They travelled on foot; several waggons with their baggage and provisions, and relief to the destitute Saints in Clay county, following behind. They were well provided with "fire-arms and all sorts of munition of war of the most portable kind for self-defence." They were joined in two days by fifty more "Saints," similarly armed. Their baggage waggons now amounted to twenty. Joseph divided his band into companies of twelve, consisting of two cooks, two firemen, two tent makers, two watermen, one runner or scout, one commissary, and two waggoners. Every night, "at the sound of the trumpet, they bowed down before the Lord in their several tents; and at the sound of the morning trumpet, every man was again on his knees before the Lord." They passed through extensive wilds, and forded many streams and rivers; and though, as Joseph says, "their enemies were continually breathing threats of violence, the Saints did not fear, neither did they hesitate to prosecute their journey, for God was with them, and his angels were before them, and the faith of the little band was unwavering. We knew," he added, "that angels were our companions, for we saw them."

On their arrival in June at the Illinois river, the people were very anxious to know who and what they were. Many questions were asked, but the Mormons evaded them all, and gave no information as to their names, profession, business, or destination. Joseph himself travelled incognito, and though the settlers in Illinois vehemently suspected the band to be Mormons, they did not think it prudent to molest them. Having been safely ferried over the river, with all their baggage, they encamped two days afterwards amid some mounds, or ancient burial-places of the Indians. Here Joseph played the “ prophet,” and gave his followers an additional proof of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, and of the history of the Lamanites, the descendants of the Jews, therein recorded. This was a master-stroke

of policy. "The contemplation of the scenery," says Joseph, “produced peculiar sensations in our bosoms. The brethren procured a shovel and a hoe, and removing the earth of one of the mounds, to the depth of about a foot, discovered the skeleton of a man almost entire, and between his ribs was a Lamanitish arrow. The visions of the past being opened to my understanding, by the spirit of the Almighty, I discovered that the person whose skeleton was before us was a white Lamanite, a large thick-set man, and a man of God. He was a warrior and chieftain under the great prophet Omandagus, who was 'known from the hill Cumorah, or Easter Sea, to the Rocky Mountains. His name was Zelph. He was killed in battle by the arrow found 'among his ribs, during the last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites." On the next day, refreshed by this incident, and marvel

lously confirmed in the faith by the wisdom and knowledge of their Prophet, they moved onwards, and crossed the Mississippi river, into the limits of the State of Missouri.

The following extracts from the journal or diary of one of the elders who accompanied the Prophet, will show the influence he exercised, and the manner in which his singular journey was conducted :

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"This day, June 3rd, while we were refreshing ourselves and teams, about the middle of the day, Brother Joseph got up in a waggon and said that he would deliver prophecy. After giving the brethren much good advice, exhorting them to faithfulness and humility, he said the Lord had told him that there would be a scourge come upon the camp, in consequence of the fractious and unruly spirits that appeared among them, and they should die like sheep with the rot; still, if they would repent and humble themselves before the Lord, the scourge, in a great measure, might be turned away: but, as the Lord lived, the camp would suffer for giving way to their unruly temper,' which afterwards actually did take place, to the sorrow of the brethren.

"The same day, when we had got within one mile of the Snye, we came to a very beautiful little town called Atlas. Here we found honey for the first time on our journey, that we could buy; we purchased about two-thirds of a barrel. We went down to the Snye and crossed over that night in a ferry-boat. We encamped for the night on the bank of the Snye. There was a great excitement in the country through which we had passed, and also a-head of us; the mob threatened to stop us. Guns were fired in almost all directions through the night. Brother Joseph did not sleep much, if any, but was through the camp pretty much during the night.

"We pursued our journey on the 4th, and encamped on the bank of the Mississippi river. Here we were somewhat afflicted, and the enemy threatened much that we should not cross over the river out of Illinois into Missouri. It took us two days to cross the river, as we had but one ferry-boat, and the river was one mile and a half wide. While some were crossing, many others spent their time in hunting and fishing, &c. When we had all got over, we encamped about one mile back from the little town of Louisiana, in a beautiful oak grove, which is immediately on the bank of the river. At this place there was some feelings of hostility manifested by Sylvester Smith, in consequence of a dog growling at him while he was marching his company up to the camp, he being the last that came over the river. The next morning Brother Joseph said that he would descend to the spirit that was manifested by some of the brethren, to let them see the folly of their wickedness. He rose up, and commenced speaking by saying, 'If any man insults me, or abuses me, I will stand in my own

defence at the expense of my life; and if a dog growl at me, I will let him know that I am his master.' At this moment Sylvester Smith, who had just returned from where he had turned out his horses to feed, came up, and hearing Brother Joseph make these remarks, said, If that dog bites me, I'll kill him.' Brother Joseph turned to Sylvester and said, 'If you kill that dog, I'll whip you,' and then went on to show the brethren how wicked and unchristian-like such conduct appeared before the eyes of truth and justice.

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'On Friday, the 6th, we resumed our journey. On Saturday, the 7th, at night we camped among our brethren at Salt River, in the Allred settlement, in a piece of woods by a beautiful spring of water, and prepared for the Sabbath. On the Sabbath we had preaching. Here we remained several days, washing our clothes, and preparing to pursue our journey. Here we were joined by Hyrum Smith and Lyman Wight, with another company. The camp now numbered two hundred and five men, all armed and equipped as the law directs. It was delightful to see the company, for they were all young men, with one or two exceptions, and in good spirits."

