<​’s affidavit​> “State of Missouri— — Personally appeared before me the undersigned judge of the fifth judicial circuit and makes oath that he has good reason to believe, and that he verily does believe that there is now collected &— embodied in the a large body of armed men, whose movements and conduct are of a highly insurrectionary and unlawful character, that they consist of about five hundred men, and that they, or a part of them to the number of one hundred & twenty have committed violence against by surrounding his house, and taking him in a violent manner, and subjecting him to great indignities, by forcing him under threats of immediate death to sign a paper writing of a very disgraceful character and by threatening to do the same to all the old Settlers & Citizens of , and that they have as a collected and armed body, threatened to put to instant death this affiant, on sight, and that he verily believes they will accomplish that act without they are prevented, and also that they have threatened the same to Wm. Bowman, and others, and this affiant states that he verily believes all the above facts to be true, and that the body of men now assembled do intend to commit great violence to many of the citizens of , and that they have already done so to , and this affiant verily believes from the information of others that Joseph Smith Jr. & are the leaders of this body of armed men, and the names of others thus combined are not certainly known to this Affiant, and he further states the fact to be that it is his opinion and he verily believes that it is the object of this body of armed men, to take vengeance for some injuries or imaginary injuries done to some of their friends, and to intimidate and drive from the all the old Citizens & possess themselves of their lands, or to force such as do not leave, to come into their measures and submit to their dictation. .— Sworn to & subscribed before me the undersigned judge as aforesaid this 10th. day of August 1838. .”—

Resolved first that this Committee of seven be appointed to confer with the Committee from — Resolved second that this Committee with their Secretary, be authorized to answer such questions as may be offered [p. 814]