| 313 Richard Cook, John Parson, and Peter Klemgard. When they presented themselves before him, he said: 'I want no more of your apostasy. I do not know how you have escaped as well as you have done. I have fired over five thousand rounds of cartridges into you, and a hundred cannon balls, besides some shell.' Then he said to Joseph Morris: 'Are you willing to give up?' as if he had not already surrendered. He was so overcome with rage that he tried to ride Joseph down with his powerful horse, but Joseph stepping quietly forward, took hold of the bridle reins with each hand and sent the horse back upon his haunches. Then he turned to the people and said: 'I have taught you righteous principles from heaven; all those who are willing to follow me to the death, come this way.' The general cry was, 'Here I am !' with the exception of about twenty persons, who formed a group by themselves and said they could stand it no longer. Then Joseph stepped to the western part of the fort, opposite the schoolhouse. Robert Burton, in company with some others, rode up to him there and commanded him to surrender in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the authority of the United States. Brother Joseph stood firmly, and looking up to Burton, replied: 'Never! no, never; no, never.' Then Burton said: 'I will try your God,' and he fired five shots at him; at the fifth shot Joseph reeled, and was caught in the arms of a man by the name of John Eames, who laid him down gently on the ground. Such was the earthly end of Joseph Morris, but he still lives in the hearts of those who received his teachings.
"A young woman named Isabella Bowman, holding in her arms the babe of the mother who had been killed by the first cannon ball fired into camp, stepped forward and said: 'You bloodthirsty hell-hound, why do you shoot at that good man?' Burton took deliberate aim at her, and shot her dead. Mrs. O'Hagg was shot at the same time. At this time, John Banks was standing near the steps of the schoolhouse, when one of the mob stepped behind him and shot him in the back of the neck; but he did not die until that night. After this we were encamped the South Bench,
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