| 131 of their families and shot. Who among the military characters of the day, will not say that Samuel D. Lucas is fit to command an army, when he was at the head of such a court martial as this?
At these high handed and lawless measures Gen. Doniphan demurred.-He told them, that there was not one of them, in the least degree, acquainted with the military law, and understood nothing about court martials [martial] and for his part, if they were going to pursue that course, his hand should be clear of it; and he forthwith ordered his brigade to prepare; and he marched them off. This deterred the others, seeing Doniphan, was the only lawyer in their number. We presume they would have carried their design into effect, had it not been for Doniphan's leaving them. We had this account from the lips of Doniphan himself.
Our families had been apprised of their intentions, and were waiting in awful suspense, the arrival of the fatal hour. However, they changed their purpose, and it was decreed that we should be carried to Jackson county.
AN EXTRACT OF A LETTER WRITTEN TO BISHOP PARTRIDGE, AND THE SAINTS IN GENERAL: BY J. SMITH, JR. AND OTHERS WHILE IN PRISON.
Liberty Jail, Clay co. Mo.
[Continued to the Church of Latter Day Saints]
We continue to offer further reflections to Bishop Partridge and to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; whom we love with a fervent love, and always bear them in mind in our prayers to our heavenly Father. It still seems to bear heavily in our minds, that the church would do well to secure the contract of land offered them by Mr. Isaac Galland, and cultivate the friendly feelings of that gentleman, inasmuch as he shall prove himself to be a man of honor and a friend to humanity: we think his letter breath a kind and generous spirit.-We suggest the idea of praying fervantly [fervently] all men, particularly those who manifest any degree of sympathy for the suffering people of God. We think that the United States survayor [surveyor], Isaac Allen Esq. the attorney general, and Governor Lucas of the Iowa Teritory [territory] from the kindness they manifest, may be of great service to the church. It seems to be deeply impressed upon our minds, that the saints aught [ought] to lay hold of every opening, in order to obtain a foot hold on the earth, and be making all preperations [preparations] that is within their power for the terrible storms that are now gathering in the heavens, with darkness, and gloominess and thick darkness; as spoken by the prophet, which cannot be now long time lingering: for there seems to be a whispering by the angels of heaven, who have been intrusted [entrusted] the council of these matters for the last days; and who have taken council together, and among the affairs transacted by that honerable [honorable] council, they have taken cognizance of the murder of our beloved brethren at Hauns mill, as well as those who were martyred with D. W. Patten, and have passed some decisions peradventure in favor of the saints, these decisions will be made known in their time. We are desirous, that in your general conferences, every thing should be discussed, with candour [candor] propriety, lest you grieve the Holy Spirit, which should at all times be poured out upon you, when you are exercised with the principals of rightousness [righteousness] and are properly affected one towards another. Be careful to remember those who are in bondage, heaviness, and deep affliction for your sake. If there are any among you, who aspire after their own agrandizement [aggrandizement] oppulence [opulence] their brethren are groaning in poverty, and laboring under sore trials and temptations, they cannot be benefited by the intercessions of the Holy Spirit: we aught [ought] at all times to be very careful that such high mindedness [minded] have place in our hearts, but condescend to men of low estate, and with all long suffering, bare the infirmities of the week [weak ?]. There are many called but few are chosen, and why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set upon the things of the world and are aspiring to the honors of men; they do not learn the lesson that the right, of the priesthood, are inseperably [inseparably] connected with the powers of heaven; and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled, only upon the
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