USA > Missouri > Livingston County > History of Caldwell and Livingston counties, Missouri, written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Caldwell and Livingston counties--their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens; general and local statistics of great value; incidents and reminiscences > Part 13
USA > Missouri > Caldwell County > History of Caldwell and Livingston counties, Missouri, written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Caldwell and Livingston counties--their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens; general and local statistics of great value; incidents and reminiscences > Part 13
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Soon after the selection of the second " promised land," in Cald-
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well county, and the location of the second temple, the Mormons came pouring in and soon a village of respectable proportions sprang up where the wild prairie grass waved tall and luxuriant. As has been stated the town site was a mile square, giving plenty of room for the building of a large city. It was laid out in blocks 396 feet square, and the streets were alike on a grand scale. The four principal avenues were each 132 feet wide, and all the others 822 feet wide. These diverged at right angles from a public square in the center, designed as the site of the grand temple.
Nearly all the first houses in Far West were log cabins. In a few months, however, some frames were built, a portion of the lumber being brought from lower Ray, and a portion being whip-sawed. Per- haps the first house was built by one Ormsby ; this was in the summer of 1836. It is said that John Whitmer's house was built January 19, 1837. In the fall of 1836, a large and comfortable school-house was built and here courts were held after the location of the county seat until its removal to Kingston. The Mormons very early gave atten- tion to educational matters. There were many teachers among them and school-houses were among their first buildings. The school-house in Far West was used as a church, as a town hall and as a court-house, as well as for a school-house. It first stood in the southwest quarter of town, but upon the establishment of the county seat it was removed to the center of the square.
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In the summer of 1838, there were 150 houses in Far West. There were 4 dry goods stores, 3 family groceries, half a dozen black- smith shops, and 2 hotels. The latter were kept by John Whitmer and Warmsley. A printing press and material were in the place, but no printing was ever done - at least no paper was issued.
In the summer of 1838, preparations were begun for the building of a temple in the center of the town. The excavation for the cellar under the prospective structure, 120 by 80 feet in area, and 5 feet in depth, was made in about half a day, more than 500 men being em- ployed in the work, with no other implements for loosening the dirt than mattocks and spades, and with no other means of removing it than hand-barrows. The corner stones of the temple were laid soon after, but the exact date has been controverted. Some accounts fix it on July 4, 1837, on the celebration of Independence Day, but Switzler and others deny this. The Mormon records at Salt Lake show and conclusively prove that they were laid July 4, 1838.
But little else was done, however, than to lay the corner stones and dig the foundation. A few loads of stone were hauled up and yet lie
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scattered about the excavation, which is still plain to be seen. Storm clouds arose on the horizon, and the leaders, by the advice of the " Prophet," forbore to expend any more labor and means upon the temple until the signs were more promising and it should be reasona- bly certain that they should hold it and worship in it permanently.
Upon the departure of the Mormons, in 1839, many of the houses in Far West were either torn down or hauled away into the country and used for farm and dwelling houses. The town, however, con - tinued to be the county seat until 1843. The first house in Kingston after the town was laid off was removed from Far West by Walter A. Doak. Upon the removal of the county seat the town gradually sank into insignificance and dwindled away. The post-office, which was established in the fall of 1836, was continued for many years. The cemetery, west of the town, gradually fell into disuse and decay, and now (1886 ) is a corn field.
At this writing, the one mile square which formerly composed the town site of Far West is cut up into fine fertile farms. The excava- tion for the temple is still to be seen at almost its original depth. A few of the stones, intended originally for the temple's foundation, lie scattered about and are occasionally chipped by relic hunters. Jacob Whitmer, a son of John Whitmer - who, with W. W. Phelps, located the old town - owns the northeast quarter of the town and the temple site. "mry house in which Joseph Smith once lived, which stood 200 yards southwest of the temple foundation, was recently torn down and the logs used in building a stable. It was a small story and a half building. of logs, with a large stone chimney.
Among the Mormon residents of Far West was the widow of Mor- gan, the so-called exposer of the mysteries of Masonry, whose sudden disappearance from his home in New York, in the year 1826, created the suspicion of his having been abducted and murdered by certain zealous members of the craft. There was great excitement throughout the country at that day over this alleged murder, which was never proved, and certain politicians in New York and New England organ- ized a political party, national in its character, and whose leading prin- ciple was hostility towards Freemasonry. In 1832 this party had a Presidential candidate, Hon. Wm. Wirt, who carried one State, Vermont.
Another resident of Far West was John D. Lee, the chief actor in the famous - and infamous - Mountain Meadow massacre. Lee first joined the Mormons at Far West. Brigham Young was also a resident of Far West, coming from Kirtland, Ohio, in the spring of 1838. and remaining until after the surrender.
