| 407 from gentlemen that the prisoners commended the Judge for his clemency and fair dealing towards them and acknowledged they were guilty in part of the charge preferred against them. Mr. Linn said he presumed I was not present when said men were tried. I replied in the negative, that I was not there, neither anybody else that could be a witness in their favor. The lawyers advised them to keep away if they desired the salvation of their lives. I observed that I had read the proceedings of the legislature, but did not now recollect them; but since yesterday I have been reflecting on the subject, and recollect a conversation I had with Mr. Harvey Redfield, who was the bearer of the petition to Jefferson City, and he informed me that the reasons why they refused an investigation was on account of the upper Missouri members being so violently opposed to it that they used their utmost exertions, and finally succeeded in getting a majority against it; and the reason of their taking this course was in consequence of one of their members being in the massacre at Haun's mill; viz., Mr. Ashley; and Cornelius Gillium was a leader of the first mob in Daviess County, which the militia were called out to suppress.
"Mr. Linn said if it must come out in Congress it should be fully investigated, and they, the committee, should have power to send for persons and papers; for if we have a right to claim damages of the United States, so had they, if all were true concerning the acts alleged against the Mormons;' that they had a right to ask the government to pay the war against the 'Mormons;' but finally seemed to disapprove of the exterminating order, which was admitted to have existed by Mr. Jamieson, or was issued by their legislature, but that no one ever thought of carrying it into effect. He said that General Clark merely advised the 'Mormons' to leave the State. To which I replied, General Clark's speech was before them; that I had stated some of its contents yesterday, and if it were necessary I could prove it by four or five hundred affidavits.
"Then Mr. Jamieson stated something about the prisoners making their escape, and that he had no doubt but that they could have a fair trial in Missouri, for the Legislature, to
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