835 
 M248 
 
BANCROFT 
 LIBRARY 
 
 o- 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 

From 
 
 THE BEIXMAN 
 Minneapolis 
 
 leeuee of April 1 and April 8, 1916, 
 Vol. 20, noe. 507 and 508. 
 
 (coTirtesy of Joel E. 
 
 
April 1, 1916 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 378 
 
 WHEN THE MORMONS DWELT AMONG US: I 
 
 EUDOCIA BALDWIN/MARSH 
 
 At this time, all the world knows who and what 
 manner of people the Mormons are, and I write, not to 
 give a detailed account of their history as a sect, but 
 merely to relate a few incidents of my own experience, 
 and to state some facts of which I have personal knowl- 
 edge. For a term of years, these people were our close 
 neighbors in the state of Illinois. I saw them welcomed, 
 and I witnessed in turn their growth and prosperity, and 
 their downfall and expulsion from the state. 
 
 In 1886, the Mormons came to Hancock County in 
 a very sorry plight. According to their own tale, they 
 were fugitives for righteousness' sake, driven from Mis- 
 souri by the religious intolerance of their neighbors. 
 They were in utter destitution, and their misery was 
 enhanced by the fact that the flight from their homes was 
 in the dead of winter. 
 
 They crossed the Mississippi 
 Hivt-r lit Qiiincy. where they 
 were trentnl with great kind- 
 ness, and given food, shelter, 
 and raiment. The citizens of 
 Quincy even held a public 
 meeting and passed resolutions 
 denouncing the "border ruf- 
 fians of Missouri" for so cruel- 
 ly misusing a godly people. 
 These "ruffians" were too fnr 
 removed to present their si<lc 
 of the case. 
 
 For some time the "Saints," 
 as the Mormons styled them- 
 selves, succeeded in posing as 
 martvrs. Many of them dis- 
 persed throughout the county, 
 and everywhere they received 
 sympathy, kind treatment, and 
 employment. Both their need 
 and their numbers made them 
 willing to work for very low 
 wages. This was a boon in- 
 deed to the overworked farm- 
 ers, who were devoutly thank- 
 ful to obtain this unexpected 
 help in their strenuous life. 
 The younger women, both mar- 
 ried and single, went out as 
 -' r\ ints, and, with but few ex- 
 ceptions, they were faithful 
 and efficient. 
 
 Apparently, they were a 
 serious, sober-minded people, 
 desirous of living up to their 
 name of "Latter Day Saints." 
 Their demeanor was very sanc- 
 timonious, and in many cases I 
 think the sanctity was not all 
 Named. 
 
 When thrse people first came 
 among us, Joseph Smith was in 
 a Missouri jail. Early in the 
 spring, he escaped it was 
 afterwards said that the au- 
 thorities connived at his escape 
 in order to be rid of him. He 
 
 joined his flock, and was earnestly solicited by the people 
 on both sides of the river to locate his projected city 
 with them. 
 
 After much deliberation, he chose the little village 
 of Commerce, on the east bank, as the site for the future 
 city of Nauvoo. A call was sent to all the dispersed 
 faithful to come and build up the new Zion. The vacant 
 cabins throughout Hancock and the adjoining counties, 
 of which they had taken possession, were again deserted, 
 and the roads leading to Commerce were thronged. For 
 not only the Mormons themselves came at Smith's bid- 
 ding, but their gentile converts as well. 
 
 The farmers living in the vicinity of Commerce vied 
 with each other in their haste to sell their land to the 
 Mormons for town lots. Smith ever promised lordly 
 
 The "Million and a Hair Tnnplr at Nauvoo 
 
 From nn old print 
 
874 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 April 1, 1916 
 
 price*, but if, when the day of reckoning came, he found 
 payment inconvenient, an alleged "revelation," and a 
 Thin faith the Lord," settled the claim forever. Some 
 of these duped landowner* joined their fortune* with 
 those of the Mormons, not because they were converted 
 to the Mormon belief, but because, being intelligent men, 
 they saw an opportunity to gain power and influence. 
 Thus the money they did not get for their land advanced 
 their worldly position, for they, and their descendants, 
 have always been leader* and dictator* among the Saint*. 
 
 During the palmy day* of their Missouri sojourn, the 
 Mormons had sent many teachers abroad. Soon after 
 Nauvoo was founded, the little colony began to reap the 
 fruit* of the sealous labors of these missionaries. Great 
 numbers of converts came from England. Some were 
 unskilled and ignorant, ill-fitted to take care of them- 
 selves in a strange country, but many were skilled work- 
 er* in different craft*. Scotland and Wale* also sent 
 their quota, for these countries, too, had been thoroughly 
 canvassed by the Mormon*. They had described, in 
 mo*t glowing terms, this new country. According to 
 them, tropical tree* of all kind* bordered the street* of 
 Nauvoo, and the fruit could be gathered without money 
 and without price; although, for that matter, they de- 
 clared that both gold and silver Srere to be had for the 
 asking. Some of these deluded people had believed 
 that, in truth, they were coming to the New Jerusalem, 
 where living waters flowed by the tree of life. 
 
 The reality was too great a shock for many. The 
 diseases common in a new country claimed some; priva- 
 tion took it* toll ; others succumbed to homesickness ; and 
 still others sought the gentiles, and tried to forget that 
 they had been Mormon dupes. But the "Saint*" kept 
 their hold on the greater number, and, in time, broke 
 them in to the weary work of giving tithe* of time and 
 money to build the city and the "Temple." 
 
 The politicians soon saw in this fast-growing city a 
 condition of affairs worth looking into. It was evident 
 that Smith would control the vote of his people; which 
 would be the party so fortunate as to control Smith? 
 Their ardent desire to obtain his favor and support led 
 the leaders of both parties to visit him frequently at his 
 home, the "Mansion House." There they paid the exor- 
 bitant prices he charged for entertainment, laughed at 
 his coarse jokes and stories, and flattered his self-conceit 
 in every possible way. Smith, despite his immense con- 
 ceit, was astute, and treated all alike. Naturally, he 
 was much elated at this turn in the tide of his affairs; 
 from poverty and a Missouri prison, he was being rap- 
 idly borne to wealth and power. 
 
 In September, 1899, the city was definitely laid out, 
 and the name changed from Commerce to Nauvoo. The 
 following winter, it was granted many unusual privileges 
 by the legislature. With others not so well known, 
 Stephen A. Douglas and Sidney H. Little pushed the 
 act granting Nauvoo its charter. This provided for a 
 city, a university, and a "Military Legion," represented, 
 respectively, by a city council, a board of trustees, and 
 a court-martial. Each of these bodies was invested with 
 legislative, judicial, and executive powers; that is, they 
 were given the right "to enact, establish, ordain, and 
 execute all laws and ordinance* not repugnant to the 
 constitution of this state or of the United States." 
 
 No proviso appears in the act guarding against in- 
 fringement of the laws of the state or of the United 
 States. That proviso, usual in charters, may or may 
 not have been purposely omitted, but an examination of 
 all other charter* granted at this same session will show 
 that in each was a proviso providing against infraction 
 of the law* a* well a* the constitution. It is an obvious 
 
 fact that, in *o passing the bill, the judiciary committee, 
 both homes of the legislature, and the governor who 
 signed the bill omitted the performance of their plain 
 duty. 
 
 The "Military Legion" was made independent of the 
 rest of the military of the state. The title of the com- 
 manding officer, "Lieutenant-General," was unknown 
 elsewhere in state or nation. Any citixen of the county 
 was at liberty to join, the natural sequence being that 
 all the "Faithful" were at once enrolled. 
 
 With such an auspicious beginning, no wonder Smith 
 wa* puffed up with pride and arrogance, and soon pro- 
 claimed that "the whole earth, together with the posses- 
 sions of the gentiles, will be brought under the sway of 
 the Saints." 
 
