j announced, was David Hyrum Smith, to be at some future time the ruler of the Mormon Church.'"' David Hyrum saw the light of this vain and wicked world on the lYth of ISTovember, 1844, about live months after the death of his father, and from his birth he be- came an object of the deepest interest to all professors of the Mormon faith. While the dissensions which have just been noticed stamped the history of the Church with the confusion of Babel, the Gentiles were preparing anew for hostilities. The assassination of Joseph Smith was soon discovered to be a great blunder. There was nothing about the Prophet personally, and still less, if possible, about his brother Hyrum, to justify, even in the re- motest manner, the Carthage tragedy. The assassins had mis- taken men for principles, Joseph was a liberal, big-hearted man, and the last person whom the world would have taken for a prophet. In Carthage jail the Prophet and Patriarch were but men : in Nauvoo they were representatives of a sys- tem. The mobbers, murderers, and assassins at Carthage could extinguish the one : the other was left intact. Brigham Young with a tragedy for his text was a more difficult man to deal with than Joseph Smith with a revelation to announce. The excitement in Hancock county was soon renewed, and the extremists on either side felt the desperation of their situa- tion. The one sought to justify the assassination of the Prophet, the other to revenge his death. The resolutions passed at any meeting at Nauvoo or Carthage amounted to nothing: with such an account unsettled there could be no honesty on either side. There were hostility and conflict of interests which no preambles, resolutions, or public speaking- could affect. The Mormons hated the Gentiles, and the Gen- tiles hated the Mormons. This was the only point upon which they were agreed. They were each of them ready to believe and act upon the most exaggerated and groundless reports, * This prediction rests upon the remembrance of the Hon. John M. Bemhisel, formerly delegate from Utah to Congress. 214 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. and there was notliing tof) bad for either of them to credit con- cerning the other. Of this time Governor Ford gives the following interesting picture : " The Mormons invoked tlie assistance of Government to take vengeance upon the murderers of the Smiths. The anti-Mormons asked the Gover- nor to violate the constitution which he was sworn to support, by erecting himself into a military despot and exiling the Mormons. The Mormons on their part, in their newspapers, invited the Government to assume absolute power by taking a summary vengeance upon their enemies, by shooting fifty or a hundred of them, without judge or jury. Both parties were thoroughly disgusted with constitutional provisions restraining them from summary vengeance; each was ready to submit to arbitrary power, to the tiat of a dictator, to make me a king for the time being, or at least that I might exercise the power of a king to abolish both the forms and spirit of a free government, if the despotism erected upon its ruins could only be wielded for their benefit, and to take vengeance on their enemies. . . . " In the course of the fall of 1844 the anti-Mormon leaders sent printed invitations to all the militia captains in Hancock county, and to the cap- tains of militia in all the neighbouring counties in Illinois, Iowa, and Mis- souri, to be present with their companies at a great wolf-hunt in Hancock ; and it was privately announced that the wolves to be hunted were the Mormons and Jack-Mormons.* Preiiarations were made for assembling several thousand men with provisions for six days ; and the anti-Mormon newspapers in aid of the movement commenced anew the most awful ac- counts of thefts, and robberies, and meditated outrages by the Mormons. The Whig press in every part of the United States came to their assistance. The Democratic newspapers and the leading Democrats who had received the benefit of the Mormon votes to their party, quailed under the tempest, leaving no organ for the correction of public opinion, either at home or abroad, except the discredited Mormon newspaper at Nauvoo. But very few of my prominent Democratic friends would dare come up to the assist- ance of their Governor, and but few of them dared openly to vindicate his motives in endeavouring to keep the peace. They were willing and anxious for Mormon votes at elections, but they were unwilling to risk their popularity with the people, by taking a part in their favour, even when law, and justice, and the constitution were on their side. Such be- ing the odious character of the Mormons, the hatred of the common peo- ple against them, and such being the pusillanimity of leading men in fear- ing to encounter it. " In this state of the case I applied to Brigadier-General J. J. Hardin of the State militia, and to Colonels Baker and Merriman, all Whigs, but all of them men of military ambition, and they, together with Colonel "William Weatherford, a Democrat, with my own exertions, succeeded in * A slang name applied to Gentiles who favour the Mormons. BURNING A MORMON SETTLEMENT. 215 raising about five hundred volunteers ; and thus did these Whigs, that which my own political friends, with two or three exceptions, were slow to do, from a sense of gratitude. . . . " Nauvoo was now a city of about 15,000 inhabitants, and was fast in- creasing, as the followers of the Prophet were pouring into it from a\ parts of the world ; and there were several other settlements and villages of Mormons in Hancock county. Nauvoo was scattered over about six square miles, a part of it being built upon the flat skirting and fronting on the Mississippi River, but the greater portion of it upon the blufis back, east of the river. The great Temple, that is said to have cost a million of dollars in money and labour, occujjied a commanding position on the brow of this bluff, and overlooked the country around in Illinois, and Iowa. . . . " The anti-Mormons complained of a large number of larcenies and robberies. The Mormon press at Nauvoo, and the anti-Mormon papers at Warsaw, Quincy, Springfield, Alton, and St. Louis, kept uj) a constant fire at each other; the anti-Mormons all the time calling upon the people to rise and expel or exterminate the Mormons. ... In the fall of 1845, the anti-Mormons of Lima and Green Plains held a meeting to devise means for the expulsion of the Mormons from their neighbourhood. They appointed some persons of their own number to fire a few shots at the house where they were assembled, but to do it in such a way as to hurt none who attended the meeting. The meeting was held, the house was fired at, but so as to hurt no one ; and the anti-Mormons, suddenly breaking up their meeting, rode all over the country, spreading the dire alarm that the Mormons had commenced the work of massacre and death. " This startling intelligence soon assembled a mob at Lima, which pro- ceeded to warn the Mormons to leave the neighbourhood, and threatened them with fire and sword if they remained. A very poor class of Mormons resided there, and it is very likely that the other inhabitants were annoyed beyond further endurance by their little larcenies and rogueries. The Mor- mons refused to remove ; and about one hundred and seventy-five houses, and hovels were burnt, the inmates being obliged to flee for their lives,. They fled to Nauvoo in a state of utter destitution, carrying their wom'en and children, aged and sick, along with them as best they could. The sight of these miserable creatures aroused the wrath of the Mormons of Nauvoo. " When the burning of houses commenced, the great body of the anti- Mormons expressed themselves strongly against it, giving hopes thereby that a posse of anti-Mormons could be raised to put a stop to such incendiary and riotous conduct. But Avhen they were called on by the new sheriff, not a man of them turned out to his assistance, many of them no doubt being influenced by their hatred of the sheriff". Backinstos then went to Nau- voo, where he raised a posse of several hundred armed Mormons, with which he swept over the country, took possession of Carthage, and estab- lished a permanent guard there. The anti-Mormons everywhere fled from their houses before the sheriff, some of them to Iowa and Missouri and 216 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Burning Mormon Houses. others to the neighbouring counties in Illinois. The sheriff was unable or unwilling to bring any portion of the rioters to battle or to arrest any of them for their crimes. The posse came near surprising one small squad, but they made their escajje, all but one, before they could be attacked. This one, named McBratney, was shot down by some of the posse in ad- vance, by whom he was hacked and mutilated as though he had been mur- dered by the Indians. " The sheriff also was in continual peril of his life from the anti-Mormons, who daily threatened him - — ^ — , with death the first oppor- f tunity. As he was going in a buggy in the direction of Warsaw from Nauvoo, he was pursued by three or four men to a place in the road where some Mormon teams were standing. But Backinstos passed the teams a few rods, and then stop- ping, the pursuers came up to within one hundred and fifty yards, when they were lired upon, with an uner- ring aim, by some one con- cealed not far to one side of them. By this fire Franklin A. Worrell was killed. He was the same man who had commanded the guard at the jail at the time the Smiths were assassinated ; and there made himself con- spicuous by betraying his trust by consenting to the assassination. It is believed that Backinstos expected to be pursued and attacked, and had previously stationed some men in ambush to fire upon his pursuers. He was afterwards indicted for the supposed murder, and procured a change of venue to Peoria county, where he was acquitted of the charge. About this time, also, the Mormons murdered a man of the name of Daubeneyer, without any apparent provocation ; and another anti-Mormon, named Wilcox, was murdered in Nauvoo, as it is believed by order of the Twelve Apostles. The anti-Mormons also committed one murder. Some of them, under Backman, set fire to some straw near a barn belonging to Durfee, an old Mormon of seventy years, and then lay in ambush until the old man came out to extinguish the fire, when they shot him dead from their place of concealment. The perpetrators of this murder were arrested and brought before an anti-Mormou justice of the peace, and were acquitted, though their guilt was sufiicieutly apparent. " During the ascendancy of the sheriff, and the absence of the anti- Mormons, the people who had been burnt out of their homes fled to Nau- voo, from whence with many others they sallied forth and ravaged the country, stealing and plundering whatever was convenient to drive away. THE SWORD AND THE TROWEL. 217 "When informed of these proceedings, I hastened to Jacksonville, where, in a conference with General Hardin, Major Warren, Judge Doug- las, and the Attorney-General, Mr. McDougall, it was agreed that these gentlemen should proceed to Hancock in all haste, with whatever forces had been raised, few or many, and put an end to these disorders. It was now apparent that neither party in Hancock could be trusted with the power to keep the peace. It was also agreed that all these gentlemen should unite their influence with mine to induce the Mormons to leave the State. " Through the intervention of General Hardin, acting under instruc- tions from me, an agreement was made between the hostile parties for the voluntary removal of the greater part of the Mormons in the spring of 1846." * During the renewed contention the Mormons exerted every energy to complete the Temple. The faithful had been taught that they and all that was theirs should be consecrated to this great work, and themselves greatly blessed by aiding in it. They had learned that therein a great endowment would be bestowed upon the living, and peculiar privileges accorded to their dead. The faith and labours of the people were in an extraordinary degree stimulated by the announcement that if the Temple were not completed within a specilied time " the "Lord would reject them and their dead." f The Mormons estimated this building at about six hundred thousand dollars, and in its construction and design it exhibited " more wealth, more art, more science, more revelation, more " splendour, and more God, than all the rest of the world." Their pride in this particular instance was pardonable, for the Temple was reared in the midst of great poverty, and, be- fore they could complete it, the masons, carpenters, and artisans had their lire-arms lying beside their tools, while watchmen were continually on the alert to sound the alarm on the ap- proach of any foe. Thus, in the jSTew Zion, the Scripture story of the pains and perils of the Jewish builders of the walls of Jerusalem, under the guidance of JN^ehemiah, was repeated, which the Mormons failed not to remember, and from it made a pointed application. Indictments had been found in. the Circuit Court of the * " History of Illinois," pp. 361-410. •j- In a subsequent chapter the ordiuances for the dead are treated o£ 218 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. United States, for the District of Illinois, against a number of the leading Mormons, for counterfeiting the coin of the Re- public, and the marshal was eager for their arrest. The Gov- ernor declined to call out the militia to support the sheriff, believing that it was better, after the calamities that had al- ready befallen the Saints, and the promise they had given of expatriating themselves in the spring, to allow them to escape without further molestation ; a conclusion which he readily reached, as he believed that none of them could be convicted. This bogus money-making in !N"auvoo has been strenuously denied by Brighara and some of the apostles, and very proba- bly those who denied all knowledge of that business were per- fectly truthful in their statements, as far as they themselves were concerned. But that bogus money was made and in cir- culation, in and around Nauvoo, and also was sent to a dis- tance for circulation, can certainly not be denied. That some of " the brethren " were engaged in its manufacture seems to be well supported by facts which subsequently transpired. JSTo one unacquainted with the history of the Saints at this time could j)ossibly imagine the recrimination and bitterness of feeling that existed between the Mormons and anti-Mor- mons of JSTauvoo and the surrounding districts. It was worse than civil war, worse than a war of races ; it was religious hate ! It was fed by fanaticism on both sides — a fanaticism that was truly despicable. It demonstrated beyond controversy that Mormonism, and what is termed by the Saints "the world," are incompatible with each other. With the faith of the Saints that they were building up " a kingdom," it was very natural that they should act ditferently from the citizens of a Republic, and that they should seek to control, and not submit to be con- trolled. With no faith in that religion, it was as natural for " the Gentiles " to view with alarm every influence and power in the county passing into Mormon hands. The idea of sub- jugation was at the bottom of their thoughts, and they were determined not to submit. It was evident to every one that there could be no peace so long as the Mormons remained in the county, and for their expulsion the anti-Mormons of the neighbouring counties pledged " their lives and their sacred " honour." fc- ■i;«f 'if; ,:,„ CHAPTER XXX. THE EXODUS FEOM NAUVOO.— The Hasty Departure of the Apostles— Jour- ney to the Eocky Mountains — The Sufferings of the Exiles — Nauvoo besieged and bombarded— An Exile's Story — Colonel Kane's Narrative. The year 1845 was dark and dreary, and full of painful in- terest to the Saints, with only now and then a momentary gleam of change for tlie better. There was no certainty in anything but trouble, and that rolled in upon them like the fury of the angry billows. The thought of a home in the Rocky Mountains, or " anywhere " away from the rest of mankind, "where they couli be by themselves, filled them with buoyant hope that the promises of the Prophet would yet be realized. With unwavering fidelity they toiled on the building of the Temple, though they well knew that they were completing it only to leave it to the tender care of their enemies. Their resolution was a sublime illustration of the power of faith. By the beginning of October the building had so far pro- gressed that the semi-annual conference was held therein. It was a great and solemn gathering. All the dignitaries of the Church were present, and the exodus of the Saints was for- mally resolved upon, while proper committees were appointed for the conveyance of what real estate might find purchasers. However much they may subsequently have been benefited by the change of locality, the abandonment of their homes and firesides was, for the time being, a severe trial of their temper. The following official letter, dated November 1st, expresses their feelings at that time : " Continued abuses, persecutions, murders, and robberies, practiced upon us by a horde of land pirates with impunity in a Christian republic and land of liberty (while the institutions of justice have either been too 14 222 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. wealc to afford us protection or redress, or else they too have been remiss), have brought us to the solemn conclusion that our exit from the United States is the only alternative ; ... we then can shake the dust from our garments, . . , leaving this nation alone in Tier glory, while the residue of the world points the finger of scorn, till the indignation and consummation decreed makes a full end." The High Council at Nauvoo, on the 20th of Jannary, 1846. addressed a circular to the Church throughout the world, an- nouncing the intended departure of the pioneers, beginning in March, for the purpose of putting in early spring crops on the way, building houses, and preparing temporary resting-places for those who were to follow. But there were rumours of an intention on the part of the Government to prevent this whole- sale migration, under a plea that it was the purpose of the Mor- mon leaders to go to Oregon, and place themselves under the protection of the British authorities, and thus become a source of greater trouble than before. Governor Ford admits in his history that some such ru- mours were encouraged, to " scare," if possible, the Mormons from lingering or returning should they faint by the way. One of the agents of Brigham Young, then in the Eastern States, professed to have received some such information from one of President Polk's cabinet, and the story is still believed by the Saints. On the 2nd of February a council of the apostles and lead- ing elders was held in Nauvoo, to deliberate upon a speedy de- parture. It was then thought that on the breaking-up of tlie ice on the Mississippi the pioneers would be able to commence their pilgrimage, and before their enemies had any knowledge of their departure the_y would be some distance on their jour- ney. Captains of hundreds and of fifties had been chosen, and these were now instructed to hold themselves in readiness to move at an hour's notice. Three days later the first company crossed the river on the ice. On the following day the main body of the Saints began to move, and during February about 1,200 wagons were trans-. ported to the Iowa shore. The severe inclement weather soon told upon the feeble and delicate living in their wagons and tents. They fully realized THE GREAT TEMPLE COMPLETED. 223 tliat they were homeless exiles, and that there was no rest for tlieui until new homes were created for them in tlie desert. Before moving from their first camping-ground, the elders ad- dressed a touching petition to the Governor of Iowa, in which thej pictured the situation of the Saints, and asked his Excel- lency's protection in passing through that Territory. " To stay," narrate tlie petitioners, "is death by fire and sword ; to go into banishment unprepared is death by starvation. But yet, under these heart-rending circumstances, several hundreds of us have started upon our dreary journey, and we are now encamped in Lee county, Iowa, suflering much from the intensity of the cold. Some of us also are already without food, and others have barely sufficient to last a few weeks ; hundreds of others must shortly follow us in the same unhappy condition." On the 3rd of March Brigham was chosen the leader of the migrating party, and, as all was then read)', he gave the order to march on that remarkable pilgrimage which was without par- allel since Moses led the Israelites from Egypt. However vain, foolish, and superstitious may have been the faith of the Saints in the judgment of others, and however arrogant and despotic the leaders of the Mormons may have since become, their exo- dus from the United States westward to the then unknown des- ert of the Great American Basin was a sublime spectacle of devotion which the most sceptical cannot regard without pro- found admiration. During the most pressing preparations for the migration from ISTauvoo the Temple was not neglected. In tlie midst of all their troubles the artistic labour, of the community was di- rected to its last finishing touches. There was in this a senti- ment of devotion creditable to their higher thoughts. They saw clearly that the Temple in all its glory would be sacrificed, but they desired that the sacrifice should be the purest and best that they could offer, and nothing therefore was left unfinished. In the beginning of May, the Temple was thus completed and dedicated, and upon it, in the front, was placed an entablature with this inscription : "THE HOUSE OF THE LOED, " BUILT BY THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OP LATTER-DAT SAINTS. " HOLINESS TO THE LORD," * * This fine building was destroyed on the 19th of November, 1848, the work of an incendiary. Two years later the French Icarians, brought to Nauvoo by Mons.. 224 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. AVith the closing ceremonies in the Temple, the mission of the Saints among the Gentiles came to a close — their labour ■\vas over. A controversy has arisen over the assertion of the Temple having been finished, which would of itself be unworthy of notice but that it involves a principle to the Mormons of some importance. All through the revelations the Mormon deity is represented as very exacting in his measures. He is always straining to accomplish something beyond the capacity of the people. It would be extremely difficult to apply to that Being the words : " My yoke is eas}' and my burden is light ; " for he has not only demanded constant heavy sacrifices of time and labour from the Saints, but he has perpetually held over their heads threats of damnation, more like a severe taskmas- ter than a loving Father. In this instance a revelation had been given, stating that, if the Temple were not completed within seven years, the Mormons, as a Church, together with " their dead," should be rejected. In several of his early ser- mons in Utah, Brigham stated that the Saints had never been able to complete a Temple ; and this the Beorganized Church has readily seized, and argued that, if such were the case, he and the present rulers at Salt Lake, according to the revela- tion commanding the Temple to be built, were, therefore, " without authority." Brigham, with his usual indifference to any previous statement, hastily asserted that the Temple at Nauvoo, " through the blessing of God, it was completed and ^' accepted by Him." The son of Joseph Smith thus presents the case : "It has been stated, by those whose duty it was to Zjiozp, that the Tem- ple at Nauvoo was finished — ' completed as Josejih designed.' This state- ment is not true. In no sense can it be said truthfully that any part of the Temple at Nauvoo was completed, with the possible exception of the main assembly-room into which the front doors opened. The basement in which was the font was incomplete ; the stairway to the left of the front was not relieved of the rough boards laid on the risings, on which the workmen went uj) and down ; the upper assembly-room was not accessible, the floor Cabet, the great Socialist, endeavoured to rebuild it for their own uses, but a dread- ful tornado, in May, 1850, threw most of the original building to the ground, and ended that project. The rock of the Temple subsequently served as the ledges of a quarry to supply domestic building material. DESECRATION OF THE TEMPLE. 225 not being laid, neither the doors hung, nor the walls plastered. Besides this, the inside ornamentation was by no means finished, even in those parts called completed. There are plenty of persons now living who were frequent visitors to the Temple, after the people who built it lef- Nauvoo, who will testify tliat the building was not completed ; among them David Le Baron, who had charge of it for some time; Major L. C. Bidamon, for years proprietor of the Mansion House ; Dr. Weld, of Nau- voo ; Amos Davis, living near the Big Mound, on the Xauvoo and La Harpe road ; George Edmunds, of Sonora, and the writer, with a host of others. "It is further rumoured that, after the death of Joseph Smith, the plans and specifications were altered ; and that such parts as were nearly comijleted were not so completed in accordance with the original design. Of this we cannot testify, never having seen the original drawings nor read the specifications. If the statements of various i:)ersons are to be relied on, there can be but little doubt that in one respect there was a completion ; and that respect is the desecration and defilement of the Temple, by the holding of such revels and orgies therein, as were not even thought of by the ' money changers,' who made the House of God at Jerusalem a 'den, of thieves,' and against whom the righteous indignation of Jesus was so signally directed." — True Latter-Bay Saints'" Herald, Jan. 1, 1872. Mr. Smith would have done service to the -work! liad he Leen less reserved upon " the desecration and defilement of the " Temple," as he doubtless had more than vague rumour for in- formation. It is asserted by those who had good means of knowing, that practical j)ohjganiy was not unknown in that edilice. A Mormon chief who had to conceal himself there from tlie officers of the law tliought it " not good to be alone," and preferring the society of inhabitants of this lower world to those of " a higher sphere," very naturally chose to honour those with his society who had selected him as their " Lord." By the middle of May,' probably sixteen thousand souls had crossed the Mississippi and were wending their way through Iowa to rendezvous on the banks of the Missouri river in the neighbourhood of Council Bluffs. About a thousand of the Mormons were left in Nauvoo, mostly on account of their in- ability, from poverty or sickness, to undertake the journey with the main body of the people, while some others were left to dispose of property and settle the aff'airs of the Church. Xotvrithstanding the departure of the Mormon leaders and 226 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. the greater portion of the community from Kauvoo during the winter and spring, the anti-Mormons professed to be doubtful of the entire evacuation of the city, and threatened the re- mainder with expulsion. Governor Ford says : " It was feared that the Mormons might vote for the August elections of that year, and that enough of them yet remained to control the elec- tions in the county and perhaps in the district, for Congress. They there- fore took measures to get up a new quarrel with the jMornions." Euins of the Temple. From such contemptible motives began a difficulty which ended in a three days' siege of Nauvoo, and in acts of cruelty which disgracefully stain the history of Illinois. In the month of September, under one pretext or another, the anti-Mormons, to the number of 800 men, laid siege to ISTauvoo, and for several days fought against 150 of its defenders. The anti-Mormons were under the command of Thomas S. Brockman, whom the Governor describes as " a Campbellite preacher, nominally be- " longing to the Democratic party, a large, awkward, uncouth, "ignorant semi-barlxirian, ambitious of office, and bent upon " acquiring notoriety." The Mormons in defence of their city admit a loss of two men and a boy killed, and three or four THE MOB TRIUMPHANT. 227 wounded. The anti-Mormons admit one of their number killed, and ni'ne or ten not dangerously wounded. Each side, liowever, reported that they had killed between thirty and forty of their enemies. Upon any authority less than that of the Governor of the State, the reader would scarcely credit the recital of the siege and the triumphal entrance of the anti-Mormons into ISTauvoo. " The constable's posse marched in with Brockman at their head, con- sisting of about eight hundred armed men and six or seven hundred un- armed, from motives of curiosity to see the once proud city of Nauvoo humbled and delivered up to its enemies and to the domination of a self- constituted and irresponsible power. When the posse arrived in the city, the leaders of it erected themselves into a tribunal to decide who should bo forced away and who remain. Parties were despatched to search for Mor- mon arms and for Mormons, and to bring them to the judgment where they received their doom from the mouth of Brockman, who then sat a grim and unawed tyrant for the time. As a general rule the Mormons were ordered to leave within an hour, or two hours ; and by rare grace some of them were allowed until next day ; and in a few cases longer. " The treaty specified that the Mormons only should be driven into exile. Nothing was said in it concerning the new citizens who had with the Mormons defended the city. But the posse no sooner obtained pos- session than they commenced expelling the new citizens. Some of them were ducked in the river, being in one or two instances actually baptized in the name of the leaders of the mob ; others were forcibly driven into the ferry boats, to be taken over the river, before the bayonets of armed ruffians ; and it is asserted that the houses of most of them were broken open and their property stolen during their absence. . . . " The Mormons had been forced away from their houses unprepared for a journey. They and their women and children had been thrown houseless upon the Iowa shore, without provisions or the means of getting them, or to get to places where provisions might be obtained. It was now the height of the sickly season. Many of them were taken from sick beds, hurried into the boats and driven away by the armed ruffians now exer- cising the power of government. The best they could do was to erect their tents on the banks of the river and there remain to take theii' chances of perishing by hunger or by prevailing sickness. In this condi- tion the sick, without shelter, food, nourishment, or medicines, died by scores. The mother watched her sick babe without hope, and when she sank under accumulated miseries, it was only to be quickly followed by her other children, now left without the least attention ; for the men had scattered out over the countiy seeking employment and the means of liv« 228 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. A Mormon writer, well known to the Author, in a commu- nication to the Millennial Star, gives a paragraph of his ex- perience on the entrance of the mob into the doomed city : "We expected that an indiscriminate massacre was commencing, and I, with some others who were sick, was carried into tlie tall weeds and woods, while all who could hid themselves. Many crossed the river, leaving everything behind. As night approached we returned to our shelter, but, O God ! what a night to remember ! " The next morning at nine o'clock saw me, my v/ife, my four children, my sister-in-law, Fanny, my blind mother-in-lav/, all shaking with the ague in one house ; only George Wardle able to do anything for us, when a band of about thirty men armed with guns and bayonets fixed, pistols in belt, the captain with a sword in his hand, and the stripes and stars flying about, marched opposite my sheltering roof; the captain called a halt and demanded the owner of the two wagons to be brought out. I was raised from my bed, led out of doors supported by my sister-in-law and the rail fence. I was then asked if those goods were mine. I replied ' They are.' The captain then stepped out to within four feet of me, pointing his sword at my throat, while four others presented their guns with their bayonets within two feet of my breast, when the captain told me, ' If you are not off from here in twenty minutes, my orders are ta shoot you.' I replied, ' Shoot away, for you will only send me to heaven a few hours quicker, for you see I am not for this world many hours lon- ger.' The captain then told me, ' If you will renounce Mormonism, you may stay here and we will protect you.' I replied, ' This is not my house; yonder is my house (pointing to it), which I built and paid for with tlie gold that I earned in England. I never committed the least crime in Illi- nois, but I am a Mormon, and, if I live, I shall follow the Twelve.' ' Then,' said the captain, ' I am sorry to see you and your sick family, but if you are not gone when I return in half an hour, my orders are to kill you and every Moi-mon in the place.' But oh, the awful cursing and swearing which those men did pour out ! I tremble when I think of it. George and Edwin drove my wagons down to the ferry, and were searched five times for fire-arms ; they took a jiistol, and though they promised to re- turn it when I got across the river, I have not seen it to this day. While on the banks of the river I crawled to the margin to bid a sister, who was going clown to St. Louis, ' Good-bye,' and while there a mobber shouted out, 'Look, look, there's a skeleton bidding Death good-bye.' So you can imagine the poor, sickly condition we were in. " On Wednesday, 23rd, while in my wagons on the Slough opposite Nauvoo, a most tremendous thunder shower 2:>assed over, which drenched everything we had ; not a dry thread left to us — the bed a pool of water ; my wife and sister-in-law lading it out by basinfuls, and I in a burning fever and insensible, with all my hair shorn ofi* to cure me of my disease. Many had not a wagon or tent to shelter them from the pitiless blast. CRUEL SUFFERINGS OF THE SAINTS. 229 One case I will mention. A poor woman stood among the bushes wrap- ping her cloak around her three little orphan children to shield and pro- tect them from the storm as well as she could through that terrible night, which was one continued roar of thunder and blaze of lightning, while the rain descended in torrents. The mobbers seized every person in Nau- voo that they could find, leading them to the river and throwing them in. One case I will mention. They seized Charles Lambert, led him into the river, and in the midst of cursing and swearing, one man said, ' By the Holy Saints I baptize you, by order of the Commander of the Temple,' [plunged him hachward] and then said, ' The commandments must be ful- filled, and, God damn you ! you must have another dip ' [then threw him on hisfac-e]. They then sent him on the flat-boat across the river, with the promise that if he returned to Nauvoo they would shoot him. Such were the scenes occurring at the driving of the Saints from Nauvoo." Colonel Thomas L. Kane/'^ brother of Dr. Kane, the Arctic explorer, found himself on the Western frontier at the time of the Mormon exodus, and becoming intimately acquainted with the exiles in tlieir travels, and interested in their welfare, on his return to the East he delivered a very grapliic lecture upon "The situation of the Mormons," before the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. It is to be regretted that space cannot be spared here to give this gentleman's narrative entire ; but, as it * The important role which this gentleman has played in Mormon history, and the prominence given to his diplomacy in this work, justify here a personal note. His father, the Hon. John K. Kane, of Pliiladelphia, was an intimate IVicnd of Presi- dent Jackson, and " Thomas L.," though then a boy, was a privileged visitor at the White House, and probably then contracted his first ideas of diplomacy. Before he was twenty years of age he was an attache of legation at the court of Louis Philippe. He returned to Europe in 1846, and, as related in the succeeding chap- ter, he became acquainted with a Mormon missionary and agent of Brigham Young, and being compassionately moved in behalf of the Mormon exiles, he sought to aid them, and obtained from President Polk a commission to investigate the conduct of some Indian Agents in the West, and it was with this authority in his pocket that he overtook the Mormon pilgrims and rendered them his first valuable ser- vices. On his return to Philadelphia, he was appointed United States Commis- sioner and Clerk of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Penn- sylvania. He made a brilliant record during the war, first as colonel of the Buck- tail Rifles, and subsequently as a brigade-commander. When General Lee invaded Pennsylvania, the War Department discovered that the cypher for communication with General Meade was lost or abstracted. To General Kane was entrusted the dangerous mission of passing through the enemy's lines with a new cypher. He was captured, but not recognized, and successfully accomplished his task. Had he been detected, he would have been shot as a spy. In March, 1863, he was brevetted major-general for "gallant and meritorious service" at Chancellorsville and Gettys- burg. It is painful to add that he is now a great sufferer from numerous wounds received in battle. 230 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. is the only account that has been written of that episode of Mormon history, free extracts will be made. Of his visit to the abandoned city and to the remnant of the Mormons in Lee county, Iowa, he says : "A few years ago, ascending the Upper Mississijipi in the autumn ■when its waters were low, I was compelled to travel by land past the re- gion of the Rapids. My road lay through the Half-Breed Tract, a fine section of Iowa which the unsettled state of its land-titles had appropri- ated as a sanctuary for coiners, horse thieves, and other outlaws. I had left my steamer at Keokuk, at the foot of the Lower Fall, to hire a car- riage, and to contend for some fragments of a dirty meal with the swarm- ing flies, the only scavengers of the locality. From this place to where the deep water of the river returns, my eye wearied to see everywhere sordid, vagabond, and idle settlers ; and a country marred, without being improved, by their careless hands. " I was descending the last hill-side upon my journey, when a land- scape in delightful contrast broke upon my view. Half encircled by a bend of the river, a beautiful city lay glittering in the fresh morning sun ; its bright new dwellings, set in cool green gardens, ranging up around a stately dome-shaped hill, v/hich was crowned by a noble marble edifice, whose high tajseriug sjjire was radiant with white and gold. The city appeared to cover several miles ; and beyond it, in the background, there rolled off a fair country, chequered by the careful lines of fruitful hus- bandry. The unmistakable marks of industry, enterprise, and educated wealth everywhere, made the scene one of singular and most striking beauty. " It was a natural impulse to visit this inviting region. I procured a skiff, and rowing across the river, landed at the chief wharf of the city. No one met me there. I looked, and saw no one. I could hear no one move ; though the quiet everywhere was such that I heard the flies buzz, and the water-ripples break against the shallow of the beach. I walked through the solitary streets. The town lay as in a dream, under some deadening spell of loneliness, from which I almost feared to wake it ; for plainly it had not slept long. There was no grass growing up in the paved ways ; rains had not entirely washed away the prints of dusty footsteps. " Yet I went about unchecked. I went into empty workshops, rope- walks, and smithies. The spinner's wheel was idle ; the carpenter had gone from his work-bench and shavings, his unfinished sash and casing. Fresh bark was in the tanner's vat, and the fresh-chopped lightwood stood piled against the baker's oven. The blacksmith's shop was cold ; but his coal heap, and ladling pool, and crooked water-horn, were all there as if he had just gone off for a holiday. No work-people anywhere looked to know my errand. If I went into the gardens, clinking the wicket-latch xoudly after me, to pull the marygolds, heart's-ease, and lady-slippers, and draw a drink with the water-sodden well-bucket and its noisy chain ; or, THE DESERTED CITY. 231 knocking off with my stick the tall heavy-headed dahlias and sun-flowers, hunted over the beds for cucumbers and love-apples — no one called out to me from any opened window, or dog sprang forward to bark an alarm. I could have supposed the people hidden in the houses, but the doors were unfastened ; and when at last I timidly entered them, I found dead ashes white upon the hearths, and had to tread a-tiptoe, as if walking down the aisle of a country church, to avoid rousing irreverent echoes from the naked floors. " On the outskirts of the town was the city graveyard ; but there was no record of plague there, nor did it in anywise difler much from other Protestant American cemeteries. Some of the mounds were not long sod- ded ; some of the stones were newly set, their dates recent, and their black inscriptions glossy in the mason's hardly dried lettering ink. Beyond the graveyard, out in the fields, I saw in one spot, hard by where the fruited boughs of a young orchard had been roughly torn down, the still smoul- dering remains of a barbecue fire, that had been constructed of rails from the fencing round it. It was the latest sign of life there. Fields upon fields of heavy-headed yellow grain lay rotting ungathered upon the ground. No one was at hand to take in their rich harvest. As far as the eye could reach, they stretched away — they sleeping too in the hazy air of autumn. " Only two portions of the city seemed to suggest the import of this mysterious solitude. On the southern suburb, the houses looking out upon the country showed, by their splintered wood-work, and walls bat- tered to the foundation, that they had lately been the mark of a destruc- tive cannonade. And in and around the splendid Temple, wliich had been the chief object of my admiration, armed men were barracked, sur- rounded by their stacks of musketry and pieces of heavy ordnance. These challenged me to render an account of myself, and why I had had the temerity to cross the -vVater without a written permit from a leader of their band. " Though these men were generally more or less under the influence of ardent spirits, after I had explained myself as a passing stranger, they seemed anxious to gain ray good opinion. They told the story of the Dead City: that it had been a notable manufacturing and commercial mart, sheltering over 20,000 persons ; that they had waged war with its inhabitants for several years, and had been finally successful only a few days before my visit, in an action fought in front of the ruined suburb ; after which they had driven them forth at the point of the svrord. Tlie defence, they said, had been obstinate, but gave way on the third day's bombardment. They boasted greatly of their prowess, especially in this battle, as they called it ; but I discovered they were not of one mind as to certain of the exploits that had distinguished it ; one of which, as I re- member, was, that they had slain a father and his son, a boy of fifteen, not long residents of the fated city, whom they admitted to have borne a character without reproach. 232 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " They also conducted me inside tlie massive sculptured walls of the curious Temple, in which they said the banished inhabitants were accus- tomed to celebrate the mystic rites of an unhallowed worshij). They par- ticularly pointed out to me certain features of the building, which, having been the peculiar objects of a former superstitious regard, they had, as matter of duty, sedulously defiled and defaced. The reputed sites of cer- tain shrines they had thus particularly noticed ; and various sheltered chambers, in one of which was a deep well, constructed, they believed, with a dreadful design. Besides these, they- led me to see a large and deep chiselled marble vase or basin, supported upon twelve oxen, also of mar- ble, and of the size of life, of which they told some romantic stories. They said the deluded persons, most of whom were emigrants from a great distance, believed their Deity countenanced their reception here of a bap- tism of regeneration, as proxies for whomsoever they held in warm affec- tion in the countries from which they had come. That here parents ' went into the water ' for their lost children, children for their parents, widows for their spouses, and young persons for their lovers ; that thus the Great Vase came to be for them associated with all dear and distant memories, and was therefore tlie object, of all otlicrs in the building, to which they attached the greatest degree of idolatrous aflection. On this account, the victors had so diligently desecrated it, as to render the apartment in which it was contained too noisome to abide in. " They permitted me also to ascend into the steeple to see where it had been lightning-struck on the Sabbath before ; and to look out east and south, on wasted farms like those I had seen near the city, extending till they were lost in the distance. Here, in the face of the pure day, close to the scar of the Divine wrath left by the thunderbolt, were fragments of food, cruises of liquor, and broken drinking vessels, witli a brass drum and a steamboat signal-bell, of which I afterwards learned the use with pain. " It was after nightfall when I was ready to cross tlie river on my re- turn. The wind had freshened since the sunset, and the water beating roughly into my little boat, I hedged higher up the stream than the point I had left in the morning, and landed where a faint glimmering light in- vited me to steer. " Here, among the dock and rushes, sheltered only by the darkness, without roof between them and sky, I came upon a crowd of several hun- dred human creatures, whom my movements roused from uneasy slumber upon the ground. '• Passing these on my way to the light, I found it came from a tallow candle in a paper funnel shade, such as is used by street venders of apples and peanuts, and which, flaming and guttering away in the bleak air off the water, shone flickeringly on the emaciated features of a man in the last stage of a bilious remittent fever. They had done their best for him. Over his head was something like a tent, made of a sheet or two, and he rested on a but partially ripped open old straw mattress, with a hair sofa- THE EXILES IN DISTRESS. 233 cushion under his head for a pillow. His gaping jaw and glazing eye told how short a time he would monopolize these luxuries ; though a seem- ingly bewildered and excited person, who might -have been his wife, seemed to find hope in occasionally forcing him to swallow av/kwardly sips of the tepid river-water, from a burned and battered, bitter-smelling, tin coffee-pot. Those who knew better had furnished the apothecary he needed ; a toothless old bald-head, whose manner had the repulsive dull- ness of a man famUiar with death-scenes. He, so long as I remained, mumbled in his patient's ear a monotonous and melancholy prayer, be- tween the pauses of which I heard the hiccup and sobbing of two little girls, who were sitting up on a jiiece of drift-wood outside. " Dreadful, indeed, was the suffering of these forsaken beings ; bowed and cramped by cold and sunburn, alternating as each weary day and night dragged on, they were, almost all of them, the crippled victims of disease. They were there because they had no homes, nor hospital, nor poor-house, nor friends to offer them any. They could not satisfy the feeble cravings of their sick; they had not bread to quiet the fractious hunger-cries of their children. Mothers and babes, daughters and grand- parents, all of them alike, were bivouacked in tatters, wanting even cov- ering to comfort those whom the sick shiver of fever was searching to the marrow. "These were Mormons in Lee county, Iowa, in the fourth week of tlie month of September, in the year of our Lord 1846. The city — it was Nauvoo, Illinois. The Mormons were the owners of that city, and the smiling country around. And those who had stojijied their plows, who had silenced their hammers, their axes, their shuttles, and their workshojj wheels ; those who had put out their fires, who had eaten their food, spoiled their orchards, and trampled under foot their thousands of acres of unharvested bread — these were the keepers of their dwellings, the carousers in their Temple, whose drunken riot insulted the ears of the dying. " I think it was as I turned from the wretched night-watch of which I have spoken, that I first listened to the sounds of revel of a party of the guard within the city. Above the distant hum of the voices of many, occasionally rose distinct the loud oath-tainted exclamation, and the false- ly intonated scrap of vulgar song : but lest this requiem should go un- heeded, every now and then, when their boisterous orgies strove to attain a sort of ecstatic climax, a cruel spirit of insulting frolic carried some of them up into the high belfry of the Temple steeple, and there, with the wicked childishness of inebriates, they whooped, and shrieked, and beat the drum that I had seen, and rang in charivaric unison their loud-tongued steamboat bell. " They were, all told, not more than six hundred and forty persons who were thus lying on the river flats. But the Mormons in Nauvoo and its dependencies had been numbered the year before at over twenty thou- sand. Where were they ? They had last been seen, carrying in mournful 234 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. train their sick and v/onnded, halt and blind, to disappear behind the western liorizon, pursuing the phantom of another home. Hardly any- thing else was known of them ; and people asked with curiosity, 'What had been til eir fate — what their fortunes ? ' ... "They began their march in mid-winter ; and by the beginning of Feb- ruary nearly all of them were on the road, many of the wagons having crossed the Mississippi on the ice. " Under the most favouring circumstances, an expedition of this sort, undertaken at such a season of the year, could scarcely fail to be disas- trous. But the pioneer comjiany had set out in haste, and were very im- perfectly supplied with necessaries. The cold was intense. They moved in the teeth of keen-edged northwest winds, such as sweep down the Iowa peninsula from the ice-bound regions of the timber-shaded Slave Lake and Lake of the Woods ; on the Bald Prairie there, nothing above the dead grass breaks their free course over the hard rolled hills. Even along the scattered water-courses, where they broke the thick ice to give their cattle drink, the annual autumn fires had left little wood of value. The party, therefore, often wanted for good camp-fires, the first luxury of all travellers ; but to men insufficiently furnished with tents and other appli- ances of shelter, almost an essential to life. After days of fatigue, their nights were often passed in restless efforts to save themselves from freezing. Their stock of food, also, proved inadequate ; and as their systems be- came impoverished, their suffering from cold increased. " Sickened with catarrhal aft'ections, manacled by the fetters of dread- fully acute rheumatism, some contrived for a while to get over the short- ening day's march, and drag along some others. But the sign of an im- paired circulation soon began to show itself in the liability of all to be dreadfully frost-bitten. The hardiest and strongest became helplessly crippled. About the same time, the strength of their beasts of draught began to fail. The small supply of provender they could carry with them had given out. The winter-bleached prairie straw proved devoid of nour- ishment ; and they could only keep them from starving by seeking for the browse, as it is called, a green bark and tender buds, and branches of the cotton-wood, and other stinted growths of the hollows. " The spring came at last. It overtook them in the Sac and Fox coun- try, still on the naked prairie, not yet half way over the trail they were following between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. But it brought its owni share of troubles with it. The months with which it opened jiroved nearly as trying as the worst of winter. " The snow and sleet and rain which fell, as it ajipeared to them, with- out intermission, made the road over the rich prairie soil as impassable as one vast bog of heavy black mud. Sometimes they would fasten the horses and oxen of four or five wagons to one, and attempt to get a-head in this way, taking turns ; but at the close of a day of hard toil for themselves and their cattle, they would find themselves a quarter or half a mile from the place they left in the morning. The heavy rains raised TEE GRAVES BY THE WAYSIDE. 235 all the water-courses : the most trifling streams were impassable. Wood fit for bridging was often not to be had, and in such cases the only re- source was to halt for the freshets to subside — a matter in the case of the headwaters of the Chariton, for instance, of over three weeks' delay. " The frequent burials made the hardiest sicken. On the soldier's march it is matter of discipline, that after the rattle of musketry over his comrade's grave, he shall tramp it to the music of some careless tune in a lively quick-step. But, in the Mormon camp, the companion who lay ill and gave up the ghost within view of all, all saw as he stretched a corpse, and all attended to his last resting-place. It was a sorrow, too, of itself to simple-hearted people, the deficient pomps of their imperfect style of funeral. The general hopefulness of human — including Mormon — nature, was well illustrated by the fact, that the most provident were found un- furnished with undertaker's articles ; so that bereaved atfection was driven to the most melancholy makeshifts. " The best expedient generally was to cut down a log of some eight or nine feet long, and slitting it longitudinally, strij) off its dark bark in two half cylinders. These, placed around the body of the deceased and bound firmly together with withes made of the alburnum, formed a rough sort of tubular cofiin which surviving relations and friends, with a little show of black crape, could follow with its enclosure to the hole, or bit of ditch, dug to receive it in the wet ground of the prairie. They grieved to lower it down so poorly clad, and in such an unheeded grave. It was hard — was it right, thus hurriedly to plunge it in one of the undistinguish- able waves of the great land-sea, and leave it behind them there, under the cold north rain, abandoned to be forgotten ? They had no tomb- stones; nor could they find rocks to pile the monumental cairn. So, when they had filled up the grave, and over it prayed a miserere prayer, and tried to sing a hopeful psalm, their last oflEice was to seek out land- marks, or call in the surveyor to help them to determine the bearings of valley bends, head-lands, or fork and angles of constant streams, by which its position should in the future be remembered and recognized. The name of the beloved person, his age, the date of his death, and these marks were all registered with care. This party was then ready to move on. Such graves mark all the line of the first year of the Mormon travel —dispiriting milestones to failing stragglers in the rear." Under the difficulties of such travel and the labours per- formed in making settlements on the way, the pioneers and first companies did not advance further than the Missouri river in 1846. OIIAPTEE XXXI. ON THE MISSOURI.— Enlistment of the Mormon Battalion— False Ideas about the Matter — Historical Facts — Elder Little at Washington — He is introduced to President Polk — Important Official Documents — Colonel Kane's Story — The Mor- mon Ball — Brigham receives the Volunteers' " Advance Pay " — Mormon Testi- mony in favour of Government— Brigham Young's Extraordinary Statements — The Government vindicated. When the pioneers left Kauvoo tlieir destination was nn- determined. Very little was tlien known of tlie geography of North America west of the Missouri River. Joseph had a whispering revelation about the location of the Church in the Rocky Mountains, and Brigham was said to have had a vision about the Salt Lake Yalley, but with both revelation and vis- ion there was no certainty as to the exact localit}^ To give expression to a slender hope, elder Taylor furnished the poor, homeless wanderers with a song : " The UpiKT California, oh, that's the land for me ! " which cheered many a fainting heart ; and for that much good the error of the " Infallible Priesthood " should be overlooked, even though " Towers and Temples" have not arisen " Along the great Pacific sea," as predicted. The first company of the exiles arrived at the Missouri in the beginning of July, 1840, and a resting-place was there re- solved upon, as the main body of the Saints could not reach that point till late in September. It is claimed that the pio- neers would have continued westward that year but for a " demand " of the Government that the Mormons should fur- nish a battalion of five hundred men for the Mexican war. As seen in the preceding chapters, the Mormons had up to BRIGHAM ACCUSES THE GOVERNMENT. 2 3 7 tlais time only charged their neighbours in Missouri and in Il- linois with persecution ; the Federal Government was only held guilty by implication for not affording the Saints redress and protecting them in the peaceable possession of their homes. On the banks of the Missouri begins the national crime of " persecuting the Saints of the Most High God," a crime which has ten thousand times inspired the predictions in the Taber- nacle and the assemblies of the Saints that " the Republic " would be dashed to pieces like a potter's vessel, and be blot- " ted out of existence." Of all the preaching in the Tabernacle against the nation, nothing has ever made such an impression upon the people as Brigham Young's story of the Mormon battalion, in which he charges the Government with " the design of destroying the " kingdom of God." He asserts, unequivocally and unhesitatingly, that the Gov- ernment demanded those five hundred men while the exiles were in an Indian country, hoping that, rather than expose their wives and children without protection in the midst of savages, they would rebel, and thus furnish the Governmeut with a pretext for sending an army against the Saints to break them up, scatter them, and " wipe them out of existence." This is a grave charge, and one which should not be enter- tained without a rigid examination of the facts of history. One of the last official acts of Brigham Young before leav- ing Nauvoo was the appointment of elder Jesse C. Little, of ]^ew Hampshire, to preside over the Saints left in the Eastern States. This letter was dated—" Temple of God, l^auvoo, " January 20, 18-16," and contained the following instructions : " If our Government shall oflFer any facilities for emigrating to the Western coast, embrace those facilities, if possible, as a wise and faithful man." On the same day the high council at l^auvoo issued a cir- cular, " to the members of the Church throughout the world," announcing the forth-coming early departure of the pioneers for the Rocky Mountains, where they were to " make a resting- " place, until we can determine a place for a permanent loca- " tion." "With nothing certain but a long journey westward, and that in the midst of poverty, the Mormons were ready to 15 238 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. undertake any laboui' that was harmonious with their own pro- gramme of travel. In this circular was the following statement : " In the event of the President's recommendation, to build block- houses and stockade forts on the road to Oregon, becoming a law, we have encouragement of having that work to do ; and under our peculiar circumstances we can do it with less expense to the Government than any- other people." With his own letter of appointment, containing the instruc- tions to accept " any facilities which the Government might " offer," to aid the Mormons in their migration westward, and tliis public announcement in the circular, elder Little proceed- ed to the seat of Government, On his way thither he called a conference of the Saints at Philadelphia on the 13th of Ma}', and then for the first time Colonel Thomas L. Kane became acquainted with this Mormon elder and representative of Brig- ham Young. Touched by the distress of the Mormons, which was then a matter of notoriety throughout tlie country, the colonel evidently resolved to be their good Samaritan. The high social standing of the family of Judge Kane, of Phila- delphia, was a guarantee of pure philanthropy only in the good that the colonel sought to attain for the Mormons. This gen- tleman introduced elder Little to the Hon. George M. Dallas, the Yice-President, and to other distinguished gentlemen at Washington, and finally the Elder was presented to President James K. Polk. The President and some members of his cab- inet, senators, and representatives, immediately took a lively interest in the situation of the Mormons, then wandering be- yond the confines of civilization, and they were ready to favour any measure that would contribute assistance to them in their distress. Elder Samuel Brannan, the predecessor of elder Little in the ecclesiastical charge of the Eastern Saints, had sailed in the ship Brooklyn from New York, in January, with six hun- dred Mormons for San Francisco. Elder Little, during his visit to Washington, contemplated sending another vessel with Saints to the same destination, provided that he " could obtain " Government freight to ship on the vessel with the people to " assist in defraying the expenses." In his address to President Polk he uses the followino; lanffuace : GOVERNMENT AID SOLICITED. 239 " From twelve to fifteen thousand Mormons have already left Nauvoo for California, and many others are making ready to go ; some have gone around Cape Horn, and, I trust, before this time have landed at the bay of San Francisco. We have about forty thousand in the British Isles, all determined to gather to this land, and thousands will sail this fall. There iire also many thousands scattered through the States, besides the great number in and around Nauvoo who will go to California as soon as possi- ble, but many of them are destitute of money to pay their passage either by sea or land. " We are true-hearted Americans, true to our native country, true to its laws, true to its glorious institutions ; and we have a desire to go un- der the outstretched wings of the American eagle ; we would disdain to receive assistance from a foreign power, although it should be proffered, unless our Government shall turn us off in this great crisis and compel us to ie foreigners. " If you will assist us in this crisis, I hereby pledge my honour, as the rep' resentative of this people, that the iclwle body will stand ready at your call, and act as one man in the land to which loe are going ; and should our Ter- ritory be invaded we will hold ourselves ready to enter the field of battle, and then, like our patriotic fathers, make the battle-field our grave or gain our liberty," In tlie first week in June the cabinet considered the situa- tion of the Mormons. Elder Little had an interview of some hours with the President, during which his Excellency stated that " he had no prejudice against the Saints ; " " He believed " them to be good citizens ; " " was willing to do them all the "good in his power consistently;" and " they should be pro- " tected ; " " he had confidence in the Mormons as true * " American citizens, or he would not make such propositions " as those he designed." The news of the first battles with Mexico had just been re- ported at Washington, and the Government had resolved on taking forcible possession of California — then a part of Mexico ; and from the conversation with elder Little, as subsequently reported, it is very evident that President Polk and his cabinet considered the movement opportune for using the Mormons al- * It was then generally believed that the Mormons were moving westward to throw off their allegiance to the United States Government, and but for the success of the American arms in Mexico, and the subsequent cession of Territory to the United States, the Mormons would have set up an independent Government in the Rocky Mountains, or have been forced to recognize Mexican authority. With the latter Brigham would doubtless have made very short work. 240 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. ready en route for " Upper California," and also facilitating the transportation of those in the Eastern States by sending them round the Cape to the Pacitic coast, if they would serve the country as soldiers. 