Minutes and Testimonies, 12–29 November 1838 [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); unidentified handwriting; 126 pages; Eugene Morrow Violette Collection, State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia.
company, spoken of by other witnesses— At the aforesaid meeting at s, Jos Smith Jr complained that when at last, his horse had greatly suffered, and told he wanted him to procure him a good hostler, and in some <of his> excursions about, it would be <a> good notion for him to pick up a black boy or two.— He further remarked further <that> it was time to lay religion aside and take up our their guns.— and further this deponent saith not.
George Walter
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a witness produced, sworn, and examined in behalf of the State, deposeth and saith:
I was at when the <last> mormon expedition went to , we heard of a great number of men gathering in , I went down without being attached to any company, or without having any command. I found there were no troops gathered there, the mormon forces consi[s]ted of about 300, as I suppose— they were engaged in scouting parties, some, it was said, went to & took & much mysterious conversation was had in the camp, about goods & that they were much cheaper there than they were in , this last was said <by> s—— I saw goods of various kinds, but knew not from whence they came— It was a common talk in camps that the mob were burning <their own> houses and fleeing off. there was much mysterious conversation in camps as to plundering & house burning so much so that I had my own notions about <it> & <I> spoke to Mr Smith Jr— in the house, & told him that this course of things of burning houses & plundering by the mormon troops would ruin us, that it could not be kept hid and would bring the force of the State upon us, that houses would [p. [38]]