 By 1842, the Mormon population of Hancock County 
 was sixteen thousand. About that time Henry Caswell, 
 an English gentleman, visited the colony, and wrote con- 
 cerning the "Prophet": "I had the honour of an interview 
 with the Prophet. He is coarse and plebeian in aspect; 
 his countenance exhibits a mixture of the knave and the 
 clown; on one finger of his large, fat hand, he wears 
 a massive gold ring; I could not observe his eyes, for 
 he was deficient in that open, staid, fixed look which 
 characterises an honest man. . . . The Mormon sys- 
 tem, mad as it is, has method in its madness. Many 
 shrewd minds are at work on its maintenance and propa- 
 gation, and whatever may befall its organizers, it has, in 
 itself, the elements of increase and endurance." It seems 
 to me these last words were prophetic, for though, a very 
 few years later, a sudden and violent death befell its 
 founders, the system certainly both endured and in- 
 creased. 
 
 In 1841 I first saw the Mormon leader*. A young 
 lawyer of Carthage met an untimely death by accident, 
 and all the church dignitaries attended the funeral. The 
 long procession passed rear my father's home, and for 
 the first time I saw the men so much talked about. The 
 Smiths were large men, with coarse, heavy features; 
 Joseph, in particular, was a stupid, sleepy-looking man, 
 whose face held no hint of intellect or asceticism, such 
 as one would naturally expect to find expressed on the 
 face of a prophet They were dressed in the uniform 
 of the "Legion," which had an extraordinarily high col- 
 lar. Riding, as they did, in the high-built buggies of 
 that day, they looked gigantic. 
 
 During this time of Mormon prosperity, while Nau- 
 voo was rapidly filling with people from all parts of the 
 world, many excursions and pleasure parties were ar- 
 ranged to visit the city. On one occasion, some members 
 of our family joined such a party and took me with 
 them. We dined at Smith's large hotel, the "Mansion 
 House." After dinner we were told that for a small 
 sum we could view some Egyptian mummies that were 
 on exhibition in an adjoining room. We all went in, 
 and found the mummies presided over by Smith's mother, 
 a trim-looking old woman, dressed in a black silk gown, 
 with a white apron and cap. 
 
 With a long wand, she pointed out to us the supposed 
 Pharaoh of the Exodus himself, his wife, and his daugh- 
 ter*. Then followed a detailed account of the life of 
 each. Upon my asking her how she had obtained all 
 this information, she replied in a severely virtuous tone, 
 in a manner calculated to repress all further doubt and 
 questioning, "My son Joseph recently received a revela- 
 tion from the Lord regarding these people and their 
 times. He told it all to me." 
 
 We saw on this visit, a* often afterward*, the "Elect 
 Lady," a* Smith profanely called bis first wife. She 
 was a tall, austere woman, gaunt of form, and very plain 
 
April 1, 1916 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 of feature, but said to be of sensible, practical character. 
 Stately and solemn, she sometimes appeared in public 
 at Smith's high functions, or dress parade affairs, in rich 
 costumes of velvet, with her hair dresed high with 
 plumes. It was said she had no faith in her husband 
 as a prophet. Certainly, she refused later to leave the 
 hotel, or to go with the Mormons to Utah. Long after 
 the "Exodus," she acted as landlady, and when, after 
 Smith's death, she married Mr. Bidaman, together they 
 kept ih inn to the end of their days. 
 ""At this time we visited the "Temple." The interior 
 was not finished, but the exterior was certainly of very 
 imposing appearance. Smith claimed its cost to be one 
 and a half million dollars surely a large sum to wring 
 from the poor people who were his dupes. They gave 
 not only the work of every 
 t.nth day, but also the tenth 
 of all their earnings from 
 farms, shops, or labor of any 
 kind. It was said at the 
 time, by men who claimed to 
 know, that three or four 
 hundred thousand dollars 
 would have been ample for 
 such a building what be- 
 came of the residue is left to 
 conjecture. 
 
 My brother had viewed 
 the laying of the cornerstone 
 of the "Temple" on April 6, 
 1811. It was a grand affair, 
 according to the Nauvoo pa- 
 )> r. "an imposing occasion." 
 Smith, in his gorgeous 
 uniform as "Licutenant- 
 fi-neral" of the "Legion," 
 led the procession, followed 
 by the officers and their 
 minor satellites, all in bril- 
 liant uniforms. Next in line 
 were many ladies in costly 
 npparel, on fine horses. 
 Then came the Indians, 
 from the reservation across 
 the river, led by old Chief 
 Keokuk, whose gigantic stat- 
 ure towered above his dusky 
 followers. Smith always 
 showed great favor to the 
 Indians. Did he look for- 
 ward to a time when they 
 might be valuable allies? 
 
 We toiled up many flights of stairs to the very top 
 of the "Temple," where we were rewarded by a splendid 
 view of the city, the Mississippi River half encircling 
 it, and the Indian reservation across the river in 
 Iowa. Descending, we saw, on the main floor of the 
 "Temple," the "Braxen Sea." This was a capacious 
 layer of wood, about twenty feet square, which rested 
 upon the backs of twelve oxen, also of wood, but finished 
 to resemble stone. Our guide assured us they really 
 were stone, but I saw a visitor take from his pocket a 
 penknife and stealthily thrust the small, sharp blade into 
 one of the great, wide-homed creatures. 
 
 The "revelation" which commanded the building of 
 the "Temple" gave explicit orders also for the erection 
 of a fine hotel, in which certain rooms were to be sacred 
 to Smith and his family; they were to be to them "a 
 possession forever." This building, however, was not 
 finished before the "Exodus." 
 
 Joseph Smith, the "Prophet 
 From nn nld print 
 
 About this time, two years after the founding of 
 Nauvoo, it was reported that Smith had received a "reve- 
 lation" with regard to the taking of "spiritual wives," 
 and that these "celestial marriages" had been enjoined. 
 The better class of Mormons strenuously denied that 
 such a revelation had been received, but Smith circu- 
 lated it in writing among a few of the chosen, and it 
 was afterwards openly espoused at Salt Lake City as a 
 doctrine of the church. 
 
 In this "revelation," great pains had been taken to 
 conciliate Smith's wife, Emma, and to prepare her for 
 the new dispensation. In it, she was addressed by 
 name, and adjured to obey or be destroyed. Outwardly, 
 she was compelled to acquiesce, but I imagine she felt 
 as indignant as any right-minded woman might under 
 
 the same circumstances. 
 
 My sister once heard her 
 express her opinion of spir- 
 itual marriages. On this oc- 
 casion my sister and her 
 husband, who were in Nau- 
 voo on a business trip, went 
 into the hotel parlor on the 
 morning of the second day 
 of their stay to await the 
 cnll to breakfast. Ten or 
 twelve young women were 
 assembled here, laughing and 
 talking. Mrs. Emma Smith 
 presently joined them, and 
 recognizing my sister, whom 
 she had me* before, entered 
 into conversation with her. 
 Upon my sister asking, 
 "Mrs. Smith, where does 
 your church get this doc- 
 trine of spiritual wives?" 
 her face flushed searlet. and 
 her eyes blazed as she re- 
 plied, "Straight from hell, 
 madam." Some of the young 
 women blushed too, others 
 giggled, and .still others 
 were stolid and indifferent. 
 One of these girls hnd for- 
 merly worked for my sister 
 as seamstress. My sister 
 
 talked with her, offering her 
 work and help for her fam- 
 ily, who were very poor, if 
 she would but leave the 
 Mormons. The girl prom- 
 ised that she would, but she never did. and my sister 
 never saw her again. 
 
 The privileges granted the Nauvoo "Legion" have 
 been mentioned. In Smith's hands, the "Legion" soon 
 became a great power, and both political parties looked 
 longingly at the votes he controlled. For a time Smith 
 remained neutral, but finally he joined the ranks of the 
 Democrats. 
 
