THE NAUVOO HOUSE.THE NAUVOO HOUSE.
Now came another trouble. Commerce was not a healthful place, but the Saints were promised that that would be changed; however, it was not long before a great many of the Saints became sick. Nearly every house was afflicted, and Joseph himself also took the fever. On the morning of July 22nd, Joseph arose from his bed and commenced administering to the sick. He began with those in his own house, then went to some camping in his yard. The Prophet commanded the sick in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to arise from their beds and be made whole, and the sick were healed on ever side. He then went from house to house and from tent to tent upon the bank of the river, healing the people. Many wonderful healings were performed. Joseph would take the sick person by the hand, or stand in the door of the tent and command the afflicted person to arise and be made whole. The Prophet with some of the brethren who were now with him crossed the river to the place where Brigham Young was lying ill. President Young was soon healed and followed with the rest. As there were many whom the Prophet could not reach, the Twelve were sent to administer to them. Joseph gave Wilford Woodruff a silk handkerchief which he was to use in healing some children. President Woodruff kept the handkerchief to the day of his death.
After this, there was very little sickness in Nauvoo. During the summer and fall of 1839 the city grew rapidly. About this time seven of the Twelve left for their mission to England, of which you have been told, and the English Saints soon began to gather to Nauvoo.
Late in October, 1839, Joseph went to the city of Washington to lay the troubles of the Church before the authorities of the nation. Joseph made the acquaintance of many leading men, among them John C. Calhoun, and HenryClay. Martin Van Buren was president, and to him Joseph told of the wrongs they had suffered from the people of Missouri. It was then that the president made the famous remark: "Your cause is just, but I can do nothing for you." His meaning, no doubt, was that the president of the United States had no right to interfere with the affairs of a state; but that all such troubles should be settled by the state itself.
THE NAUVOO MANSION.THE NAUVOO MANSION.
So Joseph returned without any help. Meanwhile, Nauvoo grew into a large city. Ten wards were laid off and organized. April 6, 1841, the corner stone of the temple was laid. Many public buildings were erected. Goodhouses were built, and beautiful gardens soon bloomed around them. On the outskirts of the city, fields of grain stretched as far as the eye could reach. In 1842 there were 20,000 people in the city, and Nauvoo promised to be one of the largest cities in the West.
The fame of Joseph and the "Mormon" city spread, and many people came to see the wonder. Missionaries were sent out to preach, theTimes and Seasonspublished by the Church, printed many Gospel truths and much important history. The militia was organized and the city had a well-drilled body of men called the Nauvoo Legion. Peace and prosperity smiled upon them for a season, and it seemed that at last there would be a permanent stake of Zion established.
But it was not to be. The hate that burned in the hearts of evil men had not grown less, but was only waiting for a chance to show itself. Trouble again arose. It would not be easy to understand the many causes that led to these troubles, but a few may be noted.
The Saints now had great power at the polls, the same as in Missouri. The "Mormons" would not vote for men who would not give them their rights, and so many of these politicians became their enemies and stirred up the people against the Saints by their many lies. Then, there were the jealousies of the sectarian preachers; and perhaps worse than all, the evil work of apostates. Then it happened that a band of thieves troubled the neighborhood, and of course the "Mormons" were blamed. It was not a hard matter to find excuses for a further persecution of the Latter-day Saints.
And now came again Governor Boggs, of Missouri. He, it seems, had not had enough, so he asked Governor Carlin to deliver to him Joseph and the other brethren who had escaped from Missouri. Governor Carlin of Illinois,made out the papers for the brethren's arrest, but the officer could not find them when he went to Nauvoo. He therefore returned without his prisoners, and nothing more was done in the matter until nearly a year later, when Joseph was visiting the governor at Quincy. Governor Carlin treated Joseph kindly, but as soon as the Prophet had left, some of the officers were sent after him. They overtook Joseph and arrested him on the old charge from Missouri. However, they went on to Nauvoo, where the sheriff, being sick, was taken good care of by his prisoner. As it was Joseph's right by law to be tried in Illinois, he was permitted to have a hearing before Judge Stephen A. Douglas, in Monmouth, Illinois. There was great excitement at the trial, some of his enemies trying to excite a mob against him. At the close of the hearing Joseph was set free by the judge.
Dr. J.C. Bennett was the mayor of Nauvoo, and held other high positions; but he proved to be a very wicked man. At one time, when the Legion was having a sham fight, Bennett tried to get Joseph into a position that he might be shot without anyone knowing who did it. This did not succeed. Then he began to commit sin, and say that Joseph upheld him in it. Bennett was of course cut off from the Church, after which he wrote many false things against Joseph and the Saints and was the means of bringing much persecution on them.