'On the 3rd of June the Hon, W. L, Marcy, Secretary of War, wrote to General S. W, Kearney, then in command at Fort Leavenworth, directing the General's attention to the mi- gration of the Mormons, and saying that the Government de- sired the General to use all proper means to effect a good, understanding with the leaders, to the end that the United States might obtain their " cooperation " in taking possession of and holding that country, and that the General was thereby authorized to muster into service such among them as could be ''''Induced to 'volunteer^'' but tlie number was not to exceed one-third of the force * which the General had been instructed to lead overland to California. The Mormon troops were also, as much as possible, to be allowed to elect their own officers. The visit of elder Little to Washington, his petition for aid, the expressed sympathy of the President for the exiles, the favourable interviews of elder Little with the cabinet and influ- ential gentlemen, the President's intimation of his confidence in the Mormons as " true American citizens," and his inten- tion of making them a good proposition, with the prompt order of the Secretary of War to General Kearney to enlist volun- teers among them, but not to exceed one-third of that officer's command — all these are so harmonious, and so like the honour- able relations of a Government that sympathizes with a hand- ful of its suffering citizens, and seeks to aid them as far as it consistently can, that the idea of duplicity or bad faith is ut- terly banished, and the contemplation of a design of either forcing the Mormons into rebellion, or exposing women and children to destruction by savages, is rendered perfectly ab- surd. * The Mexican war created great popular enthusiasm everywhere throughout the Union, and the offers of volunteer regiments in many of the States far exceeded the wants of the Government. Gen. Kearney's instructions to Capt. Allen, not to accept more than one-third of the GeneraVs entire force, show conclusively that the instructions of the Federal Government to employ the Mormon volunteers was an act of sympathetic kindness. The Government did not require them at all, but ex- tended as far as consistent its aid. INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE. 041 Seeking to set at rest this disputed subject, the Author ad- dressed the President of the United States, and Major-General Philip St. George Cooke, who led the battalion to California, asking for information, and the following correspondence en- sued : " Abtop. HoirsE, New Toek, October 17, ISTl. '■'■President TT. 8. Grant: " Your Excellency will, I trust, excuse the liberty that I take in solicit- ing through you information from the War Department, as your order only can procure it. " In 1846, when the Mormon community were upon the western fron- tiers, on their way towards the Pacific, 500 of their number were enrolled by a United States officer, Capt. Allen, at Council Blufls, Iowa, into the service of the Government, then at war with Mexico. That battalion, on the death of Capt. Allen, shortly after they took up their march to the Pacific, was placed under the commandofLieut.-Colonel Philip St. George Cooke, and by him led to southern California. Their service was highly commended by their commander, and they were honourably discharged on the Pacific coast, as per terms of enlistment. " For over twenty years Brigham Young has used his version of this Mormon Battalion very effectively in attacking the Government, by repre- senting that it was a cruel demand., made with the view of cripi^ling the expedition and leaving it exposed to the attacks of the Indians. To this, he adds that the demand was made in the hope that the Mormons would refuse, and, in so refusing, furnish the Government a pretext for prevent- ing their further exodus, under the charge that they were going to join an enemy's country. " Ridiculous as this may appear to your Excellency, I know of nothing in all Mormon history that has been so potential in shaping the senti- ments of the Mormon people against the Government. " I have carefully considered and traced, wherever I could, the circum- stances attending this Battalion afiair, and all the evidence conveys to me the very contrary of what Brigham Young asserts. It was evidently in sympathy for their unfortunate condition that the Government accepted that Battalion, and paid them for going to the place they had at tliat time upon their minds to go to. " If your Excellency will order copies of all that pertains to the Mor- mon Battalion to be placed at my disposal, I am satisfied that the publi- cation of the facts, in the history of Utah and the Mormons which I will shortly have in press, will do much to destroy the pernicious influence of the mis-statements that have been made on the subject. It is due to the national Government that the facts sliould be properly understood. " Soliciting your Excellency's favourable action, " I am, your obedient servant, " T. B. H. STEiraousE." 242 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. ""Wak Depaktment, Wabhington Cmr, December 15, 18T1. " T. B. H. Stenliouse, Esq., Astor Mouse, New TorTc : " Sir : In compliance with your request of Oct. 17, '71, addressed to the President, for copies of documents in this Department relating to the Mormon Battalion, raised for the service of the U. S. during the Mexican war, I have the honour to send you, herewith, a copy of instructions from Head Quarters AiTuy of the West, dated June 19, 1846, for the raising of the Battalion, which comprises all the information in this Department on the subject, except subsequent occasional mention of the whereabouts of the Battalion, which would be of no service to you. " Very respectfully, your obedient servant. Wm. W. Belknap, Secretary of War." "Head Qitaktees Akmt op the West, Foet Leavenworth, June 19, 184G. " Sir : It is understood that there is a large body of Mormons who are desirous of emigrating to California for the purpose of settling in that coun- try, and I have therefore to direct that you will jDroceed to their camps and endeavour to raise from amon-gst them four or five companies of volunteers to join me in my expedition to that country — each company to consist of any number between 73 aud 109 — the ofScers of the companies will be a captain, first lieutenant and second lieutenant, who will be elected by the privates and subject to your approval, and the captain then to appoint the non-commissioned officers, also subject to your approval. The com- panies upon being thus organized, will be mustered by you into the ser- vice of the United States, and from that day will commence to receive the pay, rations, and other allowances given to the other infantry volunteers, each according to his rank. You will, upon mustering into service the Fourth company, be considered as having the rank, pay, emoluments of a lieutenant-colonel of infantry, and are authorized to appoint an adjutant, sergeant-major, and quarter-master sergeant for the Battalion. " The companies, after being organized, will be marched to this post, where they will be armed and prepared for the field, after which they will, under your command, follow on my trail in the direction of Santa F^, and where you will receive further orders from me. " You will, upon organizing the companies, require provisions, wagons, horses, mules, etc. You must purchase everything that is necessary, and give the necessary drafts upon the quarter-master and commissary depart- ments at this post, which drafts will be paid upon presentation. " You will have the Mormons distinctly to understand, that I wish to take them AS VOLUNTEEES for ticeUe months, that they will le marched to California, receiving pay and allowances during the above time, and at its expiration they will be discharged and allowed to retain as their private praperty the guns and accoutrements to be furnished to them at this post. Each company will be allowed four women as laundresses, who will travel with the company, receiving rations and the other allowances given to the laundresses of our army. THE GOVERNMENT VINDICATED. 243 " "With the foregoing conditions, which are hereby 2}ledged to the Mor- mons, and which zciU ie faithfully Jcept ly me and other officers in hehalf of the Government of the United States, I cannot doubt but that you will in a few days be able to raise five hundred young and efficient men for this expedition. " Very respectfully your obedient servant, " (Signed) S. W. Keaent, Colonel First Dragoons. "Capt. James Allen, Fii-st Regiment Dragoons, Fort Leavenworth." " I certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the original on file at this ofiice. John Potts, Chief Clerk. " Wab Depabtment, Washington, December 15, 1871." • " Head Qttaktees Department of the Lajjes, ) " Detroit, Michigan, August 17, 1S71. ) " T. B. H. StenJiouse, Esq., Astor House, New Torh : "Sik: I have received your communication of the 11th inst., which in- Vtes any statement I may be able to make — as commander of the ' Mor- mon Battalion ' in the war with Mexico — of the circumstances of their enlistment and service. " You say, ' If Brigham Young is right in the statement of intended ' " persecution " on the part of the Government, I have no wish to make it ' otherwise appear, nor shall I try it ; but if he is wrong, which I believe ' he is, in this work, I deem it my duty to not only defend that action of 'the Government, but to show its kindness and sympathy. '"If the Battalion understood that the Government (Zemffl/ifZe^ their 'enlistment with the view of leaving their families unprotected and ex- ' posed to the Indians, as Brigham Young has so frequently stated it since, 'it seems that the commanding oflicer who led them in their march through ' that severe campaign would have heard of it in their trying hour.' " I was not at Fort Leavenworth when General S. W. Kearney sent Captain Allen, First Dragoons, to meet the migration of the Mormons from Nauvoo toward the Pacific coast, and raise a volunteer battalion, and I resigned their command prior to their discharge. I know only from frequent intercourse, subsequently, with General Kearney, and my intimate and quite friendly relations with the Battalion, that it could scarcely have been otherwise than a friendly interest in the misfortunes of that sect in which the idea was conceived and executed, to enrol a portion of them, as volunteers,* and so assist their migration. The usual regulations, or laws, for volun- teers, regarding age, and also the number of women to be transported and fed, were much relaxed in their favour. " I do not remember the dates of their payments ; nor do I know if they retained their arms at discharge. " Respectfully, your obedient servant, " Philip St. Geouge Cooke, Brigadier-General U. S. A." * A letter from William Wood, one of the Battaliou, to his parents in England, dated Pueblo de los Angeles, Upper California, July 16, 1847, referrmg to their 244 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. These official documents should undeceive the Mormon peo- ple and enable them to see how grossly they have been de- luded by the story of the Government " persecution." On the 12th of June, Col. Kane left Washington for the "West to overtake the Mormon camp, and was accompanied by elder Little. The colonel was the bearer of dispatches from the Government to General Kearney at Fort Leavenworth, and otliers in California. They were accompanied as far as St. Louis by Judge Kane, who was deeply interested, on be- half of the Mormons, in their success. On the 26th, Captain Allen had reached the Mormon camp at Mount Pisgah, but Brigham Young and the majority of the apostles were still fur- ther west, and that officer had to advance thither before he could be listened to on the subject of volunteers. It is very unlikely that Brigliam and the migrating Mor- mons at this time had any knowledge of the proceedings at Washington between elder Little and the Government. There were no post routes in that country in those days, and on the appearance of Captain Allen among them, it is natural to sup- pose that in their ignorance of the facts, the very mention of enlisting volunteers to serve the country should have produced the excitement that it did. For anything that Brigliam might have said at the first sight of Captain Allen, he would be rich- ly entitled to a hearty forgiveness. Much patriotism could not be expected in fleeing, homeless exiles. A " demand," if such had been made, for five hundred men, was enough to provoke the wrath of any Saint ; but it is his after-utterances, with a full knowledge of the facts, that give point to the charge, that Brigham designedly calumniates the Government. Colonel Kane in his Historical Discourse tells the story of recruiting the Battalion : "At tlie commencement of the Mexican war, the President considered it desirable to march a body of reliable infantry to California at as early a period as jiracticable, and the known hardihood and habits of discipline of the Mormons were supposed peculiarly to fit them for this service. As California was supposed to be also their ultimate destination, the long departure from Nauvoo, says : " With this view we left, and were journeying with our teams, when the United States Government sent an invitation for so many men to enlist in the service for one year," etc. — Millennial Star, vol. x., p. 125. THE BATTALION BALL. 245 march might cost them less than other citizens. They were accordingly invited to furnish a lattalion of mlunteers early in the month of July. " The call could hardly have been more inconveniently timed. The young, and those who could best have been spared, were then away fi-om the main body, either with pioneer comiDanies in the van, or, their faith un- announced, seeking work and food about the north-western settlements, to support them till the return of the season for commencing emigration. The force was, therefore, to be recruited from among fathers of families, and others, whose presence it was most desirable to retain. " There were some, too, who could not view the i7imtation without jeal- ousy. They had twice been persuaded by (State) Government authorities in Illinois and Missouri to give tip their arms on some special appeals to their patriotic confidence, and had then been left to the malice of their enemies. And now they were asked, in the midst of the Indian country, to surrender over five hundred of their best men for a war march of thou- sands of miles to California, without the hope of return till after the con- quest of that country. Could they view such a proposition with favour ? " But the feeling of country triumphed. The Union had never wronged them : ' You shall have your battalion at once, if it has to be a class of our elders,' said one, himself a ruling elder. A central ' mass meeting ' for council, some harangues at the more remotely scattered camps, an American flag brought out from a storehouse of things rescued, and hoisted to the top of a tree mast, and in three days the force was re- ported, mustered, organized, and ready to march." The colonel's account of the ball given to the Battalion is deserving of its place in this histoi'v : " There was no sentimental affectation at their leave-taking. The af- ternoon before was appropriated to a farewell ball ; a more merry dancing rout I have never seen, though the company went without refreshments, and their ball-room was of the most primitive. It was the custom, when- ever the larger camps rested for a few days together, to make great ar- bours, or boweries, as they called them, of poles and brush and wattling, as places of shelter for their meetings of devotion or conference. In one of these, where the ground had been trodden firm and hard by the wor- shippers of the popular Father Taylor's precinct, were gathered now the mirth and beauty of the Mormon Israel. " If anything told the Mormons had been bred to other lives, it was the appearance of the women as they assembled here. Before their flight they had sold their watches and trinkets as the most available resource for raising ready money ; and hence, like their partners who wore waistcoats cut with useless watch-pockets, they, although their ears were pierced and bore the loop-marks of rejected pendants, were without ear-rings, finger-rings, chains, or brooches. Except such ornaments, however, they lacked nothing most becoming: the attire of decorous maidens. The neat- 24G THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. ly darned white stockings, and clean bright petticoat, the artistically clear-starphed collar and chemisette, the something faded, only because too well washed, lawn or gingham gown, that fitted modishly to the waist of its pretty wearer— these, if any of them spoke of poverty, spoke of a poverty that had known its better days. The CittaUon l^aU. " With the rest attended the elders of the Church within call, includ- ing nearly all the chiefs of the High Council, with their wives and chil- dren. They, the gravest and most trouble-wom, seemed the most anxious of any to be first to throw off the burden of heavy thoughts. Their lead- ing off the dancing in a great double cotillion was the signal which bade the festivity commence. To the canto of debonnair violins, the cheer of horns, the jingle of sleigh-bells, and the jovial snoring of the tambourine, they did dance ! None of your minuets or other mortuary processions of gentles in etiquette, tight shoes, and pinching gloves, but the spirited and scientific displays of our venerated and merry grandparents, who were not above following the fiddle to the Fox-Chase Inn or Gardens of Gray's Ferry. French fours, Copenhagen jigs, Virginia reels, and the like for- gotten figures, executed with the spirit of people too happy to be dlow, or bashful, or constrained. Light hearts, lithe figures, and light feet had it their own way from an early hour till after the sun had dipped behind the sharp sky line of the Omaha hills. Silence was then called, and a ■well-cultivated mezzo-soprano voice, belonging to a young lady with fair face and dark eyes, gave, with quartette accompaniment, a little song, the notes of which I have been unsuccessful in repeated efforts to obtain since — a version of the text, touching to all earthly wanderers : " ' By the rivers of Babylon we sat dnxATi and wept : TVe wept when we remembered Zion.' TIMELY AID FROM THE GOVERNMENT. 247 " There was danger of some expression of feeling when the song was over, for it had begun to draw tears ; but, breaking the quiet with his hard voice, an elder asked the blessing of Heaven on all who, with purity of heart and brotherhood of spirit, had mingled in that society, and then all dispersed, hastening to cover from the falling dews." ^ With the departure of the Battalion, an agent accompanied them to Leavenworth, where he is reported to have drawn $20,000 " advance pay," and with that timely aid, Brigham Young made such outfitting purchases in St. Louis as were greatly needed. It is also understood that an agent continued with the Battalion until another draft could be made for their pay, before entering upon their march across the desert. Small as such suras were, yet in the situation and poverty of the ex- iles it was certainly timely aid from the Government. There has been much personal dissatisfaction expressed about the use made of these funds, yet the most bitter of his opponents acknowledged that Brigham showed great sagacity in at once furnishing the Battalion.* With the presence of Col. Kane and elder Little among the apostles, the Washington proceedings were explained. On the Tth of August, the Saints assembled to choose twelve men from among the elders to act as a High Council in the new Stake of Zion, organized on the banks of the Missouri, and to trans- act other business pertaining to the settlement of " Winter " Quarters." After this meeting, a consultation was held with Colonel Kane, and the apostles advised together. It was then resolved that an address to President Polk should be framed, expressive of the gratitude of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints towards him for his henevolent design " of " arming and planting five hundred of our volunteers in Cali- ^\fornia, to take possession of that country, and for our good,\ " and also praying the President of the United States not to '^ appoint Governor Boggs of Missouri — the notorious enemy * There are very hard stories told about the use of this money in the hands of Brigham. Affidavits have been made of his heartless indiffijreuee to the wants of the wives and fiirailies of the absent soldiers. In Mrs. Waite's " Early History of Brigham Young," pp. 6-7, the affidavit of Alexander McCord is given, relating to this affair, and bears evidence of truthfulness. f The Mormons who remained in Nauvoo voted the Democratic ticket at the August election in 1846. Almond W. Babbitt, the agent of the Church there, as- 248 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " of the Saints — as Governor of California and Oregon." This is a quotation from the written language of one of the apostles, and bears the stamp of the genuine sentiments of the Mormon leaders at the time. The allusion to ex-Governor Boggs is thoroughly characteristic. Some months after the Battalion was in the service of tlie country, another apostle* addressed the following language to the British Saints : " Although we have been inhumanly and barbarously dealt with by the surrounding country where we dwelt, yet the President of the United States is favotorahly disposed to us. He has sent out orders to have five Ijundred of our brethren employed, in an expedition that was fitting out against California, with orders for them to be employed for one year, and then to be discharged in California, and to have their arms and imple- ments of war given to them at the expiration of the term ; and as there is no prospect of any opposition, it amounts to the same as paying them FOR GOING TO THE PLACE WHERE THEY WERE DESTINED TO GO WITHOUT. They also had the privilege of choosing their own leaders." Another apostle, very recently, haranguing the people in the Tabernacle upon the persecutions of the Saints, is reported in the Chicago Tribune to have uttered the following : " The Government sent an agent who demanded five hundred volun- teers for the Mexican war, which was two hundred times t^ie proportion raised by the country. This was done tJiat our teams, and our women, and our children, might he left defenceless in the Indian country, and so be hilled or perish. They said that if we would furnish them the men, we might go on in peace ; if not, they would cut us off on our journey." This fruitful subject — " the Government persecution " — has done incalculable mischief to the Saints. It has robbed them of the natural loyalty of good citizens, and led them to curse the Government which protects them, and to pray for the over- throw and destruction of the nation. serted that this change in their politics was an expression of their gratitude to President Polk. Governor Ford says they voted from the following considerations : " The President of the United States had permitted the Mormons to settle on the Indian lands on the Missouri river, and had taken tive hundred of them into the service as soldiers in the war witli Mexico ; and in consequence of these favours the Mormons felt under obligations to vote for democrats, in support of tlie administra- tion ; and so determined were tliey tliat their support of tlie President should be efficient, that they all voted three or four times each for member of Congress." — • "History of Illinois," p. 414. * John Taylor, ITlUeunial Star, November 15, 1846. BENTON AND TAYLOR IN THE NETHER REGIONS. 249 To say that Brigham did alone invent the story of the Gov- ernment seeking the destruction of the Saints when the Bat- talion was recruited, would be charging him unjustly. One of the elders wrote to him from the East, stating that Senator Benton, of Missouri, disliked the Mormons, and had prevailed upon President Polk to call for volunteers, believing that they would refuse, and in that case the President pledged to the Senator that the forces of the United States should be sent against them, to annihilate the whole migrating body. That a man of Brigham Young's hard sense should believe such a statement, is only credible upon the theory that people easily adopt what is harmonious with their own inclinations. He naturally hated Missouri, and he could, therefore, willingly accept any vicious story told him about that State, or any one from it. On such an unlikely report " Old Tom Benton " has been consigned to " his place," and now keeps company in the nether regions with " Old Zach Taylor," who in some un- fortunate way had given umbrage to the Prophet Brigham. It is proper to add that in a recent conversation with Mrs. Gen. John C. Fremont, who had the pleasure of assisting her honoured father, Senator Benton, as private secretary, the Author discovered nothing that suggested confirmation of Brigham's charge, but much to the contrary. That distin- guished lady claimed that Senator Benton was not the man to seek to reach the Mormons through any covert means, involv- ing another's responsibility. Besides this, there is such an air of good faith in the action of the Government throughout, that no sane man could believe in the diabolical scheme attributed to Senator Benton and said to have been approved by President Polk. The story was only ffood to tell the Saints, in order to cultivate their dislike to the Pepublic, and increase their endearment to " the kingdom." No other motive is apparent, and certainly no other result has been attained. It is greatly to be regretted that a battalion recruited from the suggestions of the kindest philanthropy, responded to so promptly, at such personal sacrifice to the volunteers and their famihes, and with such an excellent record for faithful service, should be for ever marred in the mention of its name by such bitter vindictiveness against the national Government. CHAPTER XXXII. FOUNDING OF THE FKONTIER CITIES.— Brigham's First and Last Eeve- lation— The Departure of the Pioneers— The Discovery of Salt Lake Valley — The Return to the Missouri Eiver. On tlie banks of the Missouri, tlie exiles were in Indian Territory. The renowned chief of the Pottowattamies, Pied Riche, surnamed Le Clerc, gave them a kindly welcome on the east of the river, and Big Elk was as gracious on the west. The red men were liberal, extending to them the free use of their unoccupied lands, and liberty to cut all the timber they required, with which was thrown in an expression of genuine sympathy for their misfortunes. With a vivid remembrance of their recent troubles in !Nauvoo, and their flight from the abodes of the " pale-faces " in the depth of winter, this warmth of human feeling made a deep impression upon the Mormons, and during their stay among the savages they returned to them manifold the favours that they received. On the eastern side of the river, camps were formed wher- ever the land was good and favoured farming, and settlements sprang up near the streams and groves of timber. The main settlement was called Kanesville, in honour of Colonel Kane, and was the foundation of what is now Council BluiFs City, Iowa. The main body of the emigrants crossed the river, and lo- cated six miles north of what is now Omalia, ISTebraska. There they built up " Winter Quarters," a city of some seven hun- dred log-huts and " dug-outs," in the midst of which was the " Tabernacle of the congregation," where the disciples assem- bled for worship and instruction. Mount Pisgah, Garden Grove, Kanesville, and Winter BRIGHAM'S FIRST AND LAST REVELATION. 253 Quarters, were necessary resting-places for the weary, where they might recruit their strength and replenish their stores of grain for the preservation of themselves and cattle. It was a hard life. The best among them had nothing too much, and many of them lacked the ordinary necessaries of life ; but it was suffering for the faith, and they bore their privations with heroism. On the 14th of January, 1847, Brigham Young issued, from his head quarters, " The Word and "Will of the Lord concern- " ing the Camp of Israel in their journeyings to the West." As it is the only occasion on which Brigham has given to the Saints a written revelation, it deserves a place in history. It reads thus : " Let all the people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and those who journey with them, be organized into companies, with a covenant and a promise to keep all the commandments and statutes of the Lord our God. Let the companies be organized with captains of hun- dreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, with a jDresident and counsellor at their head, under direction of the Twelve Apostles : and thi3 shall be our covenant, that we will walk in all the ordinances of the Lord. " Let each company provide itself with all the teams, wagons, provi- sions, and all other necessaries for the journey, that they can. When the companies are organized, let them go to with all their might, to prepare for those who are to tarry. Let each company, with their captains and presidents, decide how many can go next spring ; then choose out a suiS- cient number of able-bodied and expert men to take teams, seed, and farming utensils to go as pioneers to prepare for putting in the spring crops. Let each company bear an equal proportion, according to the divi- dend of their property, in taking the j^oor, the widows, and the fatherless, and the families of those who have gone with the army, that the cries of the widow and the fatherless come not up into the ears of the Lord against his people. " Let each company prepare houses, and fields for raising grain for those who are to remain behind this season ; and this is the will of the Lord concerning this people. " Let every man use all his influence and property to remove this peo- ple to the place where the Lord shall locate a stake of Zion : and if ye do this with a pure heart, with all faithfulness, ye shall be blessed in your flocks, and in your herds, and in your fields, and in your houses, and in your families. . . . " Seek ye, and keep all your pledges one with another, and covet not that which is thy brother's. Keep yourselves from evil ; take not the ame of the Lord thy God in vain ; for I am the Lord your God, even 254 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. the God of your fathers — the God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob. I am he who led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and my arm is stretched out in the last days to save my people Israel. . . . " Have I not delivered you from your enemies only in that I have left a witness of my name ? Now, therefore, hearken ! oh, ye people of my Church, and ye Elders listen together. You have received my kingdom : Be diligent in keeping all my commandments, lest judgment come upon you, and your faith fail you, and your enemies triumph over you. Amen, and Amen." With the Saints this document found peculiar favour. It was to them " the Lord " again, after a long silence, manifest- ing himself as in the days of Joseph, and it foreshadowed that his presence would go with them in their journey over the desert, and that under his direction they would reach the prom- ised land. This is the first time that this document has been given to the public, and the student of Mormon revelations will remark a striking difi'erence between the last revelation of Joseph Smith on polygamy, and the first of Brigham Young on emigration. Both are stamped with the characteristics of the men, and their peculiar situations at the moment. It is difiicult to perceive the same authorship in both, yet both are claimed as emanations from Jesus Christ. Accepting the phenomenal manifestation of " revelation " in past ages, as well as that claimed by the modern spiritual- ists, there is nothing in Brigham's revelation, nor in those of Joseph Smith, that is incomprehensible, except the boldness of the assertion that they are " revelations "' from " the Lord ; " and sincerity may even be accorded to that assumption, grant- ing that it is only a piece of folly arising from ignorance of latent powers of the human mind which develop in certain conditions or surroundings. The world has abounded with notable instances of remarkable men and women who have be- lieved themselves to be the recipients of some divine mission in politics or in religion, and who in one dej^artment or the other have performed prodigies of valour or miracles of faith, which, without the impressions claimed to be "revelations," would never have been performed. If Joseph had kept out " Thus saith the Lord," and the assumption of sanctity, from his revelation on polygamy, the reader would never have sus- pected that document to have had any other origin than Jo- REVELATIONS IMPROVE IN STYLE. 255 seph Smith in the deep distress and trouble in which he was at that time. Leaving out of Brigham's revelation the few words about " the Lord," it is just such a document as any com- mander of an expedition passing through an unexplored coun- try infested with Indians would have given to his soldiers, and where it bears marks of difference from such military or- ders, it is the difference between addressing a promiscuous multitude instead of a disciplined army. " The Lord's " style of revelation to Brigham is a great improvement upon " the Lord's " style of revelation to Joseph. It is just as much better English in Brigham's case than in that of Joseph, as Willard Richards's literary education was superior to that of William Clayton ! " The Lord's " English in the Book of Mormon, while Oliver Cowdery was Joseph's scribe, and Joseph was tenacious in clinging to his unaltered inspirations, is a remarkable specimen of English composition ; but as Joseph gathered around him better scribes, and concluded that " the Lord's " revelations could be somewhat improved, they became more readable. The annual conference of the Church was held at Winter Quarters on the 6th of April, 184T, and the people assembled from all parts of the country and prepared for moving West. On the 14th of that month a party of one hundred and forty- three picked men, with three women, two children, and seventy- three wagons, drawn by horses and oxen, left the Missouri river for the Kocky Mountains, under the leadership of Brigham Young. As soon as the pioneers got out from camp and had bidden adieu to their families, they were organized into companies, as directed in the revelation, and put in fighting trim, lest they should be forced to try hostilities with the Indians. Every one carried his gun loaded, but uncapped, in his hand, walked by the side of his wagon, and was forbidden to leave it unless or- dered to do so. Brigham was general, and his accustomed caution was an excellent supplement to his revelation. The Indians sometimes sallied out as the pioneers passed their villages, but when the brethren " received them in half " moon phalanx," the red-skins preferred presents to lead, and allowed the emigrants, after a brief " pow-wow," to pass on. 16 256 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. JSTothing of special interest occurred on the journey of the pio- neers beyond what has been common to all travel over the plains ; still, it is never to be forgotten that the Saints claim to have " made the roads, bridged the streams, and killed the " snakes." Before reaching Salt Lake City the pioneers met with the renowned " Jim " Bridger, who did anytliing but encourage them with hopes of finding a fruitful land in Salt Lake Basin, and, w^ith the usual liberality of the "West, " Jim " was pre- pared to give a thousand dollars for the first ear of corn that Erigham could raise there. Jim had lived in wigwams with squaws for half a long life- time, far away from the abodes of the " pale-faces," and up to that hour he had not heard of the wonders of the modern gos- pel, Brigham knew what faith was going to do — his kind of faith — and he prophesied liberally to Jim about what he and his squaws would yet live to see. Jim could not comprehend how that the summer-parched soil, with a rainless sky over- head, was going to sustain any body of civilized people, as those now approaching from the East, and advised the Mor- mons to travel on. He had " trapped " all over the country for a score of years, and knew every green sward that dotted the banks of the rivers, and had counted the verdure-clothed springs that were few and far between, and small even then. But the more that the future of Zion was doubtful in Jim's mind, the more Brigham abounded in grace and prophesied. Jim had never seen the heavens dropping rain — " only very " occasionally ! " Brigham had studied irrigation. Jim was looking for favours from above. Brigham was counting on the labours of below. Before the pioneers reached Salt Lake Valley they were met by elder Brannan, who had sailed from 'New York, in the Brooklyn, to San Francisco. He had made the journey over- land to report to Brigham that California was a rich country and a glorious place for the future gathering of the Saints. But Brigham did not like the report. He preferred the desert. A choice and rich land would attract the Gentiles, and the Saints would soon be overwhelmed and rooted out, as they had been in Missouri and Illinois. He wanted to locate where there MAP OF SALT LAKE VALLEY. DISCOVERY OF SALT LAKE VALLEY. 259 was nothing to tempt the Gentile emigration. He desired iso- lation, that he might build up " the kingdom." A detachment of one hundred and forty of the Battalion joined the pioneers en route on the 4th of July, and advanced westward with them to the Salt Lake Yalley. On the 22nd of July the apostle Orson Pratt and a few others I'eached the rim of the Salt Lake Basin, and the next day they rode over a portion of the valley, exploring for a camping-ground near wood and water. They returned to the camp of the pioneers, and reported that they had found the place that Joseph had spoken of where the Church could be located, and where the Saints could increase and multiply with- out molestation. On the morning of the 24th of July, 1847, when Brigham Young and the body of the pioneers first got a glimpse of the Great Basin, there was a universal exclamation — " The Land " of Promise ! The Land of Promise ! — held in reserve by " the hand of God for the resting-place of His Saints ! " Thus writes the historian. After a tedious journey over unmade roads, a distance of 1,100 miles, and passing through so many difBculties by the way, it would have been strange indeed had the weary travellers gazed upon the beautiful scenery of Salt Lake Yalley without admiration and " ecstacies of joy." From the mouth of the canon through which the pioneers entered the valley, the view is ravishing. In the distant west the Great Salt Lake lies glistening like a sheet of silver, and in every direction that the eye can travel lofty mountains bound the horizon. Brigham was sick when he reached the Yalley, but he was no less enthusiastic than the others, and was fully satisfied that they had reached the Zion of the Mountains, that had been the tlieme of ancient prediction. On the banks of a small stream southwest of the Taber- nacle block, the pioneers made tlieir first encampment, and, as soon as their horses and cattle were unhitched and cared for, the Yalley of Great Salt Lake was consecrated to the Lord. In tlie same hour the ploughs were taken from the wagons and the earth was upturned to receive the seed for the autumn crops, upon which so much depended for the support of the 260 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. coming emigration. While a portion of the pioneers were thus engaged, others were constructing a dam, by which the waters of the creek could be controlled, and irrigation would be secure for the dry and hitherto barren soil. No rain was anticipated, but " providentially " a thunder-storm burst upon them, which was accepted as an omen of the favour of " the " Lord." The thunders and lightnings of Sinai, and the smit- ing of the rock in Horeb while the chosen people travelled through the desert of Zin, were not more assuring to the wanderers of the presence of the great Hebrew lawgiver than was the thunder-storm of the 24:th of July, 184T to " modern " Israel." The following day was the first of the week, and the Sab- bath was to be hallowed as a perpetual institution in Zion. Brigham, sick and peevish, invited those present who could not keep the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship, to " leave, " and go their own way among the ungodly." Exploring expeditions were sent out in every direction to gain a knowledge of the surrounding country. One party found on the west side of Jordan about a hundred goats, sheep, and antelopes playing about the hills, and before they returned they made their first acquaintance with the Utah Indians. On the north side of where Salt Lake City now stands, a party ascended a high peak of the mountain, from which they over- looked the whole valley. Subsequently on this summit they hoisted the national flag, and named the mountain Ensign Peak. Brigham is credited, in Gentile traditions, with having ascended this mountain and conversed with some angel who made important revelations to him, and traced the laying out of the Temple block. The orthodox are silent on this subject, which is a pretty certain contradiction of the story. If true, it would have been told. On the 28th, the Temple block was selected — a plot of forty acres ; and a city, two miles square, was laid ofi" in lots of eight rods by twenty, exclusive of streets, and the blocks of eight rods each, making ten acres to the block. The streets were laid out towards the cardinal points of the compass, eight rods wide, with a sidewalk of twenty feet. The houses were di- rected to be built in the centre of the lot, twenty feet from the THE PIONEERS RETURN TO MISSOURI. 261 front line, and shade trees were ordered to be planted in all the streets. By a foolish economy of land, the Temple block was trimmed from forty to ten acres. After the apostles, the pioneers, and members of the Bat- talion had selected their inheritances in this JSTew Zion, and had put in their autumn crops, most of them returned to the Mis- souri river to prepare their families for emigrating in the com- ing spring. On their return journey the l)arty were exceed- ingly short of rations, and had to rely almost entirely upon their rifles for supplies. They endured much suffering. The Indians harassed them, and on the way stole from them fifty horses and mules. There was, however, no death among the brethren, though many of them were sick when they first start- ed from the Missouri on the exploring expedition. On the last da}^ of October they arrived at Winter Quarters, after an ab- sence of eight months, and were received with great joy. CHAPTER XXXIII. CHANGES IN THE CHrECH.— Brigham Young assumes Joseph's Authority aud Place — The Emigration from Europe re-opened — Migration of the Saints to the New Zion — Brigham invites Presidents, Emperors, Kings, Princes, Nobles, etc., to come to the Help of " the Lord " — The Pioneers en route. The grand importance and success of tlie mission of the pioneers to the Rocky Mountains was the beginning of a new era in Mormonism. Up to this time Israel had been " in bondage among the " Gentiles." The laws that govern the citizens of the United States had restrained the Saints from living up to the higher laws of " the kingdom." But from this time they were to have a national existence, and in nearly every public document and in every sermon in the Tabernacle they were henceforth to be spoken of as " this people." From the death of Joseph and the dis-fellowshipping of Rig- don, the Quorum of tlie Twelve Apostles had had the honour of leading the Saints, and Brigham was its senior member and President. In his opinion, however, the time had now arrived for a change. At Winter Quarters there was a log-cabin, about fifty feet long, situated near the centre of the settlement. The roof and slanting sides and ends of the structure were covered with turf about two feet thick. It had several small windows in the roof and a door near one end. Into it none could look ; from it nothing could be heard. This was " the Council-House." It was here that " the Lord " spoke unto his servants. It is a general idea with the unsophisticated that when "the Lord " reveals his will concerning the Church, the peo- ple listen, comprehend, and obey. It had been understood in BRIGHAM SEEKS THE UPPER SEAT. 263 this iTianner with Joseph Smith ; but Brigham Young was as yet unused to the style of the heavenly world, and was ex- tremely cautious, preparing to grope his way to the goal of his desires rather than risk the hasty announcement of " the " Lord's " programme. As he was leading back the pioneers from Salt Lake to the Missouri river, he divulged for the first time his idea of the de- sirability of reorganizing the Church " as it was in the days of " Joseph," with a President and two counsellors, forming a quorum, called The First Presidency. The apostle Wilford "Woodruff was taken into his confidence, and to him Brigham's purpose was first communicated as a suggestion. Brother "Woodruff did not see it very clearly, for the Church and the world had been assured that the twelve apostles were to lead the Saints, and that the place of Joseph over the Church was not to be filled. Brother Woodruff, however, is a man of great faith, humble and tractable in the hands of " the Lord," and be- ing more a follower than a leader, he soon saw the point very clearly. Brigham was successful ; he had gained an apostle upon whom he could count. The apostle Kimball, who stood next to Brigham in author- ity, and "Willard Eichards, the best scholar and secretary of the Twelve, were, if the proposed change were effected, to be ele- vated to the First Presidency as counsellors. These, with "Wood- ruff and Brigham, constituted four of the Twelve already dis- posed of. Elder E. T. Benson had been ordained an apostle while crossing the plains going "West ; he could, therefore, of- fer no opposition to the change, had he even been capable of doing so. Amasa Lyman and Geo. A. Smith were men of ex- cellent dispositions, and themselves free from all guile in the way of ambition — they were sure to sustain " tlie Lord." Ly- man "Wight had not followed Brigham westward, and so there was no occasion to speak of him. There remained, therefore, but four men in the Quorum of the Twelve — Orson Hyde, Par- ley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, and John Taylor — to be dealt with. Each of these had retained some personal identity, and believed in the first preachings and " whisperings of the spirit " after the death of Joseph, which promised that the Twelve Apostles should lead the Church. 204 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. By the assassination of the two Smiths, Brigham Young, being the eldest of the apostles and President of the Quorum, became, de facto, the leader, though the Twelve were nomin- ally the guiding " head." The elevation of Brigham and 'his two counsellors opened the way for Hyde, and made hiiu President of the apostles, and in case of Brigham's death he would have become the head of the Church, " The finger of " the Lord " was clear to brother Hyde, and he heard " the " voice of the Lord " calling upon his servant Brigham to step forward and assume that position. Of course he did ; but the Pratts and Taylor were not so favoured. On the 5th of December, 1847, in that long mud-roofed Council House which was impervious to sound from without, and from within which not tlie loudest wrangle could be heard by the passer-by, sat Brigham and his apostles debating on the proposed change. Elder Taylor offered a manly opposition, while Orson Pratt sternly clung to the order of the Chui'ch, its revelations, preaching, and promises; and Parley was eh)quent for the headship of the Church remaining with the Twelve. But wordy opposition availed nothing, and an appeal to the people would have divided the Church. They fully realized that no opposition to Brigham Young was possible toithin the Church, and they dared not step without to accomplish it. They had silently to submit, but Brigham has never forgiven that hostility. The coming change was soon bruited among the people, and by them heard at first with astonishment. A general con- ference of all the Saints was convened at "Winter Quarters, and there the election of Brigham took place. Soon after that council a four days' meeting was held in the Log Tabernacle near Kanesville, and there the proposed change was the sub- ject of discourse. Faithful brethren were invited to speak on the subject, and one by one gave in their adhesion to the re- organization. When the moment for voting had arrived, every man was to be seen and to be understood. As soon as the apostles raised their hands affirmatively, the battle was over. Their example was followed, and, in their order, the High Coun- cil, the high priests, seventies, elders, priests, teachers, and deacons, and finally the vast congregation of women, raised BRIGHAM ELECTED PRESIDENT. 265 their hands to heaven in token that they would sustain Brigham Young. Of this election he wrote to the president of the British Church : " I feel glory, hallelujah ! JSTothiug " more has been done to-day than what I knew would be done " when Joseph died." * Thus Brigham became the " President of the Church of " Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the whole " world." Kimball and Richards became his counsellors, and Hyde was made president of the apostles. This move of Brigham's has been charged against him as an act of usurpation ; but that amounts to very little. The 'Mormon people have accepted the position of "unchallenged " obedience," and it would have been incompatible with their own profession of faith to question any proposition emanating from the head of the Church. Brigham's action, then, with Brigham's former teaching, is all explicable by the doctrine of " expediency." There is a tinge of Cromwell and l^apoleon about Brigham that is really charming to the very humble Mormons. Should he hereafter at any time propose to organize the United States into a kingdom, and crown himself its monarch, the Saints would be as sure to vote for him unanimously. There is no alternative. To doubt his proposition is to doubt heaven, and to leave themselves without a head to lead them. With the Church reorganized and a new Zion to be built up, the elders were again ready for missionary work. The Mormon emigration from Europe and all other distant countries, that had closed with the exodus from Nauvoo, was again opened. A general epistle, issued on the 23rd of Decem- ber, announced the route from Liverpool to be via Kew Orleans, St. Louis, and up the Missouri to Council Bluffs, and the emi- grants were to bring with them all kinds of choice seeds of grain, vegetables, fruits, trees, vines — the best stock of beasts, birds, and fowl ; the best tools and machinery, together with every interesting book, map, chart, and scientific work which they could obtain. They were to bring their treasures of pre- cious metals and those of general utility, the curiosities of art and nature, " everything in their possession or within their * Millennial Star, Vol. X., p. 115. 266 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " reach, to build in strengtli and stability, to beautify, adorn, " and embellish, to delight and cast a fragrance over the house " of the Lord." With a flourish of national feeling, Brigham, following the time-honoured custom of the British monarch, announced in that general epistle that the Mormons were " at peace with all " nations, kingdoms, powers, governments, and authorities," save "the kingdom and power of darkness;" and invited, " presidents, emperors, kings, princes, nobles, governors, rulers, "and judges," and the rest of mankind, " to come and help us " to build a house to the name of the God of Jacob." At this period Brigham appears to have been very intent upon building the Temple. When he was 419 miles west of Winter Quarters, July 13, 1848, he wrote to Orson Spencer, the President of the Church in Britain : " While you tarry " in England I wish you would exert yourself to gather up as " much tithing as you possibly can, and bring it with you, in " order to prepare for glass, nails, paints, and such other arti- " cles as will be needed to bring from the States to assist in "building up the Temple of the Lord in the valley of the Great " Salt Lake." Twenty-four years have since passed away, and the Temple is but a few feet above the ground, while it is stated that millions have been collected by tithing and contribution for its erection ! The " day of deliverance has surely come," and the camps of Israel on the banks of Missouri were alive in the spring of 1848 making preparations for departure. All who could, wanted to go. The same order of travel that " the Lord " had revealed through his servant Brigham for the guidance of the pioneers was again observed, and captains of tens, fifties, and hundreds were chosen. By the beginning of June the pilgrims were en route. The following inventory of the first five companies is interesting. Altogether there were 623 wagons, 1,891 souls, 131 horses, 44 mules, 2,012 oxen, 983 cows, 334 loose cattle, 654 sheep, 237 pigs, 904 chickens, 54 cats, 134 dogs, 3 goats, 10 geese, 11 doves, 1 squirrel, and 5 ducks. Henceforth the Mormon emigration across the plains was " the Lord " gathering Israel home to the " chambers of the GATHERING ISRAEL HOME. 267 "mountains " preparatory to the great day of wrath that was to come upon the Gentile world. Following the pioneers to Great Salt Lake Yalley, about four thousand of the Mormons arrived in September and Octo- ber, taking with them a large amount of grain and agricultural implements, as well as the remnant of their property from Nau- voo, with which to commence a new home. The first winter was fortunately mild, and the emigrants suffered little, while the stock rambled about enjoying the spontaneous luxuries of a virgin soil. The great body of the Saints from the Missouri river fol- lowed Brigham and his family in the summer of 1848, and the new settlement was greatly strengthened in nmnbers and with every description of labour necessary to its development. CHAPTER XXXiy. THE CIVIL HISTOEY OF UTAH. — The " State of Deseret" created — Ths Crickets destroy tlie Crops — A Miracle performed — Great Privations of the Mormons — Territorial Government extended over Utah — Trouble with the Federal Officers. The troubles of the Saints in Jackson county, Missouri — ii* Joseph's revelations are accepted as divine communications — conveyed to "the Lord" and his Saints valuable experience inhuman aftairs. The last revelation affecting tliat "Zion" illustrated clearly two simple propositions : First, that if the Saints purchased all the land in Jackson county, there would be no land left for the Gentiles to purchase. Secondly, that as the Gentiles had always troubled the Mormons while the}' were living among them, if there were no Gentiles among these the Saints would not be troubled. This logic was not lost upon Brigham, and henceforth the policy of the Church was to oc- cupy all the available lauds in the county just as fast as they could do so. What is now Davis and Weber counties, directly north of Salt Lake City, was taken possession of by the Mormons in the spring of 1848. Miles Goody ier, an Indian trader, at that time occupied the land on which is now built the city of Og- den, where the Union and Pacilic Railroads form their junc- tion ; and from this trader. Captain James Brown, of the Mor- mon Battalion, purchased his shanties and a Mexican grant of land, and got him out of the way of "the kingdom." Tooele county, about forty miles to the west of Salt Lake City, and Utah county, about the same distance to the south, were taken possession of in the spring of 1849. Up to this time there was no United States civil govern- ment in the country. FOUNDING THE "STATE OF DESERET." 269 "When the Mormons arrived in the valley of the Great Salt Lake, in July, 1847, the Territory belonged to Mexico ; but by the treaty of Guadalonpe Hidalgo, in March, 1848, it was passed over to the United States with New Mexico and the whole of Upper California. This was unforeseen and unde- sirable to the Mormon leaders, for they could have dictated terms to Mexico and have worked out better the theocratic problem with the relics of the Montezumas, than with the Anglo-Saxon descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers. The United States government was slow in extending its political jurisdiction over the newly-acquired domain, and this furnished the apostles and prophets an opportunity of creating "a provisional independent government" for theinselves. A convention of citizens was held in Great Salt Lake City on the 5th of March, 1819, at which (on the 18th) the follow- ing constitution was adopted : " We, the people, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of those blessings. Do ordain and establish a free and independent GovERNiiENT by the name of the State op Deseret, including all the territory of the United States within the following boundaries, to wit : commencing at the 33° of north latitude, where it crosses the 108° of longi- tude, west of Greenwich ; thence running south and west to the boundary of Mexico ; thence west to and down the main channel of the Gila river (or the northern line of Mexico), and on the northern boundary of Lower California to the Pacific Ocean ; thence along the coast northwesterly to the 118° 30' of west longitude; thence north to where said line intersects the dividing ridge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the dividing range of mountains that separates the waters flowing into the Columbia river from the waters running into the great Basin on the south, to the summit of the Wind River chain of mountains ; thence southeast and south by the dividing range of mountains that separates the waters flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from the waters flowing into the Gulf of California, to the place of beginning as set forth in a map drawn by Charles Preuss and pub- lished by order of the Senate of the United States in 1848." A glance at the map of N^ortli America will furnish some idea of the modest aspirations of the convention. Within the boundaries of that " State of Deseret " there was room enouirh to hold half of the monarchies of Europe. Brigham Yoimg was elected Governor of the new State, and, with the other officers elected, swore fidelity to the Con- 270 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. stitution of the United States. The legislative Assembly met in July, elected Alraon W. Babbitt delegate to Congress, and sent him immediately to Washington with the constitution and a memorial praying for the admission of " Deseret " into the Union. Though rejoicing in their deliverance from Gentile mobs, and happy in the prospect of future greatness, the Saints were not yet free from the cares and anxieties of life. Their situ- ation in the " fat valleys of Ephraim " was for some years pre- carious. Their first crops were abundant and timely, but those of the following year caused them great anxiety. At one time myriads of crickets attacked their fields of grain, till it seemed that all would be utterly destroyed ; but " the Lord " sent flocks of gulls from the islands of the lake to devour the de- stroyers. The gulls came in the early dawn of morning and feasted upon the crickets all day. When full, the}' disgorged them and began again their repast, and repeated their expe- rience in eating till night closed upon their labours. The Mor- mons very naturally claim that the coming of the gulls was a great miracle in their behalf. Of course the sceptical might have something to say about who sent the crickets; but grati- tude for any kind providence is better encouraged than con- temned.* The crops that escaped the ravages of the crickets exhibited in their abundance that the virgin soil of the valleys was very rich. Oats were reported to do better than in the States ;f wheat yielded commonly sixty bushels to the acre ; and other grains and vegetables were equally well reported in the first year. " One of the elders states that he had sown eleven pounds of California wheat, on the 14th of April, and from that reaped twenty-two bushels in the latter part of July. From half a bushel of common English wheat, on an acre and a half of land, he reaped over twenty bushels, and one * An enthusiastic Mormon writer, seeking to place divine interference beyond all doubt, asserted that " there were no gulls in the country before the Mormons went there .'" This statement is about as facetious as that of one of the apostles who re- ported that no harm had befallen the pioneers, " except in two or three instances horses were shot accidentally, or killed by not hearkening to counsel! " f P. P. Pratt's letter [August 1, 1848] to Brigham Young, Millemilal Star, Vol. X., p. 370. GREAT FERTILITY OF THE LAM). 271 grain of seven-eared wheat produced seventy-two ears. Barley that was sowed ripenod and was reaped and carried off, the land irrigated and produced from the roots a fresh crop four times the quantity of the first crop. Oats that were sown produced a good crop, were cut down and cleared, the roots again sprang up, and produced another beautiful crop. Peas, first plant, a good crop ripened, gathered, then planted the same peas, yielded another crop and again a third crop is now growing. Beet- seed planted this spring produced beets as thick as my leg, which went to seed and yielded a great quantity. Cabbage seed planted this spring pro- duced seed again." To this flattering story of the productiveness of the country, elder Thomas Bullock, Brighani's clerk, adds : " Above all they ^' report that Mother Sessions [une accoucheuse] has had a har- ^' vest of 248 little cherubs since living in the valley. Many " cases of twins. In a row of seven houses joining each other, " eight births in one week." His soul bounding with grati- tude, " brother Thomas " exclaims : " Oh, ye hungry souls, rejoice and shout for joy ! Praise the Lord, and give thanks ! Oh, ye barren ; ye who have been bereft of your chil- dren, praise the Lord. The place is found where you can rear your tender ofispring like olive branches round your tables, where they can have plenty to be fed and clothed withal ; where your souls can be lifted up unto the Lord God of Hosts, for his mercies endure for ever. The place is found where the Saints can rear another temple to the Great Jehovah ; hear his word, and from whence his laws may go forth to the ends of the earth. Hosanna, Hosanna, Ilosanua to God and the Lamb for ever. Amen." However much the foreign Saints may already have rejoiced in the Latter-day faith, such a letter was worth a hundred ser- mons and epistles upon emigration. The Author well remem- bers how it caught the toiling, struggling, poor Saints of Brit- ain, and the delicate comfort extended to the spinsters was not unappreciated. Many a downcast mourning soul drank con- solation and sang with joy — " To the West, to the West, to the *' land of the free !" The large increase of emigrants in 1848, together with the destruction of the crops by the grasshoppers, rendered provis- ions very scarce in the spring of 1849. The inventory of pro- visions showed that there was only three-quarters of a pound of breadstuff's per day for each person up to the 5th of July. The people were put upon rations, and much suffering ensued. ir 272 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Many of them went out witji the Indians and dug small native roots, and ate them with anything they could get. It is re- lated that some, in their destitution, even took the hides of animals with which they had covered the roofs of their houses, and cut them up and cooked them for their use. " The desert to which they had come was as cheerless as their past his- tory. From cruel foes they had fled to as unfeeling a wilderness. Re- newed difficulties demanded a renewed effort from Brigham. Everything depended on him. Starvation and nakedness stared in the gloomy faces of the desponding people. Murmurs and complaints were uttered. lie quelled evei-ythtng ; scolded, pleaded, threatened, prophesied, and sub- dued them. With a restless but resistless energy he set them to work, and worked himself as their example. He directed their labours, controlled their domestic affairs, preached at them, to them, for them. He told fool- ish anecdotes to make them laugh, encom-aged their dancing to make them merry, got up theatrical performances to distract their minds, and made them work hard, certain of rendering them contented by-and-by. Feared vsdth a stronger fear, venerated with a more rational veneration, but not loved Tvath the same clinging tenderness that the people still felt for Joseph Smith, Brigham swayed them at his will. They learned to dread his iron hand, and were daunted by his iron heart." * The harvest of 1849 was fortunately abundant, and all was saved. In August, of that year Captain Howard Stansbury, of the United States army topographical engineers, with his assist- ants, arrived in the valley for the purpose of making a govern- ment survey. Throughout the winter of 184:9-50 the Indians south of Salt Lake became very troublesome, stealing cattle, and finally firing upon the settlers. Brigham preferred peace to war with them : thought that it was cheaper to feed than to fight them, and pursued a conciliatory policy. But the red man required experience. As Governor of the State of Deseret, Brigham called out the militia, entrusted it to Gen. Daniel H. Wells, who, accompanied by a lieutenant of Capt. Stansbury's com- mand, and a hundred of " the brethren," went after the Indians. The Mormons drove the red-skins out from the banks of the Timpanogos on to Utah lake, which was then frozen, and there killed about thirty and took over twice that number prisoners. * " Mormonism : Its Leaders and Designs," p, 146. MORMONS DISCOVER GOLD IN CALIFORNIA. 