 It happened in this manner. A prominent Whig wax 
 nominated for Congress by his party. Smith promised 
 him his own and the Mormon vote, but, at the election, 
 every Mormon, except Smith, voted for the Democratic 
 candidate. Smith kept his word, so far as his personal 
 vote was concerned, but he had a "revelation" instruct- 
 ing every other Mormon to vote against the Whig. 
 
 In 1844, before the nominations for the presidency 
 of the United States, Smith wrote to every man men- 
 tioned for the office, asking his views regarding the pun- 
 
376 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 April 1, 1916 
 
 The Old Courthouse at Carthage 
 
 ishment due the people of Missouri for their alleged 
 persecution of the Mormons. In Smith's opinion, none 
 of these prospective candidates were duly severe. Hence, 
 in the Nauvoo Times and Seasons, his name appeared 
 in flaming headlines as candidate for the presidency of 
 the United States, with Sidney Rigdon as his running 
 mate. Such was his inflated self-esteem and insane 
 ambition. 
 
 Very soon nfter the "Faithful" were gathered to- 
 gether to form the Nanvoo settlement, the citizens of the 
 county saw they had made a great mistake in welcoming 
 the Mormons among them. This change of mind was 
 not due to statements from the Missourians, but to the 
 actions of the Mormons themselves. They were many 
 in number, their leaders had many projects planned that 
 required means. Hence, to supply their own immediate 
 needs, and to furnish capital to carry out the mandates 
 of the church, raids were frequently made into the coun- 
 try for the purpose of "lifting" cattle, horses, and prod- 
 uce of every kind. There was little or no redress, for 
 Smith, as mayor, had the right to resort to the habeas 
 corpus act. No matter how many were arrested by 
 county officers, they were set at liberty by this act, and 
 before further steps could be taken, they were out of 
 reach. 
 
 A few years ago a man who bad suffered severely 
 from Mormon depredations told me this story. From 
 time to time, Smith sent his men to this man with orders 
 for cattle, hay, grain, and other farm produce. He re- 
 ceived partial pay, at intervals, but the bill, as a whole, 
 becaue larger and larger. No attention was paid to his 
 requests for settlement, but the orders continued to 
 arrive. Becoming impatient, he mounted his horse one 
 morning and rode to Nauvoo to demand settlement. 
 Smith received him with a great show of cordiality, 
 promised him immediate payment and charged him a 
 round sum for his dinner at the hotel. 
 
 Immediately after dinner, Smith disappeared, tem- 
 porarily, as the man supposed, so he went out for a short 
 stroll through the town. Before he had walked a block. 
 he was surrounded by six rough-looking men, each of 
 whom had a large pine stick in his hand, which he was 
 whittling vigorously with a bowie knife. They gradu- 
 ally pressed nearer and nearer* to him until the points 
 
 of their knives almost touched him as 
 they cut viciously at the pine. Sur- 
 prised and indignant, the man gave the 
 one nearest him a forcible kick on the 
 shins, inquiring at the same time what 
 they meant by such conduct. Taking 
 no notice either of his words or hi* ac- 
 tions, they merely pressed closer, and 
 whittled faster. A crowd began to 
 gather. Seeing no way of ridding him 
 self of these men, and realizing that 
 their demonstration was prompted by 
 some sinister motive, he returned to the 
 hotel as quickly a* possible. By the 
 time he went up the hotel step*, the 
 erowd and the whittling men had dis- 
 appeared. 
 
 Upon inquiring for Smith and being 
 told that he was out of town, he ordered 
 his horse. No sooner had he mounted 
 than he was again surrounded by the 
 whittlers, who hastened his horse's 
 movements by pricking it with their 
 sharp sticks. Not a word was spoken, 
 but when they were well out of the city 
 limits, they left him. 
 
 As he was unarmed, he was too thankful to escape 
 with his life to make any ado about his money, though 
 he never received a penny of the amount owed him. In 
 the county, talcs of murder and disappearance were rife ; 
 those to whom the Mormons owed large sums of money 
 had a peculiar way of vanishing. He had given the 
 stories little credence, but, even had he done so, he would 
 not have believed that he himself could be subjected to 
 such treatment, for Smith had always shown him atten- 
 tion and courtesy. 
 
 But he was not through with the Mormons. In the 
 course of a fortnight, another demand for supplies was 
 made, with which, of course, he did not comply. The 
 result was that, in one night, several hundred beautiful 
 young fruit trees were girdled, and so totally destroyed. 
 My father died before these people became so notori- 
 ous, and my mother, being left with the care of the 
 family and the farm, sometimes hired Mormon men for 
 the heavy work. One who was thus employed to split 
 logs into rails for fencing was a dark, ruddy man of 
 immense stature, Butterfield by name. I remember that 
 for his breakfast, in addition to what most men would 
 consider a bountiful meal, he devoured forty buckwheat 
 cakes ! I think he could have eaten more, but no more 
 were ever set before him. They were baked on a griddle 
 holding eight good big cakes. After the fifth griddleful 
 had been set before him, the little Mormon maid who 
 baked them would take the griddle from the crane with 
 an angry jerk, bang it down on the hearth, and leave the 
 kitchen, muttering, "If he wants any more, he may bake 
 them himself." 
 
 While Butterfield was working for my mother, a term 
 of the circuit court was held in Carthage. The judge, 
 the lawyers, clients, witnesses, and others interested 
 made a large gathering, far exceeding in number those 
 attracted by "court week" nowadays. There were no 
 railroads, so those who came to attend court boarded in 
 the village during the entire session. In the evenings, 
 there was nothing to do, so, to pass the time, the young 
 lawyers had impromptu debates and speeches. 
 
 At the time of which I speak, there were mutterings 
 of the coming storm, and an anti-Mormon meeting was 
 planned for a certain evening. Contrary to Butterfield's 
 iiMial custom, he went to town that evening. When he 
 
April 1, 1910 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 877 
 
 reached the crowded courtroom, a speaker was denounc- 
 ing the Mormon people. When he ended, Butterfield 
 strode to the judge's stand and, mounting the steps, 
 began a fanatical defense of his religion. He rattled 
 off, with great volubility, their doctrines concerning bap- 
 tism for the dead, talking in unknown tongues, the lav- 
 ing on of hands, anointing for the healing of the sick, 
 the seeing of visions, and the dreaming of dreams. He 
 continued his harangue by saying that faith was the only 
 thing needed to make of any one a "Latter Day Saint," 
 adding, "I hope to live to see all who hear my voice this 
 night believers in the Prophet nnd in the Book of the 
 Mormons." 
 
 The surprise of the men who had arranged the anti- 
 Mormon meeting was complete. Buttcrfield's action was 
 so sudden, his talk so amasing, that so far he had been 
 listened to in silence, but now he was interrupted by a 
 shower of sticks and small stones, driven from the room, 
 and pursued far on the road to our house. He reached 
 home in a wretched condition, since, according to the 
 Mormon doctrine of non-resistance, he could make no 
 defense. Otherwise he, a modern Snmson, could have 
 dealt easily with his persecutors. 
 
 After this occurrence, he was more gloomy nnd 
 fanatical than ever. Though he was n faithful, sober, 
 efficient worker, my mother had finally to dismiss him. 
 
 By 1844, twenty thousand Mormons were settled in 
 and about Nauvoo, and the "Legion" was said to have 
 an enrollment of five thousand. At this time, a schism 
 arose. Two brothers, William and Wilson Law, with 
 their families, had come to Nauvoo from Canada soon 
 after "stake planting." They were men of good charac- 
 ter and of wealth, and they invested all their means in 
 Nauvoo, buying lots and building mills and warehouses. 
 Thus, through tl.cir unimpeachable character, and by 
 means of their wealth, they greatly aided in building up 
 the city of the sect. 
 
