CHICAGO

MORMON WAR.

In April, 1840, the "Latter Day Saints," or Mormons, came in large numbers to Illinois and purchased a tract or' land on the east side of the Mississippi river, about ten miles above Keokuk. Here they commenced building the city of Nauvoo. A more picturesque or eligible site for a city could not have been selected.

The origin, rapid development and prosperity of this religious sect are the most remarkable and instructive historical events of the present century. That an obscure individual, without money, education, or respectability, should persuade hundreds of thousands of people to believe him inspired of God, and cause a book, contemptible as a literary production, to be received as a continuation of the sacred revelation, appear almost incredible; yet in less than halt' a century, the disciples of this obscure individual have increased to hundreds of thousands; have founded a State in the distant wilderness, and compelled the Government of the United States to practically recognize them as an independent people.

THE FOUNDER OF MORMONISM.

The founder of Mormonism was Joseph Smith, a native of Vermont, who emigrated while quite young with his father's family to western New York. Here his youth was spent in idle, vagabond life, roaming the woods, dreaming of buried treasures, and in endeavoring to learn the art of finding them by the twisting of a forked stick in his hands, or by looking through enchanted stones. Both he and his father became famous as "water wizards," always ready to point out the spot where wells might be dug and water found. Such was the character of the young profligate when he made the acquaintance of Sidney Rigdon, a person of considerable talent and information, who had conceived the design of founding a new religion. A religious romance, written by Mr. Spaulding, a Presbyterian preacher of Ohio, then dead, suggested the idea, and finding in Smith the requisite duplicity and cunning to reduce it to practice, it was agreed that he should act as prophet; and the two devised a story that gold plates had been found buried in the earth containing a record inscribed on them in unknown characters, which, when deciphered by the power of inspiration, gave the history of the ten lost tribes of Israel.

ATTEMPT TO ARREST JOE SMITH.

After their settlement in and about Nauvoo, in Hancock county, great depredations were committed by them on the "Gentiles." The Mormons had been received from Missouri with great kindness by the people of this State, and every possible aid granted them. The depredations committed, however, soon made them odious, when the question of getting rid of them was agitated. In the fall of 1841, the Governor of Missouri made a demand on Gov. Carlin for the arrest and delivery of Joe Smith as a fugitive from justice. An executive warrant issued for that purpose was placed in the hands of an agent to be executed, but was returned without being complied with. Soon afterward the Governor handed the same writ to his agent, who this time succeeded in arresting Joe Smith. He was, however, discharged by Judge Douglas, upon the grounds that the writ upon which he had been arrested had been once returned before it was executed, and was functus officio. In 1842 Gov. Carlin again issued his writ, Joe Smith was arrested again, and again escaped. Thus it will be seen it was impossible to reach and punish the leader of this people, who had been driven from Missouri because of their stealing, murdering and unjust dealing, and came to Illinois but to continue their depredations. Emboldened by success, the Mormons became more arrogant and overbearing. Many people began to believe that they were about to set up a separate government for themselves in defiance of the laws of the State. Owners of property stolen in other counties made pursuit into Nauvoo, and were fined by the Mormon courts for daring to seek their property in the holy city. But that which made it more certain than anything else that the Mormons contemplated a separate government, was that about this time they petitioned Congress to establish a territorial government for them in Nauvoo.

ORIGIN OF POLYGAMY.

To crown the whole folly of the Mormons, in the Spring of 1844 Joe Smith announced himself as a candidate for President of the United States, and many of his followers were confident he would be elected. He next caused himself to be anointed king and priest, and to give character to his pretensions, he declared his lineage in an unbroken line from Joseph, the son of Jacob, and that of his wife from some other important personae of the ancient Hebrews. To strengthen his political power he also instituted a

body of police styled the "Danite band," who Were sworn to protect his person and obey his orders as the commands of God. A female order previously existing in the church, called "Spiritual wives," was modified so as to suit the licentiousness of the prophet. A doctrine was revealed that it was impossible for a woman to get to h heaven except as the wife of a Mormon elder; that each elder might marry as many women as he could maintain, and that any female might be sealed to eternal life by becoming their concubine. This licentiousness, the origin of polygamy in that church, they endeavored to justify by all appeal to Abraham, Jacob and other favorites of God in former ages of the world.