273 Tlie whites lost one man, and six wounded. Tliis iiglit and the disposition of the prisoners * struck the Indians with ter- ror, and their braves sued for peace. Another change was in store for the Saints, Three of the Battalion Mormons, upon being discharged from the United States service in California, found occupation with Thomas Marshall, of gold-discoverj notoriety, and while working for him, digging Capt. Sutter's mill-race, these three " brethren " claim to have found the gold. The glory of this event is, therefore, appropriated by the Saints, and forms part of the buncombe speeches on all great occasions, .when the vir- tues and worth of the Saints are exhibited. The immense emigration across the plains in 1850 brought large quantities of clothing, dry-goods, and general merchan- dise into Great Salt Lake City. Many of the immigrants had loaded up with heavy stocks of goods, mechanics' tools, and general machinery, expecting to find a ready sale for them in the new Eldorado. Most of them had splendid outfits, and everything necessary to support themselves in a new country. Some parties, who had left the States late, had travelled fast and passed the other innnigrants on the way, brought the re- port that steamers had sailed from N^ew York loaded witli pas- sengers and merchandise for California, and that the new coun- try would be flooded with both. With such a report ringing in their ears, there was now no time to lose, and everything was to be sacrificed to expedite the journey. When they arrived in Salt Lake Yalley, the Mormons obtained almost everything they wanted in exchange for grain and vegetables. Stories are related of the frantic haste with which many of the emigrants w^ould part with wagons, cattle, and goods, for a horse or mule outfit to carry them to California. The Saints were thus suddenly prosperous, and * It is said that the order was given to "leave neither root nor branch of them," T.nd that it was executed to the very letter. " A party was driven up Table Mountain, but were induced to come down and surrender. They were guarded in camp until the morning, and then ordered to give up their weapons. They refused to do this, and acting in a sullen and hostile manner, were fired upon and nearly all killed immediately. A few broke through the line of sentinels, and endeavoured to escape by crossing the lake on the ice, but were chased down by horsemen, and ' ceased to breathe.' My informant was an actor in the terrible scene." — " Gunnison," p. 147. 274 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. several of tlie predictions of the leaders were, in this manner, claimed to be fuliilled. In the midst of their distress in the wilderness, when leav- ing civilization and commerce behind, and, to all human ap- j^earance, going into a desert where the Gentiles would not follow them, Heber C. Kimball had predicted to the Saints that they " would yet buy goods as cheap in the mountains as " they could in New York city." Brigham had told them that in five years " tliey would be better off" than ever they " were before," and thus the unlooked-for rush to California fulfilled the prediction, and " the people acknowledged the ac- " complishment of that divine inspiration." At the same time one of Joseph's predictions had its fulfilment. When the Kirt- land Safety Society Bank burst in 1838, its notes were not worth the clean paper. Joseph predicted that " they would " yet be as good as gold." When the Battalion gold discover- ers returned to the valley, they deposited with the Church leaders large quantities of gold-dust, and, with that as a basis, the Kirtland notes were for a little time put into circulation as a convenience, " on a par with gold," and in that way the pre- diction was fulfilled. Had the bundles of the Kirtland Safety Society notes still in Ohio been convertible and " good as gold," the holders of that j)aper would have seen the prediction and its fulfilment more clearly. A momentary convenience of ex- change between Brother Smith and Brother Jones in Salt Lake valley (for momentary and very limited it certainly was) be- ing the fulfilment of a prediction, requires an " eye of faith " to see. The Congress of the United States ignored the " State of "Deseret;" and on the 9th of September, 1850, extended over the country occupied by the Mormons the Territorial organi- zation of Utah within the following limits : " bounded on the " west by the State of California, on the north by the Territory " of Oregon, on the east by the summits of the Rocky Mountains, " and on the south by the 37th parallel of north latitude," with the proviso that Congress should be at liberty, when it might be deemed " convenient and proper," to cut it up into two or more Territories, or to attach any portion of it to any other State or Territory. On the 28th of that month, his Excel! en- TERRITORY OF UTAH CREATED. 275 cy Millard Fillmore, President of tlie United States, appointed, " M^ith the advice and consent of the Senate," Beigham Young, of Deseret, Governor ; B. D. Harris, of Yermont, Secretary , Joseph Buffington, of Pennsylvania, Chief- Justice ; Perry E, Brocchiis, of Alabama, Zerubbabel Snow, of Ohio, Associate Justices ; Seth M. Blair, of Deseret, XJ. S. Attorney ; and Joseph L. Heywood, of Deseret, U. S. Marshal. Mr. BufEngton declined serving as chief-justice, and Lem- uel G. Brandebury was appointed in his stead. Snow, Blair, and Ileywood were Mormons, and, with Brig- ham added, it gave the majority of the Federal offices to the Saints, for which the name of President Fillmore is held in high esteem. At once the political capital of Utah — a hundred and fifty miles south of Salt Lake City — was designated Fill- more, and the county Millard. It is due to this statesman to add, that the charge which has been frequently made against him, of appointing Brigham Young governor "' while he knew " that he had eight wives," is very unfair. President Fillmore appointed Brigham on the recommendation of Col. Thomas L. Kane, and u2)on the assurance of that gentleman that the charges against Brigham Young's Christian morality were un- founded. Col. Kane was long enough among the Mormons and familiar enough with them on their journey between ISTau- voo and Council Bluifs, to have learned that polygamy was a fact in Mornionism, unless the Mormons designedly kept him in ignorance, and deceived him. The larger number of the " eight wives" complained of were sealed to Brigham on the banks of the Missouri. Probably, Col. Kane did not personally know polj'gamy to be a fact, and certainly neither President Fillmore nor the Senate knew it.* On the 3rd of February, 1851, Brigham Young took the oath of office, and was formally acknowledged governor of Utah. He preferred Deseret under " the Lord," but with the characteristic instinct of his nature — the love of rule — rather than see a Gentile appointed governor of Utah, he himself ac- cepted that office under Congress, On the 25th of Marcli he issued a special message to the general assembly of the State of Deseret, notifying them of the action of Congress, On the * The Author was so hiformed by letter from ex-President Fillmore. 276 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. 5tli of April, 1852, Deseret merged into Utah officially, but the State organization was continued and exists to-day as much as ever it did. I^ominally, the civil authority is Utah : defacto^ it is Deseret. The Government pays the Territorial legislators their ^e?' diem for making the laws of Utah, and hands them their mileage at the end of the session. On the day succeeding the close, Brigham, as governor of Deseret, convenes them as a State legislation : reads his message to them, and some one pro- poses that the laws of the legislature of Utah be adopted by the State of Deseret. In this manner, Brigham is continued governor de facto, and hence the tenacity with which the name of " Deseret " is preserved. To give to the State that succeeds the Territory of Utah any other name than " Deseret " would be to throw discredit upon the inspiration that named the pro- visional Government in 1849. Let but the Federal Congress name it " Deseret " — come when it may into the Union — and Brigham and his worshippers will see, through all the tortuous windings of its history for over a score of years, the finger of' God, and the dark deeds of the past will be sanctified in their sight. They will believe that " the Lord " has been with Brig- ham throughout. The Gentile Federal officers arrived in July of 1851, and very soon after their arrival concluded that Utah was not the most pleasant place in the world for unbelievers. They at- tended a special conference of the Church held in Septembei', and were honoured with an invitation to sit on the platform with the prophets. On that occasion the proposition was made to send a block of Utah marble or granite as the Territorial contribution to the Washington monument at the seat of Gov- ernment. Associate Justice Brocchus made a speech, and before closing it drifted on to polygamy. lie spoke irreverently of that institution, going so far as to assure the ladies of its im- morality, reproved the leaders for their disrespectful language concerning the Government and their consignment of Presi- dent Zachary Taylor to the nether regions. This was some- thing new in the Rocky Mountain Zion, and the " Lion of the " Lord " was in a moment aroused. The audience was indignant at Brocchus, and when Brigham let himself loose on to the unfortunate Judge, the people would FIRST TROUBLE WITH THE FEDERAL OFFICERS. 277 have torn that rederal functionary into slireds if the Prophet had not restrained them. When Brigham reiterated the situa- tion and locality of the then recently deceased President Tay- lor, the Judge put in a demurrer, on which " brother Heber " kindly touched his Honour on the shoulder and assured him that he need not doubt the statement, for he would see him; when he got there. Heber's witty endorsement of Brighamf was anything but reassuring to the Judge. i It was on this occasion that Brigham immortalized the crooking of his little finger. " If," said he, " I had but crooked *' my little finger, he would have been used up ; but I did not *' bend it. If I had, the sisters alone felt indignant enough *' to have chopped him in pieces." * Since that memorable day he had not infrequently warned the troublesome of the danger of crooking that linger, and it was no idle threat when he said : " Apostates, or men who never made any profession " of religion, had better be careful how they come here, lest I " should bend my little finger." f Judge Brocchus, failing to humble himself before "the ser- " vants of the Lord," thought that retirement from the Terri- tory would be favoured by the Life Insurance Company, and he, accompanied by Chief Justice Brandebury and Secretary Harris, soon after bade a long farewell to Zion. Miss Eliza K. Snow's clever pen satirized the retreating Federals, in popu- lar verse, and assured them and the world when they left the Saints that : " They only of themselves bereft us." This, however, was only poetic truth, for Secretary Harris, who was the custodian of the Territorial funds, retired with $24,000, which had been appropriated by Congress for the ^'' jper diem " and mileage of the legislature. This was a great annoyance to the Prophet-Governor, and he attempted to re- strain the Secretary ; but Mr. Harris stuck to the treasure and returned it to the proper department of the Government. The Federal officers, on their arrival in the Eastern States,, published a hastily written statement of the whole occurrence, and very indiscreetly used the expression that "Polygamy "monopolized all the women, which made it very inconvenient * " Journal of Discourses," p. ISe-?. f lb., p. 167. 278 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " for tlie Federal officers to reside there.-' Loose as people might suppose frontier life to be, no one anticipated that rep- resentatives of the Federal Government would thus expres? themselves. That one sentence annihilated them. Over the signature of Jedediah M. Grant, Brigham's coun- sellor, a series of letters was addressed to the Kew York Herald, under the title of " Truth for the Mormons," in which the Federal officials were turned into ridicule and fiercely bandied. The Herald gave the public only one letter; but Grant, nothing daunted, published the whole series in pamphlet form, and scattered them broadcast. The Grant letters, from their forcible and pungent style, attracted the attention of lit- erary men as gems of wit and vigorous English. They were so far superior to the Mormon literature tliat preceded them, and so much above Jedediah himself, that great credit was. given by the Saints to the special inspiration wliicli controlled liim. In after years it was really painful to the Author to learn that two of Pennsylvania's honoured sons, already al- luded to in this work — one no less than an ex-Yice-President of the United States, and the other enjoying a military title — were the inspiration and authors of the famous letters. What a charm there is in a mild and harmless delusion ! On the departure of tlie judges and secretary from Utah, Brigham appointed his counsellor, Willard Richards, Secretary of the Territory. Associate Justice Snow, being a Mormon, took no offence, and remained, and the Legislature of the Ter- ritory clothed the Probate courts with " both appellate and "original jurisdiction," and the Federal judges could there- after be easily dispensed with. The Saints had really no use for them. CHAPTER XXXY. THE IREEPEESSIBLE CONFLICT BETWEEN TIIEOCEACY AND EE- PUBLICANISM.— The Federal Officers in Utab— Some become Sycopliants to tlie Priesthood — Some are deflant — Brigham Young a Second Time appointed Governor — Trouble with the Federal Judges — They leave the Territory. In his moments of calm reflection, Judge Broccbus may have concluded that his zeal against polygamy had outstripped his prudence. The Government took that view of it, and quietly "dropped" the "runaway judges and secretary." Judges Keed and Shaver, with Secretary Ferris, soon replaced Bran- debury, Brocchus, and Harris. Brigham w^as triumphant. The new appointees, as might he expected, received a cor- dial welcome. The judges reciprocated, hut the secretary shared the sentiments of his predecessor. The judges deliv- ered some favourable speeches and wrote some friendly letters, but the secretary soon after published a book expressing senti- ments the very antipodes of those uttered by his Federal asso- ciates. Tlicriceforth Brigham's policy was to array the Federal officers against each other, and in doing so he has been singu- larly successful. The successors of the " runaway" officials held brief tenure of power. Judge Reed returned to 'Hew York on a visit, and there died. Judge Shaver, apparently in good health at night, was found the next morning dead in his bed. Secretary Fer- ris, after a short residence, went to California, Though Judge Shaver had spoken very kindly of the Mormons, and was ex- ceedingly "social" with "the brethren," his sudden death furnished gossips with the story of his being poisoned on ac- count of some supposed difficulty with Brigham. The Author has never seen any ground for such a suspicion.* The judge * Mrs. Waitc says : " There was some difficulty between the judge and the 280 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. was buried with processional honours, and a discourse hj one of tlie apostles embalmed his memory in the history of the Church. Chief-Justice John F. Kinney, Associate Justices George P. Stiles and W. W. Drummond, and Secretary Alnion W. Babbitt, were the third " batch " of officials. Judge Kinney lias a very important history, and appears frequently in this work. Judge Stiles had been reared in Mormonism, but was inharmonious with the priesthood. Judge Drummond turned out a ])erfect Mephistopheles to the Saints. Secretary Babbitt was a full-fledged Mormon. At this period of Utah history the Government at "Washing- ton was seemingly very kindly disposed towards the Saints, as all but two of the Federal offices were held by Mormons ; but the political thermometer at Washington is always very variable. The report of the " runaway " officials, though it accom- plished nothing for themselves, stirred up the nation respect- ing polygamy, and what was regarded as defiance of Govern- ment. Up to the time of this report, the Church had made no public acknowledgment of polygamy as a principle of the faith. It could now no longer be concealed, and Brigham announced that he was ready to publish the revelation. The avowal of polygamy was for a time a grave subject at Washington ; but that was a question only of morals, and Con- gress is slow to legislate on morality. The reported speech, " Old Zachary is in hell, and I am glad of it," charged to Brig- ham, stirred up the political animus at the seat of government a vast deal more, and in course of time Brigham's removal from the governorship was resolved upon. In a Tabernacle address, June 19, 1853, Brigham denied being the author of the statement about President Taylor, and said that he had only endorsed the statement of some one else : " I simply bore testimony to the truth of it." ''' In his denial he manifests an evasiveness that does not improve the subject. Brigham was, however, secure as Governor. His words, "/ at7i a?id will he Governor, and no power can hinder ii,^^ were Prophet, the nature of which was not distinctly known. The difficulty increased, and one morning the judge was found dead in his bed. The heads of the Church took great pains to have the affair investigated, and came to the conclusion that the judge had died of some ' disease of the head ! ' " (Page 2.4:.) * "Journal of Discourses," vol. i., p. 135, BRIGHAM REAPPOINTED GOVERNOR. 281 very galling to those who sought his removal. But behind that boldness there appeared in the published sermon a shrewd proviso to fall back upon in case his removal should be accom- plished : " Until the Lord Almighty says, '"Brightam, you need " ' not he Governor any longer^ " In 1854, Lieutenant-Colonel E. J. Steptoe, with about three hundred of his regiment, arrived in the Territory on their way to California. Much kind attention was paid to the colonel and his officers ; social parties were frequent, and very pleasant relations existed. Early in December, President Pierce tendered to the colonel the appointment of Governor of Utah ; but before the next re- turning monthly mail, a memorial to his Excellency, headed by Chief-Justice Kinney, was signed, requesting Brigham's re- appointment as Governor and Superintendent of Indian Af- fairs. The colonel's name followed that of Kinney, and the names of the officers of the regiment — three Mormons — Judge Shaver and District-Attorney Hollman. A very romantic story is told by Mrs. C. Y. Waite, in her book, in which Brigham is charged with using two sisters of easy virtue to enveigle the colonel into an unpleasant position, by which, in the language of the Tabernacle, " the Lord put a "hook in the colonel's nose." But, without that incentive to leave the Saints, the colonel doubtless preferred the profession of arms to the honour of being Governor over a handful of poor people in a desert so far removed from the rest of mankind, and after receiving such demonstrative kindness from the Mor- mons, could not well afibrd to accept an appointment which w^oukl have ousted his chief host against the wishes of the peo- ple. It is said that the colonel's letter of appointment was not hastily delivered after it reached Salt Lake City, and between the arrival of the mail that should have brought the appoint- ment and the arrival of the mail at which the letter of appoint- ment w^as delivered, dancing parties were given that secured the kind feeling of the colonel and his officers. "The Lord" had not yet concluded, " Brigham, you need not be Governor " any longer," and so, in 1855, he was reappointed by Presi- dent Franklin Pierce. In the organic act of the Territory it is provided that " the 282 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " governor, secretary, chief justice and associate justices, attor- " nej and marshal, shall be nominated, and by and with the " advice and consent of the Senate, appointed by the President " of the United States." In the list of first Federal appoint nients the last two important offices — those of United States attorney and United States marshal — were filled by two Mor- mons, Messrs. Seth M. Blair and Joseph L. Ileywood. With the appointment of a Gentile to the office of United States marshal as successor of Mr. Ileywood, the cpiestion of jurisdic- tion was forced upon the attention of the court, and very sin- gularly the most important question that has agitated Utah during twenty years was first entertained before a Federal judge who had himself been many years a Mormon. The Territorial Legislature had created a Territorial mar- shal, and now a conflict was inevitable between him and the marshal appointed by the United States. The United States marshal claimed that he was the executive officer of the United States courts, whether the business before the conrt was fed- eral or territorial ; the Mormon marshal claimed that he was the officer of the United States court while it was occupied with territorial business. It was of little consequence to any one wliether the fees of the court should pass into the pocket of a United States marshal or a territorial marshal ; but it was a matter of great importance to every one which of these two officials should empanel the juries and enforce the writs of the court. Judge Stiles favoured the claim of the United States mar- shal, and brought a storm of wrath about his head. Had he been purely a Gentile judge, he would have fared better, but being a renegade Mormon, and defying the priesthood that he once obeyed, there was no indignity too great to offer him. Some Mormon lawyers entered the court while the question Avas pending, and, led by the best lawyer among them, insulted and threatened the judge with personal violence unless he ruled as they demanded. On account of these intimidations he has- tily adjourned his court.* * Though under no circumstances could there be offered any palliation for such .in offence, there is at the same time a degree of satisfaction in reading that the outrage was reserved for the person of Judge Stiles. He was the counsel who sus- SPEEADING ABROAD THE CURTAINS OF ZION. 283 Some of the "good bretliren " had ii.ow their attention di- rected to the renegade judge, and while he was absent from his office they gathered up the records of the United States Dis- trict Courts, placed them in safe keeping, and afterwards made a fire of books and papers found in his office. On his return, when he saw the fire, he very naturally concluded, as his office was ransacked, that all the hooks^ records^ and pajoers were de- stroyed. That insane and foolish outrage created a great sen- sation throughout the States adverse to the Saints, Consistently with their programme, and possessing a great country in which "Israel could increase and multiply and ^' become a great people," the leaders were continually calling upon the Saints to " spread abroad the curtains of Zion," and as soon as it was safe to venture in advance of a settlement already made, the survey of another was immediately com- menced. ^North and south of Salt Lake the Mormon colonists had only the Indians to contend with, and by judiciously avoiding any conflict with the red men they experienced comparatively little trouble. But when the colonists pushed forward to the western frontier of the Territory they there met with the ad- venturous miner, and peace was thenceforth very doubtful. In 1854, the western mission was given to about seventy tained Joseph Smith and the Nauvoo Municipality in their interpretation of the city ordinance which warranted the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor as a nuisance. Had the lawyer of Nauvoo set his face against the first outrage, the judge in the Rocky Mountains would probably never have been the subject of a similar ex- perience. The successor of Judge Stiles, the Hon. C. E. Sinclair, in the first session of the United States District Court, after the arrival of the United States troops, under Colonel Albert Sidney Johnson, pursued with determined energy those who had in- sulted and intimidated his predecessor. On the 14th of December, 1858, a Mormon grand jury made the following presentment : " The grand jury find that James Ferguson, of Great Salt Lake City, U. T., did use language and threats calculated to intimidate Judge George P. Stiles, United States district judge, while in the execution of his official duties and presiding as ^udge of this District Court at the February term, 1857. " Said threats and language used to George P. Stiles. " Eleazer Miller, Foreman." Mr. Ferguson was by instinct a gentleman : his actions on this occasion find in- terpretation in the general spirit of the times. Israel was determined not to be beaten. 284 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIX SAINTS. faniilies, who were directed to go out to Carson Valley— about seven hundred miles — under the supervision of Orson Hyde, the president of the apostles. Soon after that, the Legislature of Utah organized the whole of that district under the name of Carson county, appointing at the same time elder Hyde as probate judge. It soon became evident that the Gentiles would resist all Mormon law wherever there was a hope of success. It was difficult for the miners to comprehend how the Mormons could legitimately exercise any authority over them. They had only heard of the Mormons as a religious community, and when the apostolic probate judge had assessments to make, or the officers of his court had decrees to enforce, it seemed to the "honest '' miner " a huge joke, or unbearable tyranny. Besides the occupation of the country by the mining popu- lation, enterprising men found that it was well adapted for cattle grazing and farming. Families soon settled there, and the population was about equally composed of Gentiles and Mormons. The Gentiles snapped their fingers at the Mormon lawgivers, and an anti-Mormon organization was soon estab- lished. The apostle-judge had rendered some decision that re- quired enforcement. The officer of the court called for a jposse to assist him, and the parties immediately arranged themselves for battle, and " for two weeks," says the Hon. James M. Crane, " their armies camped nearly in sight of each other, "without coming to a direct battle." " The Lord," ever watch- ful over his Saints, revealed to " brother Orson " that it was necessary to call off the brethren, and thus this bloodless war for the moment ended. This Mormon experience in western colonization differed little in spirit and principle from that which previously existed in Missouri and Illinois. There is an instinctive feeling of dis- like to civil rule being administered by any one claiming eccle- siastical authority. Tlie anti-Mormons appealed to Congress, and asked that the eastern boundarj^ of California might be extended still further east, so that the settlers in Carson Valley might find them- selves under the jurisdiction of citizens like themselves. In this memorial they alleged all sorts of bad things against the JUDGE DRUMMOND'S "COMPANION." 285 Mormon rulers, and particularly objected to the probate jud^e taking into their midst "one of his spiritual wives for whom "he claims recognition, which the ladies petitioning indig- " nantly refuse." Congress discountenanced the suggestion that tlie bound- aries of the Golden State should be extended, but sympathized with the Gentile population, and expressed an opinion that " some measure of wider scope is necessary to effect a radical " cure of the moral and political pestilence which makes Utah " the scandal of the American people." Associate-Justice W. W. Drummond, it is asserted by the Mormons, brought with him to the Territory " a lady compan- " ion," while liis wife and family were left in Illinois. After the notice of his arrival in the Mormon paper had been pub- lished, some relatives of Mrs. Drummond paid a visit to the judge's " companion," and, unfortunately for the judge, the " lady " from St. Louis did not answer to the description of the wife in Oquawkee. The discovery did not long remain a secret. The " lady " travelled with his Honour wherever he held court, and on some occasions she sat beside him on the bench. Plurality of wives was to the Mormons a part of their re- ligion openly acknowledged to all the world. Drummond's plurality was the outrage of a resj)ectable wife of excellent reputation for the indulgence of a common prostitute, and the whole of his conduct was a gross insult to the Government- wliich he represented, and the people among whom he w^as sent to administer law. For any contempt that the Mormons exhibited towards such a man, there is no need of apology. In the spring of 1857, Drummond went to Carson Yalley to hold court in the place of Judge Stiles, who repaired to the seat of Government to make affidavit of the breaking up of his court and the destruction of the records of the District Courts, As soon as Drummond reached the Pacific coast he made a fierce attack upon the Mormons in the papers of San Francisco. His exposure — much of it false, and much of it exaggerated — ■ added to the affidavit of Judge Stiles in Washington, aroused Congress to demand immediate action. 286 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. The attack upon Judge Stiles in a public court of the United States, and the subsequent outrage in liis office, would be inex- plicable to the reader had it transpired outside of Utah. To the people of that Territory it presented no such difficulty, for it occurred during that fearful ])eriod of fanaticism designated *' The Eeformation," of which an expose is given in the suc- ceeding chapter. At no period of the history of Utah has there been a per- fect entente cordlcde between the representatives of the Govern- ment there. Some one among the Federal officers has always been found who could either be " managed " or held in sub- mission by the threat of exposure of personal history, and in such a case the Scripture sentiment is reversed, and he who is not against us is for us. Among those friendly, the sympathy may at times have been honest ; but the adhesion to the priest- hood and the services rendered to the Territory by the greater number of such officials w^ere evidently for the attainment of a personal purpose. Few Federal appointments have been made at Washington for Utah that some representative of the Church did not essay in some way to control, and where kindness was unappreciated and a determination evinced from the beginning by a Federal officer to keep clear from all entangling alliances, that man's liistory and pedigree were exceedingly useful and sure to be reached. He was a " dangerous man," and if anythiag could be discovered about Lim, from the hanging of his great-grand- father down to some recent peccadillo of his own, the pigeon- hole of his alphabetical letter was soon a repository of " useful " information." The fourth of July, and the anniversary of the arrival of the Mormon pioneers in Salt Lake Valley [July 24], have been useful institutions for ascertaining the sentiments of newly-appointed officials. What wonderful and varied devel- opments have been made ! If the new officers arrived during the latter months of the year, " the parties " at the Social Hall furnished excellent op- portunities for polite " complimentary " invitations, to which the kindly-disposed Federals failed not to respond, especially if the gentleman were a " bachelor," with " his family in the PLEASANT ATTENTIGXS. 287 " States," or had some pcndini^ divorce on his mind. To he introduced hy " President " Brigham Yomig to the assemhled Saints as '' The Honourable Bhickstone ; " " The Honour " able Scratchitorum of State ; " " Colonel , command- ing the U. S. A., at Camp ; " " Major , Superintendent of Indian Affairs," was an honour to be blushingly acknowl- edged and indelibly imprinted upon the soul's remembrance. To all this public attention add a personal introduction to Mrs. A — Young ; and of necessity to the other half dozen, Mrs. B— , Mrs. C— , Mrs. D— , Mrs. E— , Mrs. F— , and Mrs. G— Young ; and the bewildered Federal was in a fair way to real- ize that he was " an ol>ject of interest " and a personage of some importance. Conducting himself with the usual gallantry of good society, there were at least these seven cotillions to be gone through with first, and when there was added to these the partnership in the d?.nce of downy cheeks in the rosy bloom of maidenhood, that Federal was ready to swear that " the " Mormons were the best people upon the earth." To rivet his devotion he is invited to the right hand of the Prophet at " the first supper table " where he hears the humble invocation upon the food, and learns that it is all due to the Lord's favour to His peculiar people in the mountains, The heart of the newly-arrived Federal is softened, and he pledges eternal friend- ship to the Patriarch. To the inspiration of such attentions may be attributed the numerous letters which have been hastily va-itten from Utah " to America," recounting tlie industry, the sobriety of the people, the salubrity of the climate, the bushels of wheat to the acre, the peace that reigned in Zion, the delicious fruit, the Prophet's youthful appearance, and a denial of the un- founded extravagances that have always been in circulation against the Mormons ! In the fruit season that Federal could tell of tlie early delicacies of the plant, the vine, and the tree, before the market had offered them to the public. His utterances and his compliments were reported, and the columns of his home newspaper were watched and culled, and the first inspi- rations from the Territory were carefully republished for the edification of the Saints in the mountains. Should after-ex- perience change his first impressions, or from one cause or 18 288 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. another slioulJ his friendship eliill, he was rendered powerless to act without subniitting himself to the charge of inconsist- ency, and few men of that class have the courage to avow an error or to retrace a foolish step. With as unjustiliable haste, other Federal officers have be- trayed unmanly hostility to the Mormons, before they well knew with what they had to deal. They were ready to con- sign the leaders to the penitentiary, or to the nethermost regions of the bottomless pit, and were never slow to express openly the pleasure it would afford them to expedite in an official way the travels of apostles, prophets, and bishops to either destination. One Federal chief-justice went so far in his devotion to Zion as to accept baptismal initiation into the Church. He was afterwards ordained a high priest, and was sent to Con- gress as delegate. His successor on the bench was as much opposed to the priesthood as he had been subservient to it, and while the delegate was operating in favour of the Church at Washington, the new chief-justice was as diligent in Utah on the opposite side, and in his antipathy denounced everything Mormon. In his view, Nature herself had stamped her curse upon the land. The very peaches were " unnatural and bas- *' tard," w^hile all know that that fruit in Utah is unsurpassed in luscious richness. To such varied individual proclivities — from fawning and servile abasement, to the manifestation of violent antipathies — Utah owes much of the unreliableness of its history ; but be- neath all, and the cause of all these exhibitions, was the true difficulty — the " irrepressible conflict " between theocracy and republicanism. The Federal officer who had nothing to ask for, saw in his government and the statutes of the nation the highest devel- opment of civilization and human liberty, and he could but seek their supremacy, and demand that they should be respect- ed and obeyed. As naturally, Brigham Young w^as sincere in circmn venting, by every possible means, the assertion of any human will to govern the Saints, in endeavouring to evade every Congressional statute, and prostrating the national rep- resentation at the feet of the Priesthood to accomplish the tri- umph of " the kingdom." FEDEKAL OFFICERS "TOADY" TO THE PROPHET. 289 The other Federal officers, outside of the judiciary, have generally been " let alone " — ;Collision in the exercise of their several duties was not inevitable. A Superintendent of Indi- ans could distribute blankets and flour ; a Surveyor-General could drive stakes, run lines, and make maps without hurting any one's interest or any one's inclinations ; a Governor could make up his mind to " do nothing," and a Secretary could ]>roinptly pay the legislators their jper diem and mileage with- out asking questions about the comforts or troubles of a ^^atri- arch's life. All this had been done, and the " elect of the " Lord " and the representatives of republicanism have walked together and danced together with perfect unity, but when either of these officials has " taken sides " with the hostile ju- diciary and given them " aid and comfort," the enchantment of the circle has been rudely broken. An Indian Superintendent once drifted into hostility, and, among other things, exposed the " Mountain-Meadows mas- " sacre." He had quietly misappropriated Indian property, and his delinquencies were proclaimed " upon the house-tops." Two Superintendents succeeded him, who were both kindly disposed towards the Church leaders. They may not, perhaps, have stolen more abundantly, for they were judicious. They became wealthy, however, but against them nought was ever insinuated* In a fit of discontent, an Indian interpreter, a Mormon, dictated a statement of the peculations of one of these friendly Superintendents, made due affidavits of the facts, affixed his name to the document, and all was ready for exposure. By some legerdemain the document disappeared, and the inter- preter suddenly lost all recollection of the facts. On leaving Utah, that Superintendent was further honoured by his gov- ernment, and in return for the kindness shown him in Utah he laboured for Zion at Washington. Another Federal officer recently there was in perfect ecsta- cies over Zion. His wife and he travelled frequently with Brigham Young, in his annual visits to the settlements, and shared with the apostles, prophets, and bishops a place on the platform in the public assemblies. In his admiration, as he witnessed Brigham's equipage and followers on a visiting tour 290 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. north, lie ejaculated to the Antlior : " Brigham lias the best " thing in America ! " That judgment was well founded. Irt return for all the favours of which that Federal ofiicial was the recipient, the revenue office was conducted by Mormon assist* ants and clerks. Two secretaries, and, in course of time, both acting-gov- ernors, were vastly more serviceable than if they had been members of the Quorum of Apostles. The ostensible "friendship" of these Federal officials has- done a great wroiig to the people of Utah. It has clothed the tongues of the priesthood with what they have claimed as im- j)artial testimony from gentlemen outside of th(5 Church, and the mass of the jDcople, who knew not the why and the where- fore, very naturally accepted such testimony as a corroboration of their faith and of the rightful course of their leaders, and as naturally prejudiced them against the men who had dared to tell them unpleasant facts. Whoever else has been deceived by such testimony, there is no reason for concluding that either the ruling priesthood or the officials themselves were among that number. Brigham's enmity against the Government is. too deeply rooted for him ever to have trusted one of its repre- sentatives beyond wdiat he wanted the public to be told, and it lias been easily discernible in private intercourse with these officials, that their services were nicely balanced Q.^quid pra quo. Every one of them has discovered, sooner or later, that Brigham was their Richelieu. These few pliant officials have more successfully covered up the wrongs committed in Utah — have done more to shield the guilty and to deceive the public than all their other Federal associates have ever been able to do in telling the truth, en forcing the execution of law, bringing crime to light, and reach- ing the guilty with punishment. Concealment encouraged fanaticism, and crimes were com- mitted which would never have been attempted had the vigi- lance of the law been a certainty. Had the wrongs and mur- ders in Utah been dealt with promptly at the time of their oc- currence, it would have been to the honour of the Territory to-day that the violation of law had never gone unpunished, and that terrible fanaticism, which struck terror into the souls. GREAT SCARCITY OF BREAD. 291 of all who witnessed its influence, would have been suppressed in its infancy. The social position of the Mormons during all this time was as trying as their political and judicial controversy and wire-pulling were bewildering. The wealth that was left in Great Salt Lake City by the passing emigration to the gold- mines of California was only temporary. Many of the inhabi- tants of the Territory soon became very poor. The crops had failed in 1854, and famine stared them in the face, and in some of the settlements the winters had been very severe, and the cattle ranging in the valleys died in great numbers. All this, of course, was calculated to weaken many in the faith who had sui)posed thiit the heavens were specially propi- tious to Zion, and the priesthood added to the bitterness of privation the assertion that " the Lord " was punishing the Saints for their unfaithfulness. Without a hope outside of Mormonism, they took their chastisement humbly, prayed more and worked harder. The best provided families in Utah, throughout the winter of 1855-6, had to " ration " their families to the smallest amount of bread-stuifs per day, in order to subsist until the following harvest. The condition of the poor was appalling."'"' * In a letter from Heber C. Kimball, dated Salt Lake City, February 29, 1856, published in the Millennial Star, he says : " I have been under the necessity of rationing my family, and also yours, to two- thirds of a pound of bread-stuffs per day each ; as the last week is up to-day, we shall commence on half a pound each. Brother Brigham told me to-day that he had put his family on half a pound each, for there is scarcely any grain in the coun- try, and there are thousands that have none at all scarcely. We shall be under the necessity of eatmg the bran along with the flour, and shall think ourselves doing -well with half a pound a day at that. So you can judge whether or not we can get through until harvest without digging roots. Still, we are better off than the most of the people in these valleys and mountains. There are several wards in this city ■who have not over two weeks' provisions on hand." , CHAPTER XXXYI. THE " EEFOr.]ir ATION " IN UTAII.-Its Extraordinary Origin— Shortcomings of tlic Saints — " Jeddy's" Frenzy — Sinners re-baptized — Terrible Enthusiasm — Tabernacle Teachings — Doctrine of the " Blood Atonement" — Human Sacrifice commended — Erring Saints to ofl'cr up their Blood as Incense — Brother Heber declares that Briqliam Young is God to the Mormons — Strange Preaching — Con- fessions of .the Saints — Brigham's Casuistry about Ke-baptizing — Extraordinary Public Meetings of the Priesthood — A " Kcign of Terror" — Shocking Outrages upon Citizens — Crusade against Intellectual Societies — Eesults of the "Eefor- mation" — An Important Letter — What Brigham and the Leaders really said in the Tabernacle — Apostates and Gentiles threatened. In all nations, and in almost every age, something lias been heard of "reform." Mormonism had also its "Reformation." But there was nothing in common between the notable refor- mations in the world's history and that which is inscribed in the annals of the Rocky Mountain territory in 1856. The Mormon writers have been studiously silent about the " Reformation " in Utah, and here the Author would have gladly passed it by ; but he feels that, furnishing as it does a clue to some of the worst crimes which blacken the page of American history, its tale of horrors imperatively demands a place in this volume. While many important features in the lives of the Utah Saints will pass away and be forgotten, the "Reformation" will be remembered for ever. It was the outburst of the worst elements of fanaticism — a fanaticism at once blind, dangerous, and terrible, but at the same time the natural result of the teachings of the Tabernacle. The Author, not being then in Utah, presents to the reader a graphic sketch — never before published — from the pen of an eye-witness, then and now a resident of Salt Lake City : THE BEGINNING OF THE REFORMATION. 29J The BeginDinff of the Reformation " Early in the fall of 1856, president Jedcdiah M, Grant went to Kays- ville, about twenty-live miles north of Salt Lake City, to preach and hold a local conference meeting. He invited a fev/ elders to meet him there, and take part in the exercises with him. To one of these ^ "^ '^ '""~"-V~"' ''^'""""^^'°""^- ' " - ■ ^rri^stss-^ elders he lent his mule to ' ^^"^^_ bear him thither. One of : the party being a good horseman madetheothers keep up, going at a good pace; and on arrival at the bishop's house at Kay sville, where ' brother Jeddy ' awaited them, he scannedtheanimalsclose- ly; theyseemed to be heat- ed, sweating, and rather jaded. No remarks were made just then, and the whole party, apparently with good feeling, went to the meeting together. The brethr-en delivered themselves in their usnal style, and ' seemed good ' in testifying to ' the work,' exhorting their hearers to faithfulness. Jedediah was the last speaker, and, during his remarks, he charged his brethren, the elders, in the bitterest manner with cruelty to his mule and the other animals, and with riding in such a man- ner as to nearly kill them. After denouncing the speakers who had preceded him for inconsistency between their preaching and practice, and accusing them of hypocrisy, he assailed the bishop and his counsel- lors for inactivity and carelessness, and charged the congregation gener- ally with all manner of wickedness, calling upon them to repent and ' do ' their first works over again,' or God's judgment would overtake them speedily. Thus began the noted ' Reformation ' in Utah, and ' accusation ' of the brethren ' became forthwith a mania with this reformer. The same spirit was caught quickly by others, who found it easier to break and pull down than to teach, inspire, and build up, and it was quickly diflused everywhere throughout Zion, " Another meeting was appointed to convene in a few weeks, when 'Jeddy' and most of the elders then present were again there. Accusa- tion after accusation, more bitter than before, was hurled at the ' Saints,' and they were commanded to be re-haptized* In accordance with this, after the exercises at night, numbers were re-baptized by the elders, and though the weather was cold and unfavourable, Jeddy himself remained in the water until he shivered with cold and contracted the disease from which he never recovered. * It is a privilege accorded to the ]\Iormons to be " baptized for the remission "of sins" not only en entering the Church, but as often afterwards as conscience may demand it. 294 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. <■' At the Tiibeniaclc iu Salt Lake City, Jeclediali addressed the Saiuta every Sunday afterwards, charging them with sins and crimes of almost every description. Tlie bishops were 'whipped' for dereliction of duty, for being ' old fogies,' and not being strict in making the Saints pay their tithing to 'the Lord.' All were called upon to confess their sins, and to make known to God's servant the crimes of which they were guilty. The most extravagant language and bitter denunciations were uttered against the Saints, and strict, unquestioning obedience to the priesthood was com- manded iu all things, with the consecration of body, soul, and property to the Church. Individuals were hinted at and sins imputed to them whicli they dared not deny, nor even attempt to defend themselves, however in- nocent they might be. " ' I would advise some of you men here,' said Jeddy on one occasion, ' to go to President Young and confess your sins, and ask him to take you 'outside the city and have your blood shed to atone for your sins.' 'All that you have and are belong to God, and must be devoted to his Church. Not only your money, and goods, and talents, but your wives and chil- dren should be at all times ready to be devoted to his servant.' " ' If President Y'oung wants my wives I will give them to him Vv'ithout a grumble, and he can take them whenever he likes.' " Heber C. Kimball felt only too hapjiy to follow in the wake of Grant : he used the most disgusting vituperatives, for which he was noted, and indulged in unheard-of accusations. " He declared to the people that Brigham Y'oung was his God, and their God, and the only God they would ever see if they did not obey him: ' Joseph Smitli vras God to the inhabitants of the earth when he was ' amongst us, and Brigham is God nov/.' This strain was caught up and reiterated by many of the elders, from Orson Hyde, the president of the twelve apostles, doAvn to the most ignorant teacher, and to question it openly was to be put under the ban. "Meetings were held tliroughout the citj^, and 'missionaries' were ap- pointed to preach in and visit every ward tlirougliout the Territory. "The elders returning from Europe were appointed to preach to the people, and to learn their sins. In the excitement, to which every one was expected to bend and catch ' the spirit of the v/ork,' men — immoral, igno- rant men — were sent as 'home missionaries' to keep them at work, that they might thereby gain their living irrespective of qualification or re- ligious worth. "Three brethren, notorious for earning their living by fiddling at the dances, and who were in every respect unqualified to teach moral prin- ciples, were ordered to go as missionaries and make their living in that capacity, as the ' Reformation ' allowed no dancing. These men — TI — p H r, J — n J s, and J — h M y — ignorant themselves of knowing anything of religious truth, and innocent of attempting to acquire it, the laughing-stock secretly of the better informed, would shout out, ' wake up,' ' repent,' ' obey comisel,' ' pay tithing,' ' consecrate your property to EXTRAORDINARY CONFESSIONS. 295 the Church,' 'get more wives,' and ' give us a good collection,' and they were deemed full of ' the Spirit.' " Elders were sent to the various settlements and stationed, at certain places, whose duty it was to excite jieople to confess their secret sins and reveal their private conduct to them and the bishops. Teachers were ap- pointed in every ward and for every block, whose duties were to pry into every secret and learn the private history of every family. Men, women, and cldldren %ccre aslced the most indelicate questions aJ)02(t private actions and secret thoughts. Husbands were asked inconvenient questions about rela- tions with their wives, and wives about their husbands, by rude and ig- norant teachers, and ' counsel ' was given accordingly. Girls were coun- selled to marry into polygamy to old men ' that they might be saved,' for young men were ' not tried ' in the kingdom and could not ' save ' the girls ; and in many instances young women were forced to break off en- gagements Y/ith young men whom they loved, to gratify a bishop's pref- erence, a missionary's feelings, or a great elder's desires. "Meetings were held by all the 'Quorums' of 'High Priests,' 'Sev- enties,' and 'Bishops,' which vrere largely attended. The greatest zeal for the good of ' the kingdom' and unquestioning obedience were mani- fested, and the weak in faith, the doubting, and rebellious were, with ' Uncle Sam ' and all the Gentiles, denounced w'itliout mercy. "A catechism was printed by authority of Brigham Young, and a copy of it was put into tlie hands of every missionary, elder, bishop and teacher, who catechized Avith unblushing effrontery every member of the Church. Those refusing to answer were cursed and reported at the bishops' meet- ings as worthy to be disfellowshipped, and those who honestly told their feelings were likewise reported to the authorities, and became objects of attack and abuse at the public meetings, wdiile their private characters became topics of scandal and gossip. " The confessions of the Saints were texts for discourses, and curses were hurled on them publicly. The revelation of sins wormed out of them by the catechism and other methods adopted were astonishing, and a lower state of morals was discovered to exist than even the best informed could have susi^ected. " Polygamy, notwithstanding the claims of the Utah writers, had not prevented illicit intercourse between the sexes. No houses of professional prostitution publicly opened their doors invitingly to the Saints, but secret confessions showed that private evils existed in the cities of professed Saints which were not surpassed by the inhabitants of many cities of ' Babylon ' in which ' all classes and conditions of men ' do congre.i^ate. Thefts, roguishness, cheating, and lying were divulged, which had been ijarried on for years. As illustrative of this let me recite a pretty well- known occurrence. " On one occasion a public meeting was called at the Social- Hall, which was very largely attended by the priesthood or male members only. Brigham, Heber, ' Jeddy,' and others addressed the elders. Blind and 296 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. burning zeal prompted the meanest accusations and aspersions. The con- fessions, as before observed, were groundwork for reproofs, rebukes, and denunciations. Brigham in his speech put a motion as follows : ' All you ' who have been guilty of committing adultery, stand up.' To the sur- prise of some, and the chagrin of the presidency, more than three-fourths stood on their feet.* Of course, no women being present, the men only answered for themselves — the inference could only be imagined about the other sex. " The truthful and simple replies to the questions of the catechism revealed more than was expected. Confidence and respect were lost, and society seemed to be falling in pieces. Brigham, seeing the evil results of such priestcraft and fanaticism in the hands of ignorant elders, gave general instructions, by obedience to which the Saints could evade the disgrace and publicity of their confessions. Said he : ' Repent of your sins, and ' be baptized for the remission of sins, and, as they are washed away ])j ' the ordinance of baptism, you can say truly that you are 7iot guilty of the ' sins inquired of by the catechism, though you may have committed them.' Many easily caught at this clue and rushed to the baptismal waters to be cleansed from their iniquities, and to bury their sins from mortal eyes. " At the meetings of the priesthood, schemes were mooted and plans adopted to remove everything obnoxious to the ' interests of the king- dom.' The reported conduct of the Gentiles was discussed and opinions were oftered concerning those who were suspected of being weak in the faith, or those who were independent enough to otler opinions adverse to the course of some in authority. Extreme measures, based upon false re- * " A leading bishop in Salt Lake City recently stated to the Author that Brigham was as much appalled at this sight as was Macbeth when he beheld the woods of Birnam marching on to Dunsinane. A bishop arose and asked if there were not some misunderstanding among the brethren concerning the question. He thought that perhaps the elders understood Brigham's inquiry to apply to their conduct be- fore they had thrown off the works of the devil and embraced Mormonism ; but upon Brigham reiterating that it was the adultery committed since they had entered the Church, the brethren to a man still stood up. Brigham had evoked a spectre that he little expected. A gentleman, who in one of the counties filled the position of " Father Confes- " sor " in those times, frankly admits the truthfulness of the report about the meet- ing, but protests against it being regarded as an indication of the actual morality of the mass of the people of Utah. In that interpretation the Author fully concurs, for though the number in this assembly who confessed their guilt was, as reported, very largo, the violation of morality has to be considered as occurring at some time daring the whole course of their Uves as Mormons. It does not seem possible that much of this could have occurred in Utah. During the twenty-five years' associa- tion of the Author with Mormonism, he never knew of more than two or three cases of this kind, and the transgressors were immediately excommunicated. With- out considering the penalty of the " endowment " [death], there has always been a dreadful horror of the crime of adultery in the minds of the Mormons. REIGN OF TERROR AMONG THE SAINTS: 297 Eeformins a Heretic. ports, were used towards many, and the victims had no time or opportu- nity to explain, nor any means of redress afterwards. The following arc some instances in point. " During a meeting of the faitliful missionaries held in the Historian's office, presided over by Brother Brigham, when zeal ran high and testi- monies were delivered, and determination of faithfLilucss expressed in llic warmest manner, several brethren walked out to perform some mission that had bacu pre-ar- ranged. That same even- ing the hou33 and store of Mr. H. J. Jarvis was entered by some brethren in disguise. They walked into Iiis store, and when he had served a customer present, they suddenly caught him by the hair of his head and dragged him over the counter, pulled him into the street, and threv/ him on to the snow, threatening his life if he made a noise. They reentered his store, took what they pleased to the amount of $750, set fire to the place, besmeared the parlor furni- ture with their own filth, and decamped, ' breathing threatenings and slaughter.' His wives (for he had two sweetly- dispositioncd, good vrom- en) rushed up stairs to save the children, and after returning with them succeeded in extinguishing the fire, Avhich had now reached to within one foot of the powder, but not without burning their arms and hands. Mr. Jarvis and t^imily went to a neighbour's house occupied by elder , the representative of 'God' in the Endowment House, for protection, but were refused shelter, Brother saying that they could not remain there. " ' Why ? ' asked Mr. Jarvis. " ' Because Israel is at work.' " ' What have I done to be thus treated, and to be refused shelter for my family ? ' asked Mr. Jarvis. " ' You have spoken evil of the authorities,' replied the Elder, who seemed to know the cause and to have expected the result. " ' I have never done so,' said Mr. Jarvis. " ' You have had Gentiles to supper in your house,' again replied the Elder. " ' I never had ; but if I had, I had a perfect right to do so if I liked,' was the honest reply. "Mr. Jarvis was a man of unimpeachable moral character, a respectable merchant, and would be esteemed a good citizen in any community. He went to Daniel Spencer, President of the Stake of Zion, and to Bishop 298 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Keslcr in tlie ward in which the outrage occurred, to seek protection, as lie was afraid of his life. Mr. Spencer sympathized with him very much privately, but could not obtain for him an interview with Brigham. Kes- ler could do nothing for him, regretted the abuse, and promised that he Avould see to it that he should be no furtlier molested. " William H. Wilson, a man of excellent character and much talent, ■was a clerk in General Burr's office. At a late hour at night a rap was heard at bis door. He arose out of bed, slipped on his trowsers, and went to tlie door. Tliere he was seized by several strong men and taken away forcibly towards Jordan river, and detained there by the ruffians till next light. He was abused and his life threatened. He inquired the cause of the seizure, and was told that he was clerking for a United States' official, and was v/riting articles to Nev/ York papers against the Church. This he emphatically denied. " Their intention he believed was to kill him, but before attempting the act, one of the party who knew Mr. Wilson well and wanted to serve him, stated that they ought to be certain of his guilt before doing vio- lence. After some deliberation it was agreed to release him upon con- dition that he would swear never to divulge the outrage and its perpetra- tors. His wife, who suffered indescribably during this time, sought to obtain an interview with Governor Young, but there was no access to his august presence for the wife of a person so weak in the faith and who was in the hands of the minions of the Church. Mr. Landon, likewise a clerk in General Burr's office, fled when he heard of the seizure of Mr. Wilson, and escaped on foot to Virginia, Nevada, report says, suffering horribly for food, and shoes, and shelter. " Job Salter, watchmaker, a good citizen, was taken from his house by some faithful ciders at night, whipped and abused because he did not en- ter into all the spirit of the ' Reformation ' and accuse himself of sins, but was allowed to return to his family after being sworn not disclose the perpetrators of the foul deed. "Brigham Young, who was not only president of the Church, but gov- ernor of tlie Territory, took no notice of these and other outrages, but by his silence gave reason to believe that he countenanced the villainy. These outrages were the legitimate result of the teaching of the elders in the Tabernacle, the doctrines set forth by Jedediah Grant, and even by Brig- ham Young himself. " The sweetest words that Jesus ever uttered — ' Love tliy neighbour as thyself,' were commented upon by Brigham to show that a man would be loving his neighl:)0ur as himself if he killed him ' rather than he should ' apostatize.' * This terrible rendering of the Gospel of humanity is too well * Such a perversion of the language of Jesus by any person professing Chris, tianity might appear to the reader utterly impossible ; but that Brigham Young did so interpret these words, and fally commended bis interpretation being carried into effect, the following extract from his sermon will demonstrate : " When will we love our neighbours as ourselves ? In the first place, Jesui TOE rillLOSOPnT OF SHEDDIXG BLOOD. 29f> remembered by many. The results of such teachings were experienced in the outrages committed during the height of the so-called ' Reformation,' in various parts of the Territory, while those alone were pronounced faith- ful who were most imbued with this horrid fanaticism. Many more ex- amples might be given. " Everything that was not ordered and presided over by the priest- hood, was denounced as leading to apostacy, and all who did not take an active part in self-accusation of the meanest kiud were suspected of deep sin, and treated accordingly. For example, a number of young elders of literary tastes and acquirements, some of whom were acknowledged to be said that no man hatcth his own flesh. It is admitted by all that every person loves himself. Now if wc do rightly love ourselves we want to be saved and continue to exist, we want to go into the kingdom where we can enjoy eternity and see no more sorrow nor death.' This is the desire of every person who believes in God. Now take a person in this congregation who has knowledge with regard to being saved in the kingdom of our (iod and our Father, and being exalted, one who knows and understands the principles of eternal life, and sees the beauties and excellency of the eternities before him compared with the vain and foolish things of the world, and suppose' that he is overtaken in a gross fault, that he has committed a sin that he knows will deprive him of that exaltation which he desires, and that he cannot attain to it without the shedding of his blood, and also knows that by having hig blood shed he will atone for that sin and be saved and exalted with the gods, is there a man or woman in this house but would say ' Shed my blood that I might be ' saved and exalted with the gods ? ' "All mankind love themselves; and let those principles be known by an in- dividual, and he loould be glad to have his blood shed. TJds ivould be loving ourselves even unto an eternal exaltation. Will you love your brothers or sisters likewise when they have a sin that cannot he atoned for without the shedding of tJteir Hood? Will yo^ilove that man or looman ivcll enough to shed their blood? That is what Jesus Christ meant. He never told a man or woman to love their enemies in their wickedness, never. He never meant any such thing ; His language is left as it is for those to read who have tlie spirit to discern between truth and error ; it was so left for those who can discern the things of God. Jesus Christ never meant that we should love a wicked man in his wickedness. " J could refer you to plenty of instances where men have hern rif/Ideonsly slain in^ order to atone for their sjns. I have seen scores and hundreds of people for whom there would have been a chance (in the last resurrection there will be) if their lives had been taken and their blood spilled on the ground as a smoking incense to the Almighty, but who are now angels to the devil, until our elder brother, Jesus Christ, raises them up, conquers death, hell, and the grave. " I have known a great many men who have left this Church for whom there ?V no chance ichatever fur exaltation, but if their blood had been spilled it would have been better for them. " The wickedness and ignorance of the nations forbid this principle being in full force, but the tijie will comk whem the law of god will be in full force. This. is loving our neighbour as ourselves ; if he needs help, help him ; if he ivanls salva- tion and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be savedy SPILL it. " Any of you who understand the principles of eternity, if you have sinned a sin requiring the shedding of blood, except the sin unto death, should not be satisfied or rest until your blood should be spilled, that you might gain that salvation you desire. That is the way to love mankind. . . . Light and darkness cannot dwell together, and so it is with the kingdom of God. " Now brethren and sisters, will you live your religion ? How many hundreds of times have I asked that question ? Will the Latter-Day Saints live tlieir religion? " Discourse in the Tabernacle, February 8, 1857, published in the " Journal of Discourses," Vol. IV., pp. 219, 220. 