 It seemed to the gentiles to take a long time for these 
 brothers to discover Smith's real character, and the rot- 
 tenness of the Mormon system. Hut when tin \ did. tin v 
 
 decided with great courage to fight Smith in his strong- 
 hold, and to publish the truth to the world. To this 
 end, they bought and set up a printing press, and on 
 June 7, 1844, the first issue of the Nauvoo Expositor 
 was given to the world. The next day a meeting of the 
 city council was called. This body, Joseph Smith as 
 mayor presiding, deliberated two days, then passed a 
 resolution declaring the Expositor a nuisance which 
 should be abated. Accordingly, the press and type were 
 thrown into the street and destroyed. 
 
 The Laws immediately procured writs at Carthage 
 for the arrest of Joseph Smith, Hiram Smith, and others. 
 At this time, several other writs were out, some of which 
 had been served, but the writ of habeas corpus from the 
 municipal court had set the arrested men free. These, 
 with other iniquitous acts, set the whole country on fire. 
 Public meetings were held, resolutions passed, and every- 
 where men were armed and drilled, since it was evident 
 that the officers serving the writs would have to be aided 
 by a posse. 
 
 As, in evading and resisting the law, Smith was 
 hacked by his "Legion," adjoining counties were asked 
 to join Hancock County in her effort to enforce the law. 
 Arms and ammunition were lacking for many who volun- 
 teered, so agents were sent to Quincy and St. Louis to 
 procure supplies of both. Warsaw contributed one thou- 
 sand dollars to the fund raised for that purpose, and 
 other towns gave in proportion, each according to it* 
 ability. 
 
 A deputation was sent to Governor Ford at Spring- 
 field to notify him of the trouble. After hearing their 
 story, he decided to visit the county in person and form 
 his own judgment regarding the situation. 
 
 At the time of his arrival, there were about seventeen 
 hundred men encamped in and about Carthage, and the 
 little town was the scene of great excitement. With the 
 younger children, I went sometimes to sec the drilling 
 and parading. The commotion, the music of fifes and 
 drums, the fluttering of the Stars and Stripes in thr 
 warm June brrr/.r. the galloping hither .-mil thither of 
 
 Vnuvan it is Tmlny. limiting South from (lie Site of UK- Trinple 
 
378 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 April 1, 1916 
 
 oolonels with red sashes and very bright wordi, were 
 sight! and founds never to be forgotten. High above 
 all other sounds could be heard the droning and shriek 
 ing of the bagpipe*. The piper himself, in full High- 
 land costume of kilt, plaid and bonnet, gave an added 
 touch of the picturesque to the scene. Another musician 
 of this gathering was the fifer of our own county. We 
 could always be sure Hancock County troop* were com- 
 ing when we heard "Jefferson and Liberty," a stirring 
 march, well calculated to make a man keep step whether 
 he had any idea of time or not. 
 
 Regarding the developments that followed the gov- 
 ernor's arrival at Carthage, I quote from "The Prophet 
 of Palmyra," by Thomas Gregg. "The governor prompt- 
 ly placed all the troops, with their proper officers, under 
 orders. He next called upon the mayor and the city 
 council of Nauvoo to present their side of the case, 
 which they did through a committee. . . . There was 
 considerable delay and indecision, but finally a new war- 
 rant was issued charging the Smiths with treason. 
 When the constable presented this, backed as he was by 
 the governor's authority, the Smiths and two members of 
 the council voluntarily surrendered, and entered into 
 recognisance to appear at court. Neither party being 
 prepared for the examination on the charge of treason, 
 the accused were ordered placed in the county jail for 
 safe-keeping. . . . The charge of treason was based 
 on the alleged fact of levying war against the state, of 
 declaring martial law in the city, and of ordering out the 
 Legion to resist the execution of the laws." 
 
 ' After the prisoners arrived at Carthage, some of the 
 men in the militia from adjoining counties expressed a 
 wish to see the Smiths. The governor, hearing this, 
 decided to give all the troops an opportunity to gratify 
 their desire. However, he said nothing to the men of 
 his intention. He ordered Singleton, the commanding 
 general, to call the troops out on parade. The troops on 
 the south side of the town square were drawn up in front 
 of their tents expecting every moment to see the gov- 
 ernor and his staff officers for the review. Instead, they 
 saw coming from Hamilton's Hotel the sheriff, with 
 Joseph Smith leaning on one arm, and Hiram on the 
 other. They walked to the extreme right of the troops, 
 when the sheriff began introducing them right and left, 
 saying, "Gentlemen, this is General Joseph Smith; Mr. 
 Hiram Smith, gentlemen." 
 
 All along the crowded lines they passed, bowing and 
 smiling, until they reached the Carthage Greys. This 
 was a well-drilled, well-uniformed company of Carthage 
 citizens, men who knew well the character of the pris- 
 oners. They had been interested spectators of this tri- 
 umphal progress, and they saw the full significance of 
 the incident. Here were two men indicted for treason, 
 md many other lesser crimes, being introduced as per- 
 sons of distinction by the sheriff, while the governor and 
 his staff looked on with complacency. 
 
 This was too much for their patience, and when the 
 prisoners reached their line, they cried out, "No, no; no 
 introductions for us." They groaned and hissed, and 
 some cried out, "Down with all impostors!" 
 
 The sheriff's face turned scarlet, but Joseph Smith's 
 was the color of ashes as he gasped, "Let us get back 
 to the hotel." This they did, and the people at the hotel 
 said that when they reached there a stimulant had to be 
 given Smith, he was so weak from fright. After dinner, 
 he and bis companions were glad to be placed in the jail 
 for safe-keeping. 
 
 The governor was much chagrined at this turn of 
 affairs, and promptly ordered the Carthage Greys under 
 arrest for mutiny. However, the company declared they 
 
 were under arms to assist in bringing the Smiths to law- 
 ful punishment, not to further their aggrandisement ; 
 and, moreover, that they would never submit to arrest 
 merely for refusing to be introduced to men who refused 
 to obey their country's laws. They emphasised this 
 declaration by loading their guns with ball cartridges, 
 and marching at double-quick time to the courthouse, 
 where they stood with their backs to the wall. At this 
 juncture, the governor, no doubt feeling that he was 
 between the "devil and the deep sea," sent a deputation 
 to talk to the Greys, and to invite their officer* to confer 
 with him at the courthouse. A compromise was thus 
 reached, and the Greys, no longer threatened with ar- 
 rest, returned to their assigned quarters on the square. 
 
 Mr. Gregg says: "The governor now decided to 
 march the entire force to Nauvoo, but he doe* not seem 
 to have had any clearly defined reason for so doing. 
 . . . The morning of June twenty-seven was fixed upon 
 for this march, and on the twenty-sixth the troops at 
 Warsaw received orders to meet the governor and the 
 main force at Golden's Point, several mile* from Nauvoo. * 
 
 "But, on the twenty-seventh, the governor wavered 
 in this intention, and called his officers together in coun- 
 cil. Though they, by a small majority, were in favor 
 of going, the governor countermanded the orders pre- 
 viously given, and disbanded the troops. Three com- 
 panies were retained, two to remain at Carthage, and one 
 to accompany him to Nauvoo. The Warsaw troop* were 
 met on the prairie by the disbanding officer before they 
 reached Golden's Point" I think, myself, there was but 
 one company left at Carthage. At least, all that after- 
 noon there were no soldiers in sight but the Carthage 
 Grey*. 
 
 This temperate recital gives but a faint idea of the 
 undercurrent of excitement, I may truthfully say, of rage 
 and disgust, that this order to disband created. The 
 order to march had been expected several days before it 
 was actually given. The troops had been summoned so 
 hastily that the rations furnished by the state were in- 
 adequate, and, that they might not suffer for food when 
 marching, the women of Carthage and the surrounding 
 country prepared a great quantity of good thing* to eat 
 
 So when, on the morning of the twenty-seventh, that 
 unexpected order to disband and disperse was received, 
 there was universal disappointment and chagrin. Strong 
 hopes had been entertained that a show of determination, 
 backed by strength, would secure the enforcement of law 
 in the county, and possibly even banish the offenders. 
 But now the people of Carthage were left in despair. 
 