In May, 1842, Ex-Governor Boggs of Missouri was shot at and wounded by some person in Independence. Although at this time they were hundreds of miles from Independence, Joseph Smith and O.P. Rockwell were charged with this crime, and again papers were issued for their arrest. They were tried in Nauvoo and acquitted. As the Missourians were trying many schemes to take Joseph to Missouri and there kill him, he went in hiding for a time.Every effort was made to take Joseph, and rewards were offered for his capture. Elder Rockwell was kidnapped and taken to Missouri, where he was ill-treated, but at last escaped.
Thomas Ford now became governor of Illinois and to him Joseph went. The governor prevailed upon Joseph to stand another trial, which was held at Springfield, Illinois. Joseph was again proved innocent and released.
But the fiends from Missouri would not give up. Once again he was taken while away from Nauvoo, by two officers, who abused him shamefully. I cannot tell you all about his exciting adventures—that you must read in a larger history—but at last he arrived safe again in Nauvoo.
Persecution continued. Mobs now gathered around Nauvoo. Threats were made that mobs would come from Missouri, and join with those of Illinois, against the "Mormons." There was great unrest. When Joseph was spoken to about the danger he was in, he said he was not exposed to as much danger from outside enemies as from traitors within. "We have a Judas in our midst," he said.
Thus ended the year 1843.
Topics.—1. Settlement at Nauvoo. 2. The healing of the sick. 3. City of Nauvoo. 4. Attempts to take Joseph to Missouri.
Questions and Review.—1. Locate Nauvoo. 2. What was its name before it was called Nauvoo? 3. Relate how Joseph healed the sick. 4. When did Joseph go to Washington? 5. What was his mission there? 6. What answer did President Martin Van Buren make? 7. Why was it useless to expect justice from Missouri? 8. What kind of city did Nauvoo become? 9. What was the Times and Seasons? 10. What was the Nauvoo Legion? 11. Name some of the causes that led to the new persecution. 12. Who was Dr. Bennett, and what did he do? 13. Tell of the efforts to get Joseph to Missouri.
On January 29, 1844, Joseph Smith was nominated for President of the United States. Neither he nor his friends had much hopes of his election, but it gave the citizens of Nauvoo at least a chance to vote for an honest man who was their friend. Brethren were sent to various parts of the country to make speeches in his favor, and Joseph published his views on how the government should be conducted. One of his ideas was that the government should set the negro slaves free, paying their masters for them. President Abraham Lincoln, twenty years later, also favored this plan.
Meanwhile, Nauvoo prospered and the Church grew. When the weather would permit, meetings were held in a grove near the temple, there being no room large enough to hold the large crowds of people. Joseph continued to give many glorious truths to the Church about the nature of God, the land of Zion, baptism for the dead, and many other things.
The Prophet's prediction that there was a Judas in their midst soon proved too true; and there were more than one. William Law, Joseph's second counselor, William Marks, president of the Nauvoo Stake, with many other leading men proved themselves false to Joseph and the Church. They even planned with Joseph's enemies to have him killed. They were also proved guilty of other sins and were therefore cut off from the Church. After this, these men said Joseph was a fallen prophet, and so they organized a church of their own. It did not amount to anything, however.
Joseph's periods of peace were not many. Apostates were his worst enemies, and they were all the time annoyinghim by having him arrested on all manner of false charges. These men were very bitter, and they howled around him like a pack of wolves, eager to devour him; but Joseph trusted in the Saints and they in him, for those who were faithful to their duties knew by the Spirit of God that Joseph was not a fallen prophet.
In June, 1844, the enemies of the Saints began to publish a paper in Nauvoo, called theExpositor. Its purpose was to deprive the people of Nauvoo of their rights, so it boldly said. One paper was printed, and that was so full of false statements and abuse against the city officials that the city council declared it a nuisance and had the press, type, etc., destroyed.
This raised great excitement among the enemies of the Church. Joseph and seventeen others were arrested, tried before a court in Nauvoo, and acquitted; but this did not satisfy the mobbers. On the advice of the United States judge for that district, Joseph and his brethren allowed themselves to be arrested again and have a trial before Justice Daniel H. Wells, then not a "Mormon." They were again discharged as innocent of crime.
Now mobs began to threaten again, but the Nauvoo Legion was ready to defend the city. As the Legion was drawn up in front of Joseph's house one day—it was the 18th of June—he got upon a platform and spoke to the soldiers. That speech was long remembered by those who heard it. It thrilled them through and through and at the word they would gladly have marched and met the mob in battle; but that was not Joseph's way. He was always willing to have the laws carried out even if he suffered thereby, so that his enemies could have no just excuse. That was the Prophet Joseph Smith's last public speech.