300 THE KOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. men of superior talent, organized a ' Literary and Musical Society,' a few- months before the 'Reformation' began. They gave public entertainments to their friends, whieh consisted of original essays and poems, recitations, declamations, orations and music. They had ample talent among their own committee to occupy the evenings fully and to make them highly in- teresting ; but as they designed to diffuse a love of literature and music throughout Zion, they called in all the talent that surrounded them. Any new arrival from the States or Europe possessed of talent was at once waited upon and requested to add to the interest of the entertainment. The society became very j^opular, w^as conducted in an interesting manner, and ^Yas governed as a thoroughly democratic institution, each member of the committee occupying the chair and keeping door in turn. This society would have done credit to any city in the world, and would have reflected honour on its originators. The meetings which were held weekly ■were opened and closed by singing and prayer. But they became too popular, and flourished without the president's direction, and consequently drew forth the denunciations of Brigham, Heber, and ' Jeddy.' In the public meetings at the Tabernacle the committee and society became the objects of ridicule, contempt and abuse, charging them with pride, am- bition, big-headedness, conceit, and sins. A meeting was afterwards called by the society, its object being, after the exercises were concluded, to dis- solve itself. Brigham, Heber, and 'Jeddy' were present, and, on being invited to speak, belittled and berated the institution, and on being in- formed that the society would dissolve that evening, the leaders recom- mended— which was equal to a command — that the members become as- sociated wdth the ' Theological Institution,' a pet association that had died about three years before, but had that evening very conveniently re- vived. Its first death was caused by the short-sighted course character- izing many of Brigham's policies, by appointing favourites to occupy po- sitions and hold offices who had neither ability, taste, nor education to fill them. This institution swallowed the Literary and Musical Society in one night; but it was too great a gulp, and it died again in two weeks, never to be revived. " In order to add insult to injury and to crush the committee com- pletely, the next Sunday, in the Tabernacle, eight of the most prominent and efiicieut members of the Literary and Musical Society were called to be door-keepers at the Tabernacle ! " On the motion being announced to that effect a titter jiassed through the vast congregation, most of whom understood the matter to be a pun- ishment. The gentlemen, ' obedient to the heavenly call,' entered at once upon their newly appointed duties, and honoured the office, if the ofiice did not honour them. They did their duty, and were afterwards compli- mented for their efiiciency and punctuality by those who sought to crush them. " The ' Reformation ' wrought more evil than good, and it is now re- garded by the best men in the Church as the height of folly and fanati- TERRIBLE FANATICISM. 301 cism. To Jedediah — a positive, impulsive, bigoted man — it became a monomania; but it brought Brigham, Heber, and others into its spii-it willingly, as it is more consonant with the feelings of ignorant, untutored zealots to condemn, debase, and degrade others, than to lead them to vir- tue, goodness, and a higher life by noble precepts and loving teachings. " The ' Reformation ' was employed as a means to compel hundreds and thousands to engage in the practice of joolygamy ; and it was hinted and secretly taught by authority that women should form relations with more than one man.* Bigotry, intolerance, and tyranny were fostered by it ; weakness, folly, and sins were publicly exposed ; mutual confidence was destroyed ; bad feelings and suspicions were engendered ; self-righteous- ness and egotism were manifested by many ; sensuousness in matters of religion, and materialism were its characteristics ; spirituality and jDiety were condemned ; and narrow, low, exclusive dogmas were received as the sublimcst truths. " When the excitement of fanaticism had died away, and calm reflec- tion enlightened the minds of those in authority ; when they had seen and learned the evil effects of the movement, they deeply regretted the part they had taken in it, and Brigham Young himself has frequently said in public that he was ' ashamed of the Reformation.' . . . ." Witli the above statement tlie author received the follow- ing letter : " Salt Lake Citt, November 30, 1S71. " Deak Stenhouse : I have read carefully the accompanying statement about the ' Reformation.' I know personally most of the particulars to be true, and the rest I am perfectly convinced are literally correct. If you want to travel wider and show the effect in the country of the inflamma- tory speeches delivered in Salt Lake City at that time, you can mention the Potter and Parrish murders at Springville, the barbarous castration of a young man in San Pete, and, to cap the climax, the Mountain-Meadows massacre ; for although Brigham, in my opinion, never ordered these mur- ders, they were the obviously legitimate results of the teachings of him- self, Heber, ' Jeddy,' and other leaders. They taught that ' righteous- 'ness was laid to the line, and judgment to the plummet ; ' that ' the sin- ' ner in Zion should tremble, and fearfulness should seize the hypocrite ; ' that ' the tree which did not bring forth good fruit should be hewn down ; ' * The Author has no personal knowledge, from the present leaders of the Church, of this teaching ; but he has often hoard that something would yet be taught which " would test the brethren as much as polygamy had tried the sisters." By many elders it has been believed that there was some foundation for the accusation that Joseph had taught some sisters in Nauvoo that it was their privilege to entertain other brethren as " proxy husbands " during the absence of their liege lords on mission. One lady has informed the Author that Joseph so taught her. All such teaching has never been made public, and it is doubtful if it ever extended very far if, indeed, at all beyond the momentary combination of passion and fanaticism. 302 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. etc. [Emphasis ■tt'as laid on the words 'hewn dorcn,'' 'judgment,' 'trem- ble,' and others equally suggestive.] ' We must not,' it was said, ' ask 'God to punish our enemies, when we could do it ourselves.' Threats of personal violence or death were common in the settlements against all who dared to speak against the priesthood, or in any way protest against this ' reign of terror.' "I was at a Sunday meeting in the spring of 1857, in Provo, when the news of the San Pete castration was referred to by the presiding bishop — Blackburn. Some men in Provo had rebelled against authority in some trivial matter, and Blackburn shouted in his Sunday meeting — a mixed congregation of all ages and both sexes — 'I want the people of Provo ' to understand that the boys in Provo can use the knife as well as the ' boys in San Pete. Boys, get your knives ready, there is work for you ! ' We must not be behind San Pete in ffood worls.^ The result of this was that two citizens, named Hooper and Beauvere, both having families at Provo, left the following night for Fort Bridger, and returned only after Johnston's army came into the valley the following year. Their only of- fence was rebellion against the priesthood. " This man, Blackburn, was continued in office at least a year after this, and was afterwards taken from his bishopric and sent on a mission to England. " The qualifications for a bishop were a blind submission and obedience to Brigham and the authorities, and a firm, unrelenting government of his subjects. Strict and invariable obedience to their file leaders, ' asking no ' questions for conscience sake,' makes a good Saint. To pay tithing will cover a multitude of sins. "I might fill page after page in illustrating the condition of afifairs, but I presume you are posted generally on the subject " As ever yours, . . . ." To note the hurried expressions of extempore speakers in moments of excitement, and treasure them up as evidence against their authors, would justly be considered by every can- did person a highly censurable action. In like manner, had the influence of the Tabernacle speeches already alluded to. from which resulted the " Keformation," ended with their im- mediate effect upon the audiences present, it would perhaps be unfair to resuscitate them. But the "discourses" were not intended to be forgotten, neither did this occur upon one occa- sion only : they extended over a period of several years. The Church organ, the Deseret News^ carefully printed them after they had been trimmed by a cautious secretary and super- vised by the speakers themselves. It was the intention of the Prophet and the apostles that their words should circulate HUMAN SACRIFICE TAUGHT, 303 ■widely and be engraven upon the hearts of the people. They believed that they were moved by "divine inspiration" as the favour of "the gods," and could do no less than desire that all the world should benefit by it. After these noteworthy sermons had been published in Utah, they were republished in the " Journal of Discourses," in Liverpool, in order that the European Saints might also "learn the will of God" through his servants. If ever the modern prophets and apostles could afford to challenge criticism upon their sincerity it was then. They were in earnest, even, to the sacrifice of life, and a faithful historian has preserved the record of that time of zeal and devotion among the Saints. Fortunately there was a government of the United States with a name of authority over Utah — if even no more than a name — or what might not have transpired? If men, standing at the head of the Church, could utter such sentiments as wer& then openly taught to the Saints and published to the world, while at the same time they were restrained by the knowledge that their words were noted by the Government and people of the United States, what would they not have said and done had their kingdom been established and they bearing unques- tioned rule over the people in the mountains ? Besides which, these sentiments were not the utterances of a day or a year ; they were the enunciations of a programme that was sacredly believed. What Utah might have been under an unchallenged theocratic rule, what she would be with the full sway of the priesthood guaranteed under the proposed State of Deseret, is clearly shewn in the following edifying passages. Some time before the " Reformation " had got fairly under way, this Jedediah M. Grant, the counsellor of Brigham, the third man in " the kingdom," addressing the Saints — men,, women, and children — in the Tabernacle, March 12, 1854, upon the proper penalty for breaking the covenants of the Church, says : " Then what ought this meek people who keep the commandments of God do unto them? 'Why,' says one, ' they ought to pray to the Lord to Mil them.'' I want to know if you would wish the Lord to come doicn and do all your dirty work ? Many of the Latter-Day Saints will pray, and pe- tition, and supplicate the Lord to do a thousand things tbey themselvea would be ashamed to do ly 304 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. '■'■When a man prays for a tiling^ lie ougM to le willing to perform it him- self. But if the Latter-Day Saints should put to death the covenant- breakers, it would try the faith of the 'very meek, just, and pious' ones among them, and it tcoulcl cause a great deal of whining in Israel. " Then there was another odd commandment. The Lord God com- manded them not to pity the person whom they hilled^ but to execute the law of God upon persons worthy of death. This should he done ly the ev^ tire congregation^ showing no pity. I have thought there would have to be quite a revolution among the Mormons before such a commandment could be obeyed completely by them. The Mormons have a great deal of sym- pathy. For instance, if they can get a man before the tribunal adminis- tering the law of the land, and succeed in getting a rope around his neck, and having him hung up like a dead dog, it is all right. But if the Church and Jcingdom of God should step forth and execute the lata of Ood, oh, what a burst of Mormon sympathy it would cause ! / wish we were in a situation favourable to our doing that which is justifiable before God, without any con- taminating influence of Gentile amalgamation, laws, and traditions, that the people of God might lay the axe to the root of the tree, and every tree that iringeth not forth good fruit might be hewn down. " What ! do you believe that people would do right, and keep the law of God, by actually putting to dentJi the transgressors? Putting to death the transgressors icould exhibit the laio of God, no matter by whom it was done. That is my opinion. " You talk of the doings of different governments — the United States, if you please. What do they do with traitors ? What mode do they adopt to punish traitors ? Do traitors to that government forfeit their lives ? Examine also the doings of other earthly governments on this point, and you find the same practice universal. I am not aware that there are any exceptions. But people will look into books of theology, and argue that the people of God have a right to try people for fellowship, but they have no right to try them on property or life. That makes the devil laugh, saying : I have got them on a hook now ; they can cut them off, and I will put eight or ten spirits worse than they are into their taber- nacles, and send them back to mob them." In the midst of tlie excitement of the " Reformation," Brig- ham assured the Saints that these throat-cutting, blood-spilling doctrines that had been taught to them bj the elders were meritorious, glorious, and soul-saving. Here are his words : i " There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive for- giveness in this world, or in that which is to come ; and if they had their ^yes open to their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their Mood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke thereof might ascend to heaven as an offering for their sins, and the smoking incense would atone for their sins; whereas, if such is not the case, they will stick to them and remain upon them in the spirit-world. DISSENTERS TO BE HEWN DOWN. 305 " I know, when you hear my brethren telling about cutting people off from the earth, that you consider it is strong doctrine ; but it is to save them, not to destroy them " It is true the blood of the Son of God was shed for sins through the fall, and those committed by men, yet men can commit sins which it can never remit. As it was in ancient days, so it is in our day ; and though the principles are taught publicly from this stand, still the people do not un- derstand them ; yet the law is precisely the same. There are sins that can be atoned for by an offering upon an altar as in ancient days ; and there are sins that the Mood of a lamb, of a calf or of turtle doves cannot remit, but they must ie atoned for hy the Mood of the man. That is the reason why men talk to you as they do from this stand ; they understand the doctrine, and throw out a few words about it. Tou have I>eeii taught that doctrine, iut you do not understand it.'''' * Jedediah, ever ready to bless the Saints, urged an immedi- ate beginning. The following is a choice piece of counsel : " I say there are men and women here that I would advise to go to the president immediately, and aslc him to appoint a committee to attend to their ease; and then let a place be selected, and let that committee shed their Nood.''f Believing that the reformation was to bring to pass that day of separation of " wheat and tares," " sheep and goats," the divine inspiration of Brigham, on the 2nd of March, 1856, was very emphatic and clear on the manner in which the work should be accomplished. " The time is coming when justice will be laid to the line, and right- eousness to the plummet ; when we shall take the old broadsword, and asTc, ' Are you for God ? ' and if you are not heartily on the Lord^s side, you will he hewn down.''"' f " We have been trying long enough with this jieople, and I go in for letting the sword of the Almighty to be unsheathed, not only in word, but in deed." § J. M. Grant. The evidence that this admitted of no figurative interpi'eta- tion, but meant truly all that it expresses, was furnished by Brigham as early as 1853. A Mormon elder of the name of Albert Smith, who had some leaning towards the revelations of one Gladden Bishop (a genius who figured in ]^auvoo), went from St. Louis to Salt Lake. This Smith and some friends at- * Tabernacle, September 21, 1856. f Ibid. X " Journal of Discourses," vol. UL, p. 226. § Deseret News, October 1, 1856. 306 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. tempted to address the Mormons in the public street one Sun- day just as Brigham was going home from the Tabernacle. On the following Sunday, March 27, 1853, Brigham was running over with " the Spirit," and revealed himself on the subject of apostacy : "When I went from meeting last Sabbath, my ears were saluted with an apostate crying in the sti'eets here. I want to know if any one of you who has got the spii-it of Mormonism in you, the spirit that Joseph and Ilyrum had, or that we have here, would say, ' Let us hear both sides of ' the question. Let us listen and prove all things.' What do you want to prove ? Do you want to i^rove that an old apostate, who has been cut off from the Church thirteen times for lying, is anytliing worthy of no- tice ? I heard that a certain picture-maker in this city, when the boys would have moved away the wagon in which this apostate was standing, became violent with them, saying, ' Let this man alone ; these are Saints ' that you are persecuting.' [Sneeringly.] " We want such men to go to California, or anywhere they choose. I say to those persons, ' You must not court persecution here, lest you get so much of it you will not know what to do with it. Do not court perse- cution.' We have known Gladden Bishop for more than twenty years, and know him to be a poor dirty curse. Here is sister Vilate Kimball, brother Heber's wife, has borne more from that man than any other woman on earth could bear ; but she won't bear it again. I say again, you Glad- denites, do not court persecution, or you v/ill get more than you want, and it will come quicker than you want it. " I say to you, bishops, do not allow them to preach in your wards. Who broke the road to these valleys ? Did this little nasty Smith and his wife ? No. They stayed in St. Louis, while we did it, peddling ribbons, and kissing the Gentiles. I know what they have done here — they have asked exorbitant prices for their nasty stinking ribbons. [Voices, ' That's true.'] We broke the roads to this country. " Now, you Gladdenites, keep your tongues still, lest sudden destruction come upon you. I say rather than that the apostates should flourish hero Twill unsJicath my Itoicie-Tcmfe^ and, conquer or die. [Great commotion in the congregation, and a simultaneous burst of feeling, assenting to the declaration.] Now, you nasty apostates, clear out^ or '•judgment will he ' laid to the line, and righteousness to the plummet.'' [Voices generally, ' Go it, go it ! '] If you say it is all right, raise your hands. [All hands up.] Let us call upon the Lord to assist us in this and every other good worZ;." The foregoing is a literal quotation from the Deserct News^, republished in the "Journal of Discourses," vol. i., p. 82. These extracts, repeatedly published by the Church author- BRIGHAM AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 307 ities, first in the Deseret News^ in Salt Lake City, and after- wards in the Millennial Star ofiice in Liverpool, are evidences of the sincerity of Brigham Young. jN^o sane man — fanatic though he might be — would use this threatening and blood- thirsty language, at the same time being fully aware of his own responsibility, unless he were sincere. He assuredly be- lieved that " life and death " were in the hands of the priest- hood. He believes it still ; and the exercise of such a power was " not to destroy, but to save ! " With Judge Drummond on the Pacific coast publishing every possible charge of villainy and despotism against the leaders of the Church, asserting that law could not be admin- istered in the Territory, and that the records of the Supreme Court had been burned ; with Judge Stiles at Washington rep- resenting to the Government that lie had been intimidated and threatened, and had been forced to close his court ; and with a host of correspondents writing exciting statements to all parts of the Union about the " reign of terror," inaugurated by the *' Reformation," the nation was wrought up to the highest pitch of indignation. The administration of President Pierce was drawing; to a close and did not choose to inaugurate anj^ new measures, but this seeming indifference on the part of the Government only stirred up the opi^onents of Brigham Young to greater exer- tions, and every measure was adopted to secure some decided action. That busy class of men who hang around Washington *' waiting for something to turn up," soon saw an appropriate occasion for a display of force to bring Brigham to a realiza- tion of his obligations to the national Government. Contrac- tors and would-be contractors became urgent for action, rep- resentatives and senators became fierce in their denunciation of the outrages in Utah, and every violent word and action of the Mormon priesthood henceforth was construed into "re- bellion " against the United States." At the organization of the Republican party, Brigham Young and the Mormons occupied too much attention to be overlooked, and in the framing of its first platform Utah was raised to a kindred association with the Soutii, and in every 308 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. campaign procession where John C. Fremont was the standard bearer of the party, there could be read : " The Abolishment of Slavery and Polygamy ; the Twin Relics of Barbarism." "While the affairs of Utah were thus before the nation, and coming events, portending war, were casting forth their shad- ows, a sad page was added to the history of Mormon emi- gration. ,r& .' ^^'.i' ^y|p- iiiiiiiiiiiiiliii' CHAPTEE XXXYII. EMIGEATING TO UTAH WITIT HAND-CAETS.— Mr. Chislett's Narrative— The " Divine Plan " for emigrating the Poor — Outfitting in Iowa City — Organ- izing the Company — Journey through Iowa — The Elders prophesy a Successful Journey — Brother Savage protests — "Inspirational" Counsel followed — The Carts break down — Cattle are lost — The Apostle Eichards prophesies in the Name of the God of Israel— The Elders eat the Fatted Calf— Arrival at Fort Laramie — Provisions become scarce — Great Privations — The People begin to faint by the Way — Captain Willie's Bravery — The Winter overtakes them — Snow on the Mountains — The Sweetwater — Great Distress, Disease, and Death — Envoys from Salt Lake Valley — Provisions all gone — Captain Willie goes in search of Aid — Terrible Condition of the People — Courage and Faithfulness of the Sufferers — Arrival of Timely Aid — A Thrilling Scene — Hope revived — " Too Late "— Eavages of Death— A Hard Eoad— An Old Man's Death—" Thir- teen Cor^pses all Stiffly Frozen'''' — Fifteen huried in One Grave — The Ending of the Journey — Great Kindness of the Elders and People of Utah — The Pilgrims enter Zion — Sixty-seven Emigrants dead on the Journey — Greater Losses in. another Company — Folly of Modern Prophecies, The story of the Hand-Cart Emigration to Utah that fills BO melancholy a page in the history of the Mormon people could only be written properly by one who had himself passed through the sufferings which it relates. A gentleman now in Salt Lake City, and formerly a fellow-labourer with the Au- thor in the Mormon missions, furnishes a graphic history equal- ling in interest the finest pages of fiction, jet strikingly true, and exhibiting a rare devotion that commands respect. He at first declined to affix his name, but the Author, persuaded of the value of his narrative, succeeded at last in inducing him to consent. Mr. Chislett is a gentleman who enjoys the confidence and respect of those who know him, both in Europe and in the SI 2 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. United States ; and this episode of his life, illustrating as it ■does a phase of Mormon emigration, and exploding the pre- sumptuous folly of the predictions of modern apostles, will be read with deep interest. MR. CIIISLETT'S NARRATIVE. PART I. THE riLGRIMS SET OUT FOR ZION. "For several years previous to 1856, the poorer portion of tlie Mor- mon emigrants from Europe to Utah made the overland journey from ' the Frontiers' to Salt Lake City by ox-teams, under the management of the Church agents, who were generally ciders returning to Utah after hav- ing performed missions in Europe or the Eastern States. The cost of the journey from Liverpool to Salt Lake by this method was from £10 to £13. All the emigrants who were obliged to travel in this manner were, if able, expected to walk all the way, or at least the greater part of the way. The teams were used for hauling provisions, and 100 lbs. of luggage were allowed to each emigrant. Old people, feeble women and children, gen- erally could ride when they wished. The overland portion of the jour- ney occupied from ten to twelve weeks. "This was a safe method of emigration, and it added to the wealth of the new Territory by increasing its quota of live stock, wagons, and such articles of clothing, tools, etc., as the emigrants brought. These were all much needed in Utah in early days, and families going to the Territory v.'itli a surplus found good opportunities for exchanging them for land and the produce of the Valley. Many families came out with their own wagons ; some of the more wealthy having several well laden with neces- sary articles. The growth and prosperity of the Territory were slow, gradual, and natural, and as each successive company of emigrants ar- rived they found the country prepared to receive them. Employment could generally be obtained by the mechanics (especially of the building trades) as soon as they arrived. The wealthy could find cultivated land at fair prices without having to endure the hardship of making new liomes on unbroken land, while the agricultural labourer could always find a welcome among the farmers. Artisans and men of no trade were the only class who were really out of place. They had to begin life anew and strike out fresh pursuits, suffering frequently in the undertaking. But the general condition was prosperous. "The growth of the colony was not, however, sufficiently rapid to suit the ambitious mind of Brigham Young. Thousands of faithful devotees of the Church were waiting patiently in Europe to join the new Zion of the West, but all their faith in Brigham was practically valueless. To be of any real benefit to the Church they must gather in Zion. The question INTRODUCTION OF THE HANDCART SCHEME. 31 3 was, how to trausfer to Utah those who could not raise the necessary £10 Bterling. The matter was discussed in the winter of 1855-6, in Salt Lake City, by Brigham and his chief men. After much debate their united wisdom devised and adopted a system of emigration across the plains by hand-carts, as being cheaper and consequently better under the circumstances for bringing the faithful poor from Europe, " Whether Brigham was influenced in his desire to get the poor of Europe more rapidly to Utah by his sympathy with their condition, by his well-known love of power, his glory in numbers, or his love of wealth, which an increased amount of subservient labour would enable him to acquire, is best known to himself. But the sad results of his Hand-Cart scheme will call for a day of reckoning in the future which he cannot evade. " Instructions were sent by Brigham and his chief men to their agent. Apostle F. D. Kichards, at Liverpool, and were published by him in the Millennial Star with such a flourish of trumpets as would have done hon- our to any of the most momentous events in the world's history. That apostle announced to the Saints that God, ever watchful for the welfare of his people and anxious to remove them from the calamities impending over the wicked in Babylon, had inspired His servant Brigham with His spirit, and by such inspiration the hand-cart mode of emigration was adopted. By going to Ziou in this way some difficulty would be experi- enced ; but had not the Lord said that He would have a ' tried people,' and that they should come up ' through great tribulation,' etc. Thus reasoned this grave apostle — declaring the plan was God's own, and of His own devising through His servant Brigham. Thus the word went forth to the faithful Mormons with the stamp of Divinity upon it. They received it with gladness, believing in the assertion that ' He doeth all things well,' and they set about preparing for their journey — at least aa many as could raise means to reach the frontiers. Those who had more money than was necessary for this were counselled to deposit all they had with F. D. Richards, that it might be used to help others to that point, as all who reached there would be surely sent through. " Many, in their honest, simple whole-heartedness, and love for their brethren and sisters, obeyed this counsel, while many others helped their own immediate friends and acquaintances to emigrate. The result was that a greater number of the Saints left Liverpool for Utah that year than ever before or since. Of this, Richards felt proud, and frequently boasted of it, as though the success of the scheme was certain when the peojDle had left Liverpool. " What his instructions from Brigham were, or whether he exceeded them, it is immaterial now to enquire ; but certain it is that the prejiara- tions on the frontiers were altogether inadequate to the number of emi- grants, as indeed were the preparations throughout the entire journey west of New York, For instance, several hundred emigrants would arrive at Iowa City, expecting to find tents or some means of shelter, as agents 314 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. liad been sent on from Liverpool to purchase tents, hand-carts, wagons, and cattle, and to prepare generally for the coming flood of emigrants. But they were doomed to disappointment. Tliere were no wagons or tents, and, for days after their arrival, no shelter but the broad heavens. They were delayed at Iowa City for some weeks — some of them for months — while carts were being made, and this, too, when they should have been well on their way. "The 'Divine plan' being new in this country, of course hand-carts were not procurable, so they had to be made on the camp-ground. They were made in a hurry, some of them of very insufficiently seasoned tim- ber, and strength was sacrificed to weight until the production was a fra- gile structure, with nothing to recommend it but lightness. They were generally made of two parallel hickory or oak sticks, about five feet long, and two by one and a half inches thick. These were connected by one cross-piece at one end to serve as a handle, and three or four similar pieces nearly a foot apart, commencing at the other end, to serve as the bed of the cart, under the centre of which was fastened a wooden axle- tree, without iron skeins. A pair of light wheels, devoid of iron, except a very light iron tire, completed the " divine " hand-cart. Its weight was somewhere near sixty pounds. " When we arrived at Iowa City, the great out-fitting point for the emi- gration, we found that three hand-cart companies had already gone for- ward, under the respective captaincy of Edmund Ellsworth, Daniel Mc- Arthur, and Bunker, all Valley elders returning from missions to England. These companies reached Salt Lake City in safety before cold weather set in.* No carts being ready for us, nor indeed anything neces- sary for our journey, we were detained three weeks at Iowa Camp, where we could celebrate the Fourth of July. " A few days after this we started on our journey, organized as follows: James G, Willie, captain of the company, which numbered about five hundred. Each hundred had a sub-captain, thus : first, Millen Atwood ; second, Levi Savage ; third, William Woodward ; fourth, John Chislett ; fifth, Ahmensen. The third hundred were principally Scotch ; the fifth, Scandinavians. The other hundreds were mostly English. To each hundred there were five round tents, with twenty persons to a tent ; twenty * One of the hand-cart emigrants, writing of the arrival of the first two com- panies in Salt Lake City, says : " On that occasion Brigham took one of the brethren by the hand, and said in a tone that showed he was begging tlie question : ' This experiment is a success.' The brother thought : ' So, after all that we have heard of divine plan, etc., you, the Prophet ' of the Lord, the originator of the scheme, acknowledge it only an experiment ! An ' experiment in human life, human misery ! Can we imagine anything more cold- ' hearted than that ? Human nature, kindness, brotherhood, all forgotten, all sacri- ' ficed to feed ambition ! An ambition to do what ? To establish a despotism more ' complete than that of the Vatican ! ' " PASSING THROUGH IOWA. 315 hand-carts, or one to every five persons ; and one Chicago wagon, drawn by three yoke of oxen, to haul provisions and tents. Each person was limited to seventeen pounds of clothing and bedding, making eighty-five pounds of luggage to each cart. To this were added such cooking utensils as the little mess of five required. But their cuisine being scanty, not many articles were needed, and I presume the average would not exceed fifteen to twenty pounds, making in all a little over a hundred pounds on each cart. The carts being so poorly made, could not be laden heavily, even had the people been able to haul them. " The strength of the company was equalized as much as possible by distributing the young men among the difierent families to help them. Several carts were drawn by young girls exclusively ; and two tents were occupied by them and such females as had no male companions. The other tents were occupied by families and some young men ; all ages and conditions being found in one tent. Having been thrown closely together on shipboard, all seemed to adapt themselves to this mode of tent-life with- out any marked repugnance. Passing through Iowa. " As we travelled along, we presented a singular, and sometimes an affecting appearance. The young and strong went along gaily with their carts, but the old people and little children were to be seen straggling a long distance in the rear. Sometimes, when the little folks had walked as far as they could, their fathers would take them on their carts, and thus increase the load that was already becoming too heavy as the day ad- vanced. But what will parents not do to benefit their children in time of trouble ? The most affecting scene, however, was to see a mother carrying her child at the breast, mile after mile, until nearly exhausted. The heat was intense, and the dust suffocating, which rendered our daily journeys toilsome in the extreme. 316 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " Our rations consisted of ten ounces of flour to each adult per day, and half that amount to children under eight years of age. Besides our flour ■\ve had occasionally a little rice, sugar, cofl'ee, and bacon. But these items (especially the last) were so small and infrequent that they scarcely deserve mentioning. Any hearty man could eat his daily allov.-ance for breakfast. In fact, some of our men did this, and then worked all day without dinner, and went to bed supperless or begged food at the farm- houses as we travelled along. " The people in Iowa were very good in giving to those wlio asked food, expressing their sympathy for us whenever they visited our camp — which they did in large numbers if we stopped near a settlement. They tried to dissuade us from going to Salt Lake in that way, and ofi'ered U8 €mployment and homes among them. A few of our company left us from time to time ; but the elders constantly warned us against ' the Gentiles,' and by close watching succeeded in keeping the company tolerably com- plete. Meetings were held nearly every evening for preaching, counsel, and prayer ; the chief feature of the preaching being, ' obey your leaders in all things.'' " I do not know who settled the amount of our rations, but whoever it was, I should like him, or them, to drag a hand-cart through the State of Iowa in the month of July on exactly the same amount and quality of fare we had. This would be but simple justice. The Scripture says : 'What- ' soever measure ye mete shall be measured to you again.' " When we travelled in this impoverished manner through Iowa, flour was selling at three cents per pound, and bacon seven to eight cents. The Church agents were, no doubt, short of money ; but, where was the wis- dom in sending forward so many people when the preparations were al- together inadequate for them ? Would it not have been better to have brought over fewer emigrants with some small degree of comfort, than to have brought so many and have deprived them of the merest necessities of life ? " A little less than four weeks' travelling brought us to the Missouri river. We crossed it on a steam ferry-boat, and encamped at the town of Florence,* Nebraska, six miles above Omaha, v/here we remained about a week, making our linal preparations for crossing the plains. "The elders seemed to be divided in their judgment as to the prac- ticability of our reaching Utah in safety at so late a season of the year, and the idea was entertained for a day or two of making our winter quarters on the Elkhorn, Wood river, or some eligible location in Nebraska ; but it did not meet with general approval. A monster meeting was called to consult the people about it. " The emigrants were entirely ignorant of the country and climate — simple, honest, eager to go to ' Zion ' at once, and obedient as little chil- dren to the ' servants of God,' Under these circumstances it was natural * Formerly " Winter Quarters." PREDICTIONS AND PROMISES. 317 that they should leave their destinies in the hands of the elders. There were but four men in our company who had been to the valley, viz. ; Wil- lie, Atwood, Savage, and Woodward ; but there were several at Florence superintending the emigration, among whom elders G. D. Grant and W. H. Kimball occupied the most prominent position. These men all talked at the meeting just mentioned, and all, with one exception, favoured going on. They prophesied in the name of God that we should get through in safety. Were we not God's people, and would he not protect us ? Even the elements he would arrange for our good, etc. But Levi Savage used his common sense and his knowledge of the country. He declared posi- tively that to his certain knowledge we could not cross the mountains with a mixed company of aged people, women, and little children, so late in the, season without much suffering, sickness, and death. He therefore advised going into winter quarters without delay ; but he was rebuked by the other elders for want of faith, one elder even declaring that he would guarantee to eat all the snow that fell on us between Florence and Salt Lake City. Savage was accordingly defeated, as the majority were against him. He then added : ' Brethren and sisters, what I have said I know to 'be true; but, seeing you are to go forward, I will go with you, will help ' you all I can, will work with you, will rest with you, will sufler with you,, 'and, if necessary, I will die with you. May God in his mercy bless and ' preserve us. Amen.' " Brother Savage was true to his word ; no man worked harder than he to alleviate the sufiering which he had foreseen, when he had to endure it. Oh, had the judgment of this one clear-headed man been heeded, what scenes of suffering, wretchedness, and death would have been prevented I But he was overwhelmed with the religious fanaticism and blind faith of others who thought the very elements would be changed or influenced tO' suit us, and that the seasons would be transposed for our accommodation, because v/e, forsooth, were ' the people of God ! ' " PART IL THE JOURKEY ACROSS THE PLAINS. " We started from Florence about the 18th of August, and travelled in the same way as through Iowa, except that our carts were more heavily laden, as our teams could not haul sufficient flour to last us to Utah ; it was therefore decided to put one sack (ninety-eight pounds) on each cart in addition to the regular baggage. Some of the people grumbled at this„ but the majority bore it without a murmur. Our flour ration was in- creased to a pound per day; fresh beef was issued occasionally, and each 'hundred' had three or four milch cows. The flour on the carts was used first, the weakest parties being the first relieved of their burdens. " Everything seemed to be propitious, and we moved gaily forward full of hope and faith. At our camp each evening could be heard songs of joy, merry peals of laughter, and Ion mots on our condition and pros- 318 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. pects. Brother Savage's warning was forgotten in the mirthful ease of the hour. The only drawbacks to this part of our journey were the constant breaking down of carts and the delays caused by repairing tliem. The axles and boxes being of wood, and being gi-ound out by the dust that found its way there in spite of our eflbrts to keep it out, together with the extra weight i:)ut on the carts, had the effect of breaking the axles at the shoulder. All kinds of expedients were resorted to as remedies for the growing evil, but with variable success. Some wrapped their axles with leather obtained from boot-legs ; others with tin, obtained by sacrificing tin-plates, kettles, or buckets from their mess outfit. Besides these incon- veniences, there was felt a great lack of a proper lubricator. Of anything suitable for this jiurpose we had none at all. The poor folks had to use their bacon (already totally insuflicient for their wants) to grease their axles, and some even used their soap, of which they had very little, to make their carts trundle somewhat easier. In about twenty days, how- ever, the flour being consumed, breakdowns became less frequent, and we jogged along finely. We travelled from ten to twenty miles per day, averaging about fifteen miles. The people felt well, so did our cattle, and our immediate jirospects of a prosperous journey were good. But the fates seemed to be against us. " About this time we reached Wood river. The whole country was alive with buffaloes, and one night — or, rather, evening — our cattle stam- peded. Men went in pursuit and collected what they supposed to be the herd ; but, on corralling them for yoking next morning, thirty head were missing. We hunted for them three days in every direction, but did not find them. We at last reluctantly gave ujj the search, and prej^ared to travel without them as best we could. We had only about enough oxen left to put one yoke to each wagon ; but, as they were each loaded with about three thousand pounds of flour, the teams could not of course move them. We then yoked up our beef cattle, milch cows, and, in fact, everything that could bear a yoke — even two-year old heifers. The stock was wild and could pull but little, and we were unable, with all our stock, to move our loads. As a last resort we again loaded a sack of flour on each cart. " The patience and faith of the good honest people were shaken some- what by this (to them) hard stroke of Providence. Some complained openly ; others, less demonstrative, chewed the bitter cud of discontent ; while the greater part saw the 'hand of the Lord' in it. The belief that we were the spiritual favourites of the Almighty, and that he would control everything for our good, soon revived us after our temporary despondency, and in a day or two faith was as assuring as ever with the pilgrims. But our progress was slow, the old breakdowns were constantly repeated, and some could not refrain from murmuring in spite of the general trustfulness. It was really hard for the folks to lose the use of their milch cows, have beef rations stopped, and haul one hundred pounds more on their carts. Every man and woman, however, worked to their utmost to put forward towards the goal of their hopes. "LOOK ON THIS PICTURE, AND ON THAT." 319 " One evening, as we were camped on the west bank of the North Bhiflf Fork of the Platte, a grand outfit of carriages and light wagons was driven into our camp from the East. Each vehicle was drawn by four horses or mules, and all the appointments seemed to be first rate. The occupants we soon found to be the apostle F. D. Richards, elders W. H. Kimball, G. D. Grant, Joseph A. Young, C. G. Webb, N. H. Felt, W. C. Dunbar, and others who were returning to Utah from missions abroad. They camped with us for the night, and in the morning a general meeting was called. Apostle Richards addressed us. He had been advised of the opposition brother Savage had made, and he rebuked him very severely in open meet- ing for his lack of faith in God. Richards gave us plenty of counsel to be faithful, prayerful, obedient to our leaders, etc., and wound up by prophe- sying in the name of Israel's God that ' though it might storm on our ' right and on our left, the Lord would keep open our way before us and ' we should get to Zion in safety.' This assurance had a telling effect on the people — to them it was ' the voice of God.' They gave a loud and hearty ' Amen,' while tears of joy ran down their sunburnt cheeks. " These brethren told Captain Willie they wanted some fresh meat, and he had our fattest calf killed for them. I am ashamed for humanity's sake to say they took it. While we, four hundred in number, travelling so slowly and so far from home, with our mixed company of men, women, children, aged, sick, and infirm people, had no provisions to spare, had not enough for ourselves, in fact, these ' elders in Israel,' these ' servants of God,' took from us what we ourselves so greatly needed and went on in style with their splendid outfit, after preaching to us faith, patience, pray- erfulness, and obedience to the priesthood. As they rolled out of our camp I could not, as I contrasted our positions and circumstances, help exclaiming to myself: ^Look on this picture^ and on that!'' " We broke camj) at once and turned towards the river, the apostle having advised us to go on to the south side. He and his company pre- ceded us and waited on the opposite bank to indicate to us the best ford- ing place. They stood and watched us wade the river — here almost a mile in width, and in places from two to three feet deep. Our women and girls waded, pulling their carts after them. " The apostle promised to leave us provisions, bedding, etc., at Lara' mie if he could, and to secure us help from the valley as soon as possible. " We reached Laramie about the 1st or 2d of September, but the pro- visions, etc., which we expected were not there for us. Captain Willie called a meeting to take into consideration our circumstances, condition, and prospects, and to see what could be done. It was ascertained that at our present rate of travel and consumption of flour, the latter would be exhausted when we were about three hundred and fifty miles from our destination ! It was resolved to reduce our allowance from one jjound to three-quarters of a pound per day, and at the same time to make every effort in our power to travel faster. We continued this rate of rations from Laramie to Independence Rock. 320 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " About this time Captain Willie received a letter from apostle Rich- ards informing him that we might expect supplies to meet us from the valley by the time we reached South Pass. An examination of our stock of flour showed us that it would be gone before we reached that point. Our only alternative was to still further reduce our bill of fare. The issue of flour was then to average ten ounces per day to each person over ten years of age, and to be divided thus : "working-men to receive twelve ounces, women and old men nine ounces, and children from four to eight ounces, according to age and size. " This arrangement dissatisfied some, especially men with families ; for so far they had really done better than single men, the children's rations being some help to them. But, taken altogether, it was as good a plan as we could have adopted under the circumstances. " Many of our men showed signs of failing, and to reduce their rations below twelve ounces would have been suicidal to the company, seeing they had to stand guard at night, wade the streams repeatedly by day to get the women and children across, erect tents, and do many duties which women could not do. " Our captain did his utmost to move us forward and always acted with great impartiality. The sub-captains had plenty of Avork, too, in seeing that rations were fairly divided, equally distributing the strength of their hundreds, helping the sick and the weakly, etc. " We had not travelled far up the Sweetwater before the nights, which had gradually been getting colder since we left Laramie, became very se- vere. The mountains before us, as we approached nearer to them, revealed themselves to view mantled nearly to their base in snow, and tokens of a coming storm were discernible in the clouds which each day seemed to lower around us. In our frequent crossings of the Sweetwater, we had really ' a hard road to travel.' The water was beautiful to the eye, as it rolled over its rocky bed as clear as crystal ; but when we waded it time after time at each ford to get the carts, the women, and the children over, the beautiful stream, with its romantic surroundings (which should awaken holy and poetic feelings in the soul, and draw it nearer to the Great Au- thor of life), lost to us its beauty, and the chill which it sent through oui systems drove out from our minds all holy and devout aspirations, and left a void, a sadness, and — in some cases — doubts as to the justice of an overruling Providence. " Our sctentccn pounds of clothing and bedding was now altogether in- sufficient for our comfort. Nearly all suffered more or less at ni„ht . ^.m cold. Instead of getting up in the morning strong, refreshed, vigorous, and prepared for the hardships of another day of toil, the poor ' Saints ' were to be seen crawling out from their tents looking haggard, benumbed, and showing an utter lack of that vitality so necessary to our success. " Cold weather, scarcity of food, lassitude and fatigue fi-om over-exer- tion, soon produced their efiects. Our old and infirm people began to droop, and they no sooner lost spirit and courage than death's stamp could THE RAVAGES OF DEATH. 321 be traced upon their features. Life went out as smoothly as a lamp ceases to burn when the oil is gone. At first the deaths occurred slowly and ir- regularly, but in a few days at more frequent intervals, until we soon thought it unusual to leave a camp-ground without burying one or more persons. " Death was not long confined in its ravages to the old and infirm, but the young and naturally strong were among its victims. Men who were, so to speak, as strong as lions when we started on our journey, and who had been our best supports, were compelled to succumb to the grim mon- ster. These men were worn down by hunger, scarcity of clothing and bedding, and too much labour in helping their families. JV^eakness and debility were accompanied by dysentery. This we could not stop or even alleviate, no proper medicines being in the camp; and in almost every in- stance it carried ofi" the parties attacked. It was surprising to an unmar- I'ied man to witness the devotion of men to their families and to their faith, under these trying circumstances. Many a father pulled his cart, with his little children on it, until the day preceding his death. I have seen some jDull their carts in the morning, give out during the day, and die before next morning. These people died with the calm faith and for- titude of martyrs. Their greatest regret seemed to be leaving their fam- ilies behind them, and their bodies on the plains or mountaius instead of being laid in the consecrated ground of Zion. The sorrow and mourning of the bereaved, as they saw their husbands and fathers rudely interred, were affecting in the extreme, and none but a heart of stone could repress a tear of sympathy at the sad spectacle.* "Each death weakened our forces. In my hundred I could not raise enough men to pitch a tent when we encamped, and now it was that I * A letter from one of the hand-cart emigrants of a later company found its way into the London '^imcs. This emigrant relates his apprehension of the company starting too late from the Missouri river, and of the resolution of himself and rela- tions to defer their journey to Zion ; but, being instructed and cheered up by the preaching of elders Richards and Wheelock, they resolved to go forward, " let the consequence be what it would." After he had travelled part of the journey, he writes : " We pushed on ; my mother walking sixteen, eighteen, or twenty miles a day for weeks, without a ride or any assistance, until she was exhausted, with no conve- nience to ride. This brought on disease, and I had to haul her in my hand-cart for two days ; and after a month's journey from Florence she was quite worn out, wished to give up, and died one morning before we started out. We buried her by the roadside, without a coffin. We mourned her loss, knowing she was one of our best friends. The time rolled on for eight or nine days, and my sister Mary caught the same complaint. I hauled her in my hand-cart for some days, and she then died. We went on our journey for another fortnight, when my youngest child, Ephraim, died likewise. My father kept pushing and pulling the hand-cart, with sore feet, until he was worn out and had to go to the wagons to ride. My wife pushed at the band-carts until she fell sick, was worn out, and had to go to the wagons to ride. My son William fell sick of the fever and ague, and his mother was ill of the same 20 322 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. had to exert mj-sclf to the utmost. I wonder I did not die, as many did Tvho were stronger than I was. When we pitched our camp in the eve- ning of each day, I had to lift the sick from the wagon and carry them to the fire, and in the morning carry them again on my back to the wagon. When any in my hundred died I had to inter them ; often lielj^ing to dig the grave myself. In performing these sad offices I always offered up a heartfelt prayer to that God who beheld our sufferings, and begged him to avert destruction from us and send us helji. PART III. FEAEFUL SUFFERINGS : THE RAVAGES OF STARVATION, DISEASE, AND DEATH. " We travelled on in misery and sorrow day after day. Sometimes we made a pretty good distance, but at other times we were only able to make a few miles' progress. Finally we were overtaken by a snow-storm which the shrill wind blew furiously about us. The snow fell several inches deep as we travelled along, but we dared not stop, for we had a sixteen-mile journey to make, and short of it we could not get wood and water. "As we were resting for a short time at noon a light wagon was driven into our camp from the west. Its occupants were Joseph A. Young * and Stephen Taylor. They informed us that a train of supplies was on the way, and we might expect to meet it in a day or two. More welcome messengers never came from the courts of glory than these two young men were to us. They lost no time after encouraging us all they could to press forward, but sped on farther east to convey theii- glad news complaint. We pushed on to Fort Laramie, where I was completely exhausted with hunger and fatigue, and stayed behind with another young man from Manchester (John Barlow). If I had gone on another week, I should have been a dead man. I cannot say whether my father is dead or alive." * " Joseph A.," as the Prophet's eldest son is familiarly termed, was the last of the returning missionaries to leave the emigrant camp on the banks of the Platte river. Though ignorant of the apprehension that he felt for their welfare, and the presentiments he had of the inevitable suffering that awaited them, many of the emigrants clung to him with more than ordinary affection, and detained him till the warning of approaching night urged him to follow his companions. When he bade them good-by, he could scarcely say more than ' You shall see me again soon.' All speed was made by him and his companions, and immediately on arrival in Salt Lake City he reported to his father how far the emigrants were yet behind. Brigham comprehended their situation in a moment. Though his son had been absent two years from his home, he ordered him instantly to make ready to return to the assistance of the emigrants and gave him authority to take all the provisions, clothing, and vehicles that he could find on the way and press them forward to the rescue. Brigham Young on that occasion earned the good opinions of foes as well ^s friends. PERISHING FOR WANT OF BREAD. 32J to Edward Martin and the fifth hand-cart company who left Florence about two weeks after us, and who it was feared were even worse off than we were. As they went fi.-om our view, many a hearty ' God bless you followed them. " We pursued our joui'ney with renewed hope and after untold toil and fatigue, doubling teams frequently, going back to fetch up the straggling carts, and encouraging those who had dropped by the way to a little more exertion in view of our soon-to-be improved condition, we finally, late at night, got all to camp — the wind howling frightfully and the snow eddy- ing around us in fitful gusts. But we had found a good camp among the willows, and after warming and partially drying ourselves before good fires, we ate our scanty fare, paid our usual devotions to the Deity and re- tired to rest with hopes of coming aid. " In the morning the snow was over a foot deep. Our cattle strayed widely during the storm, and some of them died. But what was worse to us than all this was the fact that Jive persons of both sexes lay in the cold embrace of death. The pitiless storm and the extra march of the pre- vious day had been too much for their wasted energies, and they had passed through the dark valley to the bright world beyond. We buried these five peoj^le in one grave, wrapped only in the clothing and bedding in which they died. We had no materials with which to make coffins, and even if we had, we could not have spared time to make them, for it required all the efforts of the healthy few who remained to perform the ordinary camp duties and to look after the sick — the number of whom increased daily on our hands, notwithstanding so many were dying. " The morning before the storm, or, rather, the morning of the day on which it came, we issued the last ration of flour. On this fatal morning, therefore, we had none to issue. We had, however, a barrel or two of hard bread which Captain Willie had procured at Fort Laramie in view of our destitution. This was equally and fairly divided among all the company. Two of our jjoor broken-down cattle were killed and thcu* carcasses issued for beef. With this we were informed that we would have to subsist until the coming supplies reached us. All that now re- mained in our commissary were a few pounds each of sugar and dried apples, about a quarter of a sack of rice and a small quantity (possibly 20 or 25 lbs.) of hard bread. The brother who had been our commissary all the way from Liverpool had not latterly acted in a way to merit the confidence of the company ; but it is hard to handle provisions and suffer hunger at the same time, so I will not write a word of condemnation. These few scanty supplies were on this memorable morning turned over to me by Captain Willie, with strict injunctions to distribute them only to the sick and to mothers for their hungry children, and even to them in as sparing a manner as possible. It was an unenviable place to occupy, a hard duty to perform ; but I acted to the best of my ability, using all the discretion I could. " Being surrounded by snow a foot deep, out of provisions, many of 324 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. our people sick, and our cattle dying, it was decided that we should re- main in our present camp until the supply-train reached us. It was also resolved in council that Captain Willie with one man should go in search of the supply-train and apprise its leader of our condition, and hasten him to our help. When this was done we settled down and made our camp as comfortable as we could. As Captain Willie and his companion left for the West, many a heart was lifted in prayer for their success and speedy return. They were absent three days — three days which I shall never forget. The scanty allowance of hard bread and poor beef, distrib- uted as described, was mostly consumed the first day by the hungry, rav- enovis, famishetl souls. "We killed more cattle and issued the meat; but, eating it without bread, did not satisfy hunger, and to those who were suffering from dys- entery it did more harm than good. This terrible disease increased rapid- ly amongst us during these three days, and several died from exhaustion. Before we renewed our journey the camp became so offensive and filthy that words would fail to describe its condition, and even common decency forbids the attempt. Suffice it to say that all the disgusting scenes which the reader might imagine would certainly not equal the terrible reality. It was enough to make the heavens weep. The recollection of it unmans me even now — those three days ! During that time I visited the sick, the widows whose husbands died in serving them, and the aged who could not help themselves, to know for myself where to dispense the few arti- cles that had been placed in my charge for distribution. Such craving hunger I never saw before, and may God in his mercy spare me the sight again. " As I was seen giving these things to the most needy, crowds of fam- ished men and women surrounded me and begged for bread ! Men whom I had known all the way from Liverpool, who had been true as steel in every stage of our journey, who in their homes in England and Scotland had never known want ; men who by honest labour had sustained them- selves and their families, and saved enough to cross the Atlantic and trav- erse the United States, whose hearts were cast in too great a mould to descend to a mean act or brook dishonour ; such men as these came to me and begged bread. I felt humbled to the dust for my race and nation, and I hardly know which feeling was strongest at that time, pity for our condition, or malediction on the fates that so humbled the proud Anglo- Saxon nature. But duty might not be set aside by feeling, however nat- ural, so I positively refused these men bread ! But while I did so, I ex- plained to them the painful position in which I was placed, and most of them acknowledged that I was right. Not a few of them afterwards spoke approvingly of my stern performance of duty. It is difficult, how- ever, to reason with a hungry man ; but these noble fellows, when they comprehended my position, had faith in my honour. Some of them are in Utah to-day, and when we meet, the strong grip of friendship over- comes, for the moment at least, all differences of opinion which we may BEGGED BREAD IX VAIX. 325 entertain on any subject.* May the Heavens ever be kind to them, what- ever their tiiith, for they are good men and true. And the sisters who suffered with us— may the loving angels ever be near them to guard them from the ills of life. "Came to me and begged Bread.'' " The storm which we encountered, our brethren from the Yalley also met, and, not knowing that we were so utterly destitute, they encamped to await line weather. But when Captain Willie found them and explained our real condition, they at once hitched up their teams and made all speed to come to our rescue. On the evening of the third day after Captain Willie's departure, just as the sun was sinking beautifully behind the dis- tant liUls, on an eminence immediately west of our camp several covered wagons, each drawn by four horses, were seen coming towards us. The news ran through the camp like wildtire, and all who were able to leave their beds turned out en masse to see them. A few minutes brought them sufficiently near to reveal our faithful captain slightly in advance of the train. Shouts of joy rent the, air ; strong men wept till tears ran freely down their furrowed and sun-burnt cheeks, and little children partook of the joy which some of them hardly understood, and fiiirly danced aroimd with gladness. Restraint was set aside in the general rejoicing, and as the brethren entered our camp the sisters fell upon them and deluged them with kisses. The brethren were so overcome that they could not for * Without a note this remark would be misunderstood by the general reader. When any one outgrows the Mormon faith, the orthodox generally are averse to the recognition of " an apostate." Mr. Chislett wishes to express in his remark that the friendship created in that trying hour has been proof against even the bitterness of Church disciDiinc. 