| 268 power; that he should move his soldiers away by day light, in the morning; that they should not witness such a heartless murder, Colonel, I wish you well. I then returned to my fellow prisoners, to spend another night on the cold damp earth, and the canopy of heaven to cover us. The night again proved a damp one. At the removal of General Doniphan's part of the army, the camp was thrown into the utmost confusion and consternation. General Lucas, fearing the consequence of such hasty and inconsiderate measures, revoked the decree of shooting the prisoners, and determined to take them to Jackson county. Consequently, he delivered the prisoners over to General Wilson, ordering him to see them safe to Independence, Jackson county. About the hour the prisoners were to have been shot on the public square in Far West, they were exhibited in a wagon in the town, all of them having families there, but myself; and it would have broken the heart of any person possessing an ordinary share of humanity, to have seen the separation. The aged mother and father of Joseph Smith were not permitted to see his face, but to reach their hands through the curtains of the wagon, and thus take leave of him. When passing his own house, he was taken out of the wagon and permitted to go into the house, but not without a strong guard, and not permitted to speak with his family but in the presence of his guard and his eldest son, Joseph, about six or eight years old, hanging to the tail of his coat, crying father, is the mob going to kill you? The guard said to him, 'you damned little brat, go back, you will see your father no more.' The prisoners then set out for Jackson county, accompanied by Generals Lucas and Wilson, and about three hundred troops for a guard. We remained in Jackson county two or three days and nights, during most of which time, the prisoners were treated in a gentlemanly manner, and boarded at a hotel, for which they had afterwards, when confined in Liberty jail, to pay the most extravagant price, or have their property, if any they had, attached for the same.-At this time General Clark had arrived at Richmond, and by orders form the governor, took on himself the command of the whole of the militia, notwithstanding General Atchison's commission was the oldest, but he was supposed to be too friendly to the Mormons; and therefore dismounted, and General Clark sanctioned the measures of General Lucas, however cruel they might have been; and said, he should have done the same had he been there himself. Accordingly he remanded the prisoners from Jackson county, and they were taken and escorted by a strong guard to Richmond; threatened several times on the way with violence and death. They were met five miles before they reached Richmond, by about one hundred armed men, and when they arrived in town they were thrust into an old cabin under a strong guard. I was informed by one of the guards, that two nights previous to their arrival, General Clark had a court martial, and the prisoners were again sentenced to be shot; but he being made a little doubtful of his authority, sent immediately to Fort Leavenworth for the military law, and a decision from the United State's officers, where he was duly informed, that any such proceeding would be a cool blooded and heartless murder. On the arrival of the prisoners at Richmond, Joseph Smith and myself sent for General Clark; to be informed by him what crimes were alledged [alleged] against us. He came in and said he would see us again in a few minutes; shortly he returned and said he would inform us of the crimes alledged [alleged] against us by the state of Missouri.
"Gentlemen, you are charged with treason, murder, arson burglary, larceny, theft, and stealing, and various other charges too tedious to mention, at this time;" and he left the room. In about twenty minutes, there came in a strong guard, together with the keeper of the penitentiary of the state, who brought with him two common trace chains, noozed [noosed] together by putting the small end through the ring; and commenced chaining us up one by one, and fastening with padlocks, about two feet apart. In this unhallowed situation, the prisoners remained fifteen days, and in this situation General Clark delivered us to the professed civil authorities of the state, without any legal process being served on us at all, during the whole time we were kept in chains, with nothing put ex-parte evidence, and that either by the vilest apostates, or by the mob who had committed murder in the state of Missouri. Notwithstanding all of this ex-parte evidence, Judge King did inform our lawyer, ten days previous to the termination of the trial, who he should commit and who he should not; and I heard Judge King say on his bench, in the presence of hundreds of witnesses, that there was no law for Mormons, and they need not expect any. Said he, if the governor's exterminating order had been directed to me, I would have seen it fulfiled [fulfilled] to the very letter ere this time.
After a tedious trial of fifteen days, with no other witnesses but ex-parte ones, the witnesses, for prisoners were either kicked out of doors or put on trial for themselves. The prisoners were now committed to Liberty jail, under the care and direction of Samuel Tillery, jailor [jailer].-Here we were received with a shout of indignation
(page 268) |
