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.
families and get some clothing; but after considerable consultation we were permitted to go under a strong guard of five or six men to each one of us and we were not permitted to speak to any one of our families under the pain of death: the guard who <that> went with me ordered my to get me some clothes immediately within two minutes and if she did not do it I should go off without them I was obliged to submit to their tyranical orders however painful it was with my & children clinging to my arms & to the skirts of my garments and was not permitted to utter to them a word of consolation and in a moment was hurried away from them at the point of the Bayonet— we he were hurried back to the wagons & ordered into them, all in about the same space of time, in the mean while our & & Sisters had forced their way to the wagons to get permission to see us; but were forbidden to speak to us, And <and> they immediately drove off for , we travelled about 12 miles that evening & encamped for the night the same strong guard was kept around us and were relieved every two hours and we were permitted to sleep on the ground, the night was then cold with considerable snow on the ground & for the want of covering & clothing we suffered extremely with the cold: that night was a commencement of a fit of sickness from which I have not wholly recovered unto this day, in consequence of my exposure to the inclemency of the weather, our provision was fresh beef roasted in the fire on a stick, the army having no bread in consequence of the want of mills to grind the grain. In the morning at the dawn of day we were forced on our journey and were exhibited to the inhabitants along <the road> the same as they exhibit a carravan of Elephants or Camels, we were examined from head to foot by men women & children, only I believe they did not make us open our mouths to look at our teeth: this treatment was continued incessantly until we arrived at in . After our arrival at we were driven all through the for inspection and then we were ordered into an old log house and there kept under guard [p. 15]