 > It was, indeed, a serious situation for the little city. 
 Friction between the people of Nauvoo and their neigh- - 
 bors had reached such a point that violence was to be 
 feared at every moment; and the arrest of Joseph and 
 Hiram Smith was certain to increase the danger im- 
 mensely. Before this the Carthage people had looked 
 forward to the arrival of the troops mainly in hopes that 
 it would put an end to Mormon disregard of the law, 
 but now they felt that they needed actual protection for 
 their property, and perhaps for their live*. However, 
 great as was the discouragement in Carthage when the 
 order to disband was announced, it was a* nothing to 
 what the terror would have been if the inhabitant* could 
 have foreseen the event* which, with appalling swiftness, 
 were to follow it. 
 
 This narrative outlines the course of events up to 
 June 87, 1844, the day which marked the turning point 
 of Mormon history in Illinois. Of the event* of that 
 day iUelf, and of what followed it, I have written in 
 another chapter. 
 
 (To I 
 
April 8, 1916 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 401 
 
 WHEN THE MORMONS DWELT AMONG US: II 
 
 EUDOCIA BALDWIN MARSH 
 
 Kama's NOT*. The Ant chapter of this narrative At- 
 tended the establishment of the Mormon colony at Nauvoo. 
 Illinois, In the ysars following 1834, under the leadership of 
 KM -Prophet." Joseph Smith. Its concluding incident was the 
 arrest of Joseph and Hiram Smith, and other prominent Mor- 
 mons, by direction of Governor Ford, and their removal to the 
 Carthage jail, where they were guarded by the Carthage Greys. 
 hliil by the governor were then unexpectedly 
 
 The troops 
 
 ordered by him to disband, on the morning of June 97, 18*4. 
 
 Soon after the order to disband was promulgated, 
 the governor, escorted by the company from Augusta, 
 rode to Nauvoo. He expressed an intention to search 
 for counterfeit money, but, by the time Nauvoo was 
 reached, he had changed his mind. Instead, he called 
 the people together and spoke to them. He claimed 
 that, in this speech, he rated them severely, and exacted 
 from them a promise that they would obey the laws of 
 the land. 
 
 My two older brothers were members of the Carthage 
 Grey*. After the other troops had been disbanded, this 
 company moved their tents to the southwest corner of 
 the square. Squads of six were sent from time to time 
 to relieve the guard at the jail. 
 
 In the morning, word had been sent us of the order 
 to disband, that we might not proceed further in our 
 efforts to add to the commissary supplies. Wondering 
 
 much at such an ending to all our hopes, and being un- 
 certain as to the cause, my mother, little sister, and I 
 walked to town after dinner. My married sister lived on 
 the west side of the square, and from her house we had 
 a full view of the tents occupied by the Greys. 
 
 After a short visit, I went with a friend to call upon 
 a friend living but a few blocks away. We started to 
 return to my sister's between four and five o'clock, and 
 passed three men from Warsaw, whom I knew well. 
 As they were members of the Warsaw company halted 
 on its march that day, I was surprised to see them in 
 Carthage. The significance of their appearance I un- 
 derstood later. 
 
 As I was removing my hat, my brother-in-law, son 
 officer of the Greys, came in hurriedly, and said, "A 
 party of men are coming to take Joe Smith from jail, 
 and hang him in the square." 
 
 His face was very white, as he buckled on his sword, 
 and rushed back to his company. Our feelings of horror 
 and consternation may be imagined, for bad as we be- 
 lieved the man to be, this outcome was too terrible to 
 be thought of. 
 
 We went to the door and looked down the street. 
 The news that something unusual was about to happen 
 was evidently abroad, for men were running about and 
 
 Vauvoo ill 19*6 
 
 From old prlmt 
 
40'.' 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 April 8, 1916 
 
 gathering in groups, many with frightened face*. A* 
 we tood watching, a group of men flopped in pasting, 
 and one of them told us, "A party of Mormon* are com- 
 ing to rescue the Smiths and take them to Nauvoo; we 
 fear the guard will all be killed, they are so few." 
 
 My mother turned away without a word, and went 
 into an inner room. We all knew why my oldest 
 brother was on duty at the jail; he had marched by two 
 hours before in the relief guard. 
 
 We must have taken it for granted th.it my brother- 
 in-law was mistaken in his message, for none of us 
 thought of questioning this last report. By this time, 
 the square was the scene of the greatest excitement and 
 confusion. Men ran about, some shouting, "The Mor- 
 mons are coming, the guard will all be killed" ; others, 
 "The Danites are coming for the Smiths." They did 
 nothing but shout. None of them went near the jail. 
 f Meanwhile, the Greys were standing about in front 
 of their tents, apparently in confusion. The captain, a 
 man over six feet in height, seemed to be trying to get 
 the men into line. Some of them had been sleeping, and 
 were now but half-awake. But my brother Tom was 
 wake, very wide-awake, for I saw an officer take him 
 by the arm several times and shove him roughly into the 
 ranks. 
 
 At last, Tom shouted, "Come on, you cowards, damn 
 you, come on; those boys will all be killed!" I must 
 confess that he swore, something I had never known him 
 to do before. Finally, he broke away from those holding 
 him, and, with his gun on his shoulder, ran with all his 
 might past us to the jail. 
 
 Just then a group of men passed, going in the oppo- 
 site direction. Fearing for my brothers, I said to them. 
 "Aren't you going to the jail to help those boys?" All 
 shook their heads, and one, a "Jack Mormon," said, "I 
 dare not." The "Jack Mormons" were thought little of 
 by either Mormons or gentiles, for they feared to side 
 with either. 
 
 "Well," I replied, "my brother was right: you arc 
 all coward*," and, turning away, I ran nftrr Tom to give- 
 
 House of William Law, One of the Twelve Apole 
 
 him what help I could. Turning a corner sharply, I met 
 my mother, who had left my sister's home by the back 
 gate to join her sons at the jail. 
 
 We had almost reached the jail, when the mob ap- 
 peared, and we became separated. The men were all 
 disguised, and mother, supposing them to be Mormons, 
 kept on, nothing daunted, firmly resolved to stand by her 
 sons. But before she reached the gate of the jail yard, 
 the foremost men had leaped the fence, thrown the guard 
 to the ground, and were streaming up the stairs of the 
 jail. A moment later, my mother saw Joseph Smith 
 come to the window, and lean far out. Bullets whistled 
 about him, and, with a loud cry, be pitched headlong to 
 the ground. Only then did mother realise that these 
 men were not Mormons, and she turned away, heartsick 
 and terrified. 
 
 We both returned to my sister's, feeling that oar 
 troubles were by no means over, since the "Prophet's" 
 death would certainly arouse the vengeance of his people. 
 The Smiths were not in the jail proper, but in a 
 large front room of the sheriff's quarters. When the 
 news reached the sheriff that a large body of men were 
 coming, he told the prisoners, and begged them to allow 
 him to lock them in a cell. Joseph Smith replit 1 gayly. 
 "Oh, I think they must be friends. Don't worry, Mr. 
 Sheriff, it will be all right." 
 
 Long afterwards it was known that, after the demon- 
 stration by the Carthage Greys, Smith had written to the 
 lieutenant in command of the "Legion" at Nauvoo to 
 come at once with sufficient men to release him and his 
 brother. This is why he was so sanguine that the men 
 approaching were friends. 
 
 In less than a half-hour from the time I saw the three 
 Warsaw men ride into town, the Smiths were lying dead. 
 I have always believed that they tried to disperse the 
 mob, and, failing, spurred into town to bring word to 
 those whom they thought might avert the tragedy. 
 
