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Missouri General Assembly Document Containing the Correspondence, Orders, &c. In Relation to the Disturbances with the Mormons... (Fayette, Missouri: Democrat Office, 1841) (remainder under construction) |
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John Corrill's Brief History of the Church (1839) | Senate Document 189 (1841)
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DOCUMENT CONTAINING THE CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, &C. IN RELATION TO THE DISTURBANCES WITH THE M O R M O N S; AND THE E V I D E N C E GIVEN BEFORE THE HON. AUSTIN A. KING, JUDGE OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, AT THE COURT-HOUSE IN RICHMOND, IN A CRIMINAL COURT OF INQUIRY, BEGUN NOVEMBER 12, 1838, ON THE TRIAL OF JOSEPH SMITH, JR., AND OTHERS, FOR HIGH TREASON AND OTHER CRIMES AGAINST THE STATE. PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Printed at the office of the Boon's Lick Democrat. Fayette, Missouri: 1841. |
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(for full text, see "Richmond Hearing" at farwesthistory.com) [Fifth Judicial District, State of Missouri] 57. ... Affidavit of Thomas B. Marsh. At the request of a committee of the citizens of Ray County, I make the following statement in relation to the recent movements, plans & intentions of the Mormons in the counties of Caldwell & Daviess:Shortly after the settlement of the difficulties at De Witt in Carroll county, a call was made up by the Mormons at Far West, in Caldwell county, for volunteers to go to Daviess county to disperse the mob, as they said. On the day before this, Joseph Smith, the prophet, had preached, in which he said, that all the Mormons who refused to take up arms, if necessary in difficulties with the citizens, should be shot or otherwise put to death; and as I was there with my family, I thought it most prudent to go, and did go with my wagon as the driver. We marched to Adam-ondi-ahman, and found no troops or mob in Daviess county. Scouting parties frequently went out and brought in intelligence that they had seen from three to five men. We got to 'Diamon on Tuesday evening, and on the next day a company of about eighty of the Mormons, commanded by a man fictitiously named Capt. Fearnaught, marched to Gallatin. They returned and said they had run off from Gallatin twenty or thirty men, and had taken Gallatin -- had taken one prisoner, and another had joined the company. I afterwards learned from the Mormons that they had burnt Gallatin, and that it was done by the aforesaid company that marched there. The Mormons informed me that they had hauled away all the goods from the store in Gallatin, and deposited them at the Bishop's store houses at 'Diahmon. On the same day, Lyman Wight marched about eighty horsemen for Mill Port. He returned before night and called for Joseph Smith and Hiram Smith [sic], to report to them (said Hiram being counsellor [sic] of said Joseph the prophet) and said Wight reported that he had been in sight of Mill Port -- saw no one to fight -- but that the people generally had gone and left their houses and property. The prophet, on hearing the property was left, commenced a reply, and said: "we had better see to it," when Wight stopped him by saying "never mind, we will have a private counsel," and Smith replied "very well." The private counsel I did not hear. The men were determined to go to their camps. The same evening a number of footmen came up from the direction of Mill Port laden with property which I was informed, consisted of beds, clocks and other household furniture. The same night, I think, about three wagons were dispatched for about forty bee gums, and the next day saw several gums, where they were splitting them up and was taking 58 [Fifth Judicial District, State of Missouri]. the honey and burning the gums, in which business of taking out the honey, but few were engaged, for fear, as they said, they would be called on as witnesses against them. When Wight returned from Mill Port and informed Smith that the people were gone and the property left, Smith asked him if they had left any of the Negroes for them, and Wight replied no; upon which some one laughed, and said to Smith, "you have lost your negro, then." During the same time, a company called the Fur Company, were sent out to bring in fat hogs and cattle, calling the hogs, bears, and the cattle buffaloes [sic]. They brought in at one time seven cattle and at another time four or five belonging to the people of Daviess. Hogs were brought in dead, but I know not how many, I saw only two. They have among them a company consisting of all that are considered true Mormons, called the Danites, who have taken an oath to support the heads of the church in all things that they say or do, whether right or wrong; many, however of this band are much dissatisfied with this oath, as being against moral and religious principles. On Saturday last, I am informed by the Mormons they had a meeting at Far West, at which they appointed a company of twelve, by the name of the Destruction Company, for the purpose of burning and destroying; and that if the people of Buncombe came to do mischief upon the people of Caldwell, and committed depredations on the Mormons, they were to burn Buncombe, and if the people of Clay and Ray made any movement against them, this destroying company was to burn Liberty and Richmond. This burning was to be done secretly, by going as incendiaries. At the same meeting, I was informed, they passed a decree that no Mormon dissenter should leave Caldwell county alive; and that such as attempted to do it, should be shot down, and sent to tell their tale in eternity. In a conversation between Dr. Avard & other Mormons, said Avard proposed to start a pestilence among the Gentiles, as he called them, by poisoning their corn, fruit &c, and saying it was the work of the Lord; and said Avard advocated lying for the support of their religion, and said it was no harm to lie for the Lord. The plan of said Smith, the prophet, is to take the State, and he professes to his people to intend taking the United States, and ultimately the whole world. This is the belief of the church, and my own opinion of the prophet's plans & intentions. It is my opinion that neither said Joseph Smith, the prophet, nor any one of the principal men, who is firm in the faith, could be indicted for any offense in the county of Caldwell. The prophet inculcates the notion, and it is believed by every true Mormon, that Smith's prophecies are superior to the law of the land. I have heard the prophet say that he should yet tread down his enemies, and walk over their dead bodies; that if he was not let alone he would be a second Mahomet to this generation, and that he would make it one gore of blood from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean; that like Mahomet, whose motto, in treating for peace, was" the Alcoran or the Sword," so should it be eventually with us, "Joseph Smith or the Sword." These last statements [Fifth Judicial District, State of Missouri] 59. were made during the last summer. The number of armed men at Adam-on-diamon was between three and four hundred. Thomas B. March. [sic - Marsh] Sworn to and subscribed before me the day herein written. Henry Jacobs, J. P. Ray county Mo. Richmond, Mo. Oct. 24, 1838. Affidavit of Orson Hyde. The most of the statements in the foregoing disclosed of Thomas B. Marsh, I know to be true. The remainder I believe to be true.Orson Hyde. Richmond, Oct. 24, 1838. Sworn to & subscribed before me on the day above written. Henry Jacobs, J.P. The undersigned committee, on the part of the citizens of Ray county, have no doubt, but that Thomas B. Marsh & Orson Hyde, whose names are signed to the foregoing certificates, have been members of the Mormon Church in full fellowship until very recently, when they voluntarily abandoned the Mormon Church and faith. And that said Marsh was at the time of his dissenting the President of the twelve Apostles, and President of the Church at Far West, and that said Hyde was at that time one of the twelve Apostles, and that they left the Church and abandoned the faith of the Mormons from a conviction of their immorality and impiety. William Hudgins Geo. Woodward J. R. Hendley C. R. Morehead O. H. Searcey Henry Jacobs Richmond, Oct. 24th, 1838.... |
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