During the excitement Governor Ford arrived at Carthage,a town about eighteen miles from Nauvoo, and the county seat of Hancock county. The governor sent word to Nauvoo that he wanted some explanation of the trouble, so Joseph sent some of the brethren to him. The governor treated his callers rudely. Carthage was full of mobs, and the governor seemed to believe all they told him about the "Mormons." He organized the mobs into troops. Joseph asked the governor to come to Nauvoo and investigate the whole matter; but no: Joseph must go to Carthage. The governor said he would protect him if he would go.
It was on the evening of June 22nd. Joseph and Hyrum had called some brethren together: "All they want is Hyrum and myself," said the Prophet. Joseph and Hyrum both seemed certain that if their enemies got them in their power again they would be killed. Joseph then proposed that he and Hyrum should escape to the Rocky Mountains. Preparations for this trip were made and they were rowed over the river to Iowa, when Joseph's wife sent some of the brethren to plead with him to return. Some brethren also found fault with him in running away to "leave the flock to the wolves."
Joseph replied, "If my life is of no value to my friends, it is of none to myself." So they went back, Joseph saying, "We shall be butchered."
On the morning of June 24th Joseph and eighteen brethren set out for Carthage to be tried again on the old charge. As he rode out the Prophet made many expressions of goodby to his friends. Four miles from Carthage they met a company of militia going to Nauvoo with an order from the governor that the Nauvoo Legion give up its arms. Joseph rode back with them to see that this was done. Twice he bade his family farewell. His face was pale, and he was suffering.
"I am going like a lamb to the slaughter," he said, "but I am calm as a summer morning."
At Carthage they were received with oaths and threats by the troops. Apostates and soldiers swore that the brethren would never leave Carthage alive.
The next day the governor paraded the prisoners before the troops, who insulted them as they passed along. Then they were placed in the jail awaiting their trial.
CARTHAGE JAIL.CARTHAGE JAIL.
The day following, the prisoners were marched to the court house, guarded by the troops; but the trial was postponed until the next day, and the brethren were taken back to jail.
This was the 26th of June. That night Joseph was lying on the floor with some of the brethren. Brother Dan Jones was on one side and Brother John S. Fullmer on the other.
"Lay your head on my arm for a pillow, Brother John," said Joseph, and then he talked with him in a low tone. Joseph expressed a desire to see his family again and preach to the Saints once more.
To Brother Jones he whispered, "Are you afraid to die?" When Brother Jones said he was not, Joseph replied, "You will yet see Wales, and fulfill the mission appointed you, before you die." (Dan Jones did a wonderful missionary work in Wales.)
The next morning the guards frequently told some of the brethren that if they did not wish to be killed they had better get away from Joseph. This was told to Governor Ford, but he paid no attention to it.
At 10:30 that morning, June 27, the governor with the most friendly of the troops left for Nauvoo, and the brethren were left to their fate.
In an upper room of Carthage jail, Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor, and Willard Richards were spending their time in writing letters, singing, talking, and praying. In the afternoon Joseph asked Elder Taylor to sing the hymn, commencing:
"A poor wayfaring man of grief."
And when it was done he asked him to sing it again. Brother Taylor said he could hardly sing it, he felt so sad, but he sang the hymn again.
About 5 o'clock in the afternoon a mob of about two hundred men surrounded the jail. They had blackened their faces with powder and mud. Then the firing began. The mob rushed up the stairs, shooting into the room where the four brethren were. The prisoners sprang to the door to close it but the guns of the mob forced it open. Elders Taylor and Richards tried to push the guns aside with theircanes. The bullets flew like hail into the room. One ball came through the door and struck Hyrum in the head. Four others hit him, and he fell back saying:
"I am a dead man."
Joseph gazed on his brother and exclaimed: "Oh! dear brother Hyrum!"
Elder Taylor now tried to jump from the window. A ball struck him, and he was about to fall from the window, when another bullet from the outside hit his watch in his vest pocket and threw him back into the room. Here he was hit by two more balls, and he rolled under the bed.
Then Joseph went to the open window intending to leap out. Two bullets struck him and he fell outward, exclaiming:
"O Lord, my God!"
As soon as he had struck the ground a mobber set him against a well curb a few feet from the jail, and then, by order of Col. Levi Williams, a mobber and Baptist preacher, four men sent bullets into his body.
Then the mob fled, and the whole town of Carthage with them, fearing the vengeance of the people of Nauvoo. But vengeance is the Lord's.
Willard Richards was not hurt. That night he spent in attending to his wounded brother, John Taylor, and watching over the dead bodies of the Prophet and Patriarch.
Joseph's earthly work was done, and the Master had called him away from the haunts of mobs and wicked men. He sealed his testimony with his blood. He had spent his life in working for the salvation of his fellowman, and even yet in a freer and grander sphere he is working for the cause of Christ and the Church.
Topics.—1. Joseph nominated for president. 2. Traitors.3. The Expositor. 4. Joseph goes to Carthage. 5. The martyrdom.