 Here I quote the words of a well-known lawyer of 
 Carthage: "As the mob reached the front of the jail, 
 the guard, standing on the steps, fired. Though the 
 leaders of the mob were not 
 twenty feet distant, no one was 
 hit, but the assailants whose 
 faces were blackened seised 
 the guard and threw them to the 
 ground. As many as could 
 rushed up the stairway, and 
 tried to break in the door to the 
 room where the Smiths, Bishop 
 Taylor, and Richards were con- 
 fined. These four men held the 
 door successfully, so the mob 
 fired through the door, wounding 
 Bishop Taylor and Joseph 
 Smith, and killing Hiram Smith. 
 Richards, unhurt, crouched be- 
 hind the now-opened door. A 
 window opposite was open, and 
 Joseph sprang upon its broad 
 sill to jump out, but bullets 
 struck him from behind and he 
 fell headlong to the ground. 
 Balls from without met his fall- 
 ing body. It seemed to me, forty 
 rods distant, but in full sight, 
 that, for a moment, he partly 
 raised himself to a sitting pos- 
 ture against a well curb beside 
 which he fell. However, it is 
 not true, as is sometimes stated, 
 
April 8, 1916 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 40:1 
 
 that hit assailants leaned hit 
 body against the curb, and 
 made of it a target." 
 
 He adds: "A panic sriird 
 the town, and within two h ,urs 
 it was deserted. The Hamilton 
 House alone was occupied. 
 Thrre the killrd and wounded 
 were taken, and a few compas- 
 sionately staved to serve them. 
 But, excepting these few Sa- 
 maritans, the population fled, 
 in wagons, on horseback, and 
 afoot anywhere to escape the 
 expected storm." 
 
 It is very true there was a 
 panic. My brothers and broth- 
 er-in-law came to us as soon as 
 they could. They felt, as all 
 did, that the "Legion" would 
 be in Carthage before morning 
 to avenge Smith's death. "We 
 must remain and defend the 
 town as best we can," they said, "but you must go, at 
 once." My mother and I at once returned to our home, 
 and my younger brothers drove us into town for my 
 sister and her children. When we said flood-by to my 
 brothers, it was nearly dark. We left the town weep- 
 ing, in the deepest dejection, for we had great fear of 
 what might befall those left behind. 
 
 About eleven o'clock, we reached the house of Mr. 
 Kendall, nine miles from Carthage. He kept a sort of 
 rural hotel, and, as the little children were fretful, and 
 we were all worn out with excitement and fatigue, we 
 decided to stop until morning. We had just fallen 
 asleep, when we were wakened by a commotion in tin- 
 yard. Rough calls were sounding, men were shouting, 
 and horses were neighing and trampling. We looked 
 at each other with blanched faces, but mother, who wns 
 always fearless, went out to inquire the cause of tin- 
 disturbance. She was told that Governor Ford and his 
 company had stopped to feed their horses. How re- 
 lieved we were to find that soldiers, and not the dreadful 
 "Danites," surrounded us! 
 
 Afterwards, we learned that the governor, returning 
 from Nauvoo, was met by a messenger, my brother Tom, 
 with the nrws of the murder. Greatly incensed, he 
 pushed on to Carthage, where he remained only long 
 enough to denounce the people for their folly. That 
 done, he left them to their fate, and rode on to Quincy. 
 Learning, at Kendall's, that our little party had 
 stopped there for the night, he ordered us all to get up 
 at once and go on to Augusta. He assured mother that 
 the avengers would be there before morning, and he 
 could not leave us to be murdered. "You must get up 
 and start on," he said, and so we did. At three o'clock 
 in the morning we gathered together bundles and babies 
 the latter protesting vigorously. Cold, sleepy, thor- 
 oughly miserable, we reached Augusta shortly after five 
 o'clock. 
 
 We inquired the way to the home of an old friend, 
 a Dr. Brown, but were told that he had lately lost his 
 wife and was living with a married son. This ton's wife 
 had never known us, and she looked rather coldly and 
 distrustfully upon the wagonload of disreputable-looking 
 strangers who had come to her door. But the old doctor 
 came to the rescue. He called out, "Why, bless my toul, 
 my friend, how be you? Running away from the Mor- 
 mons, did you say? Why. do tell! And who did you 
 tay killed Joe Smith?" 
 
 The Old Jail at Carthage 
 
 J..i I.F, Smith wu (hot at lh Kcond itory window 
 
 At he was very deaf, mother labored for tome time 
 to explain the situation, but once this was made clear, 
 we were invited in and given a very good breakfast. 
 This so refreshed us that we went out to tee if we could 
 rent a couple of rooms. That proved impossible, so we 
 were distributed among two or three families. 
 
 After a few days, my brothers sent word that there 
 was no present danger to be feared, so we retumrd to 
 our homes, thankful to find them unharmed, and my 
 brothers safe and sound. The men of Carthage, when 
 deserted by the governor, prudently retreated, or, in 
 plainer words, simply ran away, caring little who 
 knew it. 
 
 The women and children of Warsaw also fled for 
 safety across the river to Alexandria. None of the three 
 towns, Carthage, Warsaw, and Nauvoo, knew, for several 
 days, what was transpiring in the others. In retrospect, 
 the situation, tragical as it was, had a humorous side. 
 Carthage and Warsaw fled in opposite directions from 
 the wrath of the avenging "Legion," while, at the same 
 time, the "Legion," disordered and bewildered, fled be- 
 fore an imaginary host of sanguinary gentiles. In real- 
 ity, Mormon and gentile thought each of his own safety, 
 not of wreaking vengeance on the other. 
 
 As may be supposed, after the death of the Smiths, 
 the condition of affairs grew from bad to worse. Thiev- 
 ing and plundering were rife, not only in Hancock 
 County, but in the adjoining counties at well. In Adams 
 County, where arrests could be made, as many as eight 
 Mormons were in the county jail at one time. 
 ' The death of the sheriff of our county necessitated 
 a special election to fill the office . and a very unpopular 
 "Jack Mormon" was elected, solely by Mormon votes. 
 An opportunity soon arose for him to show his sympathy 
 for the Mormons. Below Warsaw was a little, strag- 
 gling Mormon village. An anti-Mormon meeting held 
 near there had been fired upon through the windows, 
 supposedly by Mormons from this village. For this, 
 and other reasons, it was resolved to burn the wretched 
 cabins, and to force their inmates to go to Nauvoo. 
 Accordingly, one by one, the cabins were burned. No 
 harm was done the inmates; on the contrary, they were, 
 in each cate, given timely warning, and their household 
 goods were set oat before the cabin was fired. 
 
 These rioters were joined by others, for the pent-op 
 feeling against the Mormons could no longer be re- 
 strained. The sheriff tried to raise a posse among the 
 
sec 
 
404 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 April 8, 1916 
 
 citizens to quell the disturbances, but he was so hated 
 that his efforts were in rain. September IS, 1845, he 
 issued a proclamation calling on the rioters to disperse, 
 and asking the official posse of the county to help him. 
 He added that he wished to keep the Mormons quiet, but 
 tha. two thousand of them in Nauvoo were armed, and 
 ready to come to his assistance at any time. 
 
 No attention was paid to this paper, so he did call 
 out the Mormons, and succeeded in dispersing the rioters. 
 
 On the nineteenth, at sundown, the sheriff and his 
 posse of several hundred men surrounded Carthage. 
 They came down on the village like "the wolf on the 
 fold," arresting every man in sight, and entering every 
 house to search for those not on the streets. At the point 
 of the bayonet, the men were rudely hustled to the court- 
 house, where they were kept under guard until midnight. 
 Their homes were ransacked for firearms, and they knew 
 not how their families would be treated. 
 
 The sheriff said he was looking for criminals, which 
 meant two or three men accused by the Mormons of com- 
 plicity in the death of the Smiths. Innocent or guilty, 
 had these men been found at this time, they would have 
 had but short shrift. However, they had been warned 
 in time to escape, and the "Danites" vented their disap- 
 pointment on those remaining. 
 
 At midnight, the men in the courthouse were set at 
 liberty, and the main force withdrew the following morn- 
 ing. Fifty men were left on guard, and they remained 
 until the troops sent out by the governor arrived. 
 