326 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. some timo utter a word, but in choking silenced repressed all demonstra- tion of those emotions that evidently mastered them. Soon, however, feeling was somewhat abated, and such a shaking of hands, such words of welcome, and such invocation of God's blessing have seldom been wit- nessed. " I was installed as regular commissary to the camp. The brethren turned over to me flour, potatoes, onions, and a limited supply of warm clothing for both sexes, besides quilts, blankets, buflalo-robes, woollen socks, etc. I first distributed the necessary provisions, and after supper divided the clothing, bedding, etc., where it was most needed. That evening, for the first time in quite a period, the songs of Zion were to be heard in the camp, and peals of laughter issued from the little knots of people as they chatted around the fires. The change seemed almost mi- raculous, so sudden was it from grave to gay, from sorrow to gladness, from mourning to rejoicing. With the cravings of hunger satisfied, and with hearts filled with gratitude to God and our good brethren, we all united in prayer, and then retired to rest. " Among the brethren who came to our succour were elders W. H. Kimball and G. D. Grant. They had remained but a few days in the Val- ley before starting back to meet us. May God ever bless them for their generous, unselfish kindness and their manly fortitude! They felt that they had, in a great measure, contributed to our sad position ; but how nobly, how faithfully, how bravely they worked to bring us safely to the Valley — to the Zion of our hopes ! PART IV. THE PILGRIMS EKTER THE CITY OF THE SAINTS. " The next morning the small company which came to our relief di- vided : one half, under G. D. Grant, going east to meet Martin's company, and the other half, under W. H. Kimball, remaining with us. From this point until we reached the Valley, W. H. Kimball took full charge of us. " We travelled but a few miles the first day, the roads being very heavy. All who were unable to pull their carts were allowed to put their little outfits into the wagon and walk along, and those who were really unable to walk were allowed to ride. The second day we travelled a little far- ther, and each day Brother Kimball got the company along as far as it was possible to move it, but still our progress was very slow. " Timely and good beyond estimate as the helj) which we received from the Valley was to our company generally, it was too late for some of our number. They were already prostrated and beyond all human help. Some seemed to have lost mental as well as physical energy. We talked to them of our improved condition, appealed to their love of life and showed them how easy it was to retain that life by arousing themselves ; but all to no purpose. We then addressed ourselves to their religious feelings ; theu* "HAD LOST ALL LOVE OF LIFE." 327 wish to see Zion ; to know the Prophet Brigham ; showed them the good things that he had sent out to us, and told them how deeply he sympa- thized with us in our suflerings, and what a welcome he would give us when we reached the city. But all our efforts were unavailing ; they had lost all love of life, all sense of surrounding things, and had sunk down into a state of indescribable apathy. " The weather grew colder each day, and many got theii' feet so badly frozen that they could not walk, and had to be lifted from place to place J Some got their fingers frozen ; others their ears ; and one woman lost her sight by the frost. These severities of the weather also increased our number of deaths, so that we buried several each day. "A few days of bright freezing weather were succeeded by another snow-storm. The day we crossed the Rocky Eidge it was snowing a little — the wind hard from the north-west — and blowing so keenly that it al- most pierced us through. We had to wrap ourselves closely in blankets, quilts, or whatever else we could get, to keep from freezing. Captain Willie still attended to tlie details of the company's travelling, and this day he appointed me to bring up the rear. My duty was to stay behind everything and see that nobody was left along the road. I had to bury a man who had died in my hundred, and I finished doing so after the company had started. In about half an hour I set out on foot alone to do my duty as rear-guard to the camp. The ascent of the ridge com- menced soon after leaving camp, and I had not gone far up it before I overtook a cart that the folks could not pull through the snow, here about knee-deep. I helped them along, and we soon overtook another. By all hands getting to one cart we could travel ; so we moved one of the carts a few rods, and then went back and brought up the other. After moving in this way for awhile, we overtook other carts at different points of the hill, until we had six carts, not one of which could be moved by the parties owning it. I put our collective strength to three carts at a time, took them a short distance, and then brought up the other three. Thus by travelling over the hill three times — twice forward and once back — I succeeded after hours of toil in bringing my little comjDany to the summit. The six carts were then trotted on gaily down hill, the intense cold stirring us to action. One or two parties who were with these carts gave up entkely, and but for the fact that we overtook one of our ox- teams that had been detained on the road, they must have perished on that Rocky Ridge. One old man, named James (a farm-labourer from Gloucestershire), who had a large family, and who had worked very hard all the way, I found sitting by the roadside unable to pull his cart any farther. I could not get him into the wagon, as it was already overcroAvded. He had a shot-gun which he had brought from England, and which had been a great blessing to him and his family, for he was a good shot, and often had a mess of sage hens or rabbits for his family. I took the gun from the cart, put a small bundle on the end of it, placed it on his shoul- der, and started him out with his little boy, twelve years old. His wife 328 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. and two daughters older than the boy took the cart along finely after reaching the summit, " We travelled along with the ox-team and overtook others, all so laden with the sick and helpless that tliey moved very slowly. The oxen had almost given out. Some of our folks with carts went ahead of the teams, for where the roads were good they could out-travel oxen ; but we constantly overtook some stragglers, some with carts, some without, who had been unable to keep pace with the body of the company. We struggled along in this weary way until after dark, and by this time our • ' rear ' numbered three wagons, eight hand-carts, and nearly forty persons. With the wagons were Millen Atwood, Levi Savage, and William Wood- ward, captains of hundreds, faithful men who had worked hard all the way. " We finally came to a stream of water which was frozen over. We could not see where the company had crossed. If at the ^Doint where we struck the creek, then it had frozen over since we passed it. We started one team to cross, but the oxen broke through the ice and would not go over. No amount of shouting and whipping could induce them to stir an inch. We were afraid to try the other teams, for even should they cross we could not leave the one in the creek and go on. There was no wood in the vicinity, so we could make no fire, and were uncertain what to do. We did not know the distance to the camp, but supjiosed it to be three or four miles. After consulting about it, we resolved that some one should go on foot to the camp to inform the captain of our situation, I was selected to perform the duty, and I set out with all speed. In cross- ing the creek I slipped through the ice and got my feet wet, my boots being nearly worn out. I had not gone far when I saw some one sitting by the roadside, I stopped to see who it was, and discovered the old man James and his little boy. The poor old man was quite worn out. " I got him to his feet and had him lean on me, and he walked a little distance, but not ver}^ far. I partly dragged, partly carried him a short distance farther, but he was quite helpless, and my strength failed me. Being obliged to leave him to go forward on my own errand, I put down a quilt I had wrapped round me, rolled him in it, and told the little boy to walk up and down by his father, and on no account to sit down, or he would be frozen to death. I told him to watch for teams that would come back, and to hail them when they came. This done I again set out for the camp, running nearly all the way and frequently falling down, for there were many obstructions and holes in the road. My boots were frozen stiff, so that I had not the free use of my feet, and it was only by rai:)id motion that I kept them from being badly frozen. As it v/as, both were nipped. " After some time I came in sight of the camp fires, which encouraged me. As I neared the camp I frequently overtook stragglers on foot, all pressing forward slowly. I stopped to speak to each one, cautioning them all against resting, as they would surely freeze to death. Finally, about 11 p. M., I reached the camp almost exhausted, I had exerted myself very much during the day in bringing the rear carts up the ridge, and had not FIFTEEN BUPvIED IN ONE GRAVE. 329 The Old Man Jaucs eaten anything since breakfast. I reported to Captains "Willie and Kim- ball the situation of the folks behind. They immediately got up some horses, and the boys from the Valley started back about midnight to help the ox-teams in. The night was very severe and many of the emigrants were frozen. It was 5 A. si. before the last team reached the camp. " I told my companions about the old man James and liis little boy. They found the little fellow keeping faithful watch over liis father, who lay sleeping in my quilt just as I left him. They lifted him into a wagon, still alive, but in a sort of stupor. He died be- fore morning. His last words were an enquiry as to the safety of his shot-gun. " There were so many dead and dying that it was decided to lie by for the day. In the forenoon I was appointed to go round the camp and col- lect the dead. I took with me two young men to assist me in the sad task, and we collected together, of all ages and both sexes, thirteen corpses, all stiffly frozen. "VVe had a largo square hole dug in which we buried these thirteen people, three or four abreast and three deep. When they did not fit in, we put one or two crosswise at the head or feet of the others. "We covered them with willows and then with the earth. When we buried these thirteen people some of their relatives refused to attend the services. They manifested an utter indifference about it. The numbness and cold in their physical natures seem to have reached the soul, and to have crushed out natural feeling and affection. Had I not myself witnessed it I could not have believed that suffering would have produced such terri- ble results. But so it was. Two others died during the day, and we buried them in one grave, ms.\va.g fifteen in all hiried on tliat eamp ground. It was on Willow creek, a tributary of the Sweetwater river. I learned afterwards from men who passed that way the next summer, that the wolves had exhumed the bodies, and their bones were scattered thickly around the vicinity. "What a terrible fate for poor, honest. God-fearing people, whose greatest sin was believing with a faith too simple that God would for their benefit reverse the order of nature. They believed this because their elders told them so ; and had not the apostle Richards prophesied in the name of Israel's God that it would be so ? But the terrible realities proved that Levi Savage, with his plain common sense and statement of facts, was right, and that Richards and the other elders, with the ' Spirit of the Lord,' were wrong. 330 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " The day of rest did the company good, and we started out next morning with new life. During the day we crossed the Sweetwater on the ice, whicli did not break, although our wagons were laden with sick people. The effects of our lack of food, and the terrible ordeal of the Rocky Ridge, still remained among us. Two or three died every day. At night we camped a little east by north from the South Pass, and two men in my hundred died. It devolved on me to bury them. This I did before breakfast. The effluvia from these corpses were horrible, and it is small matter for wonder that after performing the last sad offices for them I was taken sick and vomited fearfully. Many said my ' time ' had come, and I was myself afraid that such was the case, but by the blessing of God I got over it and lived. " It had been a practice among us latterly, when a i)ersou died with any good clothes on, to take them off and distribute them among the poor and needy. One of the men I buried near South Pass had on a pair of medium-heavy laced shoes. I looked at them and at my own worn-out boots. I wanted them badly, but could not bring my mind to the ' stick- ing-point' to approjDriate them. I called Captain Kimball up and showed him both, and asked his advice. He told me to take them by all means, and tersely remarked : ' They will do you more good than they will him.' I took them, and but for that would have reached the city of Salt Lake barefoot. " Near South Pass we found more brethren from the Valley, with sev- eral quarters of good fat beef hanging frozen on the limbs of the trees where they were encamped. These quarters of beef were to us the hand- somest pictures we ever saw. The statues of Michael Angelo, or the paintings of the ancient masters, would have been to us nothing in com- parison to these life-giving pictures. " After getting over the Pass we soon experienced the influence of a warmer climate, and for a few days we made good progress. We con- stantly met teams from the Valley, with all ne- cessary provisions. Most of these went on to Mar- tin's company, but enough remained with lis for our actual wants. At Fort Bridger we found a great many teams that had come to our help. The noble fellows who came to our assist- ance invariably received us joyfully, and did all in their power to allevi- ate our sufferings. May they never need similar relief ! From Bridger all our company rode, and this day I also rode for the first time on our jour- "ULit of tliL rioim tb SIXTY-SEVEN PERISHED BY THE WAY. 33] ney. The entire distance from Iowa City to Fort Bridger I walked, and waded every stream from the Missouri to that point, except Elkhorn, which we ferried, and Green river, which I crossed in a wagon. During the journey from Bridger to Salt Lake a few died of dysentery, and some from the effects of frost the day we crossed the fatal Rocky Ridge. But those who weathered that fatal day and night, and were free from dis- ease, gradually regained strength and reached Salt Lake City in good health and spu'its. " When we left Iowa City we numbered about five hundred persons. Some few deserted us while passing through Iowa, and some remained at Florence. When we left the latter place we numbered four hundred and twenty, about twenty of whom were independent emigrants with their own wagons, so that our hand-cart company was actually four hundred of this number. Sixty-seven died on the journey, making a mortality of one-sixth of our number. Of those who were sick on our arrival, two or three soon died. President Young had arranged with the bishops of the different wards and settlements to take care of the poor emigrants who had no Mends to receive them, and their kindness in this respect cannot ie too Tiiglily praised. It was enough that a j)Oor family had come with the hand-carts, to insure help during the winter from the good brethren in the diflerent settlements. My old friend W. G. Mills and his wife re- ceived me and my betrothed most kindly, so I had no need of Church aid. " After arriving in the Yalley, I found that President Young, on learn- ing, from the brethren who passed us on the road, of the lateness of our leaving the frontier, set to work at once to send us relief. It was the Oc- tober Conference when they arrived with the news. Brigham at once sus- pended all conference business, and declared that nothing further should be done until every available team was started out to meet us. He set the example by sending several of his best mule teams laden with provisions. Heber Kimball did the same, and hundreds of others followed their noble example. People who had come from distant parts of the Territory to attend conference volunteered to go out to meet us, and went at once. The people who had no teams gave freely of provisions, bedding, etc.- — all do- ing their best to help us. " We arrived in Salt Lake City on the 9th of November, but Martin's company did not arrive until about the 1st of December. They numbered near six hundred on starting, and lost over one-fourth of their numler ly death. The storm which overtook us while making the sixteen-mile drive on Sweetwater, reached them at North Platte. There they settled down to await help or die, being unable to go any fiirther. Their camp-ground became indeed a veritable grave-yard before they left it, and their dead lie even now scattered along from that point to Salt Lake. They were longer without food than we were, and being more exposed to the severe weather their mortality was, of course, greater in proportion. " Our tale is their tale partly told ; the same causes operated in both cases, and the same effects followed. 332 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " Immediately that the condition of the suffering emigrants was known in Salt Lake City, the most fervent prayers for their deliverance were of- fered up. There, and throughout the Territory, the same was done as soon as the news reached the people. Prayers in the Tabernacle, in the school-house, in the fam- ily circle, and in the pri- vate prayer circles of the priesthood were constant- ly offered up to the Al- mighty, begging Him to avert the storm from us. Such intercessions were invariably made on be- half of Martin's company, at all the meetings which I attended after my ar- rival. But these prayers availed nothing more than did the prophecies of Richards and the el- ders. It was the stout hearts and strong hands of the noble fellows who came to our relief, the good teams, the flour, beef, potatoes, the warm clothing and bedding, and not prayers nor frophecies^ that saved us from death. It is a fact patent to all the old settlers in Utah, that the fall storms of 1856 were earlier and more severe than were ever known be- fore or since. Instead of their prophecies being fulfilled and their prayers answered, it would almost seem that the elements were unusually severe that season, as a rebuke to their presumption." Jo'aa Chislott. THE STORY OF MARTIN'S COMPANY. — TERRIBLE SUFFERING AND PRIVATION. Mk. Chislett's thrilling narrative should properly have been supplemented by a relation of the sad experience of the last hand-cart company, under the guidance of elder Martin. The story already told is too deeply interesting to allow the listener to leave the last company struggling with the winter's fury, without a feeling of sympathy, and a very natural desire to know the fate of the poor emigrants. It could not be expected that elder Martin himself would furnish such a history, as its authorship would have cost him his membership in the Church, THE "DIVINE PLAN" OF EMIGRATION. 333 A gentleman, liowever, in the ox-train that followed the last of the hand-carts, and closed that year's emigration to Zion. and who was himself an eye-witness and sufferer, has furnished the Author with the following picture of endurance, sacrifice, and heroism that fitly closes the story of the " experiment " * of the divine plan for gathering the poor from Europe : " Iowa City was selected that year for an outfitting point for Salt Lake Yalley — the haven of rest for the travel-tired Saints. The apostle John Taylor had charge of the emigration in New York, the apostle Erastus Snow at St. Louis, the apostle Franklin D. Richards in Liverpool, and elder Daniel Spencer at Iowa City. There was some trouble among them as to who was chief, which occasioned much delay, and was probably never settled. To this difference are attributable the suffering and death of so many persons which occurred later in the season. " Elder Chauncey G. Webb bought the wagons — the first of the Chi- cago make that subsequently became so popular in Utah — and also the material for making hand-carts, and shipped them to Iowa City, to which point the railroad had just been completed. The artisans were selected * The Author at first thought that the use of the phrase " divine plan " was only an expression of the ironical feehng of the emigrants who had suffered and had become disgusted with Mormonism, but there is abundant evidence that such was the language of the elders in Europe when they were urging the poor to emi- grate. The following is one of the songs that the unfortunate Mormons sung on their journey before their hearts were benumbed by suffering : HAND-CAET SONG. Tune — A LMtle More Cider, Choexts : Hurrali for the Camp of Israel I Hurrah for the hand-cart scheme 1 Hurrah ! hurrah 1 'tis better far Than the wagon and ox-team. Oh, our faith goes with the hand-carts, And they have our hearts' best love ; 'Tis a novel mode of travelling. Devised by the Gods above. Hurrah! etc. And Brigham '« their executive. He told us the design ; And the Saints are proudly marching on, Along the hand-cart line. Hurrah! etc. Who cares to go with the wagons ? Not we who are free and strong ; Our fiiith and arms, with a right good will, Shall pull our carts along. Hurrah I etc. 334 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. from among the emigrants, and were required to work without wages, and this they did faithfully if not cheerfully. While thus working they were insufBciently rationed, which caused great dissatisfaction, resulting in a refusal 'to continue their labours unless they were properly supjilied. Their demand was complied with. " The hand-carts were fitted up on the most economical plan, and so far was parsimony carried that the wheels had no tires, and to preserve the felloes the emigrants wound them with raw-hide while en route. This defect was afterwards partially remedied by putting on a rim of hoop-iron and rivetting where it lajDped. Elder John Van Cott was deputed to buy and bring up cattle and mules, which he did, I believe, from Missouri. The trouble before named as to who was the " big chief " occasioned de- lays in branches of the outfitting, so that company after company arrived on the camping-ground, and had to stay there a long time before they could commence their journey, but I cannot say how long. " When the cattle arrived they were entrusted to the hand-cart emi- grants to herd, and this part of the business was very badly managed. The hand-cart folks had no interest whatever in the oxen, besides which they were new to the business, and were inefficiently directed. The con- sequence was that lot after lot of the stock was lost, and a proportionately greater price was put on what was left to cover the deficiency, the good Saints being forbidden to buy from settlers. The independent companies wanted to purchase their own stock, with the privilege of taking care of it themselves, but this was not allowed. From the above causes the cat- tle ' increased in value ' — I think, three times — and were finally delivered to the emigrants at much higher prices than they could have been bought for in the neighbourhood. In this way the independent companies were kept back in order that they with their teams might relieve the hand- carts, if needed. " I will say nothing about the percentage collected from the emigrants on passage, railroad, wagons, hand-carts, and provisions — it is perhaps unnecessary. " Florence, some six miles above Omaha, was chosen as a final outfit- ting depot for the Great Plains, and pulling the hand-carts from Iowa City to the Missouri river demonstrated the weak places both in carts and men. On arrival there they were without delay outfitted for their long journey, supplies having been sent up in quantity from St. Louis. James McGaw was in charge at Florence ; he was a capable and indefatigable man. " The last hand-cart train, under Tyler and Martin, arrived at Florence towards the middle of August, and many of the people were discouraged at the prospect ahead, but they were cheered by the elders preaching and telling them that a testimony would be given them that they were the chosen people of God, for they would go through safe and unharmed. ' The Indians, the seasons, nay, the very elements, would be controlled for ' their benefit, and after they got through they would hear of storms on the CROSSING TUB PLATTE RIVER. 335 'right and on the left, of which they in their travelling would know noth- *ing.' Notwithstanding this encouragement, some remained behind for that season — and for many seasons, for aught I know ; others begged hard for permission to do so, but this was refused ; others offered their personal effects and promises to pay after arrival in Utah to any one who would take them in wagons. One lady offered all her jewellery, worth a considerable sum, for that purpose. " The last ox-team — of which John A. Hunt had charge — was de- spatched soon after. It was a sort of Church train ; that is, it consisted of wag(ms belonging to the returning missionaries, viz., Daniel Spencer, C. H. Wheelock, C. G. Webb, Captain Dan. Jones, F. D. Richards, James Linforth, and others. The wool or cotton machinery brought by George Halliday was in this train, and also the harp belonging to the poor old blind man Giles, which, as he was unable to pay freight upon it, he had ' donated ' to Brigham Young. He was afterwards accorded the privilege of going to Brigham Young's mansion and playing upon his own instru- ment sometimes, of which privilege he gladly availed himself. It is said that the poor, afflicted old man would play there for hours at a time, while the hot tears streamed down his face as thoughts that would not be con- trolled rose unbidden in his mind. He afterwards got possession of his much loved instrument : he may have bought it or Brigham Young may have given it to him, as no one of his household could play on it then. , Crossing the Platte Kiver. In this last train there were also several young girls ; some of whom had a wagon fitted up for their comfort, and others had still better ac- commodation in the way of ambulance or carriage. The wagons belonging to Mr. Tenant — whose property soon melted away in Zion — were also in this train. Mr. Tenant died on the plains at O'Fallon's Bluffs. Mr. Hunt r>36 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. had instructions on no account to pass Tyler's hand-cart train — a pretty conclusive proof that what the ciders had told the Saints with so much earnestness about the Heavens protecting them against the storms was an assurance they did not themselves believe. '' The wagons overtook the hand-carts at the Platte crossing, west, I think, of Laramie, and tlie poor hand-cart folks were thoroughly worn out and weak alike in body and mind. Under all circumstances they were regularly called up to prayers, and it was remarked that the shorter the rations the longer were the prayers. At this time great numbers of the emigrants died, I do not know how many, and will not attempt to conjecture, for a general account is sufficiently painful without particular- izing. The wagon and hand-cart train camped together at the crossing of the river — and such a crossing ! The men from the ox-train made each several trips across the Platte, sometimes pulling a hand-cart, and some- times carrying on their backs a sick or weak man, woman, or child. Then, after all were over, there followed more long prayers and lengthened ex- hortations, to which the poor emigrants listened in their wet clothes and shivering with the cold. These prayers were succeeded by the distri- bution of their scanty rations. " Next morning one of the men was found close to camp, dead and partly eaten by the wolves. He had gone out and was perhaps too tired or too careless of life, or jiossibly was unable to return. It was at this place that Tyler, when asked to lend his riding mule for the purpose of helping to take the sick and the aged men and women across, refused, as- signing as a reason that he did not want his mules worn out. The mor- tality at this camp was greater than usual. " The first snow which overtook the emigrants was on the east side of the river at the last Platte crossing, about sixty or seventy miles below Devil's Gate, near Eed Buttes. Several trappers and traders lived there, among whom were Reichau, Seminole, Baptiste, Pappau, and others. The river was forded and camji made some two or three miles up on the other side. Here there was a very heavy snow-storm, and the train was unable to move at all. It was at this camp that Joseph A. Young and Steve Taylor met the disheartened emigrants and infused into them new energy. The grass was covered with snow, and Cottonwood trees were cut down so that the cattle might feed upon the bark and small branches. " The toilsome march was again renewed under increased difficulties, and when we had advanced as far as Sage creek we met some more of the returned missionaries sent out by Brigham Young at the October confer- ence to help the people through the difficulties caused by the foolish and fatal delay at the starting-point. C. H. Wheelock and John Van Cott were among this relief party. Too much praise cannot be given to those who thus came out from Salt Lake to help us : they worked like he- roes, and their moral influence accomplished perhaps as much as theii bodily eflbrts, for they were full of stamina, while the emigrants were ut- terly worn out. GREAT PRIVATION AND SUFFERING. 337 " The toilsome march was immediately resumed, and to give you an idea of how low the oxen were, I may mention the fact that the pulling of the wagons up Prosiject Hill killed several of them — perhaps fifteen. " On arrival at Devil's Gate on the Sweetwater, where we found five or six log-houses in a dilapidated condition, it was concluded that the hand- carts should go no farther. A temporary halt was therefore made, and a remodelling of both trains was made. The wagons were unloaded and the contents stored in two of the log-houses ; the hand-carts were un-- loaded and the people were put into the wagons, as many being placed in each wagon as the teams could move, and the remainder were left. As- sistance was constantly arriving from Salt Lake, and those fresh teams helped wonderfully. " The weather now set in so cold that in two days the Sweetwater river was frozen thick enough to bear the wagons and teams, and they crossed on the ice. Several more people died and were buried at Devil's Gate. Twenty men were detailed to remain there all winter to take care of the property left, and also a lot of young stock that was too poor to drive through at that time. D. W. Jones, Ben. Hampton, and F. M. Alex- ander— three men from Salt Lake — were appointed to this charge ; the other seventeen were emigrants. A small quantity of flour was left with them— some five or sis sacks, I should think — and the. rest of the people moved on. " The track of the emigrants was marked by graves, and many of the living sufi'ered almost worse than death. One sick man there, who was holding by the wagon-bars to save himself from the jolting, had all his fingers frozen oft'. Men may be seen to-day in Salt Lake City, who were boys then, hobbling round on their club-feet, all their toes having been frozen off in that fearful march. " It is a noticeable fact that, as a rule, the men failed first : the poor fellows toiled on until they could do so no longer. They have been ac- cused of a lack of consideration, and of being devoid of all manhood, to let women and girls slave as they did. It is true that a fearful amount of selfishness, not to say brutality, was brought to the surface ; but per- haps the above few words of explanation may serve to temper the opinion which might otherwise have been formed respecting the conduct of some of them. It may possibly be said that the men should have worked until they died on tlieir tracks, rather than see wives and mothers engage in that terrible toil. Some certainly did so, and for those who did not, it may be urged that humanity is frail at best, and that hunger and hard work, endured hundreds of miles from any hope of relief in the full bit- terness of a most inclement season, not only destroy all romance but deaden the natural feelings of the most manly and affectionate. " What remained of the last hand-cart and ox-train companies for that season were got into Salt Lake by the exercise of almost superhuman ex- ertions, and numbers died after their arrival. " The twenty left at the Devil's Gate were at once put on rations of 21 338 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. flour, but of meat they had enough, such as it was. The weather was in- tensely cold ; the snow fell deep, and the wolves soon began to make sad havoc among the poor stock, and what the wolves spared the season threatened to kill. The remainder was therefore driven up, killed, and the meat frozen. A United States mail came up from the East, but could take their mud wagons no further, so the men left them and started again with packed mules, but they could not travel, and returned to the Platte Bridge. This I mention to show that no provisions could reach the Devil's Gate. " The flour was soon consumed, and meat without salt was the only article of food, and even that began to run short. About this time Jones and another man took the only two horses that were left — all the rest had died — and started for Platte Bridge to try and obtain some supplies. The first night out the wolves killed one horse, and the other was not seen until spring ; so they returned empty-handed and on foot. There was very little game, and only a bufi"alo, a deer, and a few rabbits were shot. Fi- nally the meat was consumed ; then the hides were eaten, as also all the hide wrapped round the wheels of the hand-carts, and every scrap about the wagons and the neck-piece of the buflalo-skin, which had already done service as a doormat for two months. In the spring they subsisted on thistle roots, segoes, and a species of wild garlic, until flour came down from Salt Lake. But, to cut a long story short, the twenty men eventually got safely through ; terribly emaciated it is true, but still safely. " Such was the ending of the ' divine plan ' for emigrating the poor in the year 1856." The story of the hand-cart expedition has now been par- tially told, and that for the first time, to the public, for no pen can ever fully trace nor pencil picture the sufferings of that poor, devoted people. It would melt the hardest heart to lis- ten to the personal recitals of that horrible journey which in moments of confidence the suflPerers relate to their friends. One of the elders, whose pen was the most potent in England in urging the poor to emigrate by hand-carts, and who in the honest sincerity of his faith confided implicitly in the inspira- tion of apostles and prophets, was destined to witness and share in the deepest of that suflfering. Of the intensity of the cold which the last company endured, his story is almost in- credible. Men and women sitting on a wagon-tongue, on the ground, or leaning against their fragile carts while eating their scanty fare would in an instant die without an evidence of coming change. With a morsel of bread or biscuit in their hands, nearing it to their mouths, could be seen men, hale- APOSTLES DISAGREE, 339 looking and apparently strong, stiff in death. Such scenes can hardly be imagined by those who did not witness them, but to the hundreds of men and women who had fled from "merry " England " to escape tlie destruction which they were taught was coming upon the Gentile nations, what a commentary was there upon the predictions of men who claimed to be the inspired servants of the most high God, in that bitter struggle for life. But the reader will justly inquire — What was the sequel to the hand-cart story, and how was it understood in Utah ? When the news reached Brigham Young, as already stated,, he did all that man could do to save the remnant and relieve the sufferers. Il^ever in his whole career did he shine so glori- ously in the eyes of the people. There was nothing spared that he could contribute or command. In the Tabernacle he was " the Lion of the Lord," and " his fierce anger was kin- " died " against those whom he supposed were the cause of the calamity. The apostle Richards was at once chosen as the victim of his wrath, and upon him and his counsellor, elder Daniel SpeU' cer, he spent the fury of his soul. When Brigham is aroused he thinks of nothing but the annihilation of his enemy. A more humble, devoted worshipper of Brigham never breathed than the apostle Richards had been ; at Brigham's word he would have licked the dust of his feet, and to carry out the purposes of his prophet he would have travelled to the ends of the earth, or would have joyfully given his life to shield him from harm. By nature F. D. Richards is a kind, good man, with more love and devotion than are good for him, and it was in his pride to make Brigham great in carrying out the " divine plan " that he had aroused the poor Mormons in Europe to emigrate in greater numbers than he had at last the capacity to control and direct. lie counted upon the aid of a brother apostle — John Taylor — then at ISTew Yoi'k, which he appears not to have received in the way that he expected, and, that failing him, the doom of the hand-cart scheme became a certainty. Blinded, it is charged, by pride and selfishness, neither of 340 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. these apostles foresaw the distant results of this misnnderstanfl- ing, or neither of them would have risked the consequences ; but there was a valuable lesson in store for both, and still more important instruction for the Mormons. The agencj of the Mormon emigration at that time was a very profitable appointment. With this department attached to the Liverpool publishing office, the presidency of the Brit- ish mission was always coveted by the apostles. It afforded many " opportunities " * of replenishing the family purse. By arrangement with ship-brokers at Liverpool, a commis- sion of half a guinea per head was allowed the agent for every adult emigrant that he sent across the Atlantic, and the rail- road companies in New York allowed a percentage on every emigrant ticket, and some abatement was also made on the freight of extra baggage in flivour of the agent. But a still larger revenue was derived from the outfitting on the frontiers. The agents purchased all the cattle, wagons, tents, wagon-cov- ers, flour, cooking utensils, stoves, and the staple articles for a three months' journey across the plains, and from them the Saints supplied themselves. Many a good editorial was writ- ten and sermon preached upon the blessings of unit}' and ac- cumulative purchases, and " no one could be regarded as in " good standing in the Church " who would sail by other ships, or travel by other direction than that prescribed by the Church. At the date of the hand-cart expedition, the apostle Rich- ards was president of the Church throughout all Europe. II3 was also a director of the Perpetual Emigration Fund Organi- zation, and to him was entrusted the financial management of the entire European emigration of that 3'ear from Liverpool to Salt Lake. The apostle Taylor was at that time presiding over the Mormons in the Eastern and JSTew England States, witli New York for his head-quarters. By ordination, the apostle at New York took precedence of the apostle at Liverpool, and it is presumed entertained the idea that th.8 arrangements for the * One of the sons of an apostle facetiously replying to an enquiry respecting his father's ability to provide for so many wives and children, when he was without salary or compensation for services rendered to the Church, answered : " He has a " good many oppo7'tunilies." AN APOSTLE "UNDER A CLOUD." 341 passage of the emigrants through the States on to the frontiers should be under his direction. The apostle at Liverpool could not see things in that light — he only wanted the influence and assistance of the apostle at JSTew York, but nothing more, and thus each misunderstood the other's position. Even inspired apostles may fail in attaining unity of purj)ose when the sub- ject under consideration is the " almighty dollar," The early months of 1856 passed away while the two apos- tles stood upon their dignity and arrived at no understanding, though each doubtless thought' that he was right. New York waited for some request from Liverpool, and Liverpool waited with great anxiety for items of information from New York ; " brother Franklin " was nearly crazy because he could not hear from " brother John," and " brother John " was perfectly innocent of thinking that "brother Franklin " wanted to hear from him at all. After so many promises being made "in the name of the " Lord " for the success of the " divine plan," it seems strange that it did not occur to Franklin to get " the Lord " to touch the intellect of John and bring them to an understanding. How contemptible appear all the promises that " the Lord " would still the winds and the waves, would change the seasons and cause the snow to fall on the right hand and on the left for the safety of the emigrants going to Zion, while the same " Lord," whose words had been pledged thousands of times to the poor Saints, was powerless to touch either of his own apos- tles and bring them to comprehend that the precious lives of thousands of persons were placed in jeopardy by their selfish- ness or pride ! ' The apostle Taylor got back first to Zion and explained his action in the matter, which then appeared satisfactory. On the arrival of the apostle Richards, Brigham attacked him in the Tabernacle, held him up to ridicule and contempt, and cursed him in the name of Israel's God. Elder Daniel Spencer, who had been the counsellor of Richards, came in for his share of the contempt and anathemas. For years after, the apostle could scarcely lift up his head ; he absented himself from the public meetings and was rarely seen in times of rejoicing. His heart was crushed. He could not defend himself, for wlien 342 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. once Brigham has spoken no man who values his favour dares to contradict him. For ten years Richards and Spencer were under a cloud, and silently bore their heavy grief. At length it told upon the riper years of elder Spencer, and he went to his grave a broken-hearted man, the object of much sympathy in the community. Elder Edward W. Tullidge, then one of the editors of the Utah Magazine, resolved in that periodical to tell the facts of the hand-cart story, and exonerate the apos- tle Richards and elder Spencer. Mr. Tullidge was in the Liv- erpool office editing the Millennial Star, under Richards, at the time of outfitting the emigrants, and knew that it was hu- manly impossible for the apostle Richards to have done more than he did, and that the whole calamity which befell the emi- grants was due to the misunderstanding between the Liverpool and New York offices, as here narrated. Brigham, by the merest accident, heard of the intended revelation in the Magazine. He sent for Mr. Godbe, the prin- cipal owner of that periodical, and, though one side of the whole edition had been worked off, the order was given to de- stroy it, and it was destroyed : not a copy saw daylight. It would not then do to show that Brigham had ruined an inno- cent man ; besides, it would have been dangerous to have at- tacked the other. To the apostle Richards, favours have since been shown, and he is working up again to his former prominence among the apostles ; but Brigham retracts nothing, and the anathemas are left in the minds of the people. What a commentary upon Brigham's claim to the possession of " a priesthood that is in- " fallible ! " CHAPTER XXXYIII. THE MOEMON WAK. — How it was inaugurated — Isolation of Utah — Carrying tha Mails — Mormon Enterprise — Senator Douglas and the Saints — Anniversary Fes- tivities at Big Cottonwood Lake — New Official Appointments for Utah — Warlike Preparations of the Saints — Believers concentrated at Zion — Ludicrous Fears of some Elders — Major Van Vleit sent by the United States Government — Brigham receives him — Major Van Vleit' s Story — Brigham's Proclamation — Defiance from the Tabernacle — Brigham's Wrath — Heber's Enthusiasm— Expedition of theUnited States Army — Dogberryism of Brigham — D. H. Wells instructs the Brethren to harass the Army — The Mormons burn the United States Trains — Great Suffering of the Troops — Mules and Cattle freeze on the Koad — Thirty-five miles in fif- teen Days 1 While the Mormons were locked out by deep snows on the mountains from nearly all intercourse with the Eastern States, and were almost as destitute of news from the Pacific, they had little idea of the stir which Utah had created everywhere throughout the Union. Perfectly unconscious of having disturbed the tranquillity of any one, and never suspecting that the great sermons of the Tabernacle would be taken for more than buncombe, the Mor- mon leader began in early spring to carry out his projects at home and his missions abroad. One of the citizens of Utah had obtained the contract from the Post-Oflice Department for the transportation of the United States mails across the plains between Leavenworth, Kansas, and Salt Lake City. In this Brigham saw the foundation for a grand carrying company, and bent all his energies to organize a " B, Y. Express." He gathered around him the most in- trepid men of the mountains, pressed the brethren who had " stock " to join in the enterprise, and succeeded in controlling all that was necessary to make the company successful. 346 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. The winter snows of 1856-7 had tarried long on the moun- tains and the plains, and this rendered the stocking of the road and the building of stations over the long distance of 1,200 miles a very severe task. But there was every incentive to more than ordinary diligence. The Government had never exhibited much favour to any Mormon citizen, and delay in commencing the new mail contract might be seized as a pre- text for repudiating the new contractor. "With this fully im- pressed upon their minds, the most daring and hardy of the mountaineers were called to assist, and in an incredibly short space of time, and in the midst of very severe weather, sta- tions were built and relays of horses and mules were strung all the way along the travelled route from the mountains to the river. There was a fair prospect then that the " B. Y. Ex- " press Carrying Company "would have grown into a gigantic enterprise, conveying all the merchandise and mails from the East, and have placed Utah, by means of express messengers, in daily intercourse with the rest of the world, a decade be- fore that desired end was accomplished by the railroad. This was to all appearance the most sensible enterprise that Brig- ham ever attempted ; but, alas ! " The best laid schemes o' mice an' men " Gang aft a-gley." The correspondence from Utah, the serions charges of the judges, the wire-pulling of contractors, and the deep-laid schemes of politicians,* were too much for any government to resist ; but the unkindest cut of all was tlie desertion of the Mormon interest by their long-tried friend. Senator Stephen A. Douglas. As circuit judge in Illinois, that honourable gentleman had befriended the founder of Mormonism, when he was the victim of an erring interpretation of the law, or the subject of * It is difficult to resist the conclusion that the opportunity afforded by the U. S. military expedition to Utah in 1857 was not eagerly seized by Mr. Floyd as fa- vourable to the long-cherished scheme for the rebellion of 1861. At all events, as will be seen in the succeeding chapter, placing " the flower of the American army " so far away from rail and water, with such a huge mass of munitions of war — which were wholly lost to the nation — was not inharmonious with the general plan of Mr. Buchanan's Secnjtary of War preparatory to the declaration of secession. BRIGHAM BREAKS WITH SENATOR DOUGLAS. 347 unwarrantable interference. The Mormons looked upon tlie judge very kindly, and in after-years, when he became senator, every delegation from Utah to Congress was certain to consult and listen to his suggestions and counsels. His " squatter-sovereignty " was their political creed, and while they sought his influence at the seat of government, he found in them the living exponents of the sovereignty doctrine to which he devoted his life. But the time had come when this harmony was to be disturbed. In the spring of 1856 Senator Douglas delivered a great speech at Springheld, Illinois. It was the announcement of his platform before the assembling of the conventions that were to nominate the successor of President Pierce. In that speech the senator characterized Mormonism as " the loathsome ulcer " of the body politic " and recommended the free use of the scalpel as the only remedy in the hands of the nation. The Author well remembers that speech and its effect upon the Mor- mons. He was then engaged as assistant editor of The Mor- mon^ a weekly paper published in New York city. His first im- pulse was to notice the speech, but a careful examination of it rendered the expediency of such a course very doubtful. There were so many " ifs " and so often " should it be," that it was at last concluded to leave it alone, for the senator might after all have only said what he did from the necessity of sailing with the popular tide against the Mormons, while at the same time he might in the Senate demand evidence of the crimi- nality of the Mormons before any action was taken against them. Brigham alone could determine what course, if any, should be adopted in respect to the Springfield speech. Before long the Deseret Wews, Brigham's official organ, presented to the world a reply to Senator Douglas. The priest- hood's phials of wrath were poured out without stint or mercy upon the head of their quondam friend and defender. All the good that he had ever done was in a moment forgotten, and all their obligations were in an instant cancelled for ever. An irreconcilable breach was made, and the spirit of prophecy was rampant. The predictions of Joseph that had been embalmed in the catacombs of history M^ere dragged forth from their long and silent slumbers, and the Illinois statesman was reminded 848 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. of the time when he was " but a county judge " and when the Prophet Joseph patronizingly told him that he would yet be an aspirant for the chair of Washington, that, if he continued the friend of the Mormons, he should live to be President of the United States, but if he ever lifted his finger or his voice against them his plans should be frustrated and his ambitious hopes utterly disappointed. All this Brigham circumstantially related to the senator in reply to his Springfield speech, and closed with the anathemas of the priesthood and the prediction that the senator should fail in his attempt and never attain to the goal of his ambition. The Democratic Convention met in Cincinnati soon after, and Senator Douglas was a candidate for the Presidency of the United States. The Hon. James Buchanan was nominated, the Illinois senator was defeated, Brigham was a prophet, and the faithful rejoiced.* During that campaign, in the fall of 1856, Republicans carried the banner hostile to polygamy, and Democrats made speeches against the same institution : the Mormons had no friends anywhere. On the 4th of March, 185T, Mr. Buchanan was inaugurated chief magistrate of the republic, with a cabinet that soon proved itself hostile to Utah and ready to obey the behests of the nation in bringing Brigham Young and the Mormons " into subjection to the laws." The Mormons had hardly got to the Missouri river with the first mail from the mountains before the noisy prepara- tions of war were heard. The new mail contractor received at Leavenworth but one monthly mail to carry across the * Senator Douglas was again a candidate for the Presidency in 1860, and received the nomination of the convention. His chances of success were not unfavourable, and the Utah Mormons had some anxiety about the prediction. Fortunately the split in the Democratic party and the candidature of Senator John C. Breckinridge helped " the Lord " and his people. Mr. Lincoln received of the popular vote ,S.")7,610; Mr. Douglas was next in order, and received 1,365,976. There was even then another chance for the prophecy to be defeated, but " the Lord " had the elec- toral college fairly in his hands, and Mr. Douglas only received twelve votes, while Mr. Lincoln received 180 ! That was a Red Sea defeat ; and, to add to the dismay and humiliation of the enemies of " the kingdom," Mr. Douglas was more than three times distanced by Mr. Bell, and Mr. Breckinridge was six times ahead of the Illinois senator. Nothing could have been more satisfactory to the Saints. " The Lord," Joseph, and Brigham had triumphed. FESTIVITIES AT BIG COTTONWOOD. 349 plains, and, when he presented himself for the second, it was denied him. The Government had concluded on a change ; an act of bad faith which " military necessity " alone might perhaps justify ; but the ground upon which the contract was said to be annulled was discreditable to the Government and tended to impress the Mormons more and more with dislike to the representatives of the nation. Brigham's representative in the East, A. O. Smoot, then mayor of Salt Lake City, a discreet and honourable man, has- tened back to the mountains bearing with him evidence of the appointment of a new governor and new Federal officers for Utah, who were to be escorted thither by " the flower of " the American army." Utah had passed through severe trials in 1856. There had been Indian troubles, the destruction of the crops by crickets, the JReformation, the unfortunate hand-cart experiment, and the troubles with the judges. The summer of 1857 was prom- ising a rich harvest, the judges had left the Territory, there was no one to disturb or annoy, and nothing could be more appropriate than a grand celebration on the return of " the " anniversary of their deliverance " — the 24th of July, the day when the pioneers entered Salt Lake Valley. It was a great anniversary and a day to be celebrated with great rejoicing. To avoid the enervating effects of processional display in the city, Brigham invited those who had the means of trans- portation to join him in an excursion to Big Cottonwood Lake, distant about twenty-four miles from Salt 'Lake City, and nearly ten thousand feet above the level of the sea. It was a kind of three days' jubilee. One day was given to getting up a steep, narrow, and rugged canon, fixing tents, and preparing for enjoyment ; the second was a day of festivity, and the last was devoted to a quiet return home, under the pleasant influ- ences of the rejoicings of the previous day. On the 24th of July, 185Y, there were probably gathered at the lake about two thousand persons — ^men, women, and children — in the fullest enjoyment of social freedom. Some were fishing in the lake, others strolling among the trees, climbing the high peaks, pitching quoits, playing cricket, en- gaging in gymnastic exercises, pic-nicking, and gliding through 350 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. the boweries that were prepared for the mazy dance. It was a day of feasting, joy, and amusement for the silver-haired vet- eran and the toddling child. The welkin rang with the tri- umphant songs of Zion, and these, accompanied by the sweet melody of many-toned instruments of music, thrilled every bosom with enthusiastic joy. Their exuberance was the pure outgushing of their souls' emotion, and owned no earthlj' in- spiration, for their only beverage was the sparkling nectar of Eden, while their sympathies were united by a sacred and fra- ternal bond of affectionate love, which for the time rendered them oblivious of the artificial distinctions of social life. The highest and the lowest rejoiced together, rank and authority were set aside ; it was a day in which the dreary past could be favourably contrasted with tlie joyous present, and hearts were made glad in the simple faith that the God of their fathers was their protector, and that they were his peculiar people. When Brigham, ten years before, had addressed the pio- neers at their first halting-place in the Yalley, he spoke to them of the mobs that had driven them from their homes in Missouri and in Illinois, and of the Government that deserved its share of condemnation for affording them no redress. In winding up that speech, he expressed the confidence that he felt in the future, and the assurance that, if the Saints had ten years of peace from that time, " he would ask no odds of " Uncle Sam or the devil ! " With a full realization of the weight and importance of the news of which he was the bearer, elder Smoot lost no time on the plains, and, knowing well that the tenth anniversary would be celebrated, he strained every nerve to be present — not to mar the happiness of the occasion, but to afford his chief the best opportunity for instructing the people before tliey separa- ted to all parts of the Territory. The weary journey from the States was at length accom- plished, and, before the sun had crimsoned the sno^ry peaks that surrounded the worshipping, rejoicing Saints, Brigham was in possession of the news, and the people were listening with breathless attention to the most stiring, important ad- dress that ever their leader had uttered, for upon his decision depended peace or war. BRIGHAMS DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 351 Brigliam was undaunted. With the inspiration of such surroundings — the grandeur of the Wahsatch range of the Eocky Mountains everywhere encircling him, the stately trees whose foliage of a century's growth towered proudly to the heavens, the multitude of people before him who had listened to his counsels as if hearkening to the voice of the Most High Brigham's Declaration of Independence. — men and women who had followed him from the abodes of civilization to seek shelter in the wilderness from mobs, prat- tling innocents and youths who knew nothing of the world but Utah, and who looked to him as a father for protection — what could he not say ? " God was with them, and the devil had taken him at his " word. He had said ten years before, and he could but repeat " it, he would ask no odds of Uncle Sam or the devil." He preached to them ; and he prophesied that in twelve years from that time he himself should be President of the United States, ,^ or would dictate who should be.* * It is extremely diflieult to persuade men who claim to be governed by " a . " priesthood that is infallible " that their utterances have any other origin than the natural inspiration of antagonistic convictions. Parley P. Pratt's prediction about La Roy Sunderland, already alluded to (page 5), is an example in point. He says : "And furthermore, as Mr. La Roy Sunderland has lied concerning the truth of heaven — the fulness of the Gospel, and has blasphemed against the Word of God, except he speedily repent and acknowledge his lying and wickedness and obey the 352 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. "With such glory before their wondering eyes, the simple- hearted people sang again their songs of joy, and he blessed them over and over again. They renewed their dancing in the boweries, and when the day was fully spent they returned happily to their tents, more than ever satisfied that the angels had charge concerning them. Sublime spectacle of faith ! Before the news reached elder Smoot's ears that the newly installed administration had resolved upon a thorough change in Utah, President Buchanan, and his Secretary of War, John B. Floyd, had already made an entirely new list of Federal ap- pointments, and issued orders for the march of the army. Al- fred Gumming, of Georgia, was the new Governor; D. E.. Eckles, Chief-Justice ; John Cradlebaugh and Charles E. Sin- clair, Associate Justices ; John Hartnett, Secretary ; and Peter K. Dotson, Marshal. It is an understood thing among the Saints that nothing of this kind should take place without " the Lord " previously notifying the Prophet of what was about to transpire ; but it is very evident that the evil one, who is always "seeking to " destroy the kingdom," did get a little the start of the Proph- et on this occasion. Long before elder Smoot reached the scene of rejoicing at Big Cottonwood Lake, the United States army was on the march. Brigadier-General W. S. Harney was appointed commander of the expedition, and Major Stew- message of eternal truth which God has sent for the salvation of his people, God •will smite him dumb that he can no longer speak great swelling words against the Lord ; and ti-embling shall seize his nerves, that he shall not be able to write, and Zio7i's Watchman shall cease to be published abroad ; and its lies shall no longer deceive the public ; and he will wander a vagabond on the earth, until sudden de- struction shall overtalie him ; and, if Mr. La Roy Sunderland inquires when shall these things be ? I reply, It is nigh thee — even at thy doors ; and I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen." — P. P. PraWs " Zion^s Watchman Utiinasked," New York, 1838. Parley's expression, " Nigh thee, even at thy doors," is very slow of fulfilment. Thirty-four years have passed away, and Mr. Sunderland still persists in speaking and writing, and awkwardly refuses to " wander about a vagabond on the earth un- "til sudden destruction shall overtake him," and to this day his opinion of Parley's fanaticism is unchanged, and he still regards Mormonism as a gross delusion. He won't repent ! The " twelve years," and a few more, have passed away since Brigham uttered the prediction that he should be President of the United States, and he is to-day further away from its fulfilment than he was when he announced to the believing Baints in Cottonwood cafion this ambition of his soul. WARLIKE PREPARATIONS. 353 art Yan Yleit had been selected as Captain Assistant Quarter- Master, to repair immediately to Utah in advance of the army to make the necessary purchases of lumber for their quarters, forage for the animals, and such provisions as might be required for the subsistence of tlie troops. The Saints had no time now to lose ; the enemy was ap- proaching their homes. War was then everything in Utah. The leaders preached war, prayed war, taught war ; while saintly poets scribbled war, and the people sang their ditties. " The God of Battles " was the deity of the hour, and his in- fluence was everywhere seen and felt. Public works and pri- vate enterprise were alike suspended, while every artist who had sufficient genius for the manufacture of revolvers, repair- ing old guns, or burnishing and sharpening rusty sabres and bayonets, was pressed into service for the defence of Zion. The sisters, too, were seized with the war-fever, and their weaving and knitting talents were fully exercised in preparation for the coming campaign. It was a great time for rejoicing in the Lord, cursing Uncle Sam, and keeping powder dry. Two apostles, Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C. Rich, had successfully established a colony of Mormons at San Bernardino, in Southern California. Orders were immediately dispatched to them, and to Orson Hyde's colony in Carson Yalley, to "break up" and come home for the defence of Zion.* A special messenger was sent to Europe to direct the apostles Orson Pratt and Ezra T. Benson to send home immediately all the Utah elders, and to return themselves the best way they could. The elders who were on missions in the Atlantic and Pacific States were all " called in " to protect their families in the coming struggle. When " the Lord " called upon Joseph to go up and re- * The property then abandoned by the Mormons in Southern California is now- worth millions, and the claims of the others in Carson, Washoe, and Jack's valleys in one year after their evacuation of the country became immensely valuable through the discovery of the celebrated mines of Nevada. The Mormons had taken up the whole of the land on both sides of the Carson river in Eagle valley. Carson City the capital of Nevada, was the property of a Mormon, and the site of what is now Dayton was sold by one of the brethren for " a plug of a pony " to help him back to Zion. For all their property the six hundred persons did not receive, probably more than $50,000. Brigham's decision for a fruitless war cost something. 354 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. deem Zion in Missouri, the Prophet could oiilj muster two hundred and five " warriors," but the times wei'e changed. Israel had grown and multiplied, and in numbers was not now to be despised. The republic was a great nation, but Zion was greater. The prophecies were about to be fulfilled, and what the Saints wanted in cannon and munitions of war they could make up in faith. Not only were the missionary elders eager to return to the mountains for the protection of their families, but, could it have been accomplished, thousands of the Saints in Europe and the States would have rallied round the standard of the Prophet. There was no fear, no hesitation anywhere ; every one believed that " the Lord " would come out of his hiding place and vex the nation. The Western Standard, the Mormon organ then published in San Francisco, and T/te Mormon, published in New York, were ordered to be discontinued — the world was to be left with- out light. The missionary elders returning from Europe landed at ISTew York as secretly as possible, and made their way west- ward to the frontiers by various routes, so that they should not be recognized or hindered bv any action of the Government as they journeyed home, or be delayed by any annoyances on the part of the citizens as they passed by. The Utah elders are by no means cowards, but many of them when returning had formed the idea that Uncle Sam was ready to devour them, and that the devil was always at their el- bow ready to denounce them as they passed along. If a person chanced to look twice at any of them, or ask a question about their destination or object in travelling, he was instantly regarded as a spy or some Government ofiicer in disguise, who meant mis- chief and peril to them. A number of elders returning from their missions to Europe, while passing through Chicago, met with a little difficulty which did serious damage to the cause of human enlightenment. An officer in blue, with eagle but- tons, chanced to put up at the same hotel, and one of the chief brethren at sight of him was instantly demoralized. Yisions of a terrible fate troubled his mind ; he and his brethren were certainly going to be thoroughly overhauled, and, if any papers were found upon them that would establish their identity as Mormons, detection was a certainty. He communicated his PANIC AMONG THE MISSIONARIES. 