JOE SMITH AS A TYRANT.

Smith soon began to play the tyrant over his people. Among the first acts of this sort was an attempt to take the wife of William Law, one of his most talented disciples, and make her his spiritual wife. He established, without authority, a recorder's office, and an office to issue marriage licenses, he proclaimed that none could deal in real estate or sell liquor but himself: He ordered a printing office demolished, and in many ways controlled the freedom and business of the Mormons. :Not only did he stir up some of the Mormons, but by his reckless disregard for the laws of the land raised up opposition on every hand. It was believed that he instructed the Danite band, which he had chosen as the ministers of his vengeance, that no blood, except that of the church, was to be regarded as sacred, if it contravened the accomplishment of his object. It was asserted that he inculcated the legality of perjury and other crimes, if committed to advance the cause of' true believers;  that God had given the world and all it contained to his saints, and since they were kept out of their rightful inheritance by force, it was no moral offense to get possession of it by stealing. It was reported that an establishment existed in Nauvoo for the manufacture of counterfeit money, and that a set of outlaws was maintained for the purpose of putting it in circulation. Statements were circulated to the effect that a reward was offered for the destruction of tile Warsaw Signal, an anti-Mormon paper, and that Mormons dispersed over the country threatened all persons who offered to assist the constable in the execution of the law, with the destruction of their property and the murder of their families. There were rumors also afloat that an alliance had been formed with the Western Indians, and in case of war they would be used in murdering their enemies. In short, if only one-half of these reports were true the Mormons must have been the most infamous people that ever existed.

MILITARY FORCES ASSEMBLING.

William Law, one of the proprietors of the printing-press destroyed by Smith, went to Carthage, the county-seat, and obtained warrants for the arrest of Smith and the members of the City Council, and others connected with the destruction of the press. Some of the parties having been arrested, but discharged by the authorities in Nauvoo, a convention of citizens assembled at Carthage and appointed a committee to wait upon the Governor for the purpose of procuring military assistance to enforce the law. The Governor visited Cartilage in person. Previous to his arrival the militia had been called out and armed forces commenced assembling in Carthage and Warsaw to enforce the service of civil process. All of them, however, signified a willingness to co-operate with the Governor in preserving order. A constable and ten men were then sent to make the arrest. In the meantime, Smith declared martial law; his followers residing in the country were summoned to his assistance; the Legion was assembled and under arms, and the entire city was one great military encampment.

THE SMITHS ARRESTED.

The prophet, his brother Hiram, the members of the City Council and others, surrendered themselves at Carthage June 24, 1845, on the charge of riot. All entered into recognizance before a Justice of the Peace to appear at court, and were discharged. A new writ, however, was immediately issued and served on the two Smiths, and both were arrested and thrown into prison. The citizens had assembled from Hancock, Schuyler and McDonough counties, armed and ready to avenge the outrages that had been committed by the Mormons. Great excitement prevailed at Carthage. The force assembled at that place amounted to 1,200 men, and about 500 assembled at Warsaw. Nearly all were anxious to march 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 exhibition of the force of the State, and thereby prevent future outrages, murders, robberies, burnings, and the like. The 27th of June was appointed for the march; but Gov. Ford, who at the time was in Carthage, apprehended trouble if the militia should attempt to invade Nauvoo, disbanded the troops, retaining only a guard to the jail.

JOE SMITH AND HIS BROTHER KILLED.

