| 348 forty or fifty miles off. But the people, on hearing this, although it was agreed to by some half a dozen of the leading men in Jackson County, rose up against it, and said we should not go, if we did, they would follow us.
"The same day (Wednesday, November 6) a part of the mob, between fifty and eighty in number, supposing that Col. Pitcher had not done his duty as faithfully as he ought, mounted their horses with their guns on their shoulders, went to visit the brethren and frighten the members of the church: some they fired at, others they whipped, and some they chased upon horses for several miles; others they sought for diligently, as they said to kill them; and they burst open doors in an abrupt manner, and searched houses for guns and other weapons of war. As they passed through the branch at the Blue, they swore that if the people were not off by the time they returned at night, they would massacre the whole of them.
"Accordingly, some started for Clay County, and about one hundred and thirty women and children, with six men, started without goods or furniture, and the most of them on foot, and wandered several days on the prairie, not knowing where to go, supposing that it was not their privilege to return and take their goods. Some have since returned and taken some of their things, and others I have not heard from particularly. But the more part of the church waited to take some or the principal part of their goods.
"When we found that we could not go south peaceably, we came across the Missouri River into Clay County, where we found the inhabitants as accommodating as we could reasonably expect. Many of us have obtained houses and shelters for our families, and others have built huts in the woods, while some who have lately come over are yet in tents, or in the open air.
"Some few of the brethren thought that they could remain after the others had come away, but on Saturday, November 23, the mob held another meeting and appointed a committee to warn off those families that remained. Accordingly, on Sunday and Monday following, the brethren that remained were ordered off with many threatenings if they did not go
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