 I well remember that nineteenth of September, for 
 my family, too, was visited by a portion of the posse. 
 The evening was beautiful, and I walked out to enjoy 
 the sunset and soft autumn air. Suddenly, I saw one 
 of my brothers spring over the fence of a near-by corn- 
 field. He had been out on scout and picket duty all day, 
 and I thought it strange he should return in this fashion, 
 for he left his horse standing hidden between the tall 
 rows of corn. 
 
 Running to me, he said hurriedly, "Run to the barn, 
 and tell the boys to gather up all the guns and ammuni- 
 tion, and hide them in the woods. The sheriff is coming 
 with a large party I think for the arms. I must notify 
 others. Good-by." 
 
 He cleared the fence at a bound and, springing upon 
 his horse, disappeared among the corn. I went at once 
 to the barn, and in a very few moments the boys were on 
 their way to the woods. They carried not only their own 
 hunting rifles, shotguns and pistols, but many muskets 
 belonging to the Carthage Greys. 
 
 I watched them go with their heavy loads, then sud- 
 denly I realized that, should the troops come, I was the 
 only one left to meet them! Mother had been ill for 
 several days, and was still confined to bed. Fearing the 
 result should the men surprise her, I went to her room, 
 and told her what had occurred. She looked frightened, 
 so I hastened to assure her that they would not molc-st 
 us, and as I left her to look out a front window I deter; 
 mined no one should enter her room. 
 
 I looked up the road to see a company of men com- 
 ing at a gallop. In a moment, they were in front of 
 the house, and leaping from their horses, and drawing 
 their swords with a resounding clang, they surrounded 
 the house. One of the officers banged loudly on the 
 door with his sword handle. I was nearly fifteen years 
 old, and not, I trust, of a cowardly nature, yet despite 
 all my efforts to steady my hand, it shook as I opened 
 the door. About ten men stood there, for half the party 
 had gone to the barn and stable*. The leader, a man 
 of better appearance than the others, said, "Miss, yon 
 need not feel alarmed ; we are not going to hurt you." 
 
 "Oh," I replied stoutly, "I am not at all afraid of 
 you." Perhaps my trembling hands and white face be- 
 lied my words, for he smiled grimly as be said, "We wish 
 to see the men of the house, and we want certain arms 
 in their possession." 
 
 I told him there were neither men nor guns in the 
 house, to which he replied, "Very well, bat we must 
 search the premises." 
 
 This they proceeded to do at once, and even, despite 
 my most earnest pleading, entered my mother's roo-.. 
 They went through it with great care, no doubt thinking 
 a sickroom might furnish plausible hiding place. 
 Their search continued until dark, but aside from taking 
 up the flooring of the barn, they did no damage to the 
 property. 
 
 With the first light of the following day, they re- 
 newed their endeavor to find the arms. As none were 
 discovered, they helped themselves liberally to all kinds 
 of farm produce, stripping the hives of honey, the trees 
 of fruit, and feeding their horses generously with hay 
 and grain. This the sheriff promised to pay for, but 
 my mother never received a cent in payment, for the 
 county afterwards repudiated the orders and promises 
 of this renegade officer. 
 
 Finally, they left us, and glad we were to be rid of 
 this ill-looking company. The men had long hair and 
 beards, and were dressed in butternut-dyed clothing. 
 They bristled with pistols and bowie knives these thrust 
 into the bootleg and had a great number of guns and 
 swords. 
 
 Soon after they left, my brothers returned in high 
 glee at having outwitted the posse, but their satisfaction 
 lessened when mother expressed her surprise that they 
 should have left us alone at such a time. They pro- 
 tested they had not thought we should be annoyed, and. 
 indeed, I myself had not thought we should until I saw 
 the men approaching. 
 
 But a few days later, a second raid was made upon 
 Carthage, this time at midnight. One of my brothers 
 was on picket duty outside the village, when he heard 
 the tramp of horses and, turning, spurred into town to 
 five the alarm. On this second raid, no actual violence 
 was done, but it served to intensify the feeling agninst 
 the Mormons. Nine adjoining counties called a conven- 
 tion at Carthage. Hancock County was purposely ex- 
 cluded, that the convention might be as free as possible 
 from the bias of self-interest. Resolutions were passed, 
 expressing the conviction that in no way could the situa- 
 tion be adjusted save by the removal of the Mormons 
 from the county and state. 
 
 A committee was sent to Nauvoo to confer with the 
 Mormon leaders. Finally, they promised to leave as 
 soon a* arrangements could be made, although they said, 
 "Th.it cannot be until grasses grow, and waters flow." 
 Elisa Snow, one of Smith's spiritual wives, published 
 a lament in the Nauvoo paper, the refrain of which ex- 
 pressed this thought: 
 
 When icnues jrrow, and waters run, 
 We must start for set of sun. 
 
 The excesses which had occasioned the convention 
 railed also for executive interference, and once more thr 
 governor sent a force into the county under command of 
 Colonel John J. Ilardin. He issued a proclamation to 
 the people of the county enjoining them to keep the 
 peace, to obey the laws, and the constituted authorities. 
 He, with Attorney-General John A. McDougal, Judge 
 Stephen A. Douglas, and Major William B. Warren, 
 visited Nauvoo, and conferred with the Mormons. This 
 committee, too, obtained a promise that the people would 
 leave the country the following spring. This being 
 
{*,* 
 
 ~ 
 
April 8, 1016 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 accomplished, the maiir body of the troops was with- 
 drawn, and Major Warren, with one hundred men, was 
 left at Carthage to keep order daring the winter. 
 
 These troops were drawn principally from the Quincy 
 Riflemen, an independent company made up of young 
 men of good character. Throughout the time of their 
 stay in Carthage, from September until their recall the 
 following May, they were called upon for aid in all parts 
 of the county. In Nauvoo, in the execution of process, 
 they were insulted, threatened, and even violently re- 
 sisted, but on all occa* mi they exhibited prudence, 
 firmness, and sound judgt_ent. 
 
 They disbanded May 1, but the following day Major 
 Warren received orders from Governor Ford to retain 
 his force in service until further notice this time, how- 
 ever, with headquarters at Nauvoo. This action was 
 taken because of the unrest of the people of the adjoin- 
 ing counties, as exhibited in many public meetings. 
 
 Mr. Babbit, a Mormon agent, wrote to the governor 
 asking if the Mormon people were to be forced from thr 
 state. In his reply, the governor denied that the state 
 had been a party to the compact that the Mormons 
 should leave in this, the spring of 1 846, but be intimated 
 that they must go, and that he would be powerless to 
 prevent their expulsion. "I tell you frankly," he said, 
 "that the people of Illinois will not fight for the Mor- 
 mons." 
 
 On May 82, Major Warren sent this dispatch to the 
 Warsaw Signal: "The Mormons are leaving the city in 
 large numbers. The ferry here averages fifty-two teams 
 a day crossing, and the one at Fort Madison forty-fire. 
 Thus it will be seen that five hundred and thirty-nine 
 teams have left during the week, which, averaging three 
 persons to each, makes in all one thousand six hundred 
 and seventeen souls." 
 
 Notwithstanding this show of leaving, the people of 
 Illinois doubted the Mormons' sincerity. The ones who 
 left camped across the river and were In constant com- 
 muni--tion with the city. This show of leaving was kept 
 up to some extent all summer, although those who bad 
 crossed went back to Nauvoo as it pleased them. 
 
 Matters began to reach a crisis when, on August 7, 
 John Carlin, a deputy sheriff, tried to serve three wriU 
 for robbery In Nauvoo. He succeeded in arresting two 
 of the men, but the third defied him. He returned to 
 Carthage, and issued a proclamation calling on the posse 
 to assemble on August 87 to aid in making this arrest. 
 