Gov. Ford went to Nauvoo on the 27th. The same morning about 200 men from Warsaw, many being disguised, hastened to Carthage. On learning that one of the companies left as a guard had disbanded, and the other stationed 150 yards from the jail while eight men were left to guard the prisoners, a communication was soon established between the Warsaw troops and the guard; and it was arranged that the guard should have their guns charged with blank cartridges and fire at the assailants when they attempted to enter the jail. The conspirators came up, jumped the fence around the jail, were fired upon by the guard, which, according to arrangement, was overpowered, and the assailants entered the prison, to the door of the room where the two prisoners were confined. An attempt was made to break open the door; but Joe Smith, being armed with a pistol, fired several times as the door was bursted open, and three of the assailants were wounded. At the same time several shots were fired into the room, by some of which John Taylor, a friend of the Smiths, received four wounds, and Hiram Smith was instantly killed. Joe Smith, severely wounded, attempted to escape by jumping out of a second-story window, but was so stunned by the fall that he was unable to rise. In this position he was dispatched by balls shot through his body. Thus fell Joe Smith, the most successful imposter of modern times. Totally ignorant of almost every fact in science, as well as in law, he made up in constructiveness and natural cunning whatever in him was wanting of instruction.

CONSTERNATION AT QUINCY.

Great consternation prevailed among the anti-Mormons at Carthage, after the killing of the Smiths. They expected the Mormons would be so enraged on hearing of the death of their leaders that they would come down in a body, armed and equipped, to seek revenge upon the populace at Carthage. Messengers were dispatched to various places for help in case of an attack. The women and children were moved across the river for safety. A committee was sent to Quincy and early the following morning, at the ringing of the bells, a large concourse of people assembled to devise means of defense. At this meeting, it was reported that the Mormons attempted to rescue the Smiths; that a party of Missourians and others had killed them 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 attacked by the Nauvoo Legion, and had retreated to a house where they were 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 that time. It is unnecessary to say that this entire story was fabricated. It was put in circulation, as were many other stories, by the anti-Mormons, to influence the public mind and create a hatred for the Mormons. The effect of it, however, was that by 10 o'clock on the 28th, between two and three hundred men from Quincy. under command of Maj. Flood, went on board a steamboat for Nauvoo, to assist in raising the siege, as they honestly believed.

VARIOUS DEPREDATIONS.

It was thought by many, and indeed the circumstances seem to warrant the conclusion, that the assassins of Smith had arranged that the murder should occur while the Governor was in Nauvoo; that the Mormons would naturally suppose he planned it, and in the first outpouring of their indignation put him to death, as a means of retaliation. They thought that if they could have the Governor of the State assassinated by Mormons, the public excitement would be greatly increased against that people, and would cause their extermination, or at least their expulsion from the State. That it was a brutal and premeditated murder cannot be and is not denied at this day; but the desired effect of the murder was not attained, as the Mormons did not evacuate Nauvoo for two years afterward. In the meantime, the excitement and prejudice against this people were not allowed to die out. Horse-stealing was quite common, and every case that occurred was charged to the Mormons. That they were guilty of such thefts cannot be denied, but a great deal of this work done at that time was by organized bands of thieves, who knew they could carry on their nefarious business with more safety, as long as suspicion could be placed upon the Mormons. In the summer and fall of 1845 were several occurrences of a nature to increase the irritation existing between the Mormons and their neighbors. A suit was instituted in the United States Circuit Court against one of the apostles, to recover a note, and a marshal sent to summons the defendant, who refused to be served with the process. Indignation meetings were held by the saints, and the marshal threatened for attempting to serve the writ. About this time, General Denning, sheriff, was assaulted by an anti-Mormon, whom he killed. Denning was friendly to the Mormons, and a great outburst of passion was occasioned among the friends of the dead man.

INCENDIARISM.

It was also discovered, in trying the rights of property at Lima, Adams county, that the Mormons had an institution connected with their church to secure their effects from execution. Incensed at this and other actions, the anti-Mormons of Lima and Green Plains, held a meeting to devise means for the expulsion of the Mormons from that part of the country. It was arranged that a number of their own party should fire on the building in which they were assembled, in such a manner as not to injure anyone, and then report that the Mormons had commenced the work of plunder and death. This plot was duly executed, and the startling intelligence soon called together a mob, which threatened the Mormons with fire and sword if they did not immediately leave. The Mormons refusing to depart, the mob at once executed their threats by burning 125 houses and forcing the inmates to flee for their lives. The sheriff of Hancock county, a prominent Mormon, armed several hundred Mormons and scoured the country, in search of the incendiaries, but they had fled to neighboring counties, and he was unable either to bring them to battle or make any arrests. One man, however, was killed without provocation; another attempting to escape was shot and afterwards hacked and mutilated; and Franklin A. Worrell, who had charge of the jail when the Smiths were killed, was shot by some unknown person concealed in a thicket. The anti-Mormons committed one murder. A party of them set fire to a pile of straw, near the barn of an old Mormon, nearly ninety years of age, and when he appeared to extinguish the flames, he was shot and killed.

