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.
came out lately to under , that our prophet assembled the troops together at into a hollow square and addressed them and stated th to them that the Kingdom of God should be set up, & should never fall, and for everyone that we lackd in number, in amount of those who came against us, the Lord would send angles [angels], who would fight for us, & that we should be victorious, when it was said After the mili that it that it waslitia had been near a while in <an> address, Smith said that those troops were militia, & that we were militia too, and both sides clever fellows. and that he advised them to know nothing of what had happened, to say nothing & to keep dark— that he Smith, had forgotten more than he had ever <then knew> known— After it was ascertained that the militia had arrivd inteligence was immediately send sent to , to , next morning arrived in , with about 100 mounted & armed men. The troops were constantly kept in battle array <prepared> <&> in a situation to repel attack— The evening the militia arrived near . It was learned in <the> general understanding in the Mormon camps that they were militia legally called out— The day be <and indeed> previous to <the> arrival of the militia men in it was ascertained that there these were militia on their way to — previous <some months> ago. I received orders to destroy the papers concerning the Danite Society, which order wast issued by the first presidency, & which paper being the constitution for the government of the Danite Society, <which> was in my custody, but which I did not destroy— It is now in ’s [p. [9]]