 In the meantime, on August 18, a meeting had been 
 held in Nauvoo, at which it was resolved that Carlin's 
 writ should not be executed, and that military resistance 
 should be organised. The governor was also besought 
 to interfere in the Mormon behalf. He finally author- 
 ised Major James R. Parker, of the Thirty-second Regi- 
 ment of Illinois Militia, "to call out and take command 
 of such persons as will volunteer, free of cost to the 
 state, to repel any attack against Nauvoo, and to defend 
 the city." The governor prefaced this order by saying, 
 "Sir, I have received information that another effort is 
 to be made to drive out the inhabitants of Nauvoo and 
 to destroy the city." 
 
 This order placed Parker and Carlin in direct an- 
 tagonism, and a war of words followed. Each issued 
 proclamations, although Major Pnrkrr had but a small 
 force to support him. 
 
 In support of Carlin, a force of seven * eight hun- 
 dred men concentrated near Carthage under C'olonrl 
 Singleton, of Brown County. The encampment was five 
 miles northwest of the village on the Nauvoo rond. The 
 quartermaster of this troop, a friend of our family, in- 
 vited us to visit the camp. We did so one pleasant after- 
 
 -- 
 
 t iiini i ' 
 
 The Mansion House at Nauroo, Once Kept by Joseph Smith 
 
I9C '-1 
 
406 
 
 THE BELLMAN 
 
 April 8, 1016 
 
 noon, and, seated upon powder kegs, witnessed the even- 
 ing drill, sight well worth seeing, since the men had 
 been practicing almost constantly for two years. 
 
 During this encampment, a letter was received from 
 St Louis stating that a steamboat laden with arms and 
 ammunition for the Mormons had just left that place 
 for Nauvoo. A party of seventy-five men, my oldest 
 brother among them, was sent at once to the river in 
 baggage wagons to intercept this shipment About fif- 
 teen miles below Nauvoo, at what is now the town of 
 Hamilton, they met the boat It was ordered to land, 
 but its captain ignored the order until a dosen musket 
 balls went whistling over its deck. Then he made for 
 the opposite shore and landed there. The soldiers 
 crossed hastily in skiffs and rowboats and, meeting with 
 but little resistance, took possession of the boat's cargo. 
 This they transferred to baggage wagons on the other 
 side of the river. 
 
 Having done this, they went south to Warsaw, reach- 
 ing that place at daybreak. They made this detour be- 
 cause they had been warned by scouts that from four 
 to five hundred Mormons lay*"in wait for them, thinking 
 they would return by the same road by which they had 
 gone. Fortunately, there was no encounter. Had there 
 been, our men would have fared ill, as they were ex- 
 hausted, and numbered less than one-fifth of the Mormon 
 troop in ambush. 
 
 The day following this expedition Colonel Singleton, 
 who had been secretly negotiating with the Mormons, 
 submitted to the men the terms which the Mormons of- 
 fered. They were indignantly and unanimously rejected. 
 Colonel Singleton then made a little speech, telling the 
 men that, in his opinion, men who rushed into a situation 
 of this kind hastily, and without due consideration, were 
 "damn fools." 
 
 Carlin replied that, in his opinion, men who delib- 
 erated too long and negotiated too much were "damn 
 cowards." This reply was loudly cheered. Whereupon 
 Colonel Singleton resigned the command. 
 
 Colonel Brockman, who was appointed by Carlin to 
 take Colonel Singleton's place, ordered an immediate ad- 
 vance toward Nauvoo. On October 10, the whole force, 
 numbering about eight hundred men, took up the line 
 of march, and encamped again within sight of the 
 "Temple." 
 
 There were no telegraph wires in the county at this 
 time, but fast horses bore the news, and re-enforcements 
 came to the posse, as well as a committee from Quincy 
 purposing to arrange a compromise. To this committee 
 the officers of the force gave their ultimatum as to terms, 
 and the committee submitted these to the Nauvoo authori- 
 ties. They made no reply whatever, so the posse moved 
 toward the city. 
 
 On October 12, under cover of a flag of truce, a 
 demand for surrender was sent to Major Clifford, who 
 had succeeded Major Parker in command. He refused 
 the demand, and immediately preparations were made 
 to give battle. 
 
 The Mormons had laid mines along the principal 
 roads, made loopholes for firing in walls and in bouses, 
 and bad thrown up breastworks at various points. Both 
 sides had several pieces of artillery of small caliber. 
 
 Truth to tell, the deputy sheriff's men were spoiling 
 for a fight The fact that the governor's envoy, with a 
 force of militia, was inside the city for the purpose of 
 preventing the approach of the county officer* might have 
 seemed an obstacle to most men, hut not to Carlin and 
 Colonel Brockman. 
 
 They ordered up the cannon, and commanded the 
 gunners to open fire at once. For a little over an hour, 
 
 or until the cannon balls were all used, the brick and 
 plaster, wood and stone of the houses of Nauvoo were 
 scattered at a rapid rate. 
 
 We, at home, could hear the sound of the firing of 
 the cannon distinctly, and, as every man and boy belong- 
 ing to us was in the fray, we spent some anxious mo- 
 ments. 
 
 Mr. Gregg says in his history: "The surgeons of 
 Colonel Brockman's force reported twelve men wounded 
 as result of the conflict One of the wounded men 
 died ten hours later, but all the others recovered. Of 
 the loss on the other side, no certain account was ever 
 obtained." 
 
 This, the only real battle of the Mormon "war," 
 brought matters to a crisis. A large deputation from 
 Quincy joined the little army with proposals for media- 
 tion. They worked hard, and after several days of cor- 
 respondence and consultation arranged a treaty which 
 was agreed upon by representatives of both parties. 
 
 By the terms of this treaty, the Mormons agreed to 
 surrender the ci.ty, and to leave the state as soon as they 
 could cross the river. They made arrangements imme- 
 diately for doing this, and within three days the entire 
 Mormon people had crossed into Iowa. Tin Quincy 
 committee, together with the officers and men of the 
 posse, had given a pledge to protect persons and prop- 
 erty from violence, and to guard and assist the sick and 
 helpless. This pledge was scrupulously kept; neverthe- 
 less much suffering and hardship necessarily had to be 
 endured by the Mormons. 
 
 My eldest brother was sent into the city with a de- 
 tnchment of men to see that this part of the treaty was 
 faithfully carried out, and he saw m.tny pitiful sights. 
 Many a house and lot were exchanged for a horse or 
 a yoke of oxen. Sometimes a cow drew the wagon on 
 which the family's all was loaded, while the family itself 
 trudged along beside it on foot. It wax not hard to 
 realise that such an outfit would never reach tin- western 
 border of Iowa, though its goal, with the rest of the 
 caravan, was the far-distant Salt Lake Valley. 
 
 The entire people worked their way westward by 
 slow and painful steps. They made two or three tem- 
 porary settlements in order to rest the wrnry and care 
 for the sick. At these places they built rude sh.inties 
 for shelter, and, turning over the rich prairie soil, plant- 
 id and harvested quickly maturing crops. The journey 
 was marked by suffering, borne with great fortitude. 
 The people kept together and plodded toward the setting 
 sun with a faithfulness and devotion worthy of a better 
 cause. 
 
 Thus passed out of the state, and out of our lives, 
 this peculiar people. Many pages have been written 
 concerning the cruelty of this expatriation, but how 
 malignant was this evil of Mortnonism none can realise 
 save those who lived with it. There are growth* *n 
 dangerous that the surgeon's knife is the only cure. 
 
 That there were some "Saints" among them I am 
 sure, for I knew them well ; that there were many simple 
 folk who, in another community, would have made good 
 citizens, I have no doubt. But what can be said in de- 
 fense of that long procession of rogues and miscreant*, 
 the Mormon leaders, who have for so many yean cor- 
 rupted and polluted the moral atmosphere wherever thrv 
 lived? 
 
 Today Monnonism still grows. Missionaries are ac- 
 tive abroad, and in our own land as well. Is not this 
 semi-pagan delusion, in a sense, fostered and protected 
 by our government? May the problem never become so 
 involved that it can be solved onlv bv the costlv sacrifice 
 of blood !