RLDS Church History Context

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Source: Church History Vol. 2 Chapter 19 Page: 387 (~1839-1840)

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387 out to the 'Mormons' and received their pay, they would drive the 'Mormons' off and keep both their lands and the money.

"The mob, when disbanded in Daviess by the generals as aforesaid, instead of repairing to their homes as commanded, proceeded in a body to the adjoining county of Carroll and encamped around De Witt, a village built and inhabited by 'Mormons;' while thus encamped around De Witt they sent to the county of Jackson and procured a cannon. They invested the place so closely that no person could leave the town in safety; when they did so, they were fired upon by the mob. The horses of the 'Mormons' were stolen and their cattle killed. The citizens of De Witt, amounting to about seventy families, were in great extremity and worn out by want and sickness. In their extremity they made application to Governor Boggs for protection and relief; but no protection, no relief, was granted them. When reduced to the last extremity, no alternative was left them but to seek protection by flight and the abandonment of their homes. Accordingly on the evening of the 11th of October, 1838, they retreated from De Witt and made their way to the counties of Daviess and Caldwell, leaving many of their effects in the possession of the mob.

"Your memorialists will not detail the horrors and sufferings of such a flight, when shared with women and children. They might detail many. One lady who had given birth to a child just before the flight commenced, died on the road and was buried without a coffin. Many others, sick, worn-out, starved, deprived of medical aid, died upon the road. The remnant of 'Mormons' from De Witt arrived in Daviess and Caldwell, and found a short relief and supply of their wants from their friends and brethren there.

"After the abandonment of De Witt and the flight of the 'Mormons' from Carroll, one Sashiel Woods addressed the mob, advising them to take their cannon and march to the county of Daviess and drive the 'Mormons' from that county and seize upon their lands and other property, saying that the 'Mormons' could get no benefit of the law, as they had recently seen. They then commenced their march from

(page 387)

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