The anti-Mormons left their property exposed in their hurried retreat, after having burned the houses of the Mormons. Those who had been burned out sallied forth from Nauvoo and plundered the whole country, taking whatever they could carry or drive away. By order of the Governor, Gen. Hardin raised a force of 350 men, checked the Mormon ravages, and recalled the fugitive anti-Mormons home.

MAKING PREPARATION TO LEAVE.

At this time a convention, consisting of delegates from eight of the adjoining counties, assembled to concert measures for the expulsion of the Mormons from the State. The Mormons seriously contemplated emigration westward, believing the times foreboded evil for them. Accordingly, during the winter of 1845-46, the most stupendous preparations were made by the Mormons for removal. All the principal dwellings, and even the temple, were converted into work-shops, and before spring, 12,000 wagons were in readiness; and by the middle of February the leaders, with 2,000 of their followers, had crossed the Mississippi on the ice.

Before the spring of 1846 the majority of the Mormons had left Nauvoo, but still a large number remained.

THE BATTLE OF NAUVOO

In September a writ was issued against several prominent Mormons, and placed in the hands of John Carlin, of Carthage, for execution. Carlin called out a posse to help make the arrest, which brought together quite a large force in the neighborhood of Nauvoo. Carlin, not being a military man, placed in command of the posse, first, Gen. Singleton, and afterward Col. Brockman, who proceeded to invest the city, erecting breastworks, and taking other means for defensive as well as offensive operations. What was then termed a battle next took place, resulting in the death of one Mormon and the wounding of several others, and loss to the anti-Mormons of three killed and four wounded. At last, through the intervention of an anti-Mormon committee of one hundred, from Quincy, the Mormons and their allies were induced to submit to such terms as the posse chose to dictate, which were that the Mormons should immediately give up their arms to the Quincy committee, and remove from the State. The trustees of the church and five of their clerks were permitted to remain for the sale of Mormon property, and the posse were to march in unmolested, and leave a sufficient force to guarantee the performance of their stipulations. Accordingly, the constable's posse marched in with Brockman at their head. It consisted of about 800 armed men and 600 or 700 unarmed, who had assembled from all the country around, through motives of curiosity, to see the once proud city of Nauvoo humbled and delivered up to its enemies. They proceeded into the city slowly and carefully, examining the way for fear of the explosion of a mine, many of which had been made by the Mormons, by burying kegs of powder in the ground, with a man stationed at a distance to pull a string communicating with the trigger of a percussion lock affixed to the keg. This kind of a contrivance was called by the Mormons "hell's half-acre." When the posse arrived in the city, the leaders of it erected themselves into a tribunal to decide who should be forced away and who remain. Parties were dispatched to hunt for firearms, and for Mormons, and to bring them to judgment. When brought, they received their doom from the mouth of Brockman, who sat a grim and unawed tyrant for the time. As a general rule, the Mormons were ordered to leave within an hour or two; and by rare grace some of them were allowed until next day, and in a few cases longer time was granted.

MALTREATMENT OF NEW CITIZENS

Nothing was said in the treaty in regard to the new citizens, who had with the Mormons defended the city; but the posse no sooner had obtained possession than they commenced expelling them. Some of them were ducked in the river, and were in one or two instances actually baptized in the name of some 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. Many of these new settlers were strangers in the country from various parts of the United States, who were attracted there by the low price of property; and they knew but little of previous difficulties or the merits of the quarrel. They saw with their own eyes that the Mormons were industriously preparing to go away, and they knew "of their own knowledge" that any effort to expel them by force was gratuitous and unnecessary cruelty. They had been trained, by the States whence they came, to abhor mobs and to obey the law, and they volunteered their services under executive authority to defend their town and their property against mob violence, and, as they honestly believed, from destruction; but in this they were partly mistaken; for although the mob leaders in the exercise of unbridled power were guilty of many injuries to the persons of individuals, although much personal property was stolen, yet they abstained from materially injuring houses and buildings.