Questions and Review.—1. When was Joseph nominated for President of the United States? 2. What were his ideas of slavery? 3. Where were the large meetings in Nauvoo held? 4. Who proved false to Joseph? 5. How did the Saints know that Joseph was not a fallen prophet? 6. What was the Nauvoo Expositor? 7. Why was it destroyed? 8. Why did Joseph object to being tried in Carthage? 9. On what occasion did Joseph deliver his last speech? 10. Why did not Joseph go west to the mountains? 11. What did Governor Ford promise? 12. Give some expressions of the prophet on going to Carthage. 13. Who were with Joseph in jail? 14. Tell about the martyrdom. 15. When did it take place? 16. How old was Joseph when he was killed?
When the bodies of the martyred Prophet and Patriarch were brought from Carthage, they were met by thousands of the Saints from Nauvoo who wept aloud for the loss of their beloved leaders. The scene was a very sad one. Elder Willard Richards spoke to the people and advised them to remain peaceable as they had always been, and let the Lord avenge the murder of their loved ones.
The bodies of Joseph and Hyrum were buried privately at Nauvoo so that their enemies might not disturb them.
And now the Saints were a little confused about who should be their leaders. Joseph, the President of the Church, and Hyrum, one of his counselors, were dead, andSidney Rigdon, the other counselors, had some months before got tired of affairs at Nauvoo and had gone to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He was an apostate at heart, though he had not yet been cut off from the Church. Most of the Twelve Apostles were away on missions, and word was sent for them to return as soon as possible.
Though at first there was some misunderstanding among the Saints, the Lord did not intend his Church should go to pieces because its leader had been taken away. The Church had been set up never to be thrown down or left to other people. The Gospel had been given to the earth "for the last time and for the fullness of times." The Saints had a promise that the kingdom was theirs "and the enemy shall not overcome." It would be a poor church, indeed, that would go to pieces every time its chief officer died. No; the Lord, through Joseph, had organized the Church so well that this could not be. There was a quorum in the Church that had been given all the power necessary to carry on the work of the Church in case the First Presidency was taken away. That quorum was the Twelve Apostles. Now that there was no First Presidency, it was the duty of the Twelve to preside and regulate the affairs of the Church until such time that there should be another president appointed. Brigham Young was the president of the Twelve, so in reality he was the leading man in the Church.
But now came Sidney Rigdon from Pittsburg. He wanted to be appointed the leader of the Church, or as he called it, a "guardian." He, with some others, tried to have a meeting of the Saints before the Twelve could get home. This meeting was appointed for the 8th of August, 1844. On the 6th of August President Young and five of the Apostles arrived at Nauvoo.
The meeting was held at the grove, and Sidney Rigdonand some of the Twelve spoke. When Brigham Young arose to address the meeting, it seemed to the Saints that both in appearance and speech he was like the Prophet Joseph. This certainly was a sign to them. At this meeting Sidney Rigdon was rejected and the Twelve Apostles were upheld as the quorum to lead the Church.
Sidney Rigdon did not like this. He got a few followers and tried to organize another church. A number of others did the same, but all these movements did not amount to much. The Saints kept on under the direction of the Twelve, building the temple and other public edifices in Nauvoo.
The enemies of the Church were disappointed. They had thought that if they could get Joseph out of the way that would be the end of "Mormonism." Of course they did not understand that "Mormonism" is the Lord's work and does not depend for its success on one or two men. He can raise up any number of men to carry on his work, and now Brigham Young and his brethren were the men who could and would carry it on.
In May, 1845, some of the murderers of Joseph and Hyrum were tried, and by a jury pronounced innocent. This gave the mobbers more courage, and they gathered again. In the small settlements outside of Nauvoo many houses were burned and the inmates driven into the fields. These Saints were advised to move into Nauvoo for protection.
Some time before his death, Joseph had predicted that the Saints would yet move to the Rocky Mountains; and he had even begun the movement by holding councils and asking for volunteers from the brethren to go ahead and locate a place to which the Church might gather. President Young and the Twelve now began preparing to carry this plan out. They could plainly see that it was useless to tryto live in peace in Illinois. The mobs grew larger and fiercer. The people living in the counties surrounding Hancock county, threatened to drive the "Mormons" from the state; and the officers whose duty it was to enforce the laws would not do so if it was to protect the "Mormons."
So in August, 1845, it was decided to select three thousand men who, with their families, were to go to Upper California. All this western country was then called Upper California. The authorities of the Church promised the mob leaders that if they would not molest them they would all leave the state early the next spring.
But the mobbing did not cease at this; so the sheriff of the county, a Mr. Backenstos, organized a posse, that is, a company of men to help him enforce the laws and keep order. The sheriff kept after the mob to prevent them from burning houses, etc., and this made the mobbers very angry. One day some of them tried to kill the sheriff, but he was saved by two "Mormons" coming to his rescue. Thus during the summer and fall of 1845 there was much trouble between the mobs, the "Mormons," and the militia.
