I went to & on my way discovered that the inhabitants had become enraged at the orders of the Generals & & that they had sworn vengeance, not only against the Church but also against the two Generals together with & to carry out their plans they entered into one of the most diabolical schemes ever enter into by man & according these hellish schemes were injuriously carried out:

Firstly, by loading their families & goods in covered wagons, setting fire to their houses moving into the midst of the mob & crying out the Mormons, have driven us & burned our houses. In this Situation I found the country, between my house & & also found evacuated & burnt. Rumours were immediately Sent to the , with the news that the mormons were killing and burning every thing before them & that great fears were entertained that they would reach , before the runners could bring the news. This was not known by the Church of Latter day Saints until 2200 of the militia had arrived within half a mile of & they then supposed the Militia to be a mob. I was sent on from to , reached there the Sun about one hour high in the morning of the 29th of October 1838 called upon Joseph Smith, enquired the cause of the great uproar, he declared he did not know, but feared the mob had increased their numbers & was endeavoring to destroy us— I enquired of him if he had had any conversation with any one concerning the matter— he said he had not, as he was only a private citizen of the county, that he did not interfere with any such matters. I think that he told me there had been an order from or , one, to the to call out the militia in order to quell the riots & to go to him, he could give me any information on this subject on enquiring for him I found him not. That between 3 & 4 P M., Colonel of [p. 127]