THE MORMONS REACH SALT LAKE.

The fugitives proceeded westward, taking the road through Missouri, but were forcibly ejected from that State and compelled to move indirectly through Iowa. After innumerable hardships the advance guard reached the Missouri river at Council Bluffs, when a United States officer presented a requisition for 500 men to serve in the war with Mexico. Compliance with this order so diminished their number of effective men, that the expedition was again delayed and the remainder, consisting mostly of old men, women and children, hastily prepared habitations for winter. Their rudely constructed tents were hardly completed before winter set in with great severity, the bleak prairies being incessantly swept by piercing winds. While here cholera, fever and other diseases, aggravated by the previous hardships, the want of comfortable quarters and medical treatment, hurried many of them to premature graves, yet, under the influence of religious fervor and fanaticism, they looked death in the face with resignation and cheerfulness, and even exhibited a gayety which manifested itself in music and dancing during the saddest hours of this sad winter.

At length welcome spring made its appearance, and by April they were again organized for the journey; a pioneer party, consisting of Brigham Young and 140 others, was sent in advance to locate a home for the colonists. On the 21 of July, 1847, a day memorable in Mormon annals, the vanguard reached the valley of the Great Salt Lake, having been directed thither, according to their accounts, by the hand of the Almighty. Here in a distant wilderness, midway between the settlements of the East and the Pacific, and at that time a thousand miles from the utmost verge of civilization, they commenced preparations for founding a colony, which has since grown into a mighty empire.

CHAPTER V.

THE MORMONS

This body of men and women came to Illinois after their expulsion from Missouri, in which State their leaders had incurred the ill-will of the authorities, and had been subjected to trial before a court martial, and had been sentenced to be shot for treason, but their lives were saved by General Doniphan, who denounced the military proceedings and gave them the benefit of judicial trial. the whole body of Mormons came to Illinois in 1839 and 1840, and were at first received as an abused and persecuted, but innocent party. They selected Nauvoo, in Hancock county, as their headquarters, and there they essayed to build up a city and a temple. As Hancock county joins Adams on the north, all of these proceedings were of interest to the Adams county people.

In May, 1844, discussions began among the Mormons in Nauvoo. Some citizens procured a press and began the publication of a paper not opposing Mormonism per se, but against the arrogance of Joseph Smith, the prophet. Messrs. Blakesly and Higbee addressed a large meeting at Quincy against the prophet. They were the persons proposing to establish the new anti-Smith paper. In the week following, Mr. John P. Green, a Mormon, made a counter-speech.

A prospectus of the new paper announced that its publication would begin June 7th, 1844:, and its name would be The Nauvoo Expositor. The publishers were to be, Messrs. William Law, Wilson Law, Charles Ivins, Francis M. Higbee, Robert D. Foster and Charles A. Foster. The paper proposed "to advocate the unconditional repeal of the Nauvoo City Charter," "to advocate unmitigated disobedience to political revelations," "to advocate the freedom of speech in Nauvoo."

This enterprise was destined to be short-lived, for, after the appearance of the first number on June 8th, Joe Smith called a meeting of the city council and issued an ordinance declaring the paper a nuisance.

The Warsaw Signal Extra contains a communication from one of the publishers, Charles A. Foster, dated June 11th, 1844. He says: "A company consisting of some two hundred men, armed and equipped with muskets, swords, pistols, bowie-knives, sledge hammers, etc., assisted by a crowd of several hundred minions, who volunteered their services on the occasion, marched to the building, and breaking open the doors with a sledge hammer, commenced the work of destruction. They tumbled the into the street, set them on fire, demolished the machinery with a sledge hammer, and injured the building very materially.

