| 297 had been to Far West and had disarmed every Mormon that he could find, and had taken about sixty prisoners, and brought them to this place, and placed them in the courthouse about twenty rods from where we now are, which has neither floor nor door-shutter, and the weather is very inclement. The remainder of the Mormons he said could remain until the opening of the spring season; but if they should then be found attempting to put in a crop or stay longer, they should most assuredly be exterminated without mercy. . . .
"General Clark came in between the hours of seven and eight o'clock this evening, who on being interrogated what our crimes were, said he would inform us in the morning, and with a frown passed out of the room. After receiving many insults and much abuse from the people, we were left to await the result of the morning.
"l0th. This morning General Clark came and with a look of awe and disdain said: 'Gentlemen, you are charged with having committed treason, murder, arson, burglary, larceny, and stealing, and various other crimes too numerous to mention,' and in great haste left the room. He had not more than passed the door when Colonel Price with sixteen men stepped in at the door, each having his gun presented with his thumb on the cock. They were quickly followed by a Mr. Fulkinson, the overseer of the penitentiary, with three trace chains and seven padlocks in his hands, and commenced chaining us by our legs, one by one, until we were all chained together about two feet apart. We were then informed that we were delivered over to the civil law, and that General Clark, after arriving at this place, had held a court-martial and sentenced us to be shot, but fearing this might not be correct he had sent to Fort Leavenworth to the United States officer, whose answer, on the subject was that 'it would be nothing more, nor nothing less than cold-blooded murder.' 5 During this whole time there had not been a process served on us, neither civil nor uncivil. We spent this day in chains for the first time, ruminating from present
5 This was Lieutenant Colonel Richard B. Mason, First Dragoons.
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