| 882 and children, from whence their husbands and fathers had been driven by the dastardly attacks of the mob, which were made by ten, fifteen or twenty men upon a house at a time.
Saturday, the second of November, all the families of the Saints, in the village, moved about half a mile out, with most of their goods; and embodied to the number of thirty, for the preservation of life and personal effects. This night, a party from the village, met a party from the west of the Blue, and made an attack upon a branch of the church, located at the Blue, about six miles from the village; here they tore the roof from one dwelling, and broke open another house, found the owner David Bennet, sick in bed, whom they beat most inhumanly [inhumanely], swearing they would blow out his brains, and discharged a pistol, the ball of which cut a deep gash across the top of his head. In this skirmish, a young man of the mob, was shot in the thigh; but, by which party remains yet to be determined.
The next day, Sunday Nov. 3d, four of the church, viz: Joshua Lewis, Hiram Page, and two others, were despatched [dispatched] for Lexington, to see the circuit judge, and obtain a peace warrant. Two called on Esq. Silvers, who refused to issue one, on account, as he has declared of his fears of the mob. This day many of the citizens, professing friendship, advised the Saints to clear from the county, as speedily as possible; for the Saturday night affray had enraged the whole county, and they were determined to come out on Monday, and massacre indiscriminately; and in short it was proverbial among the mob, that "Monday would be a bloody day."
Monday came, and a large party of the mob gathered at the Blue, took the ferry boat, belonging to the church, threatened lives, &c. But they soon abandoned the ferry, and went to Wilson's store, about one mile west of the Blue. Word had previously gone to a branch of the church, several miles west of the Blue, that the mob were destroying property, on the east side of the Blue, and the sufferers there wanted help, to preserve their lives and property. Nineteen men volunteered, and started for their assistance; but discovering, that fifty or sixty of the mob, had gathered at said Wilson's, they turned back.
At this time two small boys passed on their way to Wilson's, who gave information to the mob, that the Mormons were on the road west of them. Between forty and fifty of the mob immediately started with guns in pursuit; after riding about two or two and a half miles, they discovered them, when the said company of nineteen, immediately dispersed, and fled in different directions. The mob hunted them, turning their horses into a corn field, belonging to the Saints, searching their corn fields and houses, threatening women and children that they would pull down their houses and kill them if they did not tell where the men had fled.
Thus, they were employed hunting the men, and threatening the women, until a company of thirty of the Saints, from the prairie, armed with seventeen guns, made their appearance.
The former company of nineteen had dispersed, and fled, and but one or two of them had returned to take part in the subsequent battle. On the approach of the latter company of thirty men, some of the mob cried, "fire, God damn ye, fire." Two or three guns were then fired by the mob, which were returned by the other party without loss of time. This company is the same, that is represented by the mob, as having gone forth in the evening of the battle bearing the olive branch of peace. The mob retreated early after the first fire, leaving some of their horses in Whitmer's corn field; and two of their number, Hugh L. Brazeale and Thomas Linvill, dead on the ground. Thus fell H. L. Brazeale, one who had been heard to say, "with ten fellows, I will wade to my knees in blood, but that I will drive the Mormons from Jackson County." The next morning the corpse of said Brazeale was discovered on the battle ground with a gun by his side. Several were wounded on both sides, but none mortally, except one Barber, on the part of the Saints, who expired the next day.-This battle was fought about sun-set, Monday Nov. the 4th; and the same night, runners were despatched [dispatched] in every direction under pretence [pretense] of calling out the militia; spreading as they went, every rumor calculated to alarm and excite the unwary; such as, that the Mormons had taken Independence, and the Indians had surrounded it, being colleagued together, &c.
EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE ISLAND OF TOOBOUI, SOCIETY GROUP, DATED,
September 17th, 1844.
My Dear Wife:
I doubt not but you will say "now my husband has got the desire of his heart," when I tell you the six first persons I have adopted into the kingdom by baptism are sailors, and perhaps you will ask, did you hammer the rust off them any? I will answer, could you see them on their knees, and hear their humble petitions, and the sincerity with which they thank the Lord for so ordering events, that I have been so casually thrown on
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