The ringleaders, though arrested, were brought before the municipal court on a writ of habeas corpus, and "honorably discharged." Indignation meetings were held in Warsaw, and Carthage and Walter Bagby and O. C. Skinner were appointed to see the governor and represent the state of things.

A public meeting of the citizens of Quincy was held, and a committee of twelve appointed to go to the scene of disturbance. Joseph Smith had declared martial law, and was making preparations to defend the city with a force of from three to four thousand men. The killing of Joe Smith and his brother Hiram, and William Richards took place June 28th, and was the cause of great excitement all through the country. According to one account, Joe Smith's body fell from the jail window pierced with six balls. His brother Hiram received five balls. Governor Ford was in Nauvoo at the time with some troops, but moved out before the news reached there. The governor having reached Quincy immediately issued an order, which, as far as we know, is the first proclamation and the only one that ever was dated from Quincy by a governor of Illinois:

HEADQUARTERS QUINCY, June 29. 1844.

It is ordered that the commandants of regiments in the counties of Adams, Marquette, Pike, Brown, Schuyler, Morgan, Scott, Cass, Fulton and McDonough, and the regiments comprising General Staff’s brigade will call their respective regiments and battalions to enroll as many men as can be armed in their respective regiments.

They will make arrangements for a campaign of twelve days. and will provide them selves with arms, ammunitions and provisions accordingly, and hold themselves in readiness immediately to march upon the receipt of further orders.

The independent companies of riflemen, infantry, cavalry and artillery, in the above named counties, and in the county of Sangamon, will hold themselves in readiness in like manner.

Thomas Ford

Governor and Commander-in-Chief

Previous to this, however, on account of the news before received, between two and three hundred men, under command of Major Flood, had departed by steamer for Nauvoo. They returned unscathed in a few days after.

Governor Ford seemed very much alarmed at the condition of things, and acknowledged that he stood in dread of assassination by the belligerents. He remained some time in Quincy, as he considered it particularly eligible from a strategic point, and was here visited by deputations from the seat of disturbance.

The excitement continued without abatement; and Quincy, Adams county, and adjoining counties were kept at fever heat by the reports continually reaching the people, of lawless acts and threats.

Governor Ford, in his history, narrates the many occurrences of those eventful times, but we have sought our information from various other sources, and produce some material not contained in his book.

The following is a Mormon account of the death of the Smiths, and is taken from the Nauvoo Neighbor:

AWFUL ASSASSINATION! THE PLEDGED FAITH OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS STAINED WITH INNOCENT BLOOD BY A MOB!

On Monday, the 24th inst. [June], after Gov. Ford had sent word that those eighteen persons demanded on a warrant, among whom were Joseph Smith and Hiram Smith, should be protected by the militia of the State, they, in company with ten or twelve others, started for Carthage. Four miles from that place they were met by Captain Dunn, with a company of cavalry, who had an order from the Governor for the "State Arms." Gen. Smith endorsed his acceptance of the same, and both parties returned to Nauvoo to obtain said arms. After the arms were obtained, both parties took up the line of march for Carthage, where they arrived about five minutes before twelve o'clock at night, Capt. Dunn nobly acquitting us, landing us safely at Hamilton's Hotel.

In the morning we saw the Governor, and he pledged the faith of the State that we should be protected. General Smith and his brother, Hiram, were arrested on a warrant founded on the oath of H. O. Norton and Augustine Spencer, for treason. Knowing the threats from several persons that the two Smiths should never leave Carthage alive, we all began to be alarmed for their personal safety. The Governor and General Deming conducted them before the McDonough troops, and introduced them as General Joseph Smith and General Hiram Smith. This maneuver came near raising a mutiny among the “Carthage Greys,” but the Governor quelled it.

In the afternoon, after exertious on the part of our counsel, we dispensed with an investigation and voluntarily gave bail for our appearance at the Circuit Court, to answer in the case of abating the “Nauvoo Expositor,” as a nuisance.