355 apprehensions to the others, and counselled the immediate de- Btriiction of all the books and papers that any of the brethren chanced to carry about their persons or in their satchels. One of the elders had been for years the "private secretary of "Brigham Young," and had kept a pocket-journal in which he had jotted down the inspired droppings of the sanctuary. It was to liim then a priceless treasure, and undoubtedly would one day have become a valuable contribution to the historian's office. It was brimful of choice sayings, bits of some rare reve- lations and interpretations of others, dates, memoranda, " bless- " ings," and receipts for money paid. In it, too, were tracings of the names of his forefathers and foremothers, for whom he was yet to be baptized in the Temple, in order to aid their sal- vation and deliverance from the hands of the devil. It was one of those priceless bijous that no one can ever part with, and " brother Thomas " held on to it as a fond mother to her only child. But obedience to " counsel " was insisted on, and this rich treasure, this priceless journal, was tearfully consigned to the dark caverns of a Chicago third-class hotel sewerage ! Poor Thomas ! Years later, with tears in his eyes, he narrated to the Author his grief and the annoyance which he suffered from the loss of his treasured volume. Thomas probably may not have quite so much faith to-day, and may fret less. The apostles from Europe, and a few elders who attended them as a body-guard, crossed the Atlantic incognito, preserved themselves secretly in ISTew York till the Pacific steamer sailed for San Francisco, preferring the long sea journey and the western route, via Southern California, rather than the risk of following the usual route of the Saints to Zion through the Atlantic States, and across the plains where the troops were journeying. A high priest, who was presiding over the Saints in the Atlantic States at the outbreak of the Mormon war, was so terror stricken that, if he saw a sergeant or captain of police in a street car in which he chanced to be riding, he would become perfectly nervous. He it was who had first in l!^ew York given the Utah elders counsel to store away their books and papers where they would be safe till they could send for them, and it was the private secretary's attachment to his journal and dis- 22 356 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. obedience to this counsel that terrified the chief elder in Chi- cago, till he could see nothing in the memoranda but a veri- table Jonah that would sink the whole ship. The high priest while in 'New York would have died from sheer fright, had he not been stimulated to live by the kindly glances of a sweet Connecticut maiden, who in time became his second wife. Before the war, while he was a brave preacher and defiant of all earthly powers, he had worn what was called a Kossuth overcoat, but that was now too conspicuous, and all the braid and filligree-work had to come off lest it should lead to his identity. A coloured barber, who had long dyed the high priest's locks, in a moment of gushing kindness and with his blandest smile exclaimed to him : " Massa, I knows who " you was ! Yah, yah ! " That ebony acquaintance was cut for ever. The Author well remembers the last time that he was chatting with " the judge " on the affairs in Utah, at a new boarding-house where he had hoped that no one would recog- nize him as a Mormon. He could scarcely speak above a whisper, and feared that some one might hear through the keyhole. Yery different was the Author's own exjjerience. He was known and seen daily in the offices of the New York press, and treated with more respect and attention by those who knew that he was a Mormon than he would probably have been had he been a Gentile ; he saw no signs of the nation's vindictive- ness, and witnessed and heard nothing that could possibly be construed into " persecution of the Saints " on the part of the republic. Major Yan Yleit arrived in Salt Lake City in the begin- ning of September. He was politely received by Governor Young, but was informed with great frankness that they had abundance of all he required, but they would sell nothing to the Government, and were determined that the United States troops should not enter Salt Lake Yalley. Through the polite- ness of Major-Gen eral Yan Yleit, the Author is able to give portions of that officer's report to the commanding general of the army, which throw great light upon this period of Mor- mon history : " He [Brigham] stated that the Mormons had been persecuted, mur- PREPARATIONS FOR A SECOND MOSCOW. 357 dered, and robbed in Missouri and Illiuois, botb by tbe mob and State authorities, and that now the United States were about to pursue the same course, and that, therefore, he and the people of Utah had deter- mined to resist all persecution at the commencement, and that the troops now OIL the march for Utah should not enter the Great Salt Lahe Valley. As he uttered these words, all there present concurred most heartily in what he said. ... In the com-se of my conversation with the Governor and the influential men in the Territory, I told them plainly and frankly what I conceived would be the result of their present course. I told them that they might prevent the small military force now approaching Utah from gettiag through the narrow defiles and rugged passes of the moun- tains this year, but that next season the United States Government would send troops sufficient to overcome all opposition. The answer to this was invariably the same : ' We are aware that such will be the case ; but when those troops arrive, they will find ¥tah a desert, every house will be burned to the ground, every tree cut down, and every field laid waste. We have three years' provisions on hand, which we will cacJie^ and then take to the mountains, and bid defiance to all the powers of the Govern- ment.' " I attended their service on Sunday, and in course of a sermon de- livered by elder Taylor he referred to the approach of the troops, and de- clared they should not enter the Territory. He then referred to the proba- bility of an overpowering force being sent against them, and desired all present, who would apply the torch to their own buildings, cut down their trees, and lay waste their fields, to hold up their hands ; every hand in an audience numbering over four thousand persons was raised at the same moment." The Major further reported that he anticipated that the Mormons would burn the grass on the plains, stampede the cattle, and hinder the advance of the expedition till the snow rendered it impossible for the army to force a passage through the canons, and suggested that Fort Bridger should be se- lected for winter-quarters. At the very moment when this representative of the Gov- ernment was listening to the harangues of Brigham Young and the Mormon leaders against the advance of the army, and protesting their innocence of the charges preferred against them, there was perpetrated, two hundred and fifty miles south of Salt Lake City, the darkest crime on record in American history — the Mountain Meadows massacre, in which over one hundred and twenty men, women, and children were butchered by Indians and Mormons ! A fouler deed of treacheiy was 358 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. never known in any nation professing the Christian faith. Had Mormonism up to that hour been stainless, had its princi- ples been as pure as the breathings around the throne of Je- hovah, that one cursed deed unatoned for was alone sufficient to shut against it for ever the portals of heaven. The histo- rian's pen will yet record that the hand of an avenging angel has been uplifted in retributive justice ever since against the shedders of that innocent blood, and the withering curse of the Almighty has followed that priesthood who had not the man- hood to rise up and demand that the cause of which they were the exponents should not be blighted by the bloody work of savages who claimed to be their brethren in Christ and the anointed of the Lord. The people were horrified at the deed, and it has been the canker-worm of their souls ever since. On the 14th of September Major Van Vleit left the city and returned to the East. The next day Brigham issued the following document : " PROCLAMATIONS" BY THE GOVERN^OR. " Citizens of Utah: We are invaded by a hostile force, who are evi- dently assailing us to accomplish our overthrow and destruction. " For the last twenty-five years we have trusted officials of the Govern- ment, fi'om constables and justices to judges, governors, and presidents, only to be scorned, held in derision, insulted, and betrayed. Our houses have been plundered and then burned, our fields laid waste, our principal men butchered while under the pledged faith of the Government for their safety, and our fiimilies driven from their homes to find that shelter in the barren wilderness, and that protection among hostile savages which were denied them in the boasted abodes of Christianity and civilization. ".The Constitution of our common country guarantees to us all that we •do now, or have ever, claimed. " If the Constitutional rights which pertain unto us as American citi- zens were extended to Utah according to the spirit and meaning thereof, and ftiirly and impartially administered, it is all that we could ask — all that we ever asked. " Our opponents have availed themselves of prejudice existing against us because of our religious faith, to send out a formidable host to accom- plish our destruction. We have had no privilege, no opportunity of de- fending ourselves from the false, foul, and unjust aspersions against us be- fore the nation. " The Government has not condescended to cause an investigating committee or other person to be sent to enquire into and ascertain the truth, as is customary in such cases. MARTIAL LAW PROCLAIMED. 359 " "We know those aspersions to be false, but that avails us nothing. We are condemned unheard, and forced to an issue with an armed merce- nary mob, which has been sent against us at the instigation of anonymous letter-writers, ashamed to father the base, slanderous falsehoods which they have given to the public ; of corrupt officials who have brought false accusations against us to screen themselves in their own infamy ; of hire- ling priests and Tumling editors, who prostitute the truth for filthy lucre's " The issue which has been thus forced upon us compels us to resort to the great first law of self-preservation, and stand in our own defence, a right guaranteed to us by the genius of the institutions of our country, and upon which the Government is based. " Our duty to ourselves, to our families, requires us not tamely to be driven and slain without an attempt to preserve ourselves. Our duty to our country, our holy religion, our God, to freedom and liberty, requires that we should not quietly stand still and see those fetters forging around which are calculated to enslave, and bring us in subjection to an unlawful military despotism, sucli as can only emanate (in a country of constitu- tional law) from usurpation, tyranny, and oppression. " Therefore I, Brigham Young, Governor, and Superintendent of Indi- an Affairs for the Territory of Utah, in the name of the people of the United States in the Territory of Utah : " 1st. Forbid all armed forces of every description from coming into this Territory, under any pretence whatever. " 2d. That all the forces in said Territory hold themselves in readiness to march at a moment's notice to repel any and all such invasion. "3rd. Martial law is hereby declared to exist in this Territory from and after the publication of this proclamation, and no person shall be al- lowed to pass or repass into or through, or from the Territory without a permit from the jjroper officers. " Given under my hand and seal at Great Salt Lake City, Territory of Utah, this 15th day of September, A. D. 1857, and of the Independence of the United States of America the 82nd. (Signed) "Brigham Young." On tlie following day (Sunday) the Tabernacle discourses were overflowing with inspiration. For years the Saints had been listening to predictions which promised them national in- dependence. They had been looking forward to the time when the Government by some act of folly should rise up against the Lord's anointed and force an issue that would justify the Saints in throwing off their allegiance and verify the inspira- tion of the apostle Taylor : 360 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " We'll burst off all our fetters, and break the Gentile yoke, "For long it has beset us, but now it shall be broke : " No more shall Jacob bow his neck ; " Henceforth he shall be free "In Upper California — oh, that's the land for me ! " * When the congregation in the morning had got well seated, and prayer had been offered, in an unctuous tone Brigham spoke of his confidence in the future, and then bursting out revealed himself in this fashion : " This people are free ; they are not in bondage to any government on God's footstool. We have transgressed no law, and we have no occasion to do so, neither do we intend ; but as for any nation's coming to destroy this peojile, God Almighty being my helper, they cannot come here. [The congregation responded a loud ' Amen.'] . . . " We have borne enough of their oppression and hellish abuse, and we will not bear any more of it, for there is no just law requiring further for- bearance on our part. And I am not going to have troops here to protect the priests and hellish rabble in efforts to drive us from the land we pos- sess ; for the Lord does not want us to be driven, and has said, ' If you will assert your rights, and keep my commandments, you shall never again be brought into bondage by your enemies.' . , , They say that their army is legal ; and I say that such a statement is as false as hell, and that they are as rotten as an old pumpkin that has been frozen seven times, and then melted in a harvest sun. Come on with your thousands of illegally- ordered troops, and I will promise you, in the name of Israel's God, that you shall melt away as the snow before a July sun. . . . " You might as well tell me that you can make hell into a powder- house, as to tell me that you could let an army in here, and have peace ; and I intend to tell them and show them this, if they do not stay away. . . . And I say our enemies shall not slip ' the bow on old Bright's neck ' again. God bless you. Amen." " Brotlier Heber," Brigham's first counsellor, an eccentric, good-natured, jocular Saint, wanted to have a hand in the fight, and gushing over with " the Spirit " he set forth his views of the situation: " Is there a collision between us and the United States ? No ; we have not coUashed ; that is the word that sounds nearest to what I mean. But now the thread is cut between them and us, and we will never gybe again — no never, worlds without end. [Voices, 'Amen.'] . . . " Do as you are told, and Brigham Young will never leave the gover- norship of this Territory, from this time henceforth and for ever. No, * Hymn Book, p. 353. EXl.AUIILIXARY sermons. 3G1 never. And there shall no wicked judge with his whore ever sit in our courts again ; for all who are against Israel are an abomination to me and to our God. The spirit that is upon me this morning is the spirit of the tiord, that is, the Holy Ghost — though some of you may think the Holy Ghost is never cheerful. Well, let me tell you, the Holy Ghost is a man ; he is one of the sons of our Father and our God, and he is that man that stood next to Jesus Christ — just as I stand by Brother Brigham. . . . You think our Father and our God is not a lively, sociable, and cheerful man ; he is one of the most lively men that ever lived. . . . Brother Brigham is my leader, he is my Prophet and my Seer, my Revelator ; and whatever he says, that is for me to do, and it is not for me to question him one word, nor to question God a minute." * Between sermons, Brigham had leisure for further reflec- tion, and as, doubtless, many of the brethren had cordially shaken hands with him on his way to and from home, and blessed " the Lord " for his favour to his servant, he felt that all had not yet been said. With such encouragement, in the afternoon assemblage, after partaking of the sacrament, he again addressed the Saints : " There cannot be a more damnable, dastardly order issued than was issued by the administration to this people while they were in an Indian country in 1846. Before we left Nauvoo, not less than two United States senators came to receive a pledge from us that we would leave the United States ; and then, while we were doing our best to leave their borders, the poor, low, degraded curses sent a requisition for five hundred men to go and fight their battles ! That was President Polk ; and he is now welter- ing in hell, with old Zachary Taylor, where the present administration will soon be, if they do not repent.f "Liars have reported that this people have committed treason, and upon their lies the President has ordered out troops to aid inofiicering this Territory ; and if those officers are like many who have previously been sent here — and we have reason to believe that they are, or they would not come where they know they are not wanted — they are poor, miserable blacklegs, broken-down political hacks, robbers, and whoremongers ; men * This is an excellent specimen of the compound of blasphemy and ridiculous twaddle to which the audiences in Utah have had to listen. Opposition to such tirades was designated " the Spirit of Apostacy." Were the subject not sacred, what fund of amusement could be found in the apostolic sermons of the Taber- nacle. Fancy the Holy Ghost as "a man performing the same offices to Jesus " Christ as Heber did to Brigham ! " God himself " is one of the most Hvely men that " ever lived," and naughty things " are an abomination to me and to our God." •)• This language ill comports with Brigham's denial, seen on page 280, of having used this language only as " an endorsement " of some one else's statement. 362 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. that are not fit for civilized society ; so they must dragoon them upon U3 for officers. I feel that I won't bear such cursed treatment, and that is enough to say — for we are just as free as the mountain air. . . . " I have told you that if this people will live their religion, all will be well ; and I have told you that if there is any man or woman who is not willing to destroy anythmg or everything of their property that would be of use to an enemy if left, I wanted them to go out of the Territory. And I again say so to-day ; for when the time comes to bum and lay waste our improvements, if a man undertakes to shield his, he will be sheared down; for 'judgment will be laid to the line, and righteousness to the plummet.' " Now the faint-hearted can go in peace ; but should that time come, they must not interfere. Before I will sufier what I have in times gone by, there shall not be one building, nor one foot of lumber, nor a stick, nor a tree, nor a particle of grass or hay that will burn, left in reach of our enemies. I am sworn, if driven to extremity, to utterly lay waste, in the name of Israel's God." * "With sucli sermons and with such threats of death to the lukewarm and rebellious, what could the dissenting among the people do but bend before the storm ? The masses were, in the language of the Tabernacle, but " clay in the hands of the " potter," to be shaped and fashioned according to the dictates of a ruler's mind, Brigham's declaration to Major Yan Yleit, that " he and the peojple of Utah had determined to resist," is interpreted by his Sunday sermon, wherein he informs the faint-hearted who would not destroy their property that if the troops advanced into the city they should " be sheared down." The reader has but to imagine himself in a sparsely settled desert country, "a thousand miles from everywhere," from which there was no possibility of escape without the loss of everything, and the risk of life itself, and his indignation against the Mormon people for their rebellion will soon change to sympathy. The brethren made but rough soldiers, although they had been drilled as well as their situation, arms, and the ability of their instructors permitted. They were immediately sent out into Echo Caiion, a narrow defile between the mountains about twenty-five miles in length, through which the troops were ex- pected to pass. There, on the east side, the high rocks were swarming with men engaged in building dry stone walls as a * Deseret JVeu's, November 18, 1857. THE BULWARKS OF ZION. 363 protection for the riflemen, and on the sloping sides of the western mountains trenches were dug for the same purpose. On the east side, at the base of the overhanging mountains, was the ordinary road through the canon. The Mormon engineers had constructed dams for the purpose of throwing a great body of water on to the west of the road, among the wil- lows and scrub-trees, so that the army would be forced to take the east side of the canon, where the Saints were prepared for them. On the overhanging rocks large quantities of boulders and masses of rocks were placed, so that, as the army passed by, a small leverage would be amply sufiicient to hail them down upon the soldiers. It may be hardly fair to smile at this prim- itive arrangement, but in these days of rifles and long-range ~i*.\ Echo Canon — The Mormon Defences. shells the critical unbeliever can hardly refrain from compar- ing such defensive operations to the process of " catching birds " by putting salt on their tails ! " As the traveller in the luxu- rious Pullman cars of the Union Pacific Eailroad passes through that canon to-day, it is edifying to raise the eyes and see still standing the dry stone walls— the " bulwarks of Zion," The officers of the " invading army " had little conception of the importance of their mission, and were taken by surprise when, for the first time, they learned what kind of a reception 364 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. awaited tliem. Instead of lead and bullets they anticipated a repetition of the hospitable reception extended to Col. Steptoe and his command three years before, and had supplied them- selves with lavender and " cream kids " for the parties in tlie Social Hall. The little trinkets that speak of thoughtfulness for the fair sex, and the kindly interchange of social courtesies, were not forgotten by the younger aspirants to fame and ladies' graces. In brief, they started West on the best of terms with themselves and the acquaintances they expected to make. Major Yan Yleit reached Washington in the middle of No- vember, and made the following report to the Secretary of War: " In explaining to Governor Young the object which the Government had in view m sending troops to Utah, I told him that the Territory of Utah had been organized into a separate military department the same as Florida, Texas, Kansas and other portions of the United States had been, and the troops crossing the plains had been simply ordered to take post in it. I told him further that I had seen the orders which were to govern the commanding officers of the troops, and that they contained no intima- tion whatever that the troops would or could be used to molest or inter- fere with the people of Utah. I explained that the troops could only be called upon to interfere when the authority of the Government was set at defiance, and only then as a posse comitatus on the requisition of the Gov- ernor of the Territory, the same as then obtained in the Territory of Kansas. "I also told them that I was convinced that the intentions of the Gov- ernment towards the people of Utah were of the most pacific nature, and that the past was forgotten, and that as the Constitution of the United States guaranteed to each one entire freedom in religious matters, I was certain that Governor Gumming would have no instructions that could in any way interfere with the Mormons as a religious people. I stated that I had seen Governor Gumming just before I left the frontiers, and had he had any such instructions I would have been made acquainted with them. " In making these statements to Governor Young and other citizens of Utah, I was governed by a desire to allay if possible the hostile feeling which I plainly saw existed towards the United States, and to place be- fore them the action of the Government in its true light. I was soon con- vinced, however, that Governor Young had decided upon the course he intended to pursue, and could I have laid before him the most pacific in- tentions of the Government, over the signature of the President himself, it would not have turned him from it. " At present Governor Y''oung exercises absolute power, both temporal and spiritual, over the people of Utah, both of which powers he and the people profess to believe emanate directly from the Almighty. Hence the THE NEW GOVERNOR TO BE SENT BACK. 3g5 opposition of the people to a new Governor, and the remark of Governor Young that, should Governor Gumming enter the Territory, he would place him in his carriage and send him back. " I heard elder John Taylor, in a discourse to a congregation of over four thousand Mormons, say that none of the rulers of the earth were en- titled to their positions unless appointed to them by the Lord, and that the Almighty had appointed a man to rule over and govern his Saints, and that man was Brigham Young, and that they would have no one else to rule over them." When the order was given for the march of the troops to Utah, no one could have divined that such terrible misfortunes were in store for them as those which thej experienced before the close of the year. The force consisted of two regiments of infantry — the Fifth and Tenth ; one regiment of cavalry — the old Second Dragoons ; and two batteries of artillery — ^Reno's and Phelps's. There was nothing forgotten in the equipment of the expedition, and the chief officers were gentlemen of thorough military education and eminently qualified for the position which they held. The probabilities then were all against Brigham, should he conclude to oppose the advance of the army ; but, before the end of 1857, a more unfortunate ex- pedition could not well be conceived. The troubles originated at the beginning of the march. Kansas at that moment was supposed to require the presence of General Harney and the Second Dragoons. The General, therefore, never took com- mand of the Utah expedition, and the dragoons were absent from the Plains at the time when they were most required. General Persifier F. Smith was assigned to the command in place of General Harney, but he fell ill and died at Fort Leavenworth. The infantry and artillery, with all the quar- ter-master and commissary stores, were then on the plains, and the command of the expedition, by seniority of rank, devolved upon Colonel Alexander, of the Tenth Infantry. The expedi- tion was, therefore, without any instructions from the Govern- ment ; all that its commander knew was its destination. As the army passed the boundary line of Utah, Brigham's declaration of September 15th was forwarded, together with another missive, dated September 29th, for the perusal of " the " officer commanding the forces now invading Utah Territory," the gist of which was that Brigham was still Governor, as the 366 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Act of Congress organizing the Territory provided that the chief executive should hold his office for four years, or " until " his successor should he appointed and qualified^ unless sooner " removed by the President of the United States." Brigham asserted that no one had been legally appointed and qualified to succeed him, that he himself had not been removed by the President, and hence he was still Governor and Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and Commander-in-chief of the militia of the Territory. The remainder of the document, as a gem of Dogberryism, is worthy of notice : " By virtue of the authority thus vested in me, I have issued and for- warded you a copy of my proclamation forbidding the entrance of armed forces into this Territory. This you have disregarded. I now farther direct that you retire forthwith from the Territory by the same route you entered. Should you deem this impracticable, and prefer to remain until spring in the vicinity of your present position at Black's Fork or Green River, you can do so in peace and unmolested, on condition that you deposit your arms and ammunition with Lewis Robinson, Quarter-Master-General of the Territory, and leave in the spring as soon as the condition of the roads will permit you to march. And should you fall short of provisions, they can be furnished you upon making the proper applications therefor." The Mormon " warriors " now set to work vigorously to fulfil the instructions of their leaders, to hamper and impede the advance of the army, and the detention of the Second Dra- goons in Kansas was now felt to be not only a serious blunder, but an irreparable loss, for there was no proper force to prevent the Mormon cavalry from plundering the supply-trains, or do- ing whatever else they pleased. Meanwhile, a new commander had been appointed at Wash- ington in the person of Col. Albert Sidney Johnston. He was a brilliant soldier, but at the date of Brigham's proclamation was still at Leavenworth, twelve hundred miles from the army to which he was appointed. His command had as yet heard nothing from him, and, without instructions and fearing every- thing, Col. Alexander concentrated his forces at Ham's Fork, until some course could be resolved upon by a council of the officers. It was then the latter part of September ; winter was approaching, the stock of forage was rapidly decreasing, and the country was altogether unfitted for winter-quarters. Every day's delay was disastrous, and threatened the very existence THE MORMON STYLE OF WARFARE. S67 of the expedition, for the mountains were already draped with snow, and the Mormons were constantly harassing the supply- trains. The troops began to show signs of demoralization ; Lieut.-General D. H. WeUs. they were in a bleak and barren desert, with an enemy sur- rounding them that knew every inch of the ground, and who to all appearances could easily destroy them without shedding a drop of their own blood. On the 4th of October, Brigham's counsellor, D. 11. Wells, issued the following order : " On ascertaining the locality or route of the troops, proceed at once to annoy them in every possible way. Use every exertion to stampede their animals, and set fire to their trains. Burn the whole country before them and on their flanks. Keep them from sleeping by night surprises. Blockade the road by felling trees, or destroying the fords when you can. Watch for opportunities to set fire to the grass on their windward, so as, if possible, to envelop their trains. Leave no grass before them that can be burned. Keep your men concealed as much as possible, and guard against surprise. Keep scouts out at all times, and communication open with Colonel Burton, Major McAllister, and O. P. Rockwell, who are op- erating in the same way. Keep me advised daily of your movements, and every step the troops take, and in which direction. " God bless you and give you success. " Your brother in Christ, (Signed) "Daniel H. Wells. 503 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " P. S. — If the troops hiive not passed, or have turned in this direction, follow in their rear, and continue to annoy them, and stampede or drive oif their animals at every opportunity. D. H. Wells." These instructions were carried out to the letter. One of the Government supply-trains was burned at Simpson's Hol- low, ten miles east of Green river, and two trains were burned on the Sweetwater ; in all seventy-five wagons containing pro- visions, tents, tools, and clothing. At the same time those who burned them ran off a large number of cattle. BumiDg Government Trains. The Prophet had given orders that no blood was to be shed under any temptation or provocation, save only in the extrem- ity of self-defence, but the army was to be " wasted away." The teamsters, wagon-masters, and attaches of the trains were corralled, furnished with an outfit of provisions, and their faces turned eastward. Of that entire host of civilians it is stated that not a dozen of them reached the frontiers. They perished by the way, from exhaustion, cold, and the attacks of Indians, On the 10th of October the ofiicers of the expedition held a council of war and determined that the army should advance from Ham's Fork, but to change the route of travel and make Salt Lake Yalley, if they could, ma Soda Springs, a distance of nearly three hundred miles, and at least a hundred and fifty THE FEDERAL TROOPS IN GREAT TROUBLE. 369 miles farther than the route through Echo Canon. The order was issued, and next day the troops commenced a dreary march. Early in the morning the sky was surcharged with dark, threatening clouds, and as they started the snow fell heavily. A few supply-trains were kept together and guarded by the infantry, but the travel was slow, vexatious, and discouraging. The beasts of burthen were suffering from want of forage, as, in anticipation of this movement, the grass had been burned all along that route. The animals were completely exhausted, and, before they were a week on the new route, three miles a day was all the distance that could be made. Another council of war was held, but the only topics of discussion were the suffering, disaster, and heavy losses of the company. The soldiers were murmuring, and dissatisfaction reigned everywhere. Some gallant officers were desirous of forcing an issue with the Mormons, cutting their way through the canons, and taking their chances of what might come. This course might have afforded some gratification to individ- uals, but to the company at large it was impracticable : every effort was necessary to save the expedition from total ruin. In this forlorn condition the new commander was heard from, and the troops were instantly inspired with new life. Colonel Johnston comprehended the situation and ordered the expedition to retrace its steps. The snow was six inches deep, the grass all covered, the animals starving. The advance had been slow, the retreat was simply crawling. On the 3rd of November they reached the point of rendezvous, and next day Colonel Johnston joined them with a small reinforcement and the remainder of the supply-trains. The morale of the army was restored by the presence of an efficient commander with instructions in his pocket, but the difficulties of the expedition were increasing every hour. The supply-trains were strung out about six miles in length, the animals worrying along till, thoroughly exhausted, they would fall in their tracks and die. All this long line of wagons and beef cattle had to be guarded to prevent surprise and the stampede of the animals.* * About the middle of October, the Mormon "boys" drove 800 oxen from the rear of the iiriny into Salt Lake Valley. On the 5th of November they made another 370 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. The snow was deep on the ground and the weather was bit- terly cold. Many of the men were fatally frost-bitten and the cattle and mules perished by the score. In Colonel Philip St. George Cooke's command fifty-seven head of horses and niules froze to death in one night on the Sweetwater, and from there to Fort Bridger, where the expedition finally wintered, the road was literally strewn with dead animals. The camp on Black's Fork, thirty miles from Bridger, was named " The Camp of " Death." Five hundred animals perished around the camp on the night of the 6th of November. Fifteen oxen were found huddled together in one heap, frozen stiff. The Camp of Death In this perilous situation the expeditionary army to Utah made the distance to Bridger — thirty-five miles — in fifteen days ! Often the advance had arrived at camp before the end of the train had left. On the 16th of ISTovember. the army reached their winter-quarters. Camp Scott, two miles from the site of Fort Bridger and one hundred and fifteen from Salt Lake City. successful drive of 500 oxen, and literally fulfilled the words of the popular song, " Du dah," which the Mormons had adapted to their own views, and which had re- ceived the approval of "the Prophet of the Lord." " There's seven hundred wag-ons on the way, Du dah ! And their cattle are numerous, so they say, Du dah ! Du dah day 1 Now, to let them perish would be a sin, Du dah ! So we'll take all tlieifve got for brinping them in, Du dah ! Du dah day 1 CnoEus. — Then let us be on hand, By Brig-ham Young to stand. And if our enemies do appear. We'll swoop them off the land." CHAPTEK XXXIX. THE TWO AEMIES.— The Saints rejoice, and sing their Warlike Songs— Tba Federal Troops in Camp Scott — Brigham sends them a Present of Salt — " The Lord" is to destroy the Enemies of Zion — Col. Kane arrives among the Mor- mons and converts Brigham — The Prophet concludes that he cannot "whip" the United States — He proposes Flight — Means to take Care of Himself — Col. Kane visits Gov. dimming and arranges a Basis of Prospective Peace — He of- fends Gen. Johnston — A Duel imminent — The Mormons flee from their Homes. "While these misfortunes beset the Government troops, the Mormons were the happiest of mortals. The calamities that had befallen their own hand-cart emigrants onlj the year be- fore were instantly forgotten, and the suflerings and privations of the soldiers were regarded as the immediate and direct judgments of the Almighty against those who would " fight " against Zion." As the snow had closed the passage through the mountain canons, there was no longer any necessity for " defence," and the brethren returned to the settlements to be greeted with songs of victory. One of the pseans of the time was a " "Wel- " come to the returned warriors of Zion : dedicated to Lieuten- " ant-General Wells and his co-champions in arms," which ex- presses the view that the enthusiastic took of their situation : " Strong in the power of Brigliam's God. Your name 's a terror to our foes ; Te were a barrier strong and broad As our high, mountains crowned with snows. "Fear filled the myrmidons of war, Their courage fell in wordy boast ; The faith and prayers of Israel's host Repelled the tyrant's gory car. Then welcome ! sons of light and truth, Heroes alike in age and youth." 23 372 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. That was the gayest winter ever known in Utah, and danc- ing and theatrical representations were everywhere encouraged, while the songs of the Mormon camps, adapted to the popular negro melodies of the day, were brought into the city and were heard in all the assemblies. The Sunday worship was enliv- ened with the jovial chorus of " Du dah," * and the " sweet " singers of Israel " discoursed Mormon patriotic sentiments to the air of " The Eed, White, and Blue." To fire the souls of the Saints, one of the brethren, who is now an " apostate," made a most excellent translation of the " Marseillaise Hymn," while another of the elders sang the praises of the " warriors " in verse that has immortalized him among the poets of the Tab- ernacle. Nor were the sisters wanting in enthusiam. Sister *'E M " — a delicate, jpetite English lady, whose heart would have been moved at the violent death of a spider, aroused with her eloquence " the defenders of Zion " to " gird "on for the fight." She was "inspired." * This Mormon " Du dah " is a remarkable composition, but it is too lengthy to be given entire. Two verses, however, wiU suffice to show the breathings of the Taber- nacle, and the extent of the enthusiasm which then prevailed. After partaking of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, such a song as the following seems hardly in harmony with the place and occasion : " Old Sam has sent, I understand, Du dah ! A Missouri ass to rule our land, Du dah ! Du dah day I But if he comes, we'll have some fun, Du dah 1 To see him and his juries run, Du dah 1 Du dah day I Chortts — Then let us be on hand, By Brigham Young to stand, And if our enemies do appear. We'll sweep them from the land. " Old Squaw-killer Harney is on the way, Du dah I The Mormon people for to slay, Du dah ! Da dah day I Now if he comes, the truth TU teU, Dudahl Our hoya will drive him down to hell, Du dah ! Du dah day 1 " Chortjs. From such lyrical effusions as these, sung during " divine worship" m the Taber- nacle, the elevated tone of the sermons can be imagined. It is due to the better taught of the people to add that they had no alternative but to submit to the infliction. WARLIKE POETRY. 373 The following verses are illustrative of the warlike enthu- siasm to which the preaching of the leading elders had brought the people : " Up, awake, ye defenders of Zion ! The foe 's at the door of your homes ; Let each heart be the heart of a lion. Unyielding and proud as he roams. Remember the wrongs of Missouri, Remember the fate of Nauvoo : When the God-hating foe is before ye, Stand firm, and be faithful and true. " By the mountains our Zion 's surrounded, Her warriors are noble and brave ; And their faith on Jehovah is founded. Whose power is mighty to save. Opposed by a proud, boasting nation, Their. numbers, compared, may be few ; But their union is known through creation, And they've always been faithful and true. " Shall we bear with oppression for ever ? Shall we tamely submit to the foe ? While the ties of our kindred they sever, Shall the blood of the Prophets still flow ? No ! The thought sets the heart wildly beating ; Our vows at each pulse we renew, Ne'er to rest till our foes are retreating, While we remain faithful and true ! " Though assisted by legions infernal. The plundering wretches advance. With a host from the regions eternal, We'll scatter their hosts at a glance ! Soon ' the Kingdom ' will be independent ; In wonder the nations will view The despised ones in glory resplendent ; Then let us be faithful and true ! " Brother C. "W. Penrose, the author of this effusion, at this date had nothing of the mountain bluster and boasting in his disposition. He was a young man of very pleasant manners, a missionary, with a more than average mental cultivation. His poetry only expressed the heart-felt convictions to which the 374 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. teachings of the priesthood had led him. He fully and unques- tioningl}' believed, as indeed did all the Mormons, what Brig- ham Young taught. With " the Lord " to fight their battles, the few Saints were a match for the whole world. They knew no fear ; they only awaited the word to arise and conquer, and every mile that the United States troops advanced towards their homes, only brought the hoped-for consummation more pleasantly near to their longing souls. Many, doubtlesSj shared the sentiments of Brigham, and his hatred of all authority out- Bide of himself; but the masses have nothing of blood-thirsti ness in their character. As the United States army ap- proached, they saw only the fulfilment of predictions, and naturally longed to be the witnesses of the Lord's power. From the pen of that same " C. W. P." flowed the sweetest song that the Mormons ever sang. At all great gatherings a little Scotchman with a warbling voice is certain to be invited to sing " O Zion," in which the whole audience, contrary to the usages of the Tabernacle services, burst forth in the chorus. This effusion is sung to the sweet air of " Lily Dale " : " In tliy mountain retreat, God will strengthen thy feet ; On the necks of thy foes thou shalt tread ; And their silver and gold, as the prophets have told, Shall be brought to adorn thy fair head. O Zion ! dear Zion ! home of the free. Soon thy towers will shine with a splendour divine, And eternal thy glory shall be. " Here our voices we'll raise, and we'll sing to thy praise, Sacred home of the prophets of God ; Thy deliverance isnigJi, thy oppressors shall die, And the Gentiles shall low ''neath thy rod. O Zion ! dear Zion ! home of the free, In thy temples we'll bend, all thy rights we'll defend, And our home shall be ever with thee." Kg words can express the electrifying influence of this song upon a Mormon audience. As the sound of the last words dies away, an outburst of enthusiasm is certain to follow. If the occasion is a religious ceremony, a loud and long-continued " Amen " is heard like " the voice of many waters." If the oc- casion is political, the hand-and-heel applause is given with a FOR EVER SEPARATED FROM THE GENTILES. 375 vim that tells liow well the poet has touched the soul of his auditory. The orators of the Tabernacle waxed bold and spoke of the Government and the army in terms of supreme contempt. With such an inevitable issue before their eyes, the leaders must either have been sincere in their faith that the end of national rule had been reached, or they were most unaccount- ably foolish in speech. A questioning voice was never heard : there was one current of unvarying boast of independence and victory for Israel, and of defeat and disgrace for the nation. For years previous, the people had been taught to look for- ward to the time when " the kingdom " should throw oif its allegiance to all earthly power, and now they naturally con- cluded that " the long-expected blessed day " had arrived, when they beheld on the one side of the mountains the national army advancing to their homes, and on the other side the Prophet with the armies of Israel determined to dispute their entrance into the valleys. It had been a favourite pulpit expression that " the gates " would be let down between the Saints and the rest of the " world," and now it was that Brigham announced that he would regard the present as " the set time to favour Zion," and that the will of the Almighty was " that the thread should be cut " between them and the Gentiles when he saw armed men coming to shed his blood and that of his brethren. Ileber, who was Brigham's favourite prophet, did not require to wait for the shedding of blood to be assured of the will of the Almighty. He was already full}^ advised and knew that the Saints and the Gentiles were separated for ever and " never would gyh& " again." Men clothed with the inspiration of an " infallible priest- " hood " must needs be positive in their assertions, and it is only with such a faith that the leaders could demand unques- tioning allegiance, and the people I'ender the service of " blind " obedience." Yet running all through the defiant speeches of those times, and the wordy assertion of " the Lord's com- " mands," it is easy to discern the expression of stray thoughts which would have told any free-thinking people that the very men who claimed to be the inspired of " the Lord " and His 376 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. mouth-piece to tliera, were themselves in grave doubt about the truthfulness of what they uttered, 'although they exacted unswerving faith and obedience from others. Those who dared to think saw this position clear enough, but to divulge such a discovery was impossible. Nothing could better illustrate the incompatibility of the- ocracy with republicanism than the stormy days of " the Utah " Rebellion ; " and argument is unnecessary to demonstrate that abject slavery is the inevitable condition of a people who ac- cept the despotism of " the one-man-power," Brigham Young, in Utah, in the year of grace 1857, rendered unintentionally by his own example, this service to his generation. But Heber could see nothing to hurt his faith or to discour- age liim in the slightest degree. To him everything was per- fectly delightful to contemplate. Brigham was to become President of the United States, he was himself to be Yice- President, and Brother Wells the Secretary of the Interior.* In the mean time the Saints were "just as sure to go to hell as "they live, and I know it, if they consent to dispossess Brother *' Brigham as our Governor." f To avoid such a destination, the Saints very properly, with u])lifted hands, voted that the troops should never come through the canons, and that Brig- ham should for ever be their Governor ! The thoughtful Legis- lature, too, resolved that the officers appointed for Utah by the National Government should " neither qualify for, or assume " and discharge within the limits of this Territory the func- " tions of the offices to which they have been appointed, so *' long as our Territory is menaced by an invading army." :{: Such was the spirit and such the letter of the teaching of the apostles during the iirst six months of the Utah war. With the genial breath of spring and the melting of the snows, one of two things was certain : the Mormons would have to conquer the United States army, or they would have to retreat from their defiant position of resistance. At Camp Scott, near Fort Bridger, where Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston wintered his troops, the Governor and Federal officers had pitched their tents and entered upon the discharge * Tabernacle, September 6, 1857. f Ibid., August 30th, 1857. X " Resolutions adopted and signed," December 2l3t, 1857. A LITTLE SALT FROM BRIGHAM. 377 of their official duties. On the 21st of November, Governor Gumming issued a very temperate proclamation to " the peo- " pie of Utah Territory," informing them that they were in a state of rebellion, and commanding them to disband. Chief- Justice Eckles opened court, empanelled a grand jury, took the burned trains into consideration, and found indictments against Brigham and the leading Mormons for t*-eason, at the same time assessing the damages to the Govei-nment for goods burned and cattle stolen at a round million of dollars. The winter of 1857-8 at Camp Scott was not quite so gay as that enjoyed by the Saints on the western side of the Wah- satch range of mountains. The burning of the three trains by the Mormons had greatly reduced the commissariat of the troops. Rations were short, and many articles of daily neces- sity were altogether unattainable. Enterprising suttlers, who had ventured out with the ex- pedition, taking the usual stock of extras, found the necessities of the civil and military officers and the wants of the camp fol- lowers a mine of wealth. The miserable whiskey that was pois- onous enough at less than a dollar a gallon was eagerly pur- chased at twelve times that price, while tobacco was sold at $3 a pound, and coflPee and sugar at about the same rate. The greatest privation, however, was caused by the absence of salt, and Brigham in his " magnanimity " sent a present of that needful article to Colonel Johnston ; but the gallant soldier ordered the messengers from his camp with every expression of contempt for the "rebel " prophet.* The Indians, however, soon settled the question of patriotism and necessity, and hur- ried through the snow into Camp Scott with all the salt they could pack, and sold it readily at five dollars per pound. The commercial principle of supply and demand, however, soon reduced by one-half the price of that indispensable condiment during the remainder of the winter. Flour for a time was a luxury at a very high figure, and the possession of a good sup- ply with no other protection than the covering of a tent was • How mutable are human affairs ! Five years later, that same Colonel John- ston was himself designated " a rebel," and became one of the most distinguished generals in the Confederate army. The Colonel Johnston of Utah became the Gen- eral Albert Sidney Johnston of Shiloh ! 378 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. as dangerous to its owner as a well-filled purse is to a pedes- trian in a first-class city after sunset. The beef-cattle had been run ofi" by the hundred, and the poor, thin, worn-out, emaciated work-cattle were consigned to the butcher, partly as a substitute for the better-conditioned which had been stolen, but quite as often " to save the critturs " the trouble of dying," and to furnish the soldiers with some- thing like mocassins, which the needy but industrious men manufactured from their hides. From these necessities result- ed the most galling phase of the expedition to Utah. Every day, all through that winter, bands of fifteen or twenty men might be seen hitched to wagons, trailing for five or six miles to the mountain-sides to get loads of fuel for the use of the camp. It will readily be credited that under these circum- stances there was little kind feeling for the Mormons enter- tained at Camp Scott. Winter Scene. — United States Troops tiauling Wood. The unpleasant situation of the troops and any incidents ot interest were duly reported by scouts at the Mormon head- quarters, and added greatly to the faith of the disciples that " the Lord " was with them. The following letter from a lady in Salt Lake City to her children in Providence, Rhode Island, breathed the true Mormon spirit that characterized those war- like times : HOW THE SAINTS WERE DELUDED. 379 " I expect you have heard the loud talk of Uncle Sam's great big army coming to kill the Saints. Now, if you did but know how the Saints re- joice at the folly of the poor Gentiles. There are about four thousand ou the border of our territory, and six hundred wagons — one naked mule to draw them — all the rest having died. The men are sitting in the snow, about a hundred and fifteen miles from us, living on three crackers a day, and three-quarters of a pound of beef a week. Thus you see the old Prophet's words are fulfilled — whoever shall fight against Zion shall per- ish. The time is very near when one man shall chase a thousand, and ten shall put ten thousand to flight ! Zion is free ; she is hid in one of the chambers of the Lord, "We are a free people. We do not fear ' Uncle Sam's ' soldiers. We only fear our Father in heaven. We are learning His commandments every day from His prophet, and I am determined to keep them. If you were here, and could hear the Prophet's voice as I do, and could hear the Lion of the Lord roar from the mountains, as I do, and know how near the scourge of the Lord is upon the Gentiles, you would flee to the mountains with haste. The time has come when the Lord has called all the elders home, and commanded them to bind up the law and seal the testimony. They are now coming home as fast as possi- ble. What comes next ? The judgment, hail-storm, thunder, lightning, pestilence, war ; and they that mil not take up the sword against their neighbour must flee to Zion for safety. Will you come, oh ! my dear children ? " That letter was a truthful reflex of the Mormon mind in 1857, and exhibits how grossly ignorant that people were of the progress of tlie world and tlie might of the Government against which they were arrayed. The people did honestly believe that the time had fully come when the Government of the United States would be broken to pieces, and that the lit- tle handful of Mormons in the valleys of the Rocky Moun- tains was " the kingdom," and was indeed that stone which should grind into powder all upon whom it fell. " The whole United States and the whole world could not " prevail against the Saints." As for the army at Camp Scott, " a swarm of long-billed mosquitoes could eat them up at a "supper spell."* Heber, full of rollicking fun, fire, and fagots, announced that he had himself alone " wives enough " to whip the United States," " but he did not want to shed " the blood of liis brothers and sisters, neither did the Saints "want to see these things " — " unless the Holy Ghost dictates * Bishop L, D, Young, Tabernacle, December 13, 1857, 380 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " for US to shed the blood of our enemies, and then it is as just " and right as it is for us to partake of the sacrament." For himself, however, he would prefer that the army would go some other way, and not try to come into the city, for " we do " not want to hurt them ; but if they come down upon us and " we have to repel them by the force of arms, God Almighty " will give us the j^ower to do it, now mark it." * The Mormons had another lesson to learn. iN^otwithstanding the difficulty experienced at that time of travelling across the plains in winter, an express occasionally carried to the Government the unwelcome news of the disaster that had befallen the expedition and the sufferings and priva- tions that ensued. At one time there were grave fears of its ultimate success, but brave men and the unlimited resources of the Government were destined to overcome every obstacle. Captain Marcy with a comj^any of picked men undertook a perilous journey from Fort Bridger to Taos, ]^ew Mexico, to obtain provisions, cattle, and mules for the relief of the expedi- tion, and after most terrible suffering and heavy loss of ani- mals, and many disabled men, he reached the point of supply, and was eminently successful. The misfortunes that had befallen the troops aroused the Government to a realization of the necessity of rendering every aid, both in men and material, to save the expedition and make it successful. Lieut.-Gen. Scott was summoned to Wash- ington to consult with the Secretary of War, and at one time the project of entering Utah from the west was seriously en- tertained. The intimation that two regiments of volunteers would probably be called for in the spring met with a ready response from all parts of the Union. It was very evident that the nation was thoroughly dissatisfied with the state of affairs in Utah, and wanted to bring the Mormons to a settle- ment. Ready to take advantage of anything which promised wealth, there were multitudes of solicitous contractors seeking to supply the army in the West ; and, with a prodigality beyond all precedent, the War Department was perfectly reckless. The Sixth and Seventh regiments of infantry, together with * Tabernacle, September 20th, 1857. COLONEL THOMAS L. KANE. 381 the First Cavalry, and two batteries of artillery — about three thousand in all — were ordered to Utah, and every arrangement made for speedy and colossal warfare with the Prophet. Polit- ical writers charged to the administration of Mr. Buchanan an utter recklessness of expenditure, intended more for the sup- port of political favourites and for the attainment of political purposes in Kansas than for the overthrow of the dynasty of Brigham. It was estimated in Washington that forty-five hun- dred wagons would be required to transport munitions of war and provisions for the troops for a period of from twelve to eighteen months, besides fifty thousand oxen, four thousand mules, and an army of teamsters, wagon-masters, and em- ployes, at least five thousand strong. It was very evident that the Government was playing with a loose hand, and the consideration of cost to the national treasury was the last thing thought of. The unanimity, however, that prevailed through- out the Union exhibited the wide-spread detestation of " the " rebellion " of Brigham Young. The transportation item for 1858 provided for the expenditure of no less than four and a half milKons, and that contract was accorded to a firm in west- ern Missouri, without public announcement or competition. While all this was occupying the attention of the public, and the Government seemed determined that the war against the Mormons should be carried out with vigour, there w^as an- other influence at work to bring " the Utah rebellion " to a peaceful termination. Among the passengers who, in the first week of January, 1858, steamed out of New York harbour for San Francisco, was a gentleman registered as Dr. Osborne. On reaching the Pacific coast the said " Doctor " hastened overland to Southern California, and there overtaking the Mormons from San Ber- nardino, who were returning home for the defence of Zion, he was readily provided with the necessary escort through the In- dian country, and in the latter part of February he reached Salt Lake City. The presence of the stranger in the city was soon known, but to Brigham Young and his associates only was the reputed Dr. Osborne known as their whilom friend Col. [now General] Thomas L. Kane, of Philadelphia. 382 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. What was communicated from President Buchanan to Brigham Young through Col. Kane has never been published, nor is there a soul in Utah to-day who claims to be in posses- sion of that information ; but whatever the nature of this in- telligence may have been, if any communication at all, it is very certain that President Buchanan was particularly careful to have it understood that there was nothing like yielding con- templated on the part of the Government before the predic- tions of the Prophet. In his annual message to Congress, on the 5th of December, 1858, Mr. Buchanan made honourable mention of the services of Col. Kane, but he went out of his way to assure Congress that the Colonel went to Utali " with- " out any official character or pecuniary compensation ; " that it was solely " from motives of pure benevolence," and " that " the Colonel had only sought to contribute to the pacification " of the Territory." In a letter furnished to Col. Kane on the eve of his departure for Utah, Mr. Buchanan was very particular in defining their relative positions, and addressed him thus : " My Dear Sir : You fumisli the strongest evidence of your desire to serve the Mormons, by abandoning the comforts of friends, family, and home, and voluntarily encountering the -perUs and dangers of a journey to Utah, at the present inclement season of the year, at your own expense, and without official position. . . . Notliing but pure philanthropy, and a strong desire to serve the Mormon people, could have dictated a course so much at war with your private interests." * After the Colonel's arrival in Salt Lake City, it is very clear that he impressed Brigham Young with the determination of * Some writers have essayed to represent that Col. Kaue was a Mormon, and they state that he was baptized at Council Bluffs in 184Y. The Colonel himself, however, has not seen fit to confess such a relationship with the Saints, and it can be of little consequence to the world whether he was so or not. There is no doubt in the Author's mind that Col. Kane acted, in 184Y, on the Missouri River, and in 1858, at Salt Lake City, in the interest of the Mormons, just as Mr. Buchanan states, "from motives of pure philanthropy." The Colonel was very sick when with the Mormons in 1847, and but for the ex- cellent nursing and care that he then received he would probably have died. The debt of gratitude for those services he has sought to fully repay, and no man stands higher in Brigham Young's favour to-day than General Thomas L. Kane. This fact alone is sufficient to set at rest all questions of the Colonel's Mormonism. Had the Colonel been a Mormon, Brigham would have treated him with less respect. To the Prophet, adhesion to the faith inevitably entails servile obedience. Instead of courting Gen. Kane, as he now does, he would have commanded him. AN AFFAIR OF HONOUR.— THE APOLOGY. 383 the Government to subdue all opposition, and satisfied liim that in the coming spring the troops would force a passage through the canons, and would occupy the city if any resist- ance were offered to the instalment of the new Territorial Governor and the Federal officers. On the 12th of March an exhausted traveller was seen plod- ding his way from the west through the snow towards the mil- itary lines of Camp Scott. "When challenged by the picket, he requested to be conducted to the tent of Governor Gumming, whom he desired to see without delay. This enfeebled young- looking gentleman was Col. Thomas L. Kane. "With the nat- ural politeness of a thorough gentleman, Governor Gumming bade him welcome, and did everything that he possibly could to make his guest feel at home. In the relations of Col, Kane with the Mormons at that time, there was exhibited evidence of the highest Christian charity and personal heroism of character. He must have well known that in entering the encampment of General Johnston at Camp Scott, his second, if not his first, duty was to make known to the commander something of the nature of his busi- ness within the lines of the army. His silence wounded Gen- eral Johnston and his ofiicers, and everywhere in the camp the Colonel was spoken of as " a spy." In course of time an invi- tation to dine at the General's head-quarters was sent to the Colonel by the hand of an orderly ; but, instead of delivering the invitation, by some unaccountable mistake, the orderly for- got his instructions, and proceeded to place the Colonel under arrest. The Governor instantly extended his protection over his guest, and immediately a challenge from the Colonel to General Johnston was dictated ; but by the timely interfer- ence of Chief- Justice Eckels, who threatened to arrest the whole party, the affair of honour was nipped in the bud. Governor Gumming warmly espoused the cause of his guest, and felt himself also personally insulted, and from that moment the entente cordiale between the civil Governor and the military commander of the Utah expedition was for ever bro- ken. Brigham was now safe — the military could only act as a ^osse comitatus on the call of tlie Governor, and the latter was for peace. TVas this the settled diplomacy of Colonel Kane 384 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. from the beginning ? "Was it to accomplish this that he risked his life in a long, weary journey over sea and land, that almost proved fatal to him, passed under a fictitious name, and bore the epithet of " spy " in Camp Scott — to serve the Mormon peo- ple and save them from certain death ? Such would appear to have been the fact. It was the noblest heroism. Soon after the departure of Col. Kane for Fort Bridger, a " special council " was held in the Tabernacle — on the 21st of March — at which " a series of instructions and remarks " was delivered by Brigham for the edification of the leading men around him. The " instructions and remarks " were never pub- lished in any of the organs of the Church, but for the use of the bishops and chief men they were printed in a pamphlet form. It is a most singular document, and one that few per- sons have seen. The gist of the " remarks " was the forced confession of Brigham that the Saints were not prepared to fight the United States, and that he was resolved on flight. In it he tells the " special council " that if Joseph Smith had giv- en heed to the whisperings of the Spirit, he never would have given himself up to the marshal and gone to Carthage, and he then avows his determination not to be taken, and speaks at random, like a man utterly in the dark respecting the future, notwithstanding his previous boasting of continuous " revela- " tion," and the guidance of " the Lord." To that special council he said : " I do not know precisely in what manner the Lord will lead me, but were I thrown into the situation Joseph was, I would leave the people and go into the wilderness^ and let them do the dest they could. Will I run from the sheep ? No. Will I forsake the flock ? No. But if Joseph had fol- lowed the revelations in him he would have been our earthly shepherd to- day, and we would have followed his voice and followed the shepherd in- stead of the shepherd's following the sheep. When the shepherd follows the sheep, it reverses the natural order, for the sheep are to follow the shepherd. I want you to understand that if I am your earthly shepherd, you must follow me, or else we shall be separated." — pp. 3^. The idea of a shepherd leading his flock to greener and richer pasture is known the world over, but that a faithful shepherd should flee before his sheep and tell them to follow him, when those sheep were surrounded and threatened by ravenous beasts seeking to devour them, is a picture which has yet to spring from the artist's pencil. BRIGHAM "COUNSELS" FLIGHT. 