Another entry in the same diary will be interesting to those who wish to trace the slight incidents upon which strong fanaticism supports itself. The meteors of the 13th of November, which are annually looked for by the observers of the heavens, were to the Mormons then, as they are now, convincing proofs of the truth of Mormonism, and signs of the Latter Days:-

"November 13th.-About 4 o'clock A.M. I was awakened by Brother Davis knocking at my door, and calling on me to arise and behold the signs in the heavens. I arose, and, to my great joy, beheld the stars fall from heaven like a shower of hail-stones; a literal fulfilment of the word of God, as recorded in the Holy Scriptures, as a sure sign that the coming of Christ is close at hand. In the midst of this shower of fire, I was led to exclaim: How marvellous are thy works, O Lord! I thank thee for thy mercy unto thy servant; save me in thy kingdom, for Christ's sake. Amen.

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The appearance of these signs varied in different sections of the country: in Zion, all heaven seemed enwrapped in splendid fireworks, as if every star in the broad expanse had been suddenly hurled from its course, and sent lawless through the wilds of ether; some at times appeared like bright shooting meteors with long trains of light following in their course, and in numbers resembled large drops of rain in sunshine.. Some of the long trains of light following the meteoric stars were visible for some seconds; these streaks would curl and twist up like serpents writhing. The appearance was beautiful, grand, and sublime beyond description; as though all the artillery and

fire-works of eternity were set in motion to enchant and entertain the Saints, and terrify and awe the sinners on the earth. Beautiful and terrific as was the scenery, which might be compared to the falling figs or fruit when the tree is shaken by a mighty wind; yet, it will not fully compare with the time when the sun shall become black like sack-cloth of hair, the moon like blood (Rev. vi. 13); and the stars fall to the earth, as these appeared to vanish when they fell behind the trees, or came near the ground."

Joseph was now on a dangerous territory, and chose twenty men for his body-guard, appointing his brother Hyrum Smith as their captain, and another brother, George Smith, as his armour-bearer. He also appointed a "general," who daily inspected the little army, examined their fire-locks, and drilled them on the prairies. The people of Jackson county, by this time, were informed of Joseph Smith's arrival with his army. A deputation of them, who were in Clay county, to submit a proposal for the purchase of all the Mormon lands in Independence, no sooner heard that the Prophet was in the field in person, than they returned towards their own county to raise a force with which to meet and chastise him. One of their leaders, named Campbell, swore, as he adjusted his pistols in his holsters, "that the eagles and turkey buzzards should eat his flesh if he did not, before two days, fix Joe Smith and his army, so that their skins should not hold shucks." Joseph, who relates this story, adds, that Campbell and his men "went to the ferry and undertook to cross the Missouri river after dusk; but the angel of God saw fit to sink the boat about the middle of the river, and seven out of the twelve that attempted to cross were drowned. Thus suddenly and justly," he adds, with great complacency, "they went to their own place by water. Campbell was among the missing. He floated down the river some four or five miles, and lodged upon a pile of drift wood, where the eagles, buzzards, ravens, crows, and wild animals, ate his flesh from his bones, to fulfil his own words, and left him a horrible-looking skeleton of God's vengeance, which was discovered about three weeks afterwards by one Mr. Purtle."

Joseph, much delighted at the death of Campbell and his men, and at the discovery of the fleshless bones of his enemy by " Mr. Purtle," continued his march, and had a new "revelation" from the Lord, to comfort and excite his people. The cholera, however, broke out in his camp on the 24th of June, and Joseph attempted to cure it by " laying on of his hands and prayer." He failed, however, to do any good, and accounted for his failure by stating that "he quickly learned by painful experience that when the Great Jehovah decrees destruction, man must not attempt to stay his hand." Though he could not cure the cholera, he endeavoured to maintain his influence over the minds of his followers,

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and impress them more forcibly with the miraculous nature of his mission, by stating that the enemies of the Mormons would suffer more severely from the visitation than the Mormons themselves. He laid particular stress upon the case of a woman who refused a Saint some water to drink. 'Before a week," said the prophet, "the cholera entered that house, and that woman and three others of the family were dead." Joseph lost thirteen of his band by the ravages of the disease. On the 1st of July he crossed into Jackson county, with a few friends, "to set his feet once more on that goodly land;" and, after remaining one day, proceeded with the remainder of his company to Clay county. He did not remain long with the Saints, for we find that he arrived on the 2nd, and started back for Kirtland on the 9th. It was not prudent, it appears, that he should make himself too familiar with his believers. The great man was not to be seen too closely with impunity, for some of his travelling companions began to accuse him of "prophesying lies in the name of the Lord," and also of appropriating "moneys" to which he had no right. But Joseph Smith was not a man to be daunted by domestic treason or enemies in his own camp; and short as was the time he stayed, he did not depart without organizing and encouraging the main body of the fugitives from Jackson county, and establishing the community in Clay county on a better footing than when he arrived. On his return to Kirtland, his first step was to bring to trial before his church the brother who accused him of " prophesying lies," and of appropriating moneys. The brother confessed his error, retracted his charge, and was forgiven.

The history of the sect for the next three years is one of strife and contention with their unrelenting and vindictive enemies in Missouri. The numbers of the Mormons increased with the numbers of their opponents; and the warfare raged so bitterly that the whole people of Missouri were ranged either on one side or the other. In the autumn of 1837, Joseph's bank at Kirtland stopped payment; the district was flooded with its worthless paper, and Joseph had a "revelation" commanding him to depart finally for Missouri, and live among the Saints in the land of their inheritance. Joseph obeyed the "revelation" by departing secretly in the night. His enemies assert that he went "between two days," as it is called in America, and that he left his creditors to their remedy. He found the affairs of his church in considerable confusion on his arrival. The Saints formed a numerous and powerful body, but they did not agree among themselves; and occasional seceders and deserters from their campmany of them consisting of men who were ashamed of their previous delusions, and of others who were actuated by vindictive motives or disappointed ambition-spread abroad all sorts