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.
were huddled together, some in tents & others under blankets, while others had no shelter from the inclemency of the weather— Nearly two months the people had been in this awful state of consternation, many of them had been killed whilst others had been whipped ’till they had to swathe up their bowels to prevent them from falling out. About this time came out from , Ray County, who was one of the commissioned officers who was sent out at the time the mob was first quelled and went out to , and I myself & my brother Joseph Smith Senr. went out at the same time. On that <the> evening that arrived at my brother, (the late ’s came in to ’s about eleven o’clock at night bringing her two children along with her, one about two years & a half old the other a babe in her arms. She had came <in> on foot a distance of three miles & waded which and the water was then about waist deep. <and the snow about 3 inches deep.> She stated that a party of the mob, a gang of ruffians, had turned her out of doors, had taken her household goods and had burnt up her house & she had escaped by the skin of her teeth. Her at that time was in Kentucky<> <Tennessee> and she was lef living alone. This cruel transaction excited the feelings of the people in , especially ’s, and he asked in my hearing how long we had got to suffer such base treatment? said he did not know how long. <then> asked him what should be done? told him “he should take a company of men well armed and go and disperse the mob wherever he should find any collected together and take away their arms:” did so, precisely, according to the orders of . And my brother Joseph Smith senr.said made no words about it. And after had dispersed the mob and put a stop to their burning houses belonging to the mormon people & turning women & children out of doors, which they had done up to that time to the amount of 8 or 10 houses which were consumed to ashes— After being cut short in their intended designs the mob started up a new plan. They went to work & moved their families out of the & set fire to their own houses, & not being [p. 6]