385 As lie had seen the winter approaching, and knew that a handful of men could defend the narrow defiles of the canons, Brigham was bold and threatening ; but when the balmy breath of spring was felt on the deep snow that intervened between the national army at Fort Bridger and the city of the Saints, and told as certainly as the returning season itself that that army would soon advance, the Prophet comprehended the des- perate situation in which he was placed. It was then that he stumbled upon this, to him, logical method of escaping from the difiiculties which surrounded him. To the council already spoken of lie continued his address : " A great many parents follow off their children, and men follow their women. For a man tofollmo a woman is, in the sigM of Heaven, disgraceful to the name of a man. It is a disgrace for parents to follow their children. I am your leader, Latter-Day Saints, and you must follow me ; and if you do not follow me, you may expect that I shall go my way, and you may take yours, if you please. I shall do as the Spirit dictates me. What does it now direct me to dictate to you 1 Our enemies are determined to blot ns out of existence if they can." [p. 4] . . . " Should I take a course to waste life ? We are in duty bound to preserve life — to preserve ourselves on the earth — consequently we must use policy and follow in the counsel given us, in order to preserve our lives. Shall we take a course to whip our enemies ? or one to let them whip themselves ? or shall we go out and slay them now ? We have been preparing to use up our enemies by fight- ing them, and if we take that course and shed the blood of our enemies, we will see the time, and that, too, not far from this very morning, when we will have to flee from our homes and leave the spoils to them. — That is as sure as we commence the game." [Excellent second sober thought : thanks to Colonel Kane.l " If we open the ball upon them by slaying the United States soldiery, just so sure they would be fired with anger to lav- ishly expend their means to compass our destruction, and thousands, and millions if necessary, would furnish the means, if the Government was not able, and turn out and drive us from our homes, and kill us if they could, [p. 6.] [How strange " the Lord " did not whisper that before !] . . ' Where are you going ? ' To the deserts and the mountains. There is a desert region in this Territory larger than any of the Eastern States, that no white man knows anything about. Can you realize that ? What is the reason you do not know anything about that region ? It is a desert country with long distances from water to water, with wide sandy and alkali places entirely destitute of vegetation and miry when wet, and small, scattering patches of greasewood, and it is a region that the whites have not explored, and where there are but few Indians. There are places here and there in it where a few families could live. 886 TDE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. "Four years ago this spring 'P'e sent Bishop David Evans and a com- pany to go to that desert, for we then had too long neglected to explore it. We wanted to plant settlements there in preparation for this day, for we have had forcshadov.dngs and a promise of the scenery now before us. That company did not accomplish the object of their mission ; they were absent a few weeks, and went to the first mountain, but they did not go to the mountain where they were sent, and made no settlement. Now we are going to try it again. Probably there is room in that region for 500,000 persons to live scattered about where there is good grass and water. lam going there, where we should have gone six or seven years ago. iVbw we are going to see icTietlier the sheep tcill follow the shepherd. I do not care whether they follow me or not.'''' — p. 7. Brigliam VvTmiid up his remarks, extending over thirteen pages, with the following words : " My mind is too full this "moruing to come to close poiuts " — that the reader could easily believe. The tone of the " defenders of Zion " was now to be chauged. Flight, and not fight, was to be the watch- word. The safety of Brigham and the leaders was the salva- tion of the people. The " game of bluif " was over. The Hon. John M. Bernhisel, the Mormon delegate, had gone East with Major Yan Yleit, and in his verj' quiet and unobtrusive way he laboured faithfully at Washington with Colonel Kane to arrive at an understanding with President Buchanan. Mr. Buchanan, dreading to saddle his administra- tion with the responsibility of domestic warfare, if it could be avoided, gladly accepted the assurance that a settlement could easily be efi'ected without compromising the Government, and in that spirit did he favour the unofficial services of Colonel Kane, and furnished that gentleman with letters to Governor Cumming and other ofiicers of tlie Federal Government in order to facilitate and protect him in his travels. Eftbrts have been made to charge Mr. Buchanan with " backing down." That the initiatory steps for the settlement of the Utah difiSculty vv'ere made by the Government, as it is so constantly repeated among the Saints, is not true. The Author at the time of Colonel Elane's departure from New York for Utah was then on the staflf of the I^ew York Herald, and was conversant with the facts, and confidentially commu- nicated them to Frederic Hudson, Esq., the distinguished manager of that great journal, to be used as he thought proper. 1 ■■M.m li « J W :W T; " !'■ mil ,| li; ' ■ t 'l!l!'ih(.f L-=: O w ip Klingon Smith. " Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 10th day of April, a. v>. 1871. (Signed) P. B. Miller, County Clcrl:. " District Court, Seventh Judicial District, Lincoln County, Nevada. (Copy of seal.) " " Utah Territory^ County of Salt LaTce^ ss. : — T, O. F. Strickland, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Utah Territory, hereby certify that I have carefully compared the foregoing copy of affidavit with the original of the same, and that the foregoing copy is a true literal copy of said original, and that such comparison was made this 4th day of September, 1872. (Signed) O. F. Strickland." " Territory of Utah, Salt Lalce County, ss. : — I, James B. McKean, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of said Territory, do certify that I have care- fully compared the above copy of an afl3 davit with the original of the same, and know the same to be in all particulars a true copy thereof. (Signed) James B. McKean, Chief Justice, etc. " Dated Se])tcmber 5, 1872." The following map throws miicli additional light upon the statements of both " Argus " and Bishop Smith. The latter states that while he and Captain Joel White were travelling * Since this affidavit was made, great changes have taken place through the in- flux of Gentiles, and Bishop Smith now expresses his readiness to " return to Utah and give testimony in person." \ The Mormons, who seek to exonerate Brigham Young from all complicity with the murderers of the emigrants, rchxte that, when Ll'c oftered to pay him a tithing of the ill-gotten gear, he refused it, and threw it from him. Be the latter part of the statement true or false, the acknowledgment of the former shows that Brigham Young had the opportunity of knowing who were the guilty parties, even if he him- self did not direct them, and could have brought them to justice. But there is no necessity to argue from any disciple's admissions, for it is a fact, of which there is evidence, that John D. Lee did make a report of the Mountain Meadows Massacre to Governor Brigham Youny, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, etc , and that report THE PLAN OP THE MASSACRE. 443 soutliward from Cedar City to Pinto Creek, they met Lee three miles south of Cedar, who had something to say about " trying to prevent the killing of the emigrants." The subject of attacking them had evidently been sjjoken of among the Mormons ; but as yet, not by authority, at least so far as White and Smith knew, or they would not have undertaken the jour- iie}^ to Pinto Creek to dissuade the people from " killing the ^' emigrants." Lee was then en route to headquarters at Paro- wan. On the return of the Bishop and Captain White from Pinto Creek, the next evening, before they reached Cedar City, KOAD FKOM FILLMOKB MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. FILLMORE: Q-i Meadow Cr. K^--. Corn Cr. \ CoveCrpTura Smith and Sidney Kigdon — was dissolved by the assassination of the 662 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. first two named, and tLat the ruling authority then devolved upon the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, of which he was the President. Had Hyrum Smith lived, he would have been the President at the death of Joseph, and by that same order George A. Smith should now succeed Brigham Young as Presi- dent of the Mormon Church ; but few, if any, believe that, if he outlives Brigham, such will be the case. The A,, oJam Young, Junior. An apostle once asked Brigham, in a disinterested way [for, at that time, that apostle was certainly free from guile], whc would be his successor. It was an ill-timed question, for Brig- ham had only just then taken a young wife, and was looking after others ; besides, it was exceedingly unpleasant to suggest to a newly-married man, that there would be a pair of empty felippers in his house some day. The Prophet answered, very curtly, that "the Lord" would manifest that in due time. " The Lord's " due time has evidently come, and " Young "Brig," as he is called, is the manifestation. Wherever the Prophet goes, the junior accompanies him, and the people are getting used to his presence. The junior is learning how the senior manages the bishops, and is garnishing his mind with useful information : and there is no doubt that, BRIGHAM ORDAINS HIS SONS APOSTLES. 663 by this training and constant association of the son with the father before the people, the latter will clearly get into theii minds what " the Loid " has set his hand to do.* Personally, Brigham Young, Junior, is not a popular man with the Saints ; he is not their choice for president ; but the Prophet his father has determined to build up a dynasty, and preserve his name to the world, and Brigham, Junior, is a for^ tun ate accident. Brigham the Second will always suggest to the memory Brigham the First. Further, no one could imagine Brigham Young, Senior, so excessively foolish as ever to leave such an inheritance to the Smith family ! George A. Smith, by favour with the people, as well as by rank, is the legitimate successor of Brigham Young, according to Brigham's own pre- cedent, but he will never attain to that ]3osition, except by revolution, and there is nothing of that character in him. Brigham, in this, however, shows to the Saints that he will permit nothing to stand in the way of his own ambition ; that rank in George A. Smith, and birthright in his own son, Joseph A., are nothing when his purposes are considered. All the past preaching of the rank and birthright of the priest- hood is negatived in the successorship of Brigham Young, Senior, by Brigham Young, Junior.f * Several years ago, Brigham secretly ordained his three sons apostles — Joseph A., Brigham, and John W. — with the intention that Brigham, Junior, should subse- quently be the President of the Church, and his two brothers be his counsellors. This gave terrible offence to Brother Heber, who was the first in the line of succes- sion ; but Brigham shrewdly asked Heber to join him in the ordination of the three sons. To have refused would have caused an open rupture, and for Heber to com- ply, and take part in the ordination, for ever closed Heber's lips — almost. Joseph A., the eldest son, is the most popular of the Young family, but he has far too much sense to desire to be a prophet. John W. has, of late years, become engrossed in secular affairs, and has quite a clinging respect for the world that now is. " Briggy " is by no means a dunce, but he is, under the circumstances, the most capable of the three of filling his father's shoes. Joseph A. and John W. are both smart young men, and can get well enough through the world ; but Brigham, Junior, will find the Tithing-Office a great convenience. f The doctrine of inheriting priesthood has ever been held sacred in the Mormon Church ; hence John Smith, the eldest son of Hyrum Smith, was ordained Patriarch over the whole Church, solely because he was the eldest son. Brigham looked upon him as a very unfit person for the office, but the right of succession was inherent in him, and he could not be set aside without offending the Smith family, and it has been Brigham's policy to show respect to those members of the " royal family of Smith " whom he can control. 664 THE ROCKY MOITNTAIN SAINTS. The most promising man among the Mormons for the stic- cessor of Brigham, at one time, was the young apostle George Q. Cannon. The Apostle George Q. Cannon. He is by far the ablest young man among the apostles. He has the education of travel, is a reader, a writer, and a man of pleasant manners. "When he returned from his mission in Europe, several years ago, he spoke like a thinker, and showed, for a time, a capacity that commanded respect ; but he soon learned that there was but one leader in " Israel," and he grad- ually settled down to the level of the other apostles, and, while Brigham sends George A, Smith on a mission to Jerusalem, he sends George Q. Cannon delegate to Congress, to let the Saints feel and realize that the Church affairs can do without them both : and meantime " Briggy " is being initiated into the mys- teries. The public generally are looking forward to the death of Brigham Young for the utter disintegration of Mormonism, but in this there will be disappointment. There will, doubtless, be many changes and some opposition,* and, with the removal * There has been some expectation that neither Orson Pratt nor John Taylor will submit to the presidency of Brigham Young, Junior. Of late years Orson has so sunk his individuality of character, that little confidence can now be placed in his doing anything, but Brother John has within him a manacled giant that may then, HOW BRIGHAM BALANCES HIS ACCOUNTS. 665 of Brigham's iron hand, there will be an independence ne^er before realized since he ruled the Church ; but it will take a long time to educate the people out of the system. As rail- roads are built, mines developed, and enterprise grows up in the Territory, the influx of Gentiles, and the establishment of Christian schools and institutions, will soon break in upon the doctrine of exclusive salvation. Had Brigham Young been a great man, he had the best opportunity that mortal ever possessed of showing it. There never was a people more willing to do what they were told than the Mormons, and he could have swayed them whither he pleased. He could have left behind him imperishable records of his care for the poor, the aged, and the iniirm ; but, while there is not a single hospital or institution, worthy the name, founded in Zion, he has himself become immensely rich. Hav- ing control of the tithing, and possessing unlimited credit, he has added " house to house and field to field," while every one knew that he had no personal enterprises sufiicient to enable him to meet anything like the current expenses of his numer- ous wi'Ves and children. As Trustee in Trust he renders no ac- count of the funds that come into his hands, but tells the faith- ful that they are at perfect liberty to examine the books at any moment. He is charged with having, in 1852, balanced his account with the Church to the modest sum of $200,000, by directing the clerk to place to his credit the same amount "yb/" '"'' services rendered J ^^ and, in 1867, he further discharged his obligations, amounting to the small sum of $967,000, in a similar manner,* perhaps, burst forth into freedom. Thex'e are few more powerful men than this apostle, and, had not Brigham made it a point to hedge him round, and arrest his development, he would have been a great man in Zion. That he should ever submit to the dictation of young Brigham does not seem possible. * It is due to a gentleman who was once the chief clerk of the Church, and with whom the Author was on very intimate terms, to state here that it was not from him that this information was obtained. Throughout this work, the Author has observed a strict reticence upon everything that was at any time communicated to him in confidence. Furthermore, though he had daily intercourse with Brigham Young, his family, and his immediate friends, not a single thing that ever transpired in Brigham's office or house, in his presence, has been alluded to. On all that be saw or heard while Brigham's guest, or when with him in the capacity of friend, a studied silence has been maintained. 666 THE EOCKT MOUNTAIN SAINTS. For several years past, tlie agent of the Cluircli, A. M. Mus- ser, has been engaged in securing legal deeds for all the property the Prophet claims, and by this he will be able to secure in his lifetime to his diiferent families such property as will render them independent at his death. The buikling of the Pacific Railroad was said to have yielded him about a quarter of a million ; the Utah Central Railroad brought him also a very large sum of money, and, altogether, " the Lord " has dealt liberally with his servant Brigham, The actual wealth of the Prophet will never be known. There is probably not a county in Utah where he has not some valuable property. Whenever new settlements have been laid out, he has not been the last to " place " his name upon the records. "With his " opportunities," a man of his characteris- tics could not fail to become a great landed proprietor. Heber used to preach that Brigham and he would one day " own the " people," and had the Tabernacle predictions about " famines, " and wars, and rumours of wars/' received the terrible fulfil- ment that they expected, there was quite a possibility of He- ber's words coming true. Brigham took up great tracts of land, and the Legislature gave him grants of all he coveted.* With these constantly accumulating in value, and a tithing- olfice at the Prophet's command, in a time of great scarcity, when the Gentiles were to come to Zion begging for bread, it is not difficult to imagine the facilities which Brigham would have had for realizing Ileber's boast. * It is not strange that a man of his prominence should have had many favours shown to him ; in any new community in the West any man with a himdredth part his influence could not fail to receive many advantages ; but the complaint is, that Brigham was never satisfied with the lion's share of anything, but was for ever want- ing to " gobble up " everything that promised immediate value. The Legislative rec- ords of Utah are the proofs of the immensity of his organ of acquisitiveness. All the Twentieth Ward "Bench " to the north of the city, and lying east of his premises, was given to him. He had it surveyed into lots half the ordinary size, and from that alone he has derived an excellent revenue. A few years ago, Mayor Wells tried to get the City Council to give Brigham a large tract of land on the west of the city, and he wanted the Council also to improve it for the Prophet ; but some members protested, on the ground that the city was unable to do so. " Squire " Wells was very indignant, and tried to encourage the brethren to " have faith in the Lord," and illustrated the advantages of "trusting in the Lord," by stating that when he went on a mission to England he had to sell some land to pay his expenses, but that, on his return, Brigham had handed him the deeds of his city property ! To the credit of the City Council, they still remained weak in the faith THE INCOME OF THE PROPHET. 667 The report lias been circulated that Brigham was the third largest depositor in the Bank of England; but, though George Peabody has been mentioned as confirming this story, it does not seem possible. A wealthy Gentile, who called upon the Prophet some years ago, assured the Author that Brig- ham voluntarily stated to him that he really had several millions deposited there. In seeking to fathom Brigham's rea-, sons for such a communication, the gentleman could only ac-i count for it by the Prophet's own statement that " he had not " asked him concerning the number of his family, or tried to " pry into anything." Brigham was rather charmed with his visitor on this account, and was very frank and communicative. The Prophet's sermons have long established for him the repu- tation of a boaster ; and, as he will be second to no man, it is quite likely that he took some pleasure in informing this gen- tleman that he had a bank-account which could not be despised. Some years later — in 18Y1 — a New York journalist visiting the Prophet, referred to the rumour about his having a deposit of $17,000,000 in the Bank of England ; and Brigham is said to have regretted that it was untrue, and that he had not a dollar outside of Utah, but that the Church * had some small amount abroad for its use. That Brigham Young has money " salted " away," that he will not touch under the pressure of any ne- cessity but that for which it was " salted," is most assuredly be- lieved by some who have had excellent opportunities of knowing his business. A man of his shrewdness, with so many threat- enings of forced removal from Utah, and the possible contin- gencies of the application of law, never would permit himself to be caught penniless. Brigham has money — plenty of it. Of his income from his numerous and vast estates, his theatre, the Cooperative business, his railroad-bonds,f mills, farms, rents in the city, and from all sources, the Internal Revenue Office at Washington has on record the following statement: For 1867, $18,400; for 1868, $20,005; 1869, $28,584; 1870, $25,500 ; 1871, $111,680; 1872, $39,592. Of * Louis XIV. said, '•'■H^tat^ c'est moV Brigham could as truthfully say, '^L'^glise, c'est moV f Brigham is the President of the Utah Central Railroad, but has only six shares in that property ; he has, however, managed to possess $600,000 of its bonds ! 668 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. course, no one believes that these are anything like the cor- rect figures. * Brigham, though of a "long-lived family," is not a strong man physically. He has flattered himself with the hope that he would live to the age of Moses, but he is not likely to " drag out " to a hundred and twenty years. It is to be hoped, however, that the limit of his days may not yet arrive. En- lightening agencies now at work in Utah are quietly telling upon the first faith of the people, and the formerly unchal- lenged authority of Brigham to dictate in all things is being set aside. He should live on till the issue of Mormouism with Christianity has been fairly reached ; and when the barbarism of the worst phases of the Jewish polity revived has given j^lace to civilization and development, Mormonism, having abandoned its Theocracy, will take its place among the innumerable sects of the day. This can be better achieved in his lifetime. The early death of Brigham Young would make the fight with his successor the more difiicult, as the latter would then feel it incumbent upon him to contend for the idiosyncrasies of his predecessor. If Brigham lives but a few years longer, much that is now tottering will be cast down and disappear for ever. But die when he will, and succeed him who may, the " one-man power " can never be inherited. Brigham suc- ceeded Joseph when the people were in trouble and consterna- tion, and they threw their individuality at his feet, and gave him absolute dictatorship — they needed a deliverer, Now, all this is changed, and hundreds who hailed with acclamation the sceptre in the hands of Brigham in Nauvoo, are fatigued, tired, and weary of it in Salt Lake City, and never would endure it in the hands of Brigham Young, Junior. The experiment of Theocracy will die out with Brigham's flickering flame of life ; and, when he is laid in the tomb, many who are silent now will curse his memory for the cruel suffering that his ambition caused them to endure. * It is a curious fact that one Gentile — Mr. Warren Hussey, the banker — paid last year to the Government, within a few hundred dollars, twice as much as the ■whole amount of revenue-tax paid by the entire Mormon people, including Brigham Young and all the Mormon merchants ! Keferencei: ' -3. Sear Ijo^ iJevLer " JV-J^ jRreilse . L'aLe o T ^unft/ Seufs. " & Jl'sA. jis:. MAP OF UTAH TERRITORY, CHAPTER LY. THE TEEEITOEY OF UTAH.— Its Boundaries and Character— The Lakes— Super- ficial Area — The Settlements — Population — Excess of Male Inhabitants— Mules voting for Delegates to Congress ! — " Getting up " Petitions — The Militia— The Nauvoo Legion — The Federal Governors — A Stormy Political Meeting— Gov- ernor Shaffer's Difficulties — Change of Officers — A Proclamation — Eesolute Con- duct of the Governor — His Last Official Act — Conflict between Mormon Officials and Federal Officers — Delegate Hooper justifies Polygamy in Congress — Dr. Newman discusses Polygamy with Orson Pratt — Appointment of Chief-Justice McKean — His Legal Decisions — The Hawkins Case — Decisions reserved by the Supreme Court — Brigham's Anxiety for a State Government. Geogbaphically, Utah lies between 109° and 114° west longitude and 37° and 42° north latitude, less a tract equal to 1° of latitude and 2° of longitude taken from the northeast cor- ner by act of Congress, July, 1868, and attached to Wyoming Territory. "When the Territory of Utah was created, in 1850, its west- ern boundary extended to the eastern limits of California, and embraced politically the country now known as the State of !Nevada. The Territories of Idaho and Montana to the north, Colorado and Wyoming to the east, and Arizona to the south, were then uncreated. The organization of these Territorial governments changed the boundaries of Utah, but left ample space for the growth and development of a large population. The area of the Territory at the present time is 84,476 square miles, or 54,065,075 acres. '^ The Territory is almost divided into two parts by a mag- nificent range of mountains — the Wahsatch — that enters its eastern limits, traverses the country in a southwesterly direc- tion a distance of four hundred miles, and extends beyond its borders into the adjoining Territory of Arizona. 41 672 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. That section of Utah lying east of tlie Walisatcli range con- sists of an elevated plain five thousand feet above the level of the sea, with here and there separate and distinct ranges of mountains. Although comparatively unexplored, it is ascer- tained that deposits of a superior quality of bituminous coal exist there in several localities, while reports have been occa- sionally circulated of placer gold mines of great richness and extent being found in those mountain ranges. Aside from its future importance as a mineral region, and as affording a range for stock, it is probable that but little of that section, beyond the Uintah Indian reservation, will prove of much value to the farmer, in consequence of its sterility. In the western and lesser division of Utah, a series of beau- tiful valleys is found, extending throughout the entire length of the Territory. Saline and fresh water lakes are numerous. The most ex- tensive are Great Salt Lake and Lake Utah.* The former is one hundred miles in length in a southeasterly and northwest- erly direction, by fifty miles in width, showing sixty feet of water at its deepest soundings, and holding in solution twenty per cent, of salt. Lake Utah is situated forty miles south, and is connected with Great Salt Lake by the river Jordan. It con- tains fresh water, and is twenty-four miles long by twelve miles wide. These lakes will be most useful in the future as sources of internal communication ; but, aside from this, Lake Utah is now invaluable for purposes of irrigation. The rivers formed in the mountains from the melting of the snow are numerous, but of no great length — Bear Eiver in the north, and the Colorado and its tributaries, the Green and Grand, which drain the eastern division, excepted. The Government surveys commenced in the year 1855, by the establishment of an independent base and meridian at the southeast corner of Temple Block, in Salt Lake City, latitude 40° 46' 2" north, longitude 111° 53' 30" west, and continued * Bear Lake, or the northern boundary line, is a beautiful azure sheet of water, twenty-five miles long and six wide. The rugged mountains on the eastern side of the lake are magnificent, and look the very counterpart of the towering peaks of Savoy that environ the blue waters of the Lake of Geneva. No tourist in Europe ever gazed upon a prettier mountain country than that of northern Utah, between Bear Lake and the Pacific Railroad. UTAH TERRITORY.— THE SETTLEMENTS. (573 until 1857. Utah was subsequently attached to Colorado for surveying purposes, and, by act of Congress, approved Jul}'- 16, 1868, it was again constituted a separate surveying dis- trict, and a land office was established in Salt Lake City. The surveys extended, in the beginning of 1872, over 4,016,825 acres, of which 92,637 acres were embraced in vacated Indian reservations, and at that date no lines had been carried eastward beyond the base of tlie Wahsatch Mountains. The land office was opened March 15, 1869, and froi:ti that date declaratory statements under the Preemption Act of Sep- tember 4, 1841, had been tiled for 400,000 acres. Of that ex- tent of land, 68,315 acres had been paid for with cash, mainly at the minimum price of $1.25 per acre. In addition, 20,480 acres had been located with military bounty land-warrants, and 23,200 acres with Agricultural College scrip. Homestead entries, covering 167,250 acres, have been made under the act of May 29, 1862. Estimating that there are 2,000,000 acres, or the one twenty-seventh part of the Territory, susceptible of cultiva- tion, there yet remain 1,500,000 acres unappropriated for future settlement. The Mormon settlements extend to the full limits of the Territory in every direction, but the necessity in the beginning of guarding against the incursions of the Indians induced the founders of new homes to keep within supporting distance ; and following the natural sweep of the valleys at the base of the mountains, the principal settlements are found near to each other, almost in a direct line from north to south, Bris:ham's policy was, to occupy as fast as possible the best lands, and, though there is doubtless good land still unclaimed, the Prophet may be said to have made his point, and Utah Territory may truthfully be regarded as " the inheritance- of the Saints," and no justly thinking person can grudge them possessions for which they have fought so bravely and so long through many years of discouragement and privation. The first settlement founded was Salt Lake City; and, just as soon as the pioneers could save seed from their first har- vests, they were urged to go out and settle in every direction. 674 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. The Prophet, of course, had the control of everybody, and the men whom he deemed the best suited to intrust with the task of founding cities were appointed to that mission. Scores of others were called to accompany them, and volunteers were permitted to join their ranks. The settlements have thus grown in number, till there are now thirty incorporated cities and about fourscore towms and villages regularly organized, with a bishop or acting-bishop over each. There are numerous mining cities springing into existence in the canons, but, properly speaking, there is but one Gentile commercial city in the Territory — Corinne, a very enterprising town, situated on the Central Pacific Kailroad, about sixty-five miles north of Salt Lake City. The population of Utah for several years was reported to be about 125,000 souls, but with the recent large influx of Gen- tiles added, there are probably not more than that number of inhabitants at the present time. The last census reports (1870) fix the population at 88,374, but there were probably then about 100,000.* From the first efibrt to obtain admission for Utah into the Union, the population of the Territory has always been greatly overstated. One of the persons last engaged in taking the census related to the Author that one of the Mormon sisters, in the southern part of the Territory, in reporting to him the * The following is a table of the counties in Utah, and their population (Census Report, 18'70): Box Elder 4,754 Beaver 2,0i)'5 Cache 8.'229 Davis 4,460 Iron 2,141 Juab 2,251 Kane 1,513 Morgan 1,9T2 Millard 2,754 Piute 257 Rich 2,087 Salt Lake 18,406 Sevier 365 San Pete 6,884 Summit 2,536 Tooele 2,177 Utah 13.385 Weber 7,880 Wahsatch 1,252 Washington 3,063 Total 88,374 The principal cities and towns, with a population of over 500, may be of interest by way of reference : Brigham City l.( Bountiful l.i Beaver City 1,! Coi-inne Cedar City Centreville Coalville Ephraim City Fillmore City Farmington Fairview Fountain Green 075 517 Orantsville 209 S73 5?'>, Heber City Kaysnlle '.'.'.'. 1 r44 . 1 64'^ 216 905 Mount Pleasant .... 1 1 976 540 Minersville Mill Creek 590 Nephi City .... 1 North Ogden 684 OgdenCity 3,127 Provo City 2,720 Payson 1,571 Parowan 862 Salt Lake City 12,846 Slaterville 508 St. George City 1,442 Sugar House Ward 651 Tooele City 953 Washington 515 "GETTING UP" PETITIONS. 675 number of the family in her domicile, was somewhat surprised that he did not take the names of the deceased members who had once lived there, and innocently added : " That is the " way we used to do it ! " A good story is also told of a limb of the law who named his pair of mules, and then cast their votes for the delegate to Congress. The Apostle Benson used to say on the Sunday evening preceding the election : " JSTow, '■• brethren, let us have a good vote ; the President wants a rous- " ing vote ; we must have so many ! " Kot long ago, some of the teachers engaged in obtaining signatures to a sisters' peti- tion to Mi's. Grant, asking her influence with the President to favour the non-interference of Congress with Polygamy, took down the name of one lady, who reports the circumstance, and the names of all her daughters, including a little girl of a dozen summers, and then asked her whether she had not some chil- dren who were now no longer living. She replied in the affirmative, and was then told that her dead daughters' names ought to be added, as petitioners, to the list, as " they were " certain to be polygamists in heaven ! "■' However much such proceedings might be deprecated from a moral stand-point, the priesthood who favour such question- able doings have no idea of responsibility save to "the Lord," and all is fair that is done for his service and for " the king- " dom's sake ; " '" any thing to beat " — the Gentiles ! One-fifth of the entire population of the Territory is in Salt Lake City, and singularly enough for a polygamic Terri- tory, in all the counties save three — Cache, Iron, and Salt Lake — there is a preponderance of male inhabitants ; in one county — Washington — the sexes are equal in number. Ac- cording to the census, there are two thousand and fifty-six more males than females in Utah ! All able-bodied citizens between the ases of eio;hteen and forty-five are enrolled in the militia of the Territory, and form part of the organization called the "]^auvoo Legion." The Governor of the Territory is commander-in-chief of the militia, and such was Brighara Young, in the fullest meaning of that term, while he was the chief Executive ; but since his deposi- tion, no Governor has felt that he was more than a " figure- 676 THE EOCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. "bead," and that virtually the militia was still in the hands of the Pro]3het. The "Legion" has a thorough organization, and numbers about thirteen thousand men, who are well armed and equipped, and well drilled. The chief of the Legion is Daniel H. Wells, the second counsellor of Brigham Young, who bears the title of lieutenant-general. There are two major-generals, nine brigadier-generals, twenty-five colonels, and one hundred and twelve majors, with their respective staif-oiScers. The Mormons have a great deal of pride in being soldiers, and on muster parade they make a good show. During the early occupation of the Territory, Brigham tried to obtain arms for the militia from the Government, but " fortunately he was " unsuccessful," and now the arms with which the Saints are equipped are their own property. The reader may remember that, after Governor Ford made a demand for the State arms in Nauvoo, the Mormons, when shortly afterwards hastily sum- moned to protect the city, were fonnd to be as well armed as before. For many years it has been rare for a LTtah mission- ary in England to return to Zion without taking back to the mountains a sword, the best rifle he could obtain, and the latest improved revolvers. One-fifth of the " Nauvoo Legion " is enrolled in the cav- alry, and better and more daring riders than the Utah boys would be diflicult to find anywhere. The " Legion " has only a few pieces of artillery, and those of very ancient manufac- ture. In former years, the Church was little able to buy ordnance ;' it was diflicult to transport heavy guns secretly, and, as there was no commercial avarice to be gratified by the possession of a few pieces, Zion is to-day very badly supplied with this important arm of the service. With all the bombast of prediction to sustain it, there is not in " the kingdom of " God upon earth " twenty-four hours' defence against Grant, Sherman, or Sheridan. With these distinguished generals of the Eepublic the Au- thor has had the honour of speaking upon Utah aflairs, and he is much gratified at being able to state that, while the priesthood have, in their folly, laboured to array the Church against the Government, these soldiers of the nation have breathed only THE "NAUVOO LEGION." 677 forbearance and kindly consideration for the men and women who have braved the labours of the desert and the howling wil- derness, and they have expressed the wish that the Mormons could learn without bitter and sad experience that they were a part of the Republic, and a valuable connecting link between the decaying past and the budding future of the world's his- tory. But, between the military glory that the most devoted Saint might legitimately crave, and that obedience to the " powers that be," which a faithful representative of the na- tion should demand, there has been a continual strife. It is natural for Brigham Young, with his religious faith, to de- sire the conservation of all civil, judicial, and military author- ity among the Saints, but it is as natural for the representa- tives of the Government to insist that the Federal authorities be acknowledged in any legitimate sphere of action to which they may have been appointed. The Governors who suc- ceeded Alfred Gumming have, each and all, in their annual message to the Legislature, asked to be properly acknowledged commander-in-chief of the militia, but the legislators, by pur- posed delay and circumlocution, manage to pass over, session after session, any action that would disturb the organization of the Nauvoo Legion. To the annual drills the Governor would be invited, and before him, if he attended, the militia would parade, and some of the brethren would make speeches and compliment the chief Executive, but the latter would quietly smile to his friends, and make some remark that might be interpreted : " Well, we can't help it, and there's no use in " making trouble." It has been generally understood that the Secretary of War, General Eawlins, had, during his visit to Utah, in 1868, been much dissatisfied with what he saw of Mormon Theocracy, and, on his return to Washington, had asked the appointment of " Wills " Shaifer, of Illinois, for Governor. "The reconstruc- tion of the South " was then thought to be enough for the Government to deal with, but, on the retirement of Governor Durkee, General J. Wilson Shaffer was appointed to Utah. His appointment was regarded as the precursor of a different line of policy from that which had previously prevailed. Between the time of Governor Durkee's resignation and 678 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. the arrival of Governor Sliafler, at the end of March, 1870, Secretary S. A. Mann had been acting-Governor. Mr. Mann had outdistanced even Secretary and Acting-Governor Fuller in his pliant services to the Prophet and the Legislature. After the arrival of the new Governor a change was soon apparent. Every one — Mormon and anti-Mormon — felt that there was a man of energy in the Executive chair. Governor Shaffer was sick and dying, but he meant to be Governor de facto as well as de jure. The New Movement orators and writers were then in the heat of their little battle with The- ocracy, and had allied to their revelations a determination to be political. A few weeks before Governor Shaffer arrived among the Saints, a political meeting of " Liberals " had been broken up by prominent men of the community. The rough- and-ready brethren from several of the wards had been invited, who rushed in and filled the hall, and nothing but the utmost coolness and prudence on the part of the Liberals prevented the effusion of blood. " The brethren " were armed, and when the plot of the priesthood was discovered,'^ there were few of the Gentiles present who did not expect that a massacre would take place before the meeting was finally dispersed, * Brigham Young sent his chief clerk the next morning to assume responsibility for the damage done to the hall, and it was very fortunate that only broken benches had to be settled for, as there was evidence direct as to who gave the instructions to overwhelm the Liberals. If an investigation of this occurrence had taken place, it would have revealed that dozens of men sat and stood in that hall the whole of the evening, with their hands upon their revolvers, watching for the first blow. Two notorious "Minute men" were seated behind one of the leading Liberals, ap- parently there as other citizens, without any show of purpose ; but, if a fight had begun, it was believed that he would have been their victim. He knew of their presence, and sat unmoved with his revolver under his coat, while one of his friends stood close by, apparently unconcerned, but with his revolver also ready, watching the other two. There were dozens in similar positions throughout the hall, expect- ing every moment that some unguarded word might begin the trouble. That meet- ing was held in Zion. It is affirmed that, at a meeting of the " School of the Prophets," a short time previous to this, one of the leading men, speaking of Godbe, Harrison, and Kelsey, said that "the best thing that could occur to them was, to put them out of the way.'''' Seeing that the sentiment was not received with favour, but created quite a feeling of horror, he arose and said that "the School should understand that that was not "counselled." A number of the members of the School threw down their tickets of membership on the ground when they left the building, and trampled them under their feet, and never returned to the School again. TIMES OF DANGER. 679 The 'New Movement had caused considerable excitement, and the principal leaders had good reasons for believing that they owed the safety of their lives to their own ability to de- fend them, and to nothing else. Their steps were dogged at night, and for some months dangerous characters were seen prowling around their houses, evidently seeking their oppor- tunity. The " Keformers " never went out of doors without arms, and every precaution was taken at home by fixing an extra supply of bolts and bars to doors and windows. Godbe, Harrison, and Kelsey, were never permitted by their brethren to be out after sunset without a friendly escort. And this dread of assassination was not the unfounded apprehension of cowardice. Men who were brave enough to attack the Prophet and Theocracy in the chief city of Zion, with at the same time a knowledge of the desperate deeds that had already been committed, were men not to be frightened by shadows. It was in the midst of this trouble that Governor ShaiFer arrived among the Mormons, and no man of his intellect and nerve could assume the duties of that office without being at once forced to the determination of adopting such legal meas- ures as were within his reach, to give protection to those whose persons were endangered. Before he left Washington, he doubtless had the assurance of the Government that he would be sustained in everything that was legitimate and proper to do in affording protection to all citizens irrespective of faith. Representations were made of the insecurity felt in the country, as well as in the city, wherever there was dissent from the Prophet, and a few com- panies of United States troops were asked for. Lieuten ant- General Sheridan visited Utah, and made himself acquainted with the actual situation of affairs. This distinguished soldier expressed the kindliest sentiments for the people, admired the woi'k they had accomplished, and hoped that nothing would occur to disturb them in the peaceful possessions of their homes. His visit was at the finest season of the year, and he was truly charmed with the appearance of the city. Troops, whenever wanted, would, however, be forthcoming, not as a menace to the community, but that at their camp the oppressed might find beneath the stars and stripes the protection of the Govern- 680 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. ment. Governor Sbaifer is dead ; lie cannot answer his tra- ducers ; but these were his sentiments, and ahnost his words to the Author, as well as the words of the great cavalry-soldier of the Kepublic. The constant division among the Federal officers of the Ter- ritory had not only been advantageous to the priesthood, but it had also been a scandal to the Government, and that condi- tion of alfairs Governor Shaffer was charged to bring to an end. A new Secretary soon succeeded S. A. Mann, and the Hon. James B. McKean, of New York, was appointed Chief- Justice ; there was also a new marshal in the person of Colonel M. T. Patrick, of Omaha. Governor Shaffer believed that the Mormon leaders had been disloyal to the Government, and were determined to pre- serve within their own hands the military power of the Terri- tory, and to practically ignore him as commander-in-chief, as they had his predecessors. As the annual three days' drill was about to take place, he issued the following proclamation : Executive Depaktment, Salt Lake City, U. T., September 15, 1S70. Know ye, that I, J. Wilson Shaffer, Governor of the Territory of Utah, and Commander-in-Chief of the militia of the Territory of Utah, do hereby forbid and prohibit all musters, drills, or gatherings of any nature, kind, or description of armed persons, within the Territory of Utah, excejit by my order, or by the order of the United States Marshal, should he need a fosse comitatus to execute any order of the Court, and not otherwise. And it is hereby further ordered, that all arms and munitions of war be- longing to either the United States, or the Territory of Utah, not in pos- session of United States soldiers, be immediately delivered by the parties having the same in their possession, to Colonel Wm. M. Johns, Assistant- Adjutant General. And it is further ordered, that should the United States Marshal need a posse comitatus to enforce any order of the Coui't, he is hereby authorized and empowered to make a requisition upon Major-General P. E. Connor for such posse comitatus, or armed force, and Major-General P. E. Connor is hereby authorized to order out the militia, or any part thereof, as of my order for said purpose or purposes, and no other. Witness my hand, and the Great Seal of said Territory, at Salt Lake City, this 15th day of September, a. d. 1870, J. W. Shaffer, Governor. Attest : Vernon H. Vaughan, Secretary of Utah Territory. This was an extraordinary document. It was the desperate act of a man driven to the assertion of a right and duty of RESOLUTE CONDUCT OF GOVERNOR SHAFFER. 681 office that bad been practically denied him. The Lieutenant- General bad proceeded witb bis usual indifference towards the Governor, and issued bis military orders for mustering and drilling tbe troops as if be bad bad no superior. Tbe Gov- ernor bad bad no previous opportunity of calling bim to ac- count, and it wsis now necessary tbat be sbou-ld do so, or quietly take bis place witb bis predecessors wbo bad been known in tbis capacity only in name. Governor Sbaifer was unbappily situated wben be resolved to assert bis position as commander-in-cbief of tbe militia, for be bad no cboice of jjersons wbom be could appoint to aid bim in tbe work tbat be undertook to accomplish. It was neces- sary that be should appoint some one to take command of tbe militia, and tbat one — Major-General P. Edward Connor — though in every way qualified as an officer, was tbe last person in the Territory whom tbe militia would at that time have de- sired to see placed over them. Could Governor Shaffer have found an officer who bad bad no controversy witb tbe leaders, tbe Mormons might have ob- jected all tbe same to bis appointment, but in tbe appointment of General Connor to be " major-general of tbe Utah militia," they bad argument on their side. Governor Shaffer bad the other argument, that they had forced bim to that appointment — be had no alternative. The lieutenant-general, through the adjutant-genera], had remonstrated, and asked that tbe musters be permitted to take place, as tbe orders had been issued, but the Governor was inexorable, and sent a scorching letter of reply, in which he related to the lieutenant-general bis treasonable proceedings and the disloyalty of tbe Mormon leaders. Tbat was tbe last official act of Governor Shaffer, and it was solely bis own, and not the emanation of " a ring," as charged by the Mormons. He was dictating the last words of tbe letter as tbe Author entered the Executive office, and there be was lying upon his couch, weak, exhausted, and scarcely able to speak. " I have answered their letter, Sten- " house," be said. " And I expect, Governor, after tbe acknowledgment of " your authority, you have granted them permission." "You think I would ! Stenhouse, if I were not dying, 1 682 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " would get up and whip you, Thej are traitors, and I only " regret that I shall not live to help to bring them to justice. " Brigham Young has played his game of bluff long enough, " I will make him show his hand." The country was excited. On the one side it was persist- ently asserted that the drill would be held in spite of the Gov- ernor ; and those who M'cre acquainted with the latter knew well that he would maintain the spirit and letter of his procla- mation. Had the lieutenant-general persevered, the Governor would have sent the marshal to arrest him and the chief offi- cers. The marshal would have been walked out of camp, the Governor would have telegraphed for live thousand regular troops, they would have been sent, and the looked-for collision would have taken place. The muster, however, did not take place in Salt Lake county, but in distant parts of the Territory ; the militia were assembled and drilled, but no mention was made of the fact in the Mormon papers. The Governor died on the last day of October — six weeks after the difficulty had begun ; the militia trouble did not end with his life. The return of the Fourth of July afforded another oppor- tunity for a difficulty. " Lieutenant-General " Wells issued an order for a portion of the militia to take part in the procession on the nation's birthday. Governor George L, AVoods was ab- sent from the Territory, and George A. Black, who had been Governor Shaffer's private secretary, was now Secretary of the Territory and acting-Governor. He immediately issued a proclamation, forbidding " the said military parade under the " said order of the said Daniel H, Wells," as " no such office " or officer (was) recognized by the commander-in-chief of the " militia of this Territory as that of lieutenant-general," Wells was furious, and threatened to bring out the militia ; and " he "would see if a boy should interfere with them," Age not being considered in points of law and military rule, acting-Governor Black paid no attention to sneers or threats, and called upon the commander of the United States military at Camp Douglas to be present in the city on the morning of the Fourth, with all his available command, to await furthei THE INEVITABLE CONTEST. 683 requisitions. The commandant of tlie United States troops had had a newspaper difficulty with Governor Shafl'er. He had dined with Brigham Young and a few of his wives, was charmed by the prophetic entourage^ and thought " le Presi- " dent Young est vn tres gentil homme^ et ses femrnes sont t/res " cornTne-il-faiitr He was on the side of Brigham for no other reason than that he was profoundly ignorant of the question at issue between the Republic and the Theocracy, and the instinct of his nationality inclined him to the side of courtesy. Gen- eral R. De Trobriand was, however, a soldier, and when inter- rogated by the Mormons as to what he would do on the order of the Governor, he answered: "I would shoot you down." Before such a matter-of-fact reply the tlireatening of Daniel H. Wells succumbed, and he countermanded the military parade in time to save a collision. From these incidents the reader will perceive the inevitable and interminable contest that must for ever exist on this sub- ject between the Mormons and the Federal Governor. The militia have rights, as citizens, to elect their officers ; and un- doubtedly, if left to their own selection, their chief would have been Daniel H. Wells, simply because Brigham had nominated him to that post; and the Governor must be commander-in- chief, because Congress had appointed him to that position. Throughout this controversy, it was evident that Theocracy and E,ej)ublicanism were naturally antagonistic, and that the representatives of neither theory would yield to the other. The militia of Utah are Brigham's brethren ; they have en- listed on the side of " the Kingdom," and the Republic is a Gentile institution. The Federal officers, however, reverse the status of the parties — the Republic is everything, Brigham and his " kingdom" are but an " ism." On that Fourth of July (1871), the Saints and the Gentiles had separate processions in honour of the day, and all passed off peaceably ; but, from that time to the present, the Utah militia has never been mustered. Gospel and law were now to mingle in the interesting history of Utah. In the spring of 1870, Delegate Hooper delivered a very carefully prepared speech in the House of Representatives in 684 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. defence of his constituents practising polygamy, upon the ground that the Bible sanctioned that institution, and that the Constitution of the United States forbade any interference with religious worship. To this speech, the Rev. J, P. New- man, then pastor of the Metropolitan Church at Washington, and Chaplain of the Senate, delivered a reply. A Salt Lake paper, noticing this, intimated that the reverend gentleman had delivered the sermon in the wrong place, and that the Mormon Tabernacle was the place where it should be heard. Kegarding: this as a challeno;e, Dr. Newman announced his purpose of visiting Utah. Early in August he arrived among the Saints, accompanied by the Rev, Dr. Sunderland, of the Congregational Church, at Washington, and, immediately on his arrival, he notified Bris-liam Young that he was there in compliance with his challenge, and was ready to discuss with him the subject of Polygamy on Biblical grounds. Brigham informed the Doctor that he had never challenged him, and disavowed all responsibility for the utterances of the journal in which he deemed himself invited to come to Utah. But the reverend gentleman was determined not to be put off, and several letters passed between him and the Prophet. Fi- nally, the apostle, Orson Pratt, was appointed by Brigham to take the affirmative in the discussion upon the subject — "Does " the Bible sanction Polygamy ? " The Doctor was desirous of a thorough and exhaustive discussion; but the arrangement finally agreed upon was, that the argument should extend over three days, and that the speeches should be of one hour each. The Tabernacle on the Friday and Saturday was well filled, and on the Sunday it was crowded. The debate was published in full, and in it the best arguments were set forth that could be adduced from opposite stand-points. Dr. Newman exhibited at least one important fact to the Mormons, namely, that the greater portion of the renowned characters mentioned in the Bible were monogamists, and not polygamists. He denied that Abraham was a polygamist : " At no time did he have " more than one wife ; his connection with Hagar was an offence " against God, who commanded him to put her away. Jacob " had nothing to do with the evil after his conversion at Jabbok. " Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and Joshua, were all monoga- NEWMAN AND PRATT DISCUSS POLYGAMY. 685 " mists. David lived eleven years after he had put away his " wives. Solomon was too wicked for either party to be proud " of. The great Bible law is : ' Let every man have his own " ' wife, and let every woman have her own husband.' The "claims of the Mormons to sustain Polygamy under the reli- " gious liberty guaranteed by the Federal Constitution was "false in principle, for the religious liberty of the American " citizen is limited in respect to decency and morality, and " does not extend to license which would be subversive of the " well-being of society and the perpetuity of the national life." Had the reverend gentleman succeeded in securing a discus- sion with the apostle Pratt, upon the relative merits of polyg- amy and monogamy, and exhibiting which was harmonious with Christianity and the civilization of the nineteenth century, the discussion would doubtless have been of more permanent value in Utah ; but, so long have the people there had drilled into them the names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, David and Solomon, associated with polygamy and the favour of " the Lord," that it would take a thorough and lengthened im- mersion in the waters of Lethe to prepare them to listen to anything to the contrary. The appointment of Chief-Justice McKean had been flatter- ingly noticed by the Mormon press, and the Saints were grati- fied with the assurance that he was " both a lawyer and a "gentleman." On the morning after his arrival, a Mormon met with him in the comj)any of other gentlemen, and in- tently surveying the new arrival, after the fashion of Western freedom, he burst out with his opinion : " Judge, in three " months you will be the best-abused man that was ever " in Utah." The personal bearing of Judge McKean im- pressed tlie belief that he was an honourable, intellectual man.* * When Chief-Justice Titus went to Utah, seven years before, a Mormon gentle- man, who had travelled with him across the plains, gave an entertainment to the Judge shortly after his arrival. That Mormon gentleman was then a good Saint, high in the confidence of the Prophet. After dinner he said to the Author : " How long will it be before we make the Judge our enemy ? " In his mind no honourable, independent man could fill the office of Federal judge, and be long on good terms with the priesthood. Before the three months expired. Judge McKean was anathe- matized, and the cursings of the priesthood have ever since largely increased upon his devoted head. G86 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. Tlie associate-justices then and now in Utah — Obed F. Strickland and Cyrus M. Hawlej — had revived the contro- versy of Judge Stiles [see p. 282], and maintained that the United States Marshal was the proper officer of the District Court, and that it was he who should empanel the juries of those courts. Chief-Justice McKean held the same opinion. Soon one important case and then another and another was brought up in the Third District Court, over which Judge Mc- Kean presided, and his Honour's rulings were against the laws of the Utah Legislature regulating the selection of jurors through the County Court and the Territorial Marshal. The three Federal judges, forming the Supreme Court of the Ter- ritory, were united in that decision. The Mormon lawyers filed exceptions, and appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. Pending the reference of this question to the highest tri- bunal, the Third District Court proceeded with its business. On the resignation of the United States District Attorney* for the Territory, Judge McKean appointed R. N. Baskin, Esq., acting-prosecutor, and the latter appointed General George R. Maxwell his assistant. Mr. Baskin was the counsel for Dr. Robinson, when the latter gentleman was assassinated, and General Maxwell was a brave and fearless soldier during the rebellion. Maxwell regarded the Mormon leaders as dis- loyal to the Government. Baskin regarded them as the aiders and abettors of murderers. During the September [1871] term of this court, indict- * It is customary for Mormon writers to array Federal officers against each other ; hence the apostle Geo. A. Smith, in his " Answer to Questions," p. 69, says : " C. H. Hempstead, Esq., U. S. Attorney, being unwilling to prosecute under the rulings of the court, resigned." It is fair to Judge McKean and Mr. Hempstead to state that, whatever might be Mr. Hempstead's opinion of the rulings of Judge Mc- Kean, he had sent in his resignation at least one year before the date referred to, and had only " held over " at the special request of President Grant. Mr. Hemp- stead, on his resignation of the office of Prosecuting Attorney, immediately became one of the counsel for Brigham Young — an act for which no one could reproach him. No gentleman of Mr. Hempstead's ability would retain the office of Prose- cuting Attorney — the salary being nominal. Mr. Baskin had refused it several times, and only accepted it pro tern, to aid in the prosecution for the murders, and during that prosecution Mr. B., it is stated, was offered a fee of $25,000 as a re- tainer on the part of some of the accused. JUDGE McKEAN AND "THE HAWKINS CASE." 687 ments were found against leading Mormons for murder, and among the number were Brigham and Wells. The latter was apprehended, and bail accepted for his appearance when want- ed. Brigham, when arrested, was permitted to remain a pris- oner in his own house under the charge of a United States deputy-marshal ; tlie others were sent to Camp Douglas for safe-keeping. The arrest of such prominent persons created great excitement, and for a time it was uncertain if the Mor- mons would not resist the officers of the law, and deliver their brethren. In the midst of this trouble, George C. Bates, Esq., of Illinois, was appointed United States Attorney for Utah, and soon his influence was perceptibly felt in favour of the in- dicted Mormons. It should be added, however, that Mr. Bates claims that he did not believe in the rulings of the judges. It was during this term of court that a Mormon, Thomas Hawkins, was tried " for living in adultery " with two " wives " in addition to his legal wife. It was on the affidavit of the latter that the prosecution was commenced, and Hawkins was finally convicted, and sentenced to three years' imprisonment, and a fine of $500. This was regarded as a test case, and showed clearly to the Mormons that, with the United States marshal to select the jurors, their own Territorial laws against " lewd and lascivious conduct " could convict all polygamists,* whenever the legal wives chose to make complaint. The press and pulpit were let loose on Judge McKean, and he was repre- sented as everything evil that rancour could suggest. He was a second Jeffreys, and, compared with him, ISTero was a Chris- ^tian gentleman. To give the arguments and the authorities pro et con, in this long and bitter controversy, would fill a volume. The Federal judges claimed that their rulings were harmonious with the past decisions of the United States Supreme Court, and that they could not recognize the right of the Legislature to create a Territorial marshal, and to j)lace him in their courts. In this * While Chief- Justice Eckles was at Fort Bridger, in the winter of 1857-8, and held his court within the military encampment of General Albert S. Johnston, he charged the grand jury upon this same Territorial law, in almost the same language as did Chief-Justice McKean upwards of twelve years later. The charge, therefore, that the latter gentleman originated the idea, and tortured the Territorial statute to suit his purposes, la not correct. (See Atlantic Monthly, April, 1859.) 