Before the came in, his boy brought in some water, and said the guard wanted some wine. Joseph gave two half dollars to give the guard; but the guard said one was enough, and would take no more. The guard immediately sent for a bottle of wine, pipes, and two small papers of tobacco; and one of the guard brought them into the jail soon after the went out. uncorked the bottle and presented a glass to Joseph, who tasted, as also and the , and the bottle was then given to the guard who turned to go out. When at the top of the stairs some one below called him two or three times, and he went down. [HC 6:616] Immediately there was a little rustling at the outer door of the jail, and a cry of surrender, and also a discharge of three or four fire arms followed instantly. The glanced an eye by the curtain of the window, and saw about a hundred armed men around the door.

It is said that the guard elevated their firelocks, and boisterously threatening the mob discharged their firearms over their heads. The mob encircled the building, and some of them rushed by the guard up the flight of stairs, burst open the door, and began the work of death, while others fired in through the open windows.

In the meantime Joseph, , and had their coats off; Joseph sprung to his coat for his six shooter, for his single barrel, for ’s large hickory cane, and for ’s cane; all sprang against the door; the balls whistled up the stairway, and in an instant one came through the door. Joseph Smith, , and sprang to the left of the door, and tried to knock aside the guns of the ruffians. was retreating back in front of the door and snapped his pistol, when a ball struck him in the left side of his nose, and he fell on his back on the floor, saying, “I am a dead man”. As he fell on the floor, another ball from the outside entered his left side and passed through his body with such force that it completely broke to pieces his watch which he wore in his vest pocket, and at the same instant another ball from the door grazed his breast and entered his head by the throat; <​subsequently​> a fourth ball entered his left leg. A shower of balls were pouring through all parts of the room, many of which lodged in the ceiling just above the head of . [HC 6:617]

Joseph reached round the door casing, and discharged his six shooter into the passage, several barrels missing fire. Continual discharges of musketry came into the room.

continued parrying their guns until they had got them about half their length into the room, when he found that resistance was vain, and he attempted to jump out of the window, where a ball fired from within struck him on his left thigh, hitting the bone, and passing through to within half an inch of the other side. He fell on the window sill, when a ball fired from the outside struck his watch in his vest pocket, and threw him back into the room. [p. 182]