| 896 TIMES AND SEASONS.
"TRUTH WILL PREVAIL."
Vol. VI. No. 9.] CITY OF NAUVOO, ILL. May 15, 1845 [Whole No. 117.
HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH.
(Continued.)
The same evening, November 4th, not being satisfied with breaking open the store of Gilbert & Whitney; and demolishing a part of the dwelling house of said Gilbert, the Friday night previous; they permitted the said McCarty, who was detected on Friday night, as one of the breakers of the store doors, to take out a warrant, and arrest the said Gilbert and others of the church, for a pretended assault, and false imprisonment of the said McCarty.-Late in the evening, while the court was proceeding with their trial, in the court house, a gentleman unconnected with the court, as was believed, perceiving the prisoners to be without counsel, and in imminent danger, advised said Gilbert and his brethren, to go to jail, as the only alternative to save life; for the north door was already barred, and an infuriated mob thronged the house, with a determination to beat and kill; but through the interposition of this gentleman, (Samuel C. Owens, Clerk of the County Court, whose name will appear more fully hereafter,) said Gilbert and four of his brethren were committed to the county jail of Jackson county, the dungeon of which, must have been a palace, compared to a court room, where dignity and mercy were strangers; and naught but the wrath of man, in horrid threats stifled the ears of the prisoners.
The same night the prisoners, Gilbert, Morley and Corrill, were liberated from jail, that they might have an interview with their brethren, and try to negotiate some measures for peace; and on their return to jail about two o'clock, Tuesday morning, in custody of the deputy Sheriff, an armed force, of six or seven men, stood near the jail and hailed them; they were answered by the Sheriff, who gave his name, and the names of his prisoners, crying, "don't fire, don't fire, the prisoners are in my charge, &c." They however fired one or two guns, when Morley and Corrill retreated; but Gilbert stood, with several guns presented at him, firmly held by the sheriff. Two, more desperate than the rest, attempted to shoot, but one of their guns flashed, and the other missed fire. Gilbert was then knocked down by Thomas Wilson, a grocer in the village. About this time a few of the inhabitants arrived, and Gilbert again entered jail, from which, he, with three of his brethren, were liberated about sunrise, without further prosecution of the trial.-Wm. E. McLellin was one of the prisoners.
On the morning of the 5th of November, the village began to be crowded with individuals from different parts of the county, with guns, &c., and report said the militia had been called out, under the sanction, or instigation of Lieut. Gov. Boggs; and that one Col. Pitcher had the command. Among this militia, (so called,) were embodied the most conspicuous characters of the mob; and it may truly be said that the appearance of the ranks of this body, was well calculated to excite suspicions of their HORRIBLE designs. Very early on the same morning, several branches of the church received intelligence that a number of their brethren were in prison, and the determination of the mob was to kill them; and, that the branch of the church near the village of Independence, was in imminent danger, as the main body of the mob were gathered at that place.
In this critical situation about one hundred of the saints, from different branches, volunteered for the protection of their brethren near Independence, and proceeded on the road towards Independence and halted about one mile west of the village, where they awaited further information concerning the movements of the mob. They soon learned that the prisoners were not massacred; and that the militia had been called out for their protection; but in this they placed but little confidence, for the body congregated had every appearance of a county mob; which subsequent events fully verified, in a majority of said body.
On application to Col. Pitcher, it was found, that there was no alternative, but for the church to leave the county forthwith; and deliver into his hands, certain men, to be tried for murder, said to have been committed by them in the battle the evening before. The arms of the saints were also demanded by Col. Pitcher.-Among the committee appointed to receive the arms of the church, were several of tho [the] most unrelenting of the old July mob committee; who had directed in the demolishing of the printing office, and the personal injuries of that day, viz: Henry Chiles, Abner Staples, and Lewis Franklin, who have not ceased to pursue the saints, from the first to the last, with feelings of the most hostile kind. These unexpected
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