| 271 minutes of this meeting did not reach me, possibly for the want of moral courage on the part of chairman and secretary to sign them. The Carthage Republican opened its columns to articles against the resettlement of Nauvoo by the Mormons; one writer, over a fictitious name, wrote a series of articles against me personally; but was betrayed to me to be the mayor of the city of Nauvoo, before named. I was warned frequently to be on my guard; to avoid traversing the county, and to be as quiet as possible. A Mr. John J. Middleton, a friend at that time, subsequently married to Mrs. Julia Dixon, formerly Murdock, my adopted sister, waited upon me in great anxiety, stating the inflamed condition of the public mind in the county, and almost imploring me to get away. To him I made the offer, if he dared to risk the venture, to go into the county, wherever necessary, and there publicly to state my views, believing that the grossest exaggeration prevailed; but as for leaving I would not unless compelled, and of that I was in doubt.
"Under this condition of things the summer, fall, and winter of 1860 wore away. I was not disturbed. In the year following I continued to preach in the City and the country adjoining, Illinois and Iowa; went to and fro in the county of Hancock as business or caprice dictated, unarmed and alone, as well as in company. I met and conversed with numbers, citizens of the county of more or less prominence, and was assured that mob violence would hardly again be tolerated to any extent. Many of the citizens of Nauvoo and near vicinity expressed their opinion that the 'driving out of the Mormons had left a curse upon the county that would not be removed until they should be permitted to return.'
"The temple, after the burning in 1848, had fallen, wall after wall, until but a small portion remained. The French, Prussian, and other German element into whose possession the ruins fell, sold them, and under the charge of one Sellers, a German of some local genius and enterprise, they became a quarry, whence stone for buildings, churches, stores, and wine cellars were digged; until there was not
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