All this time the Saints had worked hard to finish the temple. It had been decided to do this even if they had to work with the "trowel in one hand and a sword in the other." October 5th the temple was near enough finished that a conference was held in the building. No general conference had been held for three years, as Joseph had said none should be convened until it could be held in the temple.
After this the work on the building still went on, and in a short time it was so far completed that it was dedicated, and a great many of the Saints received their endowments within its sacred walls.
All that winter, (1845-46) Nauvoo was like a big workshop. Everybody that could was preparing for thegreat move westward. Farms and houses were offered for sale. Wagons were built, and as iron was scarce, many of them had wooden tires. Horses and cattle were gathered. It was to be the sixth move of the Saints from their homes, and it was no small undertaking now as there were many thousands of people, and they were to go to a wild, unknown land among the deserts and mountains of the West.
The move began on February 4, 1846, and from that date on there was a continuous stream of wagons crossing the Mississippi river to the Iowa side. A camp was made on Sugar creek, nine miles from Nauvoo, where the Saints gathered. Towards the last of the month the weather became very cold, the river froze over so that teams could be driven across on the ice. It was a bad time of the year to begin such a move. Many of the Saints were poorly clad, some had no tents or wagon covers, and in the snow and cold there was much suffering; but on the Saints went, looking with sad hearts on their deserted homes; but rather would they face the winter storms and cold than to live in constant dread of cruel mobs.
Topics.—1. Presiding authority in the Church. 2. The Twelve sustained. 3. Action of Sidney Rigdon. 4. Mobbings. 5. The removal.
Questions and Review.—1. Where were Joseph and Hyrum buried? 2. What were the feelings of the Saints? 3. Why were the Saints troubled about a leader? 4. Where were most of the Twelve at the time of the martyrdom? 5. When the First Presidency is taken away, what is the next presiding authority in the Church? 6. What did Sidney Rigdon want? 7. What testimony was given the Saints at the meeting on August 8th? 8. What became of Sidney Rigdon? 9. What did the enemies of the Church expect to do by killing Joseph Smith? 10. Who first planned the move to the mountains? 11. Tell about the work ofthe mobs. 12. Why did the Saints work so hard to finish the temple, knowing they would have to leave it? 13. When did the move westward begin?
Leaving the main body of the Saints traveling westward, in this chapter I wish to tell you about what happened to those who remained in Nauvoo; and by the way, this is the last chapter of this little history in which mobs will play an important part.
In the summer of 1846 there were about six hundred Saints in Nauvoo, most of whom had been unable to get away. Many were poor, some were sick, and there were many old people and children. Many non-"Mormons" had bought property from the Saints who had left, and had moved into the city. The mob called these friendly citizens "Jack Mormons."
Naturally, one would think that these few Saints would be left to get ready to move in peace; but not so. If there is any doubt of the brutal character of the mob, what they now did will remove that doubt forever.
On July 11, eight brethren were engaged in cutting grain in a field twelve miles from Nauvoo. A mob surrounded them, and then taking them one by one, whipped them severely. Two of these mobbers were afterwards arrested, and to get even for this, the mob carried away five other brethren who were abused by the mobbers for twelve days before they were released.
The next move of the mob was to get writs of arrest for many persons in Nauvoo. A John Carlin was unlawfullyappointed a constable to serve these writs, that is, make the arrests, and he raised a large body of men to help him; but behind all this, the real object was to drive the remaining "Mormons" from the city.
Governor Ford was now notified of the actions of these mobbers, and he sent Major Parker to Nauvoo, who was to raise volunteers and defend the city. Four companies of troops were organized by the governor's order; but instead of treating the invaders as they truly were, a mob, Major Parker made a treaty with their leader in which it was agreed that the "Mormons" would leave the state within sixty days. The mob leader thought this fair enough, but the mobbers did not. At this, their leader resigned and a man by the name of Brockman took command of the crowd. He gave the order to march towards Nauvoo, which they gladly did.
On the morning of September 10th, 1846, the watchman in the tower of the temple gave notice that the enemy were coming 1,000 or 1,500 strong. They had cannon, plenty of ammunition, and came like an army ready for battle. Many of the new citizens fled, and the little band of defenders numbered only one hundred and twenty-three men.
Meanwhile, a committee had come from Quincy to try to settle the troubles without bloodshed. Although with them were Major Flood, sent by the governor, and Mr. Wood, mayor of Quincy, the mob paid no attention to them, and so they could do nothing.
There seemed no prospect but that the citizens would have to defend themselves as best they could. Benjamin Clifford took command of the volunteers, and Captain William Anderson organized a small body of sharpshooters called the Spartan Band. As cannon were badly needed, the brethren got two hollow steamboat shafts, cut them in two,plugged up one end, and thus made some cannon. They had no cannon balls, but they used scraps of iron and lead tied up into bags.
