the s attorney under at our trial & who at that time stated that the mormons, that the Mormons ought to be hung with out judge or jury, he the said judge, made out a without day or date, ordering the sheriff to take us to Columbia. The Sheriff selected four men to guard five of us. We then took a circuitous route, crossing prairies sixteen miles without houses, & after travelling three days the sheriff & I were together, by ourselves five miles from any of the rest of the company, for sixteen miles at a stretch. The Sheriff here observed to me, that he wished to God he was at home & your friends & you also. The Sheriff then showed me the mittimus, & he found it had neither day nor date to it; & said the inhabitants of would be surprised that the prisoners had not left them sooner; & said he, by God, I shall not go much further. We were then near Yellow Creek & there were no houses, nearer one was than sixteen miles & eleven another way; except right on the creek. Here a part of the guard took a spree while the balance helped us to mount our horses which we purchased from <​of​> them & for which they were paid. Here we took a change of venue and went to without difficulty, where we found our families, who had been driven out of the under the exterminating order of I never knew of Joseph Smith’s holding any office civil or military or using any undue influence in religious matters, during the whole routine of which I have been speaking.