. The night before I started to , I sent an express <​was sent​> from Joseph Smith Jr and to at — but what the contents of the express were I know not— When I returned to I had a message, in refference to having wood and provisions provided for the families of those persons <​living in ​> who were in — and for the purpose of giving <​that​> information, I was invited to a school-house, where it was said the people had assembled— I went there & was admitted. a the men being paraded before the door when I arrived, in number about 40 or 50. it was remarked that these were true men, and they we all marched into the house.— A guard was placed around the house & one at the door. then commenced making covenants, with uplifted hands. the first was. that if any man attempted to move out of the or tak pack away their <​his​> things for that purpose that any man then in the house, seeing this without saying any thing to any <​other​> person, should kill him. and haul him aside into the brush and that all the burial he should have, should be in a turkey-buzzards guts— so that nothing should be left of him but his bones— after this measure was carried in form of a covenant with uplifted hands— after the vote had passed he said. now see if any one dare vote against it— and calld for the negative <​vote​> & there was none— the next covenant was. that if any persons from the surrounding countees came into their [p. [92]]