Minutes and Testimonies, 12–29 November 1838, Copy [State of Missouri v. Gates et al. for Treason]
Source Note
Minutes and Testimonies, , Ray Co., MO, 12–29 Nov. 1838, State of MO v. Gates et al. for Treason (Fifth Judicial Circuit of MO 1838). Copied ca. late 1838–ca. early 1839; unidentified handwriting; fifty-seven pages; Mormon War Papers, MSA.
that week, this was on Sunday morning and in the course of that day instructions were given to meet the next day (monday) On Monday Jos Smith Jr made a speech and some resolutions were passed purporting that those persons who would not engage in their undertaking their property should be consecrated to the use of the church <those who> did engage in thees undertaking On sunday Jos. Smith Jr in his discourse spoke of persons taking at some times, what at other times it would be wrong to take, and gave as an example the case of David eating the shew bread & also of the [S]aviour & his apostles plucking the ears of corn and eating as they passed through the cornfield he suppose[d] the prejudices of the Jews and Pharisees were so great against the Saviour that they would give them nothing to eat & they took that method to get it, On the monday when the resolutions above refered to were introduced in a speech said that those who were <un>willing to go into the War ought to be put upon their horses with guns & bayonets and forced into the front of the war having reference to those who heretofore had been backward in defending themselves & families No persons were suffered to leave the in this extreme time and I met with Phelps to consult as <to> what we ought to do
After the troops got to in all about 4 or 500 men I heard addressing a portion of the men who were there (perhaps 8 or 10) “that the earth was the Lord's and the fulness thereof with the cattle upon a 1000 hills & if I was an hungry I would not tell you" that the Saints of the Lord had the same privilege or rights, after that perhaps the next day I saw a drove of some 4 or 5 Cattle pass along & asked what cattle these were & was answered that they were a drove of buffalo, others observed they were cattle a methodist priest had consecrated. Jos. Smith Jr probably were in the expedition that went to , at the time was burnt on the same day that the Company went to went with a Company to Mill Port as I understood he returned & made a report as I understood it to be to Jos Smith Jr in which he said he found nothing to fight [p. [32]]