On Friday, the 11th, the mob drew up to the city and began firing. They were met by the "Mormon" troops with their home-made cannon, which surprised the mobbers very much, and they were compelled to stop their advance.
On Saturday, the 12th, a flag of truce was brought into the city, and with it a note to the commander at Nauvoo, stating that if they did not surrender they would have to take the consequences. Major Clifford replied that he had been sent by the governor to uphold the laws and that he was going to do it, advising Brockman to disband his men.
The Nauvoo citizens had held their position during the night and had thrown up some breastworks. The next day the battle waged fiercer than ever, but the Nauvoo boys held their ground and the mob could not get in. Twelve mobbers were wounded. The first one killed among the defenders was Augustus Anderson, a "Mormon" boy fourteen years old. He left his mother that morning saying he would fight for her, and went along with his father, Captain William Anderson. Augustus was struck by a cannon ball, and died in a few minutes. Shortly after Captain Anderson was also hit.
"I am wounded," he cried. "Take my gun and shoot on."
David Norris was also killed, and a number of other brethren wounded.
For six days that little band of brave defenders kept the mob at bay; and even when it was seen to be useless to keep the fight up longer, many were in favor of doing so.
On the 16th a treaty was made. The city was to surrender. The citizens were not to be molested, and the sickand helpless were to be protected. The "Mormons" were to leave as soon as possible.
The mob forces entered the city on the 17th; but it was the same old story. They thought no more of promises or of the treaty. Bands of men went through the city, stealing, insulting, and in every way abusing the people. A gang went through the temple and up to the tower where they rang the bell, yelled and shouted. A preacher who was in the mob went up to the top of the tower and cried in a loud voice:
"Peace! peace! peace! to the inhabitants of the earth, now the 'Mormons' are driven!"
The poor Saints had to get away as fast as they could. Some went north, some south, but most of them crossed the river and camped on the low bottoms of the Mississippi in Iowa. I shall not attempt to tell you of the sufferings of these poor people; weak, sick hungry, cold, and wet. It would make your heart ache to see the picture, one of the saddest in all our history.
At this time, when it seemed as though these people would starve to death, a strange thing happened. Great flocks of quail came flying into camp. They flew against the wagons with such force that they were killed or stunned, so that they could be picked up. They also alighted all over the camp and were so tame that they could be taken by the hand. Thus the Lord sent food to his hungry children.
If you wish to read a very interesting account of this removal from Nauvoo, read Colonel Kane's lecture, found in many of our larger histories.[2]
Topics.—1. Nauvoo after the main body of Saints had left. 2. The Battle of Nauvoo. 3. The remnant driven out.
Questions and Review.—1. About how many Saints were left in Nauvoo? 2. Who were the "Jack Mormons?" 3. Tell of the mob's doings. 4. Who was John Carlin? 5. What did he do? 6. Who was Major Parker? 7. What did he have orders to do? 8. Describe the mobbing party. 9. Tell about the Nauvoo volunteers. 10. Who were William and Augustus Anderson? 11. How long did the defenders hold out? 12. What was agreed upon in the treaty of peace? 13. Describe the actions of the mob in Nauvoo. 14. To where were the Saints driven? 15. What was their condition? 16. How were they fed? 17. Who wrote an interesting account of this exodus?
The moving of a nation! What a task it must have been!
Most of you have had some experience in moving, it may be only a family moving from one house to another, and you know what a lot of worry and work there are in such a small affair; but here was a nation moving!
This great exodus was very much like the time when the children of Israel went from under the oppression of Egypt out into the wilderness to journey to the promised land. When at Nauvoo, Brigham Young said to the Saints: "To your tents, O Israel," they knew they had another Moses to lead them from their persecutors.
The camp at Sugar creek grew larger every day through the arrival of exiles from Nauvoo. Many did not bring provisions enough with them, so that they were forcedto go to the neighboring farms and settlements and work for corn.
The first move the camp made was on March 1, 1846, when four hundred wagons started forward. Five miles only was traveled that day, and when they camped, the snow had to be shovelled away where they pitched their tents.
From that time the Saints moved slowly westward across the territory of Iowa. As they advanced, the spring rains came and often drenched the travelers through. The ground now became very muddy, and it was so hard for the poor teams that some days only a few miles were traveled. Sometimes their camping places were so wet that they who slept on the ground would have to lay on branches of trees so that they would not sink into the mud.
At first there was very little feed for their animals, and they had to live on the bark and twigs of trees, with what, corn could be spared for them. Many horses were traded for oxen, as they could stand such hardship better. Trips were made to the nearest settlements to buy food. Those who had no money traded what they could spare, such as dishes and feather beds for corn.
