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Source: Church History Vol. 2 Chapter 33 Page: 749

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749 except one company which was to be selected by the Governor from the troops whose fidelity was more to be relied on to guard the prisoners whom it was determined should be left at Carthage.

"On Thursday morning another consultation of officers took place, and the former orders for marching to Nauvoo with the whole army were countermanded. One company were ordered to accompany the Governor to Nauvoo; the Carthage Greys, who had but two days before been under arrest for insulting the commanding General, and whose conduct had been more hostile to the prisoners than that of any other company, were selected to guard the prisoners, and the other troops, including those rendezvoused at Golden's Point, from Warsaw, and who had been promised that they should be marched to Nauvoo, were disbanded. A guard of only eight men was stationed at the jail, whilst the rest of the Greys were in camp at a quarter of a mile's distance, and whilst his Excellency was haranguing the peaceable citizens of Nauvoo, and asking them to give up all their own arms, the assassins were murdering the prisoners in jail, whom the Governor had pledged himself and the faith of the State to protect.

"H T. REID."

Mr. Reid's associate attorney, James W. Woods, of Burlington, Iowa, also made a statement, in harmony with the foregoing; which was also published in the Times and Seasons, following that of Mr. Reid's.

"To the People of the State of Illinois:-

"I desire to make a brief but true statement of the recent disgraceful affair at Carthage, in regard to the Smiths, so far as circumstances have come to my knowledge. The Smiths, Joseph and Hyrum, have been assassinated in jail, by whom it is not known, but will be ascertained. I pledged myself for their safety, and upon the assurance of that pledge they surrendered as prisoners. The Mormons surrendered the public arms in their possession, and the Nauvoo Legion submitted to the command of Captain Singleton, of Brown County, deputed for that purpose by me. All these things were required to satisfy the old citizens of

(page 749)

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