passage, according to the man's word. One of the platoon officers said, as he passed us, 'Well, friends, we will let you go this time, but the next time we will give you the Devil up to the handle.' The bugler gave a blast and said, 'You'll soon reach the promised land, don't you hear Gabriel's trump?"— Millennial Star, vol. 16, p. 296.

The company from Canada under John E. Page arrived at De Witt during the last week of September, 1838.

The Seventies' Camp arrived at Far West, October 2. On the 3d they left Far West, arriving at their destinationAdam-ondi-ahman- on the 4th. The company under D. C. Smith arrived some time previous to this; the date we have not learned.

CHAPTER 11.

1838.

UNHOLY CRUSADE-AFFIDAVIT OF JOSEPH SMITH-BOUND OVER TO COURT-EXCITEMENT-FIREARMS CAPTURED-TRIAL-THE GovERNOR PETITIONED-DONIPHAN'S REPORT-ATCHISON'S REPORTGOVERNOR BOGGS CULPABLE-PARKS AND ATCHISON REPORTMOB PROCEED AGAINST DE WITT-PETITION THE GOVERNOROTHER OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS-DISREPUTABLE ACTS-FORCED TO LEAVE DE WITT-MOB RETURN TO DAVIESS COUNTY.

THE great majority of the church was now in Missouri, where troublesome times awaited them.

Unholy

As we have seen in a former chapter, that unholy crusade against the church, which has passed into history as "the Mormon war," began in the summer of 1838. We crusade. shall not take space to give all the details, but will give the leading events from the pens of participants, so that our readers can judge of the merits of the contention.

Adam Black, justice of the peace, who on August 8 had agreed to do all he could to promote peace in Daviess County, tried to stir up feeling against the church, contrary to his agreement. On August 28 he made the following affidavit:

"Before me, William Dryden, one of the justices of the peace of said county, personally came Adam Black, who being duly sworn according to law, deposeth and saith; that on or about the 8th day of August, 1838, in the county of Daviess, there came an armed force of men, said to be one hundred and fifty-four, to the best of my information, and surrounded his house and family, and threatened him with instant death if he did not sign a certain instrument of writing, binding himself, as a justice of the peace for said county of Daviess, not to molest the people called Mormons; and threatened the lives of myself and other individuals, and did

say they intended to make every citizen sign such obligation, and further said they intended to have satisfaction for abuse they had received on Monday previous, and they could not submit to the laws: and further saith, that from the best information and his own personal knowledge, that Andrew Ripley, George A. Smith, Ephraim Owens, Harvey Humstead, Hiram Nelson, A. Brown, John L. Butler, Cornelius Lott, John Wood, H. Redfield, Riley Stewart, James Whitaker, Andrew Thor, Amos Tubbs, Dr. Gourze, and Abram Nelson was guilty of aiding and abetting in committing and perpetrating the above offense.

"ADAM BLACK.

"Sworn to and subscribed this the 28th of August, 1838.

"W. DRYDEN,

"Justice of the Peace of the county aforesaid."

- Millennial Star, vol. 16, p. 243.

An item of history from Joseph Smith's pen, also his opinion of and determined action in these troubles, will be interesting. He writes:

"There is great excitement at present among the Missourians, seeking if possible an occasion against us. They are continually chafing us and provoking us to anger, if possi. ble- one sign of threatening after another; but we do not fear them, for the Lord God the Eternal Father is our God, and Jesus the Mediator is our Savior, and in the great I AM is our strength and confidence.

"We have been driven time after time, and that without cause, and smitten again and again, and that without provocation, until we have proved the world with kindness, and the world proved us that we have no designs against any man or set of men; that we injure no man; that we are peaceable with all men, minding our own business, and our business only. We have suffered our rights and our liberties to be taken from us; we have not avenged ourselves of those wrongs; we have appealed to magistrates, to sheriffs, to judges, to Government and to the President of the United States, all in vain; yet we have yielded peaceably to all these things. We have not complained at the great God; we murmured not, but peaceably left all, and retired into the back

country, in the broad and wild prairie, in the barren and desolate plains, and there commenced anew; we made the desolate places to bud and blossom as the rose; and now the fiend-like race are disposed to give us no rest. Their father, the Devil, is hourly calling upon them to be up and doing, and they, like willing and obedient children, need not the second admonition; but in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of the living God we will endure it no longer, if the great God will arm us with courage, with strength and with power, to resist them in their persecutions. We will not act on the offensive, but always on the defensive; our rights and our liberties shall not be taken from us and we peaceably submit to it, as we have done heretofore; but we will avenge ourselves of our enemies, inasmuch as they will not let us alone.

"But to return again to our subject. We found the place for the city, and the brethren were instructed to gather immediately into it, and soon they should be organized according to the laws of God. A more particular history of this city may be expected hereafter, perhaps at its organization and dedication. We found a new route home, saving, I should think, three or four miles. We arrived at Far West about the close of daylight.

Sunday, 2d. . . . The First Presidency attended meeting as usual in the morning. I tarried at home in the evening to examine the church records, and spent a part of the time in company with a gentleman from Livingston County, who had become considerably excited on account of a large collection of people, as they said, to take Joseph Smith, Jr., and Lyman Wight for going to one Adam Black's in Daviess County; and as they said, President Smith and Colonel Wight had resisted the officer who had endeavored to take them, etc.; and accordingly these men are assembling to take them, as they say. They are collected from every part of the country to Daviess County. Report says they are collecting from eleven counties, to help take two men who had never resisted the law or officer, neither thought of doing so, and this they knew at the same time, or many of them at least. This looks a little too much like mobocracy:

it foretells some evil intentions. The whole upper Missouri is in an uproar and confusion.

"This evening I sent for General Atchison, of Liberty, Clay County, who is the Major General of this division, to come and counsel with us, and to see if he could not put a stop to this collection of people, and to put a stop to hostilities in Daviess County. I also sent a letter to Judge King containing a petition for him to assist in putting down and scattering the mob, which are collecting at Daviess.

"Monday, 3d. Nothing of importance transpired this day, only reports concerning the collection of a mob in Daviess County, which has been collecting ever since the election in Daviess on the sixth of August last. I was at home most of the day.

"This evening General Atchison arrived in Far West. . .

"Tuesday, 4th. . . . This day I spent in council with General Atchison. He says he will do all in his power to disperse the mob, etc. We employed him and Doniphan (his partner) as our lawyers and counselors in law. They are considered the first lawyers in upper Missouri.

"President Rigdon and myself commenced this day the study of law, under the instruction of Generals Atchison and Doniphan. They think by diligent application we can be admitted to the bar in twelve months.

"The result of the council was that myself and Colonel Wight volunteer, and be tried by Judge King in Daviess County. Colonel Wight was present, having been previously notified to attend the council. Accordingly Thursday next was appointed for the trial, and word to that amount was sent to Judge King (who had previously agreed to volunteer and try the case) to meet all at Bro. Littlefield's, near the county line in the southern part of Daviess. I was at home in the evening after six o'clock.

"Wednesday, 5th. I gave the following affidavit, that the truth might appear before the public in the matter in controversy.

"Before me, Elias Higbee, one of the justices of the