For the first few weeks there was not much order in their way of traveling; but on March 27th the Saints were more perfectly organized. Brigham Young was sustained as president of the whole camp. Then captains were appointed over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. Clerks were chosen to keep the records, etc., and men were called to see to the buying and distributing of the food. Thus every one had something to do and everything was done in order.
A PIONEER TRAIN.A PIONEER TRAIN.
Often in the evening when supper had been eaten, the logs were piled on the bonfire, a space was cleared, the musiciansbrought out their instruments, and the sorrows and hardships of the day were forgotten in the innocent dance.
The camp always rested on Sundays, and if the weather would permit, meetings were held.
On April 24th a point on Grand river was reached, one hundred and forty-five miles north-west from Nauvoo. Here it was decided to form a settlement—to build houses and plant crops, that those who came after would have food and a stopping place. The settlement was called Garden Grove. Soon it was as lively as a hive of bees. Hundreds of men were busy making fence rails and fences, building houses, digging wells, clearing land, and plowing. Meetings were held often and the people were instructed and encouraged. Parley P. Pratt and a small company were sent ahead to find another location for a settlement. They found a beautiful place about thirty miles from Garden Grove, which they called Mount Pisgah. Here houses were also built, and farms and gardens planted. As many of the Saints were poor and sick they rested at these two settlements while the main body went on.
From Mount Pisgah the country was wild Indian lands, there being no white settlements or roads. The spring rains had now moderated so that the roads were better. On June 14th President Young and the leading companies arrived at the Missouri river, where a stop was made. Most of the companies came up in July. A camp was made on the east side of the river on some high land called Council Bluffs.
This was on Indian land, but the travelers were received kindly and given permission to stop.
President Young intended to send a body of picked men into the Rocky Mountains as soon as possible to locate a gathering place. They were to push on ahead that summerand put in crops. Arrangements were being made to this end, when something happened that put a stop to the plan. This was the call for the Mormon Battalion, about which I will tell you in the next chapter.
After five hundred of their best men had marched away to fight the battles of their country, it was impossible for the Saints to get to the mountains that year. So it was decided to make a third stopping place and remain there during the winter.
There being a good location for a town on the west bank of the Missouri river, that place was selected and named Winter Quarters. The town was laid out regularly into streets, and log houses were built. Some made dugouts in the sides of the hill, which were quite comfortable during the cold winter. As the Indians were troublesome on that side of the river a stockade was built around the town. By December, 1846, five hundred and thirty-eight log houses and eighty-three sod houses were built, inhabited by three thousand four hundred and eighty-three people. The town was divided into twenty-two wards, each presided over by a bishop. A large log house was built in which meetings and parties were held.
The food of the people that winter consisted largely of corn-bread and pork. President Young had a grist mill built, but before that time many ate boiled wheat, and ground their corn in coffee mills.
Because of hardships and poor food there was much sickness at all the settlements. Graves marked the prairie for hundreds of miles. At Winter Quarters alone over six hundred were buried.
The poor Saints who were left at Nauvoo were not forgotten. After they had been driven from Nauvoo, they weremet by teams from Winter Quarters, and all who wished to go were taken to the camps of the Saints.
Perhaps you may get an idea of this great move when you are told that during that summer there were about two thousand wagons and ten thousand Saints on the way between Nauvoo and Council Bluffs.
Topics.—1. From Nauvoo to Garden Grove. 2. Garden Grove and Mount Pisgah. 3. Winter Quarters.
Questions and Review.—1. What might this last move of the Saints be likened to? 2. After leaving Nauvoo where was the first stopping place? 3. When did the camp start west? 4. What hindered the traveling? 5. How was the camp organized? 6. What did the Saints do for amusement? 7. Where were Garden Grove and Mount Pisgah? 8. What was the object in making these settlements? 9. What prevented a band of pioneers from going to the mountains that summer? 10. Where was Winter Quarters? 11. Describe the place. 12. About how many people were traveling across Iowa that summer?
During the summer of 1846 the United States was at war with the republic of Mexico. A number of battles had been fought in Texas. What is now California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona belonged to Mexico, and as President Polk desired to get this large district of country for the United States, he sent soldiers westward to the Pacific ocean.
The "Mormon" people traveling from Nauvoo had asked President Polk for assistance in their journey to the west. They said they wanted to remain under the protectionof the government, and were willing to aid in holding the western country for the United States.
In the month of June, 1846, Captain James Allen, an officer of the United States army arrived at Mount Pisgah, Iowa. What he wanted was five hundred men with which to form a battalion and march across the continent to California, and take part in the war with Mexico.
This was startling news indeed. The Saints had not expected this kind of "help" in their journeying through the wilderness. Many of the Saints looked upon the call as a plan to destroy them. You can hardly blame them for that, can you, knowing some of their past history?