42 688 JE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. they were sustained bj the opinion of the then United States Attorney-General, and when the appeal was made to the United States Supreme Court, they were fully satisfied that they would he sustained. The attorneys for the Mormons laboured assidu- ously at Washington, and, contrary to the usual custom in the Supreme Court, the forthcoming decision had been whispered to some grateful ears ! The Mormon anniversary conference, beginning on the 6tli of April, was continued over, without adjournment, awaiting that decision. On the 15th of that month, Chief-Justice Chase delivered a decision reversing the ruling of the Federal judges in Utah, and sustaining the Leg- islature of the Territory in the " whole matter of selecting, " empanelling, and summoning jurors." This ended the long and troublesome controversy, and all the Mormons indicted for murder by the grand jury empanelled by the United States marshal were immediately liberated, and "Brother Brigham" attended the conference, and the prolonged session closed. The winter of 1871-2 was a remarkable epoch in Mormon liistory, both at home and abroad. Brigham fully realized his weakness. Years before he had boasted that he would " send " to hell across lots " the man who dared to arrest him. When, however, the time came for making good his threat, he quietly submitted to the United States Marshal, and was for some time ft prisoner in his own house under the surveillance of that offi- cer. In his service, men whom he had despised went to Wash- ington, and proffers were made to them of senatorial and con- gressional honours, if they could only get Utah admitted into the Union as a State. He who had before-time spurned all Gentile influences and defied " the powers that be," consented to accept the aid of both men and women at the seat of Gov- ernment, in order to avert the threatening doom, Eichard, at Bosworth Field, shouting : " My kingdom for a horse," evinced no greater anxiety than did the Prophet for the admission of Utah into the Federal Union. Everything failed him abroad, except the decision of the Supreme Court ; but with that ren- dering of the law respecting the powers of the Territorial legis- lature, the Probate Courts of Utah gathered new life, and the Federal Courts were again powerless to prosecute the Church leaders for any crimes of which they might be accused. mw\t\i M CHAPTER LVI. SALT LAKE CITY. — Its Situation aud Beauty — Its Eailway Communication — Water Supply — Great and Increasing Improvement — The Tabernacle — Brigham the Architect of Zion — Inspiring the Prophet with an Idea — The Great Organ — The Tabernacle Services — Eesults of the Influx of Gentiles — Brigham's Com- mercial Street — Christian Churches in Utah — Their Work and Influence — The Episcopal Church — Christian Schools — Brigham's Opinion of Gentile Instruc- tion— The Methodist Teacher's Difficulties — Polygamy opposed by Mr. Mc- Leod — The Liberal Institute — Lectures in Zion — Evidences of Prosperity — Progress of Civilization in Utah. There is no city in tlie United States, with a population of only twenty thousand inhabitants, so universally known as Salt Lake City. It is the chief city of Zion — the dwelling-place of the Prophet — the habitation of the Saints — and the grand cen- tre of " the Kingdom of God upon earth." It is the city of prediction, " beautiful for situation, and the joy of the whole "earth." But, setting aside prediction, and the innumerable verses of poetry that have been dedicated to " The city I love so well," the uninspired visitor to Utah, as well as the enthusiastic dis- ciple, cannot fail to be pleased with the first glimpse of this oasis in the desert. When the journey to Utah from the East was made by the mule overland stage in twenty days, or by the slow ox-team in ninety days, the weary and exhausted pilgrims would burst out into expressions of rapturous delight at behold- ing a city of gardens stretching miles away — east and west, north and south. The entrance to the Yalley at that time was through the canons of the Wahsatch range of mountains on the east, and, 692 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. these being still comparatively high on the rim of the basin, ;the eye of the traveller could take in at a glance almost the whole extent of the city that lay nestliDg at the base of the mountains on the northern side of the Yalley. It was a charm- .ing picture of city and farm, lake and mountain, seldom to be Been in any country. But all the enthusiastic experience of by-gone days is now greatly modified. The city " stands where *' it did," and is improving greatly every year, but the low lands on which the railroad, entering the Valley from the north, has been constructed, render the first view of it rather disad- vantageous than otherwise. Besides, the comfort and luxury of a Pullman palace car, and the hasty journey of sixty hours from the Missouri river, unfits the voyageur for appreciating the delights that the hope of visiting the city once inspired. It is one thing to look out upon a desert country from behind the rich damask curtains of a sleeping-car ; and it is another thing to have travelled over that same desert, exposed to the vertical rays of a burning summer's sun, or the pitiless storm that threatened to blow everything into shreds, or to have felt the drenching rains pouring through the wagon-covers as if they were sieves, while underneath might be seen the kind mother holding tight to her bosom her last loved one, and paterfamilias cowering beneath the bows of the wagon, with umbrella in hand, attempting to divert at least a little of the deluge from their devoted heads. Add to that the enchanting experience of herding cattle by night, hunting for water miles distant from camp, gathering " bufi'alo-chips " for the fires of the cuisine / and to all that throw in the possibility of a stam- pede of the cattle, or an Indian attack, and the reader will have no difliculty in understanding the enthusiasm that in- spired the early pilgrims to Zion when they reached the goal of their hopes. The attention of every visitor to Zion in summer is attracted "by the excellent arrangement for the distribution of water through all parts of the city. The melting snows rush down City Creek Canon on the north, and dash and foam over the rough boulders, and clear the natural obstructions of the rug- ged and tortuous windings of the mountain-gorge with all the impetuosity of the cataract and fall, but before the water SALT LAKE CITY. 693 reaches the city boundary it is controlled by the will of man) and conducted to the extremities of the city east and west, and by an admirable system of ditching it flows gently down each side of the wide streets, serving the poorer inhabitants with all the water they require for household use. Every garden-lot has its own private ditch, through which, at a fixed hour, the water. is conducted, in measured quantity, according to the extent of the parched soil that needs the magic life that springs from irrigation. In the spring of the year, when the fruit-trees around the dwellings are in blossom, and the young leaves are in their freshest green, the view of the city is very beautiful ; but all the romance that once hung around that picture is gone. Is- rael is no longer isolated from the rest of the world ; the " un- " godly Gentiles " have gained a foothold among the brethren, and other men than Saints take unto themselves wives of " the " daughters of the Lord." In the building of Western cities there are always three very marked stages of progress — the log-house, the adobe, and the rock or brick building. The great majority of the homes of the Saints in the city are now in the transition state between the two extremes. Many very fine private residences have been built within the last few years, and,, with the increasing development of the mines, and the extension of commerce, improvement is observable in every direction. The passing visitor will find but very little to occupy his attention — there are very few places of immediate interest ; but the student who can make a lengthened sojourn with the Saints, will find the Prophet and the institutions of Zion re- markably interesting. The first object — after Brigham — that every visitor should see is the new Tabernacle.* It is the most uncomely edifice that * The traveller to Zion who wants to see polygamy within the inner threshold of the homes of the Saints, will be disappointed if he expects any such gratifica- tion, and very properly so. A lady visitor to Brigham's office, after being courte- ously received by the Prophet, expressed the wish that she might see his wives ; to which he politely answered : " They are not on exhibition, madam." His answer was very proper. No lady or gentleman is denied admittance to his office, on sim- ply sending in a card ; but the better way to secure a pleasant interview is to ask some well-to-do brother to give a personal introduction, and the visitor should 694 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. was ever erected for a place of worship, but it holds a great many persons — twelve thousand. As seen from a distance, it looks like a huge turtle. From east to west it measures two hundred and fifty feet ; from north to south, one hundred and fifty ; and from the floor to the ceiling, eighty. It is oval in shape, and without a column to obstruct the vision ; but, in compensation for that advantage, as " the Lord " had everything to do with its construction, an utter disregard for what Gentile experience could have suggested might have been expected, and the mas- sive building grew up and was finished free from every taint of the science of acoustics. When it was dedicated and opened for preaching, not one-third of the audience could hear any speaker distinctly, and the rest of the auditory heard only a rumbling noise, and were left to guess the subject from the gestures of the preacher. Of course, the ungodly considered those who heard the least were the most favoured ! Brigham is architect enough for everything in Zion ; he knew just " exactly what was wanted," and had it constructed according to his own views. No one could advise him. If any friend can possibly get into his " inspired " head clear ideas upon any subject, and be dexterous enough to have it appear that it is the Prophet who is imparting to him the information, and does not let it be seen even to himself that he is teaching the Prophet, all is well, and the intelligence will be acted upon. " I think it is your idea. President, that it should be done " in this manner ? " " Let me look at that again ; — yes, I think so, don't you ? " "Yes." " "Well, go ahead and do it." "When the Tabernacle was nearly finished, and much glory was anticipated, there were a number of claimants for honour. Brother Grow, brother Angel, and brother Folsom, wanted each the major share of glory, if Brigham should leave any for distribution : but, when the building was found to be a mag- nificent failure, even the apostle, Orson Hyde, hesitated to make sure that the brother is in good relations with the Prophet. Brigham is very human, and he can button himself up to an unwelcome visitor in a style that the stranger is not likely to forget ; but, when he is in excellent humour, he is a per- fect Chesterfield. THE MORMON TABERNACLE. C95 credit it to " the Lord." After many weeks of hard labour, and endeavouring to arrive at some conclusion, Brigham finally discovered that there was " no echo in the building — the voice " only reverberated ! " fiy|_|t|[j_iiM Interior of the Monnon Tabernacle. The organ is a handsome piece of work, and reflects great credit upon the Mormon builder and mechanics. The Boston organ, and that in the Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, are both larger, but they are of foreign manufacture. This organ is said to be the largest that has been built in the United States. The Tabernacle should, if possible, be visited on a Sunday afternoon — the " spirit " is hardly warmed up in the morning assembly- The organ plays better, the choir sing better, and )"the spirit" flows better. Everything is better on a Sunday afternoon. The choir occupy the upper seats round the organ, and di- rectly in front sit the Prophet and his two counsellors. In front of them, there is a long seat for the twelve apostles, and before these is the " President of the Stake " and his two coun- 696 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. sellers. On the lower range, directly facing tlie audience, sit the chief bishop and his counsellors, together with the other bishops and their counsellors, who may be appointed to admin- ister the sacrament. The Mormon assembly has nothing of the character of " worship " in the sense of that term as used by the old estab- lished churches, and is as far distant from the intellectual ad- dresses of the modern pulpit as it can well be. There is no preparation for anything. The service was in the first days of the Church expected to be directed by the Spirit ; — probably that may be the expectation now. In every Stake of Zion there is a president and two coun- sellors, who preside over the spiritual affairs of the Church in that particular locality. Utah is a " Stake." The present presi- dent is Elder John W. Young, the younger of Brigham's three prominent sons. The twenty bishops of Salt Lake City have each two counsellors, and are the presiding element in all the ward assemblies ; but in the Tabernacle assembly on Sunday mornings and afternoons, when all the Saints are expected to be there in order to be refreshed by " the droppings of the " Sanctuary," the authority of the bishops is unrecognized, and either the President of the Stake or one of his counsellors pre- sides, lie announces the number of the hymn. At the eleva- tion of the conductor's wand, a very excellent choir starts into position. A few touches of the organist, and a great volume of human voice is well directed in the rendering of some famil- iar air, or it may be some Mormon adaptation of a new popu- lar melody. After the hymn some brother, or apostle, a bishop, or some elder who is conspicuous on the platform, is invited to pray. If it should fortunately be " George A." [the apostle Smith], who is invited, the audience listens to a brief, manly petition, with a great deal of satisfaction. " George A." is no weeping worshipper, and, when he has told " the Lord " his story, the congregation utter vigorously, " Amen," and sit down prepared to hear another hymn. It may appear invidious to make such a distinction among the Mormon praying elders ; but no visitor to the Tabernacle can listen to the lengthy confusion of utterances that often are THE "ENDOWMENT HOUSE." 697 inflicted upon that long-suffering people without appreciating the terse, brief, and hard-sense petitions of the elder named. "When one of those fearfully long-j)raying elders " lets loose," he forgets nothing, and will " run half an hour." He generally be- gins with Brigham, who is to be blessed in his basket and in his store ; his wives, his families, his flocks and his herds are to be multiplied ; his houses and his lands are to be increased ; he is to be made the wisest man in the world, is to confound all his enemies, and those who rise up against him are to fall into every conceivable snare, and finally reach the nether re- gions. After he gets through with the chief, he passes on to his counsellors ; then he groups the apostles, and is very par- ticular that the blessings be proportionate to their rank ; the bishops are next in order, and, as they are numerous, the favours solicited for them are very general ; then he comes to the Saints at large, and they need the greatest care and protection against the inroads of the Gentiles and the attacks of the Indians ; and here he remembers with peculiar unction that the red-skins are to become a "white and delightsome people," and are to turn unto " the Lord," in fulfilment of the predictions of the " Book " of Mormon." The sermons need not be described here ; the quotations already cited in this work are amply sufficient to enlist the sympathy of the world in behalf of the people. At the close of the sermon there is a doxology, and the people are dismissed with a brief blessing. On the same block, near the Tabernacle, the visitor will see the foundation of the great Temple. On the northwest corner from the Tabernacle, there stands the " Endowment House," an unpretentious building externally, but within its portals are performed all the rites and ceremonies that hold Mormonism together. The promise of the " Endowments " in that small building has drawn thousands of disciples from the nations of the Old World to Zion, and the teaching of the priesthood concerning the bless- ings of the Endowments has done more to inspire the sacrifices made by European Saints than everything else put together. But what a terrible disappointment has followed all those bright hopes ! An intelligent gentleman, who had for many years looked forward to the time when he would receive his Endow- 698 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. ments, was interrogated shortly after having " passed through " the House," by another who had been there before him, about what intelligence he had received. His answer was expressive of the general experience : "I went in expecting everything; If) ^ " I came out with nothing." The Mormon leaders have always asserted that Free-Ma- sonry was a bastard and degenerate representation of the order of the true priesthood. The reader needs, therefore, no other statement than that of the leaders, to form an estimate of the signs, grips, passwords, rites, and ceremonies of the Endow- ment House.* When the Temple is finished, in that edifice the ordinances, according to the fulness of the priesthood, will be administered : thither the angels will come, and there " the " Lord " will find a place of rest upon the earth. The anxiety of the Saints for " the Lord's " rest is now apparently not very urgent. The erection of the Temple has been so very slow that its completion is to many a matter of much doubt. Ecclesiastically, the city is divided into twenty wards, over each of which are placed a bishop and two counsellors. The bishop may be a merchant, a farmer, or mechanic. Education, talent, or refinement, has nothing to do with the selection for office. They are generally reliable men,f who can be depend- ed upon to do as they are told, and see that the Saints do their duty and pay their tithing regularly. In each ward the bishop holds a meeting every Sunday night. Under this divisional supervision, the city, if twenty times larger, would be under the same complete control. * In "The Mormon's Own Book," by T. W. P. Taylder, pp. 139-147, a singular resemblance is pointed out between the ceremonies in the Eleusinia — a festival among the Cretans — and the mysteries of the Mormon Endowment, as set forth by Van Dusen. •I- Governor Cumming often related that when loving swains and their lasses used to come in from the country and seek his services to unite them in wedlock, he would invariably send them to the nearest bishop. When directing them to the residence of that ecclesiastic, the Governor enjoyed hugely the instructions which lie <^ave : " Go up two blocks, then turn to the right, and go about three blocks for- ther • wherever you see a good house and a large wood-pile, that's where the bishop lives, and if he does not suit you, go on to the right or left until you see another great wood-pile, and thereabouts you will find another bishop's residence." In those days a good wood-pile was a certain evidence of comfortable circumstances. With the railroad and the Gentile coal, the old landmarks have passed away. DESIGN OF SALT LAKE TEMPLE. VOTING AMONG THE MORMONS. VOl The civil government of Salt Lake City is nominally like that of city governments elsewhere — with a mayor, five aldermen, nine councillors, a recorder, treasurer, and mar- shal, all apparently the choice of the people ; but there the Church rules as much as in the Tabernacle. All elections in Utah are dictated by the priesthood. Brig- ham Young as directly selects or approves of the brethren who are to be elected, as he does of the brethren to be sent on mis- sions to preach the gospel. A caucus of a few apostles and leading men is generally held in the historian's oifice a few weeks before the election, and if none of the old city council have apostatized or disgraced themselves they continue in office. When a vacancy has to be filled a name is suggested and that is submitted to " brother Brigham." He approves it, and the next day the announcement is made of " the people's ticket." There is to be no " scratching" of that ticket. On one occasion Dr. Jeter Clinton deservedly fell into universal disfavour, and even Mayor Wells could no longer hold up " brother Jeter " for reelection as an alderman. A nephew of Brigham's was to be substituted. On the day of election, Brigham was at Provo, and the liberal Mormons wanted to elect Bishop Woolley in- stead of the Prophet's nephew. This desire was so general and so well supported that Mayor Wells and the apostle George Q. Cannon, who had charge of the election, consented to the " scratching " off of the nephew's name. The Bishop was over- whelmingly elected. At the next meeting of " the school of " the Prophets " Brigham was furious. He was mad with rage ; he stormed and cursed, and, in the paroxysms of his wrath, he announced that the anger of " the Lord " was kindled against them for " scratching " the ticket. The apostle was melted to tears, and the Mayor was speechless with emotion. When he regained a little control over his organs of speech, the Mayor humbly confessed his sins, and told how he realized that the anger of " the Lord " had pierced him through as Brigham's eyes met his ! He felt that he had sinned grievously in " scratching" the name of the Prophet's nephew off the ticket. The bishop, too, who had been honoured by the majority of votes, came in for a share of the Prophet's anger, and he con- sequently declined to accept the election, and Jeter " held V02 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " over," and continued in oflSce, to the great annoyance of the respectable inhabitants of the city. A still better illustration of the people's voting was exhib- ited on the reelection of a popular delegate to Congress. The delegate, as is usual on such occasions, was thanking a public audience for the renewed expression of their confidence in sending him to the seat of Government to represent them. Brigham sprang up after the delegate-elect, stroked his beard, shrugged his shoulders, and mimicked the voice and gestures of the delegate, and repeated his thanks to the people. Then he raised himself to his full height, and, in his own sarcastic way, asked : " Does not brother X. Y. Z. know wTio sent him to " Congress ? He thanks the people for their expression of con- " fidence in him. The Saints have no confidence in him, and " if he had not been sent by the priesthood, he would not have " received twenty votes throughout the whole Territory, and " half of these would have been from hickory Mormons." That delegate — an honourable gentleman — took the snubbing, and ever afterwards fully realized that he represented the priesthood at the seat of Government.* The city had at one time the reputation of being the most orderly in the Union, and it probably well deserved that repu- tation. Every person was taxed to the uttermost to procure the necessaries of life, and there was no room for the idler, and a man without visible means of support was unknown. With the change from the quiet life of an agricultural population to a life amidst the busy marts of commerce and speculation, there has been as significant a change in Zion as in any min- ing Territory in the West, and no one bears so singular a rela- tion to the worst features of the change as the Prophet himself. By way of speculation, Brigham constructed a street through some of his property, parallel with the principal thoroughfare, and rented the ground to parties who wished to * The pretended freedom of the ballot in Utah is a perfect farce. Every ballot is numbered, and tlie number placed against the name of the voter, and in this way those who dare to vote contrary to the published ticket are known to the priest- hood. In other parts of the Union, the numbering of the tickets might be of no moment, but in Utah, where the slightest opposition is branded as rebellion, and i3 treated accordingly, it is of the last importance, as it practically precludes aU free voting. CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN UTAH. 703 build for commercial purposes. Curiously enough, after the buildings were erected, it was there that the demi-monde con- gregated, and followed theu- profession. In " Brigham's Com- " mercial Street " no lady would venture to be seen. But, while the reputation of a part of the city has changed for the worse in morals, it is gratifying to state that other elements ar3 at work for the benefit and elevation of the people, and ^MMmv-sc St. Mark's Church. Christian churches, schools, and associations, are being firmly founded in Zion. For many years there was no place where anything but Mormonism could be heard, and the stranger who could not accept the new Prophet and his revelations was entirely cut off from all religious communion. All this is past, and there are now the places of worship of several denomina- 704 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS, tions of Christians, who are all of them increasing in influence and numbers. But a few years ago no one would have dreamed that such a change could be so rapidly effected. The Roman Catholics have erected a neat little church; the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church are building a commodious meeting-house ; * and a very handsome edifice has recently been completed by the Episcopal Church, at a cost of $48,000. "When the first ministers of this Church arrived in the city, in 1867, they found only two communicants. They now number about 120 highly-respectable citizens, with about 130 mem- bers of families attendant.f In their parish-school they have about 250 children. The work of their ministry has been conducted by Bishop Tuttle, assisted by the Revds. T. W. Haskins and R. M. Kirby — gentlemen universally respected. The labours of these Christian teachers are mainly directed to the education of the young, though not a few parents like- wise, in different parts of the Territory, have returned to their " first love in the Gospel." Many a mother greets the mis- sionary with a welcome salutation, and bids him God-speed. These women do not desire to see their children involved in the same labyrinth of confusion and barren materialism into which they have themselves been led. At the last confer- ence held in Salt Lake City, the apostle Richards, in the in- terest of the children, kindly warned parents to be on their guard against the labours of these missionaries. Brigham, with his usual Machiavellianism, corrected the apostle, and said he differed from him. This was purely for outside effect. With the general reader the Prophet's remarks would have passed for liberality ; with the Mormons they were nothing but dust for the eyes of the Gentiles. Brigham was sarcastic and facetious : " Our friends who have such care for us ... . " I say to you, / do thanh you^ ItJiank you sincerely for your " kindness Pie bowed too lowly], and you shall receive your " reward for all the good that you do If these schools can * Since the arrival in Utali of the Rev. G. M. Pierce — Superintendent of the Missions — in May, 1870, the Methodist Episcopal Church has expended $30,000. Eight ministers are engaged in preaching and teaching, and there are four day- schools and six Sunday-schools sustained by their efforts. The preachers are ener- getic men, and meet with encouraging success. f This handful of Christians have established the first free hospital in Zion. BEIGHAM AND THE GENTILE TEACHERS. 705 " receive our children — and thej are receiving many — and " teach them without money and without jpr ice ^ send your chil- *' dren thereP Brigham well knew that no Christian societiea proposed to educate the children of the Saints " without money *' and without price " — though some very poor children had been picked up — and to the Mormon people that very condi- tion stated was virtually a prohibition of their children being Bent to the Gentile schools. The priesthood in Provo have since illustrated how they understood Brigham. The Eev. J. P. Lyford had been preach- ing very successfully in that town, had been kindly received and treated with social politeness by the people who came and listened to him. Some sent their children to his Sunday- school, and that gave offence to the leaders. To remove all excuse for sending them there, the Mormon teachers opened school at the same hour. The Methodist teacher, perceiving the purpose for which this was done, changed the hour of his school from the morning to the afternoon. The children then again attended school, and, perceiving this, the Mormon teach- ers changed theirs to the same hour. Of course, the Methodist teacher will return to his former hours of attendance. Elder Franklin D. Richards, when he instructed the Saints not to send their children to the Gentile schools, was speaking as an honest, consistent apostle, and representative of the Mor- mon Church. He knew well enough what he was saying. The people who heard him also knew, and Brigham knows full well that scores of times he has publicly forbidden the bishops to engage Gentile teachers in theii- schools ; and when such men as Bishop Woolley have done so against his orders, they have always had trouble with the Prophet. "Whenever a Gentile teacher has been permitted to follow his or her profession, there have always been special and peculiar reasons for the rare exception. While the agencies of the Churches are quietly accomplish- mg much good in many ways — by teaching, example, and kindness to the poor — the Eev. Norman McLeod, the former intimate friend of Dr. Robinson, is lecturing again in Inde- pendence Hall, and exposing polygamy, theocracy, and all the evils charged to the Mormon priesthood. The new-movement V06 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. " Eeformers," in tlieir first zeal, erected a building, and dedi- cated it to the " Church of Zion ; " but, with the change in their sentiments, they have rechristened it "the Liberal In- " stitute," and there lecturers, male and female, of every shade of opinion in religion, politics, or science, can hold forth for the edification of Saint and sinner. The Liberal Institute is the Faneuil Hall of Utah, and from its platform will go forth facts of history and science that will work in a few years a grander revolution among the Saints than would the presence of ten thousand troops, or any other movement that could pos- sibly be construed into " persecution." In the gradual disintegration that is now going on, and whose progress is being daily accelerated, the Churches will find a few Saints seeking communion again within the folds in which they once rejoiced in their Kedeemer ; and a much larger number of the dissatisfied will repudiate all religious associa- tions for the remainder of their lives ; but the great bulk of the Mormon people, who are tired of Brigham and Polygamy, and who have still the remembrance of their past experience, without the change of thought that the present light of the world might bring, will turn their eyes towards young Joseph Smith as the successor of his father, and the head of the Mormon Church. The building of the Utah Central Railroad, from the junc- tion of the Union and Central Pacific Pailroads at Ogden to Salt Lake City, was completed in January, 1870, and from that time the city has much improved in appearance and in its com- merce. The exorbitant charges for overland freight no longer heavily tax the pockets of the poor nor cool the ambition of the rich for the improvement of their homesteads ; and the Munici- pal Council, too, has shown some ambition to add to the com- fort and security of the city. Water and gas-works are being in- troduced, and the steam fire-engine is to be seen in the streets of Zion. Cars are now running through the streets, from the depot past the hotels, and everything has the air of progress and not of retrogression. There have always been several good hotels in the city, both Gentile and Mormon, and to their num- ber has been added this year the "Walker House, which will do much to make the chief city of Zion a pleasant resting-place for the tourist who is visiting Utah. PROSPERITY AND PROSPECTS. ro- Numerous elegant private residences Lave recently been built, that tell of wealth, and the appreciation of a better life than that predicted by tlie Prophet.* The wealthy pro- prietors of city property vie with each other in the erec- tion of elegant stores, and the past poverty and rough build- ing are fast passing away. Some conception of the en- ergy and enterprise of both Mormon and Gentile mer- chants may be gleaned from the fact that edifices are now being erected with brick from Philadelphia, and iron fronts from New York. The First National Bank has met with rare prosperity, and very prop- erly has taken the lead in in- augurating the " iron age " in building. With such indications of the stability of commerce, and the inevitable growth and development of the Ter- ritory, how strangely read the prophecies of the Taberna- cle! Twenty-five years ago, when the exiles were poor and needy, and but a little higher in the scale of social life than the Indians, it was natural enough for Brigham to prophesy of the dissolution of all society. The end seemed near enough to him then, but he has since become wealthy, and his name is found to railroad bonds, whose redemption is dated later than the time when he professes to believe the second coming of Christ will be ! * For several years the Tabernacle sermons abounded with predictions about famine and desolation. 43 The First National Bank of Utah. 708 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. "Whatever follies have been committed by enthusiasts in fixing the date for the reappearance of the Son of Man, Brig- ham is fully resolved that the whispering of the " Spirit " to Joseph Smith * shall in no way interfere with his own mun- dane affairs. Instead of preparing for this great event, which was, in the beginning of Mormonism, a matter of faith with all the Saints, Brigham is bent on the accumulation of everything of worldly value, as if this " wicked world " were to " wag " on for ever. Every act of his life shows that he has no faith in the predictions of his predecessor. Had Brigham Young been a man of benevolence, intellect,, refinement, and consistency, and had he cultivated the better qualities of the human nature that he once had in his power to mould, the present age would have seen recorded in the history of the world the establishment of another powerful sect — a sect which would probably have become one of the distinctive religions of the ages yet to come. As it is, Brigham lias shorn the faith of the Saints of its strength, and robbed it of the charm of its early days ; and the lesson left indelibly inscribed upon his work, and upon that of the latter days of his predecessor, is that the civilization of the world is progres- sive, and that the whisperings of that still, small voice from the Mount opposite Jerusalem, and not the thunders from the Mount in the Wilderness, will influence and direct the advanc- ing mind of the nineteenth century. * In his Autobiography, Joseph Smith says : " I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man, wlien I heard a voice repeat the following : ' Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art ek/hiy-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man ; tliere- fore, let this suiiice, and trouble me no more in this matter ! ' " Joseph v.as born in 1805, consequently the great event is fixed for 1890. o < o < X 0 2 ,11,^,! |i u^^^^^^y.^ h CHAPTER LYI. THE jM I N E S OF UTAH. THE POTOSI OF THE WEST.— Early Anticipations of tlic Treasures of Utaii— Ore discovered in tlie Mountains— First Discovery of Argentiferous Galena — Eu- terprise of General P. Fa Connor — The United States Soldiers " prospect" for Mines — Mr. Eli B. Kelsey lectures on the "Wealth of Utah — Incorporation of the West Jordan Mining Company — First Smelting-Furnace erected at Stockton — Eush Valley Smelting Company formed — Waiting for the Eailroad— First Ship- ments of Ore — The Utali Central Eailroad — Eich Ores in Ophir District — Silrer- opolis — Valuable Mines in East Canon — Colonel E. D. Buel's Works in Cofc- tonwood — Numerous Furnaces erected — Eesults of Inexperience — First Mill in Utah — Extraordinary Success — Large Shipments of Bullion and Ores — The Emma Mine — Formation of Veins of Ore — The Action of Water and Volcanic Force — Statistics of the Emma Mine — Its Immense Value — Bonanzas — Extraordinary Dividends to Proprietors — Southern Mines — True Fissure-Veins — Their Im- portance— Solfataric Action — The Mineral Springs — The Staples of the Utat Mines — Silver and Lead — Gold in Bingham Caiion — Gold in Sevier River— Quartz Mines — Gold near Ogden — Iron and Lead Ores — Supply of Fuel — Gradual Improvements— Scarcity of Wood — Discoveries of Coal — Building Materiid— Importance of a Valid " Title "—Development of Locations— Contested Claims — Commissioner Drummond's Decision — The Vast Mineral Resources of Utah — Im- portance of the Territory— Its Beauty, Wealth, Capabilities, and Claims to At- tention. In launching the timber logs down the mountain sides, occasionally a piece of lead ore, that had been disintegrated from ledges of that mineral, would be revealed to the sight of " tlie brethren," and from these accidental circumstances arose the impression among the Saints that there were valuable tnin- erals in the mountains. It was also seriously believed that there were large numbers of gold ledges somewhere ready to be revealed for "the building up of Zion," tlie embellishment 712 TDE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. of tlie Temple, and the general comfort and pleasure of the Saints, whenever they liad gained the experience necessary to make a prudent use of the precious ore. "When the furore created by the discovery of gold in Cali- fornia attacked the Saints and was drawing some of them away to the Pacific coast, the Prophet used to hold the victims of that fever up to ridicule in his sermons, and promised the Saints who stayed at home greater wealth there in the harvest-fields, and a far greater amount of wealth in the time to come, for he knew where the article was in such great abundance that he could " go out and bring in a wagon-load of gold " if it were necessary to do so. But " the Lord " wanted the Saints to build themselves homes, make themselves farms, and, when they had been well tried in poverty. He would reveal to them " the hidden treasures of His storehouse." Many years ago, the Author stood by the side of Brigham ■at his ofiice door when he told a prominent bishop of the Meth- odist Church, who was passing through the city, that, from where they then stood and chatted, he could see where there was more gold than ever the Saints would want to use, unless it were in the manufacture of culinary vessels, ornamentation, or for "paving the streets of the I^ew Jerusalem." Brigham doubtless believed what he said. He could from his ofiice door look to a range of mountains where a " great discovery " of pure gold " had been made, but its locality was to be sa- credly kept a secret which no one knowing would divulge. Years later, the " pure gold " tm'ned out to be a large body of pyrites of iron in a crystallized form, which to the inexperienced eye had all the appearance of gold ! The belief that large quantities of gold exist in the mountains still remains ; and that " the Lord " would not permit the Gentiles to discover it, was a frequent theme in the Tabernacle. Many a time Brigham has ridiculed, in Sunday sermons, the Gentile prospectors, and told them that they were blind and could not see the precious metals when they were even lying before their eyes, and frequently they would " stub their '" toes " against the ores and knew not what hurt them ; and then, with a dash of inspiration, he would comfort them with the assurance that they would never discover them until he THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF SILVER ORE. 713 [Brigham] was willing that they should be discovered. " If ever " they discover them, it shall he over my faith.'''' While confidence was entertained that " the Lord " would guard the treasures of the mountains for His Saints, and the Prophet was mocking the would-be miners, the first discovery of a ledge of argentiferous galena was made by a lady — the wife of a surgeon of the California Volunteers, under the com.- mand of Colonel Connor. A portion of the horses of the California Yolunteers had been sent to Bingham Canon to graze, and with them a com- pany of men as a guard. A picnic party of officers and their wives from Camp Douglas was improvised, and Bingham was selected, as the troops were there. During the rambles of the party on the mountain-sides, this lady, who had a previous ac- quaintance with minerals in California, picked up a loose j)iece of ore. The Yolunteers immediately prospected for the vein, discovered it, stuck. a stake in the ground, made their location, and from that liour Utah has been known to the world as a rich mining country. Colonel Connor, elated by this discovery, published to the world that there were minerals in Utah upon the domain of the United States ; and all were free to prospect ; and that his troops should afford all necessary protection to the prospector and miner. He had had no occupation for his troops — they were eating the bread of idleness, and were discontented at being detained in Utah, and not taking part in the war. The discovery in Bingham was opportune, to favour prospecting, and it would appease the men and give them the chance of possibly enriching themselves and the country. An order was pro- mulgated that a certain number of men would be furloughed to prospect, and every facility afforded them to travel within certain boundaries. "Wearing the blue, and the honourable sign " U. S.," they could enter what canons they pleased. Thus to Colonel Connor, and the California Yolunteers under his direction, is the honour due for the first discoveries in Utah. Mr. Eli B. Kelsey, thoroughly breaking off fi-om Mormon- ism, and believing that the hour had fully come to develop the mineral resources of the Territory, started out in the old mis- sionary style to lecture upon Utah in the Atlantic and Pa- 114 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS, cific States, in the summer of 1870. lie wrote to the papers spoke to "boards of trade," published a pamphlet, and created quite an interest among capitalists, and was the means of send- ing into the mining districts a hundred thousand dollars in the fa,ll of 1870. The first of Eastern capitalists who, at this time, was converted, was an enterprising merchant of 'New York, "William M. Fliess, Esq., who joined Mr. Kelsey, and advanced the " working capital " required to develop some valuable mines. From that time capital has flowed into Utah, and wealth has been dug out of the mountains in such abundance — in proportion to the capital and labour employed — as to justify the hope that Utah will yet be the first mining country in the world. The following article has been written and compiled ex- pressly for this work by a gentleman well acquainted with mining work, v/lio visited and studied the MINES OF UTAH.* On the ITtli of Seiitembsr, 1863, Captain A. ITeitz, with a number of soldiers, found the first vein of argentiferous lead ore in Bingham Caiion. The first mining record is that of the West Jordan mine, in favour of one Ogilvie, and some others. In the following December, a mining district was formed and named the West Mountain Mining District. It covered all the Oquirrh range of mountains, from Black Kock at the southern end of Salt Lake, south of the 40th parallel of latitude. But little work was done in the new discovery until the following spring. In the interim two other ledges had been discovered, namely, the Galena mine (on the 26th of Jan- nary, 1864), and the Empire (February 6, 1864) ; both contiguous to the ©riginal discovery. In the month of March following, a military post was established, known as Camp Relief, near the present site of the town of Stockton, iu Rush Valley, Tooele County, and several companies of cavalry were posted there, who, excited to a liigh pitch by the recent successes of some of their eomi-ades in arms in mineral discoveries, availed themselves of every pos- sible opportunity when off duty to explore for ledges, or to develop such mines as they had already located. On the 11th of June following, at a miners' meeting held at the camp, the Rush Valley Mining District was formed, embracing all the western slope of the Oquirrh range from its northern to its southern limits. The eastern side, sloping into Salt Lake * Colonel E. D. Bucl kindly placed at the Author's disposal a voluminous and Taluable manuscript on the " Mining Districts of Utah," from which much informa- tion has been taken for this article. EARLY MINING OPERATIONS. ^lO Valley, still retains the original name of "West Mountain District. In tho summer of 1864, the West Jordan Mining Company was incorporatecl under the laws of California, and work by a tunnel was commenced on thcj mine, at a cost of sixty dollars j)er foot, which could now be done for ten dollars. Blasting-powder was at that time i^25 a keg ; now it is less than one-sixth of that price, and labour is also more abundant. The first smelting-furnace in the Territory was erected at Stockton, in 1864, by General Connor. He at this time became aware of the impor- tance of having the mineral interest developed to the fullest possible •extent, and induced a large number of his California friends to enter into the enterjjrise. The Rush Valley Smelting Company was organized at the same time, by the military officers at Camp Douglas ; and a furnace W^as built by them at Stockton. General Connor followed, with his second furnace, on the reverberatory plan, with an inclined flue, one hundred and fifty feet long. Dui'ing tho summer and fall of 1864, furnaces were built by the following par- ties, in and around Stockton and Rush Valley (mining prospects innumer- able having by that time been located in the neighbourhood), viz. : The St. James ; Finnerty ; J. W. Gibson ; Nichols & Brand ; Hartnet ; Davids & Company ; and one cupola blast-furnace by Johnson, Monheim «fc Com- pany. A cupelling furnace was also built by Stock & Weberling, in the same year. But the treatment of ores by smelting was a task new to these Cali- fornians, and their experience in milling the gold, ores of their State was of no service to them in this task. This disadvantage was increased by the fact that charcoal was not abundant, that rates of transportation were •excessively high, and both the materials of which the furnaces were built, and those used in the daily operations, were very dear. These are circum- stances which w"ould tax the ability of the most experienced ; and the ■Californians, unused to the work, failed entirely. A good deal of money was spent, with no result, excepting the establishment of the fact that the ■ores were easy to treat. During this time of trial, the usual history of new mining-fields was repeated, and companies which were organized with high hopes spent large sums, and became bankrupt. The Knickerbocker and Ai'genta Mining and Smelting Company was ■organized in Nev/ York, to operate in Rush Valley, and expended about one hundred thousand dollars in the purchase of mines and the material for working them. But, owing to the impossibility of making medium and low-grade ores pay, at such a distance from the market, the company lost their money, and abandoned the enterprise. Thus, after two years of steady, earnest, hopeful toil — from the time of the first discovery in 1863, to the same month in 1865 — the business of mining had to be suspended to await the advent of the "iron horse," which was to bring renewed vitality to the occupation of the miner. With the failure to work the mines profitably, came the disbanding of the volunteer troops, in the latter part of 1865-6. Their places could Tie THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. now be filled by the regulars — the rebellion by this time having been sup- pressed— and, as the owners and locators (who were principally military men) cAild not subsist on non-joaying mines, the question arose as to how their rights could be secured while they were seeking employment else- where. Their method of solving the difficulty has resulted in the greatest injury to the cause which had its rise in their energy and determination. They called miners' meetings, and amended the by-laws of the district in such a manner as to make claims perpetually valid, which had had a cer- tain but very small amount of work done upon them. For the perform- ance of this work, a certificate was given by the district recorder. This certificate i^rohibited all subsequent relocation of the ground. In conse- quence of this provision, the mines of Stockton long lay under a ban^ and it is only since the wonderful discoveries made in neighbouring canons, that mining has been energetically resumed there. While the operations, detailed above, drew attention chiefly to the Rush Valley mines, discoveries were gradually becoming numerous in other districts. The first discovery of silver-bearing lead ore had been made in the Wahsatch range, in Little Cottonwood Canon, and in Mountain Lake, in the summer of 1864, by General Connor, but nothing was done towards development until the district was organized, in the fall of 1868 ; when, for the first time, operations of any extent were begun on the mines by Messrs. Woodhull, Woodman, Chisholm, Reich, and others. The first shipments of galena ore from the Territory were made in small quantities by Messrs. Woodman & Co., Walker Brothers, and Woodhull Brothers, of Little Cottonwood ore, in July, 1868, being the first products of the Emma mine. Several other shipments were made, in the fall of that year, by the same parties. The completion of the Utah Central Railroad to Salt Lake City, in January, 1870, presented the long-looked-for opportunity of embarking with certainty in the business of mining. During the fall of 1868, and the spring of 1869, mining was taken hold of with " a will," and it was soon proved, beyond a question, that the mines of Utah were possessed of real merit. What better proof can be looked for than the fact that from their first discovery they were not only self-svTstaining, but highly remunerative ? The first shipment of ore to market having proved a success, work was pushed on with the utmost vigour on the mines already discovered. This was especially the case in Little Cottonwood district, on such mines as the Flagstaff, Emma, North Star, Savage, Magnet, Monitor, and others. Thus an impetus was given to the business of prospecting for mines all over the Territory ; and this led to the innumerable discoveries subsequently made. The export of ores has increased from a few irregular weekly shipments, as in the fall of 1868, and throughout 1869, to that of a regular and constant stream, dui-ing the summer months, of from four hundred to six hundred tons weekly. In one month the Walker Brothers shipped 4,000 tons. In the two months — August and September, 1872 — 2,458 tons of ore, and 1,363 tons of silver-bearing lead and iron, were sent out of the Territory. The DISCOVERY OF "HORN" SILVER IN EAST CANON. 719 latter item shows what progress has bceu made in smelting the ores within the limits of the Territory itself. It was during the excitement produced by the very rich developments made on the Emma and other mines of Little Cottonwood, that " horn," or chloride silver ores, of a very rich character, were discovered in East Canon — ^now known as Ophir District. The first location in this district was made on the 23d of August, 1870, and was named Silveropolis. This location was soon followed by many others of a similar kind of mineral, all proving, at the surface, to be very rich — such as the Tampico, Moun- tain Lion, Mountain Tiger, Petaluma, Zella, Silver Chief, Defiance, Vir- ginia, Monarch, Blue Wing, and many others, with promising prospects. All were found on what is known as Lion and Tiger Hills, immediately south of Ophir City ; and the ores (unlike those of Cottonwood) are adapted to mill treatment alone. At the same time, jirospecting was going on upon the north side of Ophir, where many very extensive ledges of lead ore, carrying silver, were found ; which ores are adapted to the smelting-process only. A remark- able distinction is to be noticed in the character of the ores on'either side of the caiion, the bottom of which appears to be the dividing-line. On the north side, at the distance of not more than one-third of a mile, is found a combination of sulphides of iron, lead, arsenic, antimony, and zinc — the iron predominating, aud carrying silver in appreciable quantities, with fifteen per cent, to forty per cent, of lead. On the south side, distant from the canon about one mile, in a du-ect line, the silver occurs as chlo- ride, with little or no base metal. But, small as the quantity of the other' minerals is, they contain lead, molybdanum, antimony, and zinc, and there- fore few of the mines yield ore that can be tcell treated without roastino-. Probably fifty or sixty per cent, may be taken as the average yield of those ores in the mill, when they are treated raw. But a proper roasting increases this to eighty-five and even ninety per cent., and upwards. Some mines yield a remarkably pure chloride-ore — a dolomitic limestone containing true chloride of silver in a very pure condition. It was at the time of these discoveries that the district now known afj "Ophir" was formed in that part of the Oquirrh range known as East Canon, and originally included in the Rush Valley district. Some forty locations had been made as early as 1864 and 1865. The conditions under which the ore exists in these mines is somewhat peculiar. It is in concen- trations, which are often small and exceedingly rich, or larger and less concentrated, though still very rich. Mines were opened, which, when the overlying earth was removed, disclosed a narrow vein, exhibiting along its length a number of "boulders" highly impregnated with chloride of silver. These frequently assayed from $5,000 to |20,000 a ton ; * though their valu§ would vary very much in difi'erent parts of the same mass. As * The Walker Brothers shipped west from the Silveropolis 40 tons of ore, which netted $24,000, of the first workings of that mine. 720 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. a rule, the ore of East Cauon may be estimated at $80 to $150 per ton in value, though considerable quantities run much higher. But the marvel- lous stories of the $10,000 and $20,000 ore, found in boulders, attracted the attention of prospectors in other parts of the West; and these discov- eries in Ophir, together with the wealth of the " Emma," have probably done more than any thing else to bring about that strong tide of immi- grating prospectors which has so rapidly raised Utah to the position of a first-rate miuing-field. At all events, they would probably have been suffi- cient for the work, liad the other discoveries been of less imj)ortauce than they really are. The working of these mines not only opened nev/ districts, but revived the activity of those which had suflered partial abandonment, and at present there is not one district where important works are not going on. Great encouragement was also received from Eastern and foreign capi- talists. Important sales were made, and a great deal of money brought in as working capital. At the same time a number of smelting-works were built. The amount of ore which these were capable of treating is variously estimated at from 200 to 400 tons per day ; but few of them are now running. In June, 1870, the Woodhull Brothers built a furnace eight miles south of Salt Lake City, at the junction of the State road with Big Cottonwood Creek. It did some service in testing practically the ores of the Territory, and from these works was shipped the first bullion produced from the mines of Utah. It was smelted from ores of the Monitor and Magnet, and other Cottonwood mines. These works were soon followed by the Badger State Smelting Works, about four miles south of the city of Salt Lake, on the State road, which were commenced in August, 1870. They produced their first bullion on the 18th of March, 1871. The next works were those of Jennings & Pascoe, immediately north of the city, at the Warm Springs. They con- tained rcverberatory furnaces, which are not well adapted to the average ores of Utah, but are useful for the prejjaration of galena ore for the blast- furnace. A cupola or blast-furnace has since been added to these works, increasing their value greatly. The next, and best designed works of any built in the Territory until a late period, were those of Colonel D. E. Buel, at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canon. The smelting-works of Buel & Bateman, in Bingham Canon, which followed, were built on the same plan as those in Little Cottonwood. During the winter of 1870-1, Messrs. Jones & Raymond built furnaces in East Caiion for the purpose of treating the lead-ores of that district. A renewal of operations also took place in Stockton, and the works there have suflered greater vicissitudes than any others in the Territory. Tintic, a new district, saw the next establishment built. But, during the year 1871, furnaces were erected in all quarters : in Little Cottonwood, by Jones & Pardee ; in Big Cottonwood, by Weightman & Co. ; in Bingham Caiion, by Bristol & Daggett ; in American Fork, by Holcombe, Sevenoaks % '\s / ^ h'B. Ill ft ||jll||||l|^l^■4 THE FIRST MILL ERECTED IN UTAH. 7L3 & Co., and ethers. These were nearlj^ all shaft-furnaces, rather rude in construction, though with some well built furnaces among them. Tho only works which deserve notice, for the introduction of good metallur- gical models, ai'C those of Robbins & Co., who built a large reverberatory furnace for reducing the ore by charcoal, after preliminary roasting ; and the works of Colonel Buel, in Little Cottonv/ood, where the later construc- tions of German metallurgists were introduced with good judgment and efFect. The furnaces which Colonel Buel placed in his Cottonwood and Bingham Caiion works have been repeatedly .coj^jied in later-erected estab- lishments, and have proved themselves as serviceable in this country as abroad. Thus, sixteen furnaces were built in as many months, and the number has since been increased more than one-half; but it cannot be said that great success has attended them. Few have continued in active opera- tion, and fewer still work with the regularity necessary to success. It is impossible to doubt that a history like this must be the result of in- experience. It is but a repetition of the course of affairs in Nevada, where men accustomed to the amalgamation of gold undertook to treat silver ores, which require a very different process. They at first ascribed theii' failures to some peculiarity of the ores, which were thought to be differ- ent from any others in the world ; but, now, they confess that the canse of their difficulties was simj)ly ignorance. Undoubtedly, that is the real secret of the trouble experienced by smelters in Utah ; and doubtless, when they have become more experienced, they will not hesitate to ac- knowledge that ignorance of the work was the cause of their first failures, instead of giving the numerous excuses that are now current. In addition to the foregoing means of reduction, there was built in Ophir District, East Canon, a first-class crushing and amalgamating mill, in May and June, 1871, by the Walker Brothers, of Salt Lake City. It is known as the Pioneer Mill. It has fifteen stamps, and was built by the firm to work the ores of the Silveropolis, Tiger, Rockwell, Zella, Silver- Chief, and other mines — the mill-process alone being adapted to the ores of that section of Ophir known as Lion Hill, where horn chloride silver ores are found. There are also four or five " Mexican arastas " in successful operation in East Canon. The mill-men have met with better success in Utah than the smelters, for they are engaged in a task familiar to them ; the process being the same as that in use in Nevada and some parts of California. Notwithstanding all tlie discouragement which has been met with hitherto by the smelters, the progress of mining in Utah has been vron- derful. Remembering that the first really practical work done towards the development of the mining interests was commenced only in the fall of 1868, and making due allowance for the inclement season then at hand, which the miners had to pass through in such high altitudes as those where the mines are situated, it will be understood hovr it was that the summer of 1869 had progressed so far before work to any appreciable 1^24 Tlia ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAINTS. amount was done. Considering the shortness of the time, the record of what has been done is most extraordinary. From the summer of 1869 to the 2oth of September, 1871, there were shipped from the Territory 10,000 tons of silver and gold ores, of the gross value of $2,500,000 ; of bullion, or pig-lead, containing gold and silver, 4,500 tons, of the gross value of $1,237,000; copper ores, 231 tons, of the gross value of $0,000. Salt also has been exported to the extent of 1,100 tons, of the value of $4,000 ; and silver bars, obtained by milling chloride ores, have jDroduced $120,000. The annual product of gold from Bingham Canon, by improved appliances for washing and sluicing, has been in- creased from $150,000 to $250,000. The number of districts by exploration and location have grov/n from two, as in 1868, to thirty-two in 1871. Since June, 1870, there have been erected eighteen smelting-furnaces, built at an aggregate cost of $200,000, several of which are producing bullion. If this were a professional mining work, it would be an error to sin- gle out a few of the most remarkable mines in Utah for description, to the exclusion of the great number of lesser mines. As it is not intended to offer here a guide, either to the miner or the speculator, but, on the con- trary, to present the average disinterested reader with information about the great works of nature in the Territory, as well as the history of the people who have settled it, no imjDropriety will be committed in discussing the character of the famous Emma mine, that has attracted especial at- tention. Nature has formed her mineral deposits in various ways. Sometimes volcanic forces have opened a cleft in the rocks, which has been filled by minerals introduced either in solution or in a gaseous form. Sometimes the mass of ore has been withdrawn, by means which are still mysterious to us, from the neighbouring rocks. Other veins, again, are merely cracks in the rock, formed by contraction as the mass became more and more dense, or more and more dry, examples of which action may be constantly seen in clay beds lying in the sun, and these cracks have been filled from the surface. But the method to which the student of geology in the "West is forced chiefly to give his attention is, the formation of veins by hot waters. There is a lively and constant circulation of water within the bowels of the earth, and, little as the ancient alchemists imagined it, wa- ter is the " universal solvent." The action of these subterranean waters is greatly increased by various substances which they already hold in solu- tion, and also in many instances by their high temperature. A hot spring bursting through the narrow crevice in the rock will not only wear away a larger channel, but it will enlarge its path by taking the solid rock into solution and bearing it also away. It is supposed that this action has been enormously intensified in the case of vein formation, from the fact that frequently the waters, springing from a great deptli, are under im- mense pressure, and at a temperature which is very much above that of boiling water, as it is known on the surface of the earth. Under these circumstances, the magnitude of the caverns, whose gr. ■ THE GREAT WEALTH OF THE EMMA MINE. 727 cavation we can ascribe to no other cause than the action of water, ap- pears less marvellous. The same description of caverns are found in the East, though usually empty, or else filled with some other substance than ore, as clay and other minerals. But it is in the West that the manifesta- tions of this action are most widely found. The theory just mentioned, respecting the origin of most of our mines, may be regarded as the most probable one, as we not only find almost innumerable hot springs throughout the whole mountain-region of the Territories, and springing up even in our very mines themselves, when, in our efibrts to obtain the ore, we remove the rock that has choked their passage, but we also have in this country springs which are still forming miues. In Georgia there is a hot spring which deposits gold quartz, and we have only to imagine a time of volcanic disturbance, leaving behind it a period of intense sol- fataric activity, covering the whole Western country, to see this action, so feebly illustrated in Georgia, become the source of many thousands of mineral deposits. The word ' solfataric,' used to describe the process by which these mines are formed, is derived from the name of a volcano near Naples, and means all the forces of a volcano which are not included in the actual eruption of lava. In every mine it is an important question to ascertain its extent, and, since we cannot penetrate the earth with our eyes, no resource is left but to determine the mode in which the vein was formed. If we can make sure that a given mine is in a great cleft formed by forces far below, and afterwards filled from the same source, we may feel confidence in the long continuance of our supply of ore. But the difficulty with veins which are formed by hot waters, or by any sort of solfataric action, is that we can never ascertain except by actual trial how far below the surface the sources of the deposits are to be found. Some mines, like the Comstock, are vast in every direction — length, depth, and breadth ; but the Com- stock is a true fissure-vein, the crevice having been formed by volcanic force, and afterwards filled by hot waters which deposited the ore. Others are so shallow as to be nearly worthless as miues. The Emma in many respects rivals the Comstock, and in som-e excels it. Of less remarkable length, its width is enormous, and it has been explored for 330 feet in depth, with every prospect of much longer continuance. The history of this important mine can be given in a few words ; its dis- ji^mmmm "^•►-v w ^•%"i«'' ^ijf*" """^ ^ ,' '■.^- i; f W '^ ■ ■' • ■< ' - A^'tik. K ^T ,-■-'■■'■■■ ■#."■.: rifc t*'^^^'(^ :4^-*^