At evening the justice made out a mittimus, without an investigation, and committed the two Gens. Smith to prison, until discharged by the due course of law, and they were safely guarded to jail. In the morning the Governor went to the jail and had had an interview with these men, and to every appearance, all things were explained on both sides. The constable then went to take these men from the jail before the justice for examination, but the jailer refused to let them go, as they were under his jurisdiction "until discharged by due course of law," but the Governor's troops, to the amount of one or two hundred, took them to the court house, when the hearing was continued until Saturday, the 29th, and they were remanded to ,jail. It now began to be rumored by several men, whose names will be forthcoming in time, that there was nothing against these men--the law could not reach them--powder and ball could.

The Governor was made acquainted with these facts, but on the morning of the 27th he disbanded the McDonough troops and sent them home; took Captain Dunn's company of cavalry and proceeded to Nauvoo, leaving these two men, and three or four friends, to be guarded by eight men at the jail, and a company in town of sixty, eighty or one hundred rods from the jail, as a corps in reserve. About six o'clock in the afternoon the guard was surprised by an armed mob of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty, painted red, black and yellow, which surrounded the jail, forced in, poured a shower of bullets into the room where these unfortunate men were held “in durance vile,” to answer to the laws of Illinois, under the solemn pledge of the faith of the State, by Governor Ford that they should be protected! but the mob ruled! They fell as martyrs, amid the tornado of lead, each receiving four bullets. John Taylor was wounded by four bullets in his limbs, but not seriously. Thus perishes the rule of the law; thus vanishes the plighted faith of the State; thus the blood of innocence stares the constituted authority of the United States, and thus have two among the most noble martyrs since the slaughter of Abel sealed the truth of their divine mission, by being shot by a mob for their religion!

Messengers were dispatched to Nauvoo, but did not arrive there till morning. The following was one of the letters:

"12 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, 27th June, CARTHAGE, HAMILTON'S TAVERN.

"TO MRS. EMMA SMITH AND MAJ. GENERAL DENHAM:

The Governor has just arrived, and says all things shall be inquired into and all right measures taken. I say to all the citizens of Nauvoo: My brethren, be still and know that God reigns. Don't rush out of the city. Don't rush to Carthage; stay at home and prepare for an attack from Missouri mobbers. The Governor will render every assistance possible; has sent out orders for troops. Joseph and Hiram are dead, but not by the Carthage people; the guards were there, as I believe. We will prepare to move the bodies as soon as possible. The people of the county are greatly excited, and fear the Mormons will come and take vengeance. I have pledged my word the Mormons will stay at home, as soon as they can be informed, and no violence will be done on their part, and say to my brethren in Nauvoo, in the name of the Lord, be still--be patient--only let such friends as choose, come here to see the bodies. Mr. Taylor's wounds are dressed, and are not serious. I am sound.

               "WILLIARD RICHARDS.

               "JOHN TAYLOR.

               "SAMUEL H. SMITH.

'Defend yourselves until protection can be furnished necessary.

"June 27, 1844, THOMAS Ford,

"Governor and Commander in Chief."

MR. ORSON SPENCER.

"Dear Sir:--Please deliberate on this matter; Prudence may obviate material destruction. I was at my residence when the horrible crime was committed. It will be                condemned by three-fourths of the citizens of the county. Be quiet, or you will be attacked from Missouri.

M. R. DEMING.”

The Governor, as well as the citizens of Carthage, were thunderstruck and fled. The Legion in Nauvoo was called out at 10 A. M. and addressed by Judge Phelps, Col. Buckmaster, of Alton, the Governor's aid and others, and all excitement and fury allayed, and preparations were made to receive the bodies of the noble martyrs. About 3 o'clock, they were met by a great assemblage of people east of the temple, on Mulholland street, under the direction of the city marshal, followed by Samuel H. Smith, brother of the deceased, Mr. Richards and Mr. Hamilton, of Carthage. The wagons were guarded by eight men. The procession that followed in Nauvoo, was the City Council, the Lieut. General's Staff, the Brigadier and Staff. commanders and officers of the Legion and the citizens generally, which numbered several thousands, amid the most solemn lamentations and wailings that ever ascended into the ears of the Lord of Hosts, to be avenged of our enemies. When the procession arrived, the bodies were both taken into the “Nauvoo Mansion.” The scene at the "Mansion" cannot be described. The audience was addressed by Dr. Richards, Judge Phelps, Woods and Reed Eayrs of Iowa, and Col. Markham. It was a vast assemblage of some eight or ten thousand persons, and with one united voice, resolved to trust the law for a remedy of such a high-handed assassination, and when that failed, to call upon God to avenge us of our wrongs. Oh! widows and orphans!  Oh ! Americans! weep, for the glory of freedom has departed.

