| 271 had to the only means of subsistence left and that was to butcher the cattle and hogs which came into the place, without asking who was the owner, or without knowing, and what to me is remarkable, is, that a sufficient number of animals came into the camp to sustain life during the time in which the citizens were thus besieged by the mob. This indeed was but coarse living, but such as it was, it sustained life.
From this circumstance, the cry went out that the citizens of De Witt, were thieves and plunderers, and were stealing cattle and hogs. During this time the mob of Carroll county said that all they wanted was that the citizens of De Witt should leave Carroll county and go to Caldwell and Davies counties. The citizens finding that they must leave De Witt, or eventually starve, finally agreed to leave; and accordingly preparations were made and De Witt was vacated. The first morning after we left, we put up for the night in a grove of timber. Soon after our arrival in the grove, a female who a short time before had given birth to a child, in consequence of the exposure died. A grave was dug in the grove, and the next morning the body was deposited in it without a coffin, and the company proceeded on their journey; part of them going to Davies county and part into Caldwell: This was in the month of October, 1838.
In a short time after their arrival in Davies and Caldwell counties, messengers arrived informing the now citizens of Caldwell and Davies, that the mob was marching to Davies county, with their cannon with them, threatening death to the citizens, or else that they should all leave Davies county. This caused other efforts to be made to get the authorities to interfere. I wrote two memorials, one to the governor, and one to Austin A. King, circuit judge, imploring their assistance and intervention to protect the citizens of Davies against the threatened violence of the mob.-These memorials were accompanied with affidavits which could leave no doubt on the mind of the governor or judge, that the citizens before mentioned were in eminent danger. At this time things began to assume an alarming aspect both to the citizens of Davies and Caldwell counties. Mobs were forming all around the country, declaring that they would drive the people out of the state. This made our appeals to the authorities more deeply solicitous as the danger increased, and very soon after this the mobs commenced their depredations; which was a general system of plunder; tearing down fences, exposing all within the field to destruction, and driving off every animal they could find.
Sometime previous to this, in consequence of the threatenings which were made by mobs, or those who were being formed into mobs, and the abuses committed by them on the persons and property of the citizens; an association was formed, called the Danite band.
This, as far as I was acquainted with it, (not being myself one of the number, neither was Joseph Smith, Senior,) was for mutual protection against the bands that were forming, and threatened to be formed; for the professed object of committing violence on the property and persons of the citizens of Davies and Caldwell counties. They had certain signs and words by which they could know one another, either by day or night. They were bound to keep those signs and words secret; so that no other person or persons than themselves could know them. When any of these persons were assailed by any lawless band, he would make it known to others who would flee to his relief at the risk of life. In this way they sought to defend each others lives and property, but they were strictly enjoined not to touch any person, only those who were engaged in acts of violence against the persons or property of one of their own number or one of those whose life and property they had bound themselves to defend.
This organization was in existence when the mobs commenced their most violent attempts upon the citizens of the before mentioned counties, and from this association arose all the horror afterwards expressed by the mob as some secret clan known as Danites.
The efforts made to get the authorities to interfere at this time was attended with some success. The militia was ordered out under the command of Major General Atchison, of Clay county, Brigadier Generals Doniphan, of Clay, and Parks, of Ray county, who marched their troops to Davies county, where they found a large mob, and General Atchison said in my presence, he took the following singular method to disperse them. He organized them with his troops as part of the militia called out, to suppress and arrest the mob; after having thus organized them, discharged them and all the rest of the troops as having no further need for their services, and all returned home.
This however, seemed only to give the mob more courage to increase their exertions with redoubled vigor. They boasted after that, that the authorities would not punish them, and they would do as they pleased. In a very short time their efforts were renewed with a determination not to cease until they had driven the citizens of Caldwell and such of the citizens of Davies as they had marked out as victims, from the state. A man by the name of Cornelius Gillum
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