Hyrum Smith, Testimony, 1 July 1843 [Extradition of JS for Treason]
Source Note
, Testimony, , Hancock Co., IL, 1 July 1843, Extradition of JS for Treason (Nauvoo, IL, Municipal Court 1843). Copied [3–6 July 1843]; handwriting of and ; docket by , [6 July 1843, , Hancock Co., IL]; docket by , ca. [6] July 1843; notation by , ca. [6] July 1843; twenty-eight pages; Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL.
the penalty of death. Many of the citizens were shot in attempting to go out to obtain sustenance for themselves & families. There was one field fenced in consisting of 1200 acres mostly covered with corn it was entirely laid waste by the horses of the army. And the next day after the arrival of the army, towards evening, came up from the camp requesting to see my brother Joseph, , , , & , stating that the Officers of the army wanted a mutual consultation with those men, also stating that Generals , , and Graham— (however General Graham is an honorable exception, he did all he could to preserve the lives of the people, contrary to the order of the ,) He, , assured them that these Generals had pledged their sacred honor that they should not be abused nor insulted, but should be guarded back in safety in the morning or so soon as the consultation was over. My Brother Joseph replied that he did not know what good he could do in any consultation, as he was only a private individual, however he said that if he was always <willing> to do all the good he good could and would obey every law of the land and then leave the event with God: they immediately started with to go down into the Camp, as they were going down about half way to the Camp— they met with a phalanx of men with a wing to the right & to the left & a 4 pounder in the centre— they supposed they were intended as were coming with this strong force to guard them into the Camp in safety; but to their surprise when they came up to , he ordered his men to surround them, and stepped up to the and said “these are the prisoners I agreed to deliver up”. drew his sword and said gentlemen, you are my prisoners and about that time the main army were on their march to meet them— they came up in two divisions and opened to the right & left and my brother and his friends were marched down [p. 12]