This, it will be remembered, is an emanation from Mormon headquarters. On the other side, an extract from a hand-bill circulated through Quincy, and Adams county, by the Warsaw people, asserts that “They, the Mormons, must leave or we must leave; and there are now but two questions to solve: Which party shall leave, and in what manner.”

In the Quincy Whig, July 24th, there are nearly six columns, under different heads, devoted to discussion of the question. Mr. John Wood and E. Congers, and A. Jonas. of Quincy, had been to the scene of' action, also Mr. Chambers, of the Missouri Republican.

July 25th, 1844, Gov. Ford issued a proclamation to the "People of Warsaw, Hancock county," exhorting them to refrain from their intended expulsory measures towards the Mormons.

In September, 1844, orders were received from Gov. Ford, directing the military commanders at Quincy to rendezvous at some point in Hancock county. The Quincy Whig says:

The reasons for this strange and unexpected movement on the part of the Governor, have not yet been made public, but from some inquiry we have made, we learn that the people of Hancock were about assembling in, strong force, with a view to a fall wolf hunt. As there is yet considerable ill-feeling existing between the Mormons and anti-Mormons, the Governor s fears were aroused that this wolf hunt meant something more than met the eye--that an attack was contemplated on the Mormons, and hence the necessity for troops on the ground, to preserve the integrity of the laws--a meeting was called at the court-house, of those capable of bearing arms, on Saturday, and on Sunday, the Quincy Riflemen and German Guards left for Hancock county.

On the 30th of September, Messrs. Thomas C. Sharp and Col. Levi Williams, of that county, in charge of soldiers, were brought before Judge Thomas, who was holding Circuit Court, at Quincy, to be examined for the killing of Joseph and Hiram Smith. Their attorneys were O. H. Browning and E. D. Baker, and the State was represented by A. T. Bledsoe and Thompson Campbell.

The following is the article of agreement entered into between the counsel for the State and the defendants, for their appearance at the Hancock Court:

The undersigned, counsel, respectively for the People of the State of Illinois, and Levi Williams and Thomas C. Sharp, admit and agree that in appearing and entering into recognizance to appear to answer to any charge preferred by them, they do not make or intend to make any admission of probable cause to bind them over; but that it is done to save time and delay; in consequence of the absence of witnesses, and for this reason only; and the said Williams and Sharp, in entering into said recognizance, do so under a protestation of their entire innocence of the offenses of which they are charged, and they also allege that they are now ready and willing to go into an investigation of the charge, before a court of enquiry, under the stipulations entered into with them at the time of their surrender, and have no desire to shun or evade it, but enter into said recognizance for no purpose whatever, than the above expressed.

A.T. BLEDSOE,

THOMPSON CAMPBELL,

Attorneys for the People.

O. H. BROWNING,

E.D. BAKER,

For Defendants.

QUINCY, ILL., 2rd Oct., 1844.

Governor Ford was in Quincy at this time, as appears from a paragraph in the Whig:

The Springfield Cadets, after being escorted to the outskirts of the city; by our volunteer companies, started for their homes on Wednesday last, as also did the Commander in Chief, his Excellency, Thomas Ford.

There were trials at Carthage but no convictions, and in the legislature of June, 1845, the Mormon charters were totally repealed, and in 1846 the great proportion of Mormons left the State, and Adams county had no more part to perform in this share of her state's history.

For further information we have had shown to us, by Gen. J. D. Morgan, the company books of the Quincy Riflemen, and these very carefully written records substantiate in dates many of the statements that have been in obscurity.

[The History of Adams County, Illinois, pg. 104-118, 296-300]