But President Young and the leading brethren told the officer he should have his men. They thought it was a test to see if they were true to their country. Though it was a pretty hard test, thus to take their best and strongest men away from such a camp as theirs, yet the "Mormon" people would show to the government and to the whole world that they were loyal to their country, even though that country had failed to protect them in their rights to live in peace and worship God.
At a meeting held at Council Bluffs it was decided to raise the men asked for. Brigham Young and the Twelve took an active part in getting volunteers. Word was sent to the different settlements of the Saints. The stars and stripes were hoisted to a tree top, and the work of enrollment began. Within three days the little army was organized and ready for the march. Then they had a grand farewell party, held, not in some beautifully lighted ball room, but in a bowery, where the ground had been packed hard by the tread of many feet. There fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and sweethearts said their goodbyes to each other.
And then the long, dreary march began. The story ofthat march would fill a book, so of course very little of it can be told here. If you would like to read more about it, you will find it in Brother Tyler's "History of the Mormon Battalion."
There were five hundred and forty-nine souls in the Battalion. Captain James Allen was the commander. They started on their march July 20, 1846, to Fort Leavenworth, where they received their guns and other things necessary for an army. At this point Captain Allen died, which made the men feel bad, as he was a good, kind officer.
The Battalion began to move from Fort Leavenworth on the 12th of August. You may see their line of march by looking at the map on page 128. After suffering much hardship, they reached Santa Fe, October 9th. Here Colonel Cooke took the command. As many of the soldiers as were too sick to go on were sent to Pueblo, where they remained all winter, and traveled to Salt Lake valley the next summer. The main body of the Battalion left Santa Fe, October 19th, for California. At Tucson they expected to have a battle with some Mexican soldiers, and prepared for it, but they marched through the city without being disturbed. From Tucson they continued over the deserts, and arrived at San Diego, January 29, 1847, where they saw the broad, blue, ocean, many of them for the first time.
The Battalion remained in and around San Diego for about two weeks. As there was no fighting to be done, the men built houses, dug wells, made brick, and helped build up the town. On March 19th most of them marched to Los Angeles, and on the 16th of July they were mustered out, having served their full time—one year.
Of this great march Colonel Cooke their commander wrote:
"History may be searched in vain for an equal marchof infantry; nine-tenths of it through a wilderness, where nothing but savages and wild beasts are found, or deserts, where for want of water, there is no living creature. There, with almost hopeless labor we have dug deep wells. Without a guide we have crossed the wilderness, we have ventured into trackless prairies, where water was not found for several marches. With crowbar and pickax in hand we have worked our way over mountains, which seemed to defy aught but the wild goat, and hewed a passage through a chasm of rock, more narrow than our wagons."
After their release, most of the men took up their march for home. Perhaps it would be more correct to say to find their families and friends, as they did not have any home yet. They journeyed northward in California and then crossed the mountains to Salt Lake valley where most of them arrived in October, 1847. From there many went right on to Winter Quarters to their families.
A number of the Battalion men remained in California to earn a little money. Some got work with a Captain Sutter who had a large ranch on the American fork of the Sacramento river. The "Mormons" with some others were set to work building a mill, and it was here while digging in the mill race that gold was discovered in California. Some of the brethren carried away a few hundred dollars' worth when they went to Salt Lake Valley the next summer.
Topics.—1. The call for the Mormon Battalion. 2. Its march. 3. Discovery of Gold.
Questions and Review.—1. Who was Captain James Allen? 2. What did he want of the "Mormons?" 3. What was the Battalion wanted for? 4. What did President Young say? 5. What did many of the Saints think of the call? 6. Why was it a hardship on the Saints at that time to furnish five hundred soldiers?7. Describe the line of march of the Battalion. 8. How long did it take them? 9. How far was it? 10. What kind of journey was it? 11. What did Colonel Cooke say about it? 12. What did the Battalion men do in California? 13. What happened at Nauvoo in the summer of 1846, when the Battalion was on the march?
While the Saints were in Winter Quarters during the winter of 1846-7 they were busily preparing for the march to the mountains next spring. Men for the advance company were selected, and on April 7, 1847, they began to move out of Winter Quarters to a place westward, where they were to gather. Ten days later the first or pioneer camp, was ready for marching. The idea was to have twelve times twelve men, but one became sick and had to return, so that left one hundred and forty-three. There were besides the men three women and two children. They had seventy-two wagons, ninety-three horses, fifty-two mules, sixty-six oxen, nineteen cows, seventeen dogs, and some chickens.
For three months and seventeen days this company traveled westward over plains and mountains. During the first part of their journey they sometimes followed a wagon road to Oregon, and sometimes they made new roads. The shallow rivers they forded, the deep ones they built bridges over, and the large ones they crossed in ferry boats which they built. After these ferries had been built the pioneers sometimes took over companies on their way to Oregon and received provisions for their pay.