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HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.
SALEM.
In the fall of 1833 three Mormons, brothers, named Lyons, Jack- son county fugitives, came to near the mouth of Log creek, two miles southeast of Kingston, and made an improvement. They built a horse mill, which they operated for a year or two. A blacksmith shop came next, and then three or four other families came to the locality, and the place took the form of a village, and was called Salem, from the old Hebrew word signifying peace. It is said that at one time it was contemplated to call the village Jeru-Salem, or the foundation of peace, but eventually the prefix Jeru was dropped.
Salem was the first town - if it be proper to call it a town -in Caldwell county. It was never anything but a small hamlet, however. In 1834, while this was a portion of Ray county, there was a voting precinct established at Salem, and at the August election of that year about 20 votes were cast.
In 1839 the Lyons brothers sold out to John Dustin, who laid out 40 acres into town lots, and had a publie sale of lots in the fall and winter of that year. A man named McHenry received 5 acres of land as a bonus and established a "tavern." McHenry was at one time a justice of the peace. He was a Mormon, and remained here after the exodus. He was succeeded in the tavern by Gaynor Pierce. Sher- man Brown, who lived near Salem, was another justice of the peace. A man named Saml. Ritchie was a leading citizen of Salem, and one account says he was instrumental in the founding of the town. He had a horse mill which was operated some years.
In 1843 Solomon Cox built a water mill on Shoal creek at the site of Salem - or rather near it, for really Salem did not lie immediately on Shoal creek, but half a mile south of the stream, and nearly the same distance from the mouth of Log creek, in the angle between the two streams. Cox's mill was a noted institution in early days. It was washed away years ago.
The statement has been published that at least one term of the cir- cuit court was held at Salem, after the removal of the county seat from Far West, but this is a mistake. The courts were held at Far West until Kingston was laid out and a court-house built, and never held at Salem.
CHAPTER III. THE MORMON WAR.
Origin of the War-The First Blood is Shed in Daviess County- The Troubles in that County and Elsewhere - The Mormons Call Out Their Troops -Capt. "Fear Not" and His Company of "United Brothers of Gideon" - The Fight on Crooked River Between Capt. Patton and His "Danites," and Capt. Saml. Bogart and His Com- pany of "Tigers "-Gov. Boggs Calls Out the Militia of the State Against the Mormons- Gens. Atchison, Lucas, Doniphan and Other Commanders Take the Field - Gen. Lucas Moves Upon and Captures Far West and 600 Prisoners - Terms of the Surrender-Full Details - Gen. Lucas Returns Home and Gen. John B. Clark Assumes Command - Gen. Clark's Speech - Suffering of the Mormons - They are Expelled from the County and from the State in Mid-winter.
THE MORMON WAR.
In a history of Caldwell county not all the details of the so-called Mormon War can be given. Only incidental and general mention can be made of events occurring in other counties. It is believed, however, that enough will be given in this chapter to enable the reader to understand what is meant by the Mormon War and to put him in possession of the facts relating to the most important incidents in connection therewith. Whoever shall write the history of Mor- monism in the future must mention the troubles encountered by that institution in Missouri in 1838, and especially must he note what occurred in Caldwell county, for here were the headquarters of the Mormons and the head center of the institution, and here the most important events of the war occurred. In the hope of assisting future historians as well as of interesting and informing the present citizens of Caldwell county, the writer has been at great pains and consider- able expense to compile the account herein presented, and offers it as the most complete, elaborate, and authentic narrative of the Mormon War ever published.
The hostility of the people of Jackson county towards the Mormons and Mormonism has already been noted. In time this hostility existed in every county where the "Saints" settled save in Clay. Ray county Gentiles hated them ; Carroll county Gentiles detested them ; Daviess county Gentiles vowed hostilities against them, and it was not long until the few Caldwell county Gentiles shared the com- mon sentiment of detestation towards the new sect and condemned
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HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.
the arrangement that had been made which permitted their permanent occupation of the country.
Dreadful stories were told of the conduct of the Mormons, and dreadful assertions and predictions made regarding their future if they were allowed to remain in the country. As they had come mostly from the free States, they were charged with being Abolitionists, who had designs upon the institution of slavery here in Missouri. Certain of their speakers had declared from time to time that " the earth is the Lord's," and that He had given certain portions of it in Missouri to His Saints, and that in time He would deliver over to them the whole world. These declarations were misquoted and distorted to the effect that the Mormons claimed all the country then, and regarded the Gentile settlers only as so many intruders and trespassers whom they meant to dispossess at the earliest opportunity, peaceably if they could, forcibly if necessary.
In Daviess there were bitter feuds between Mormons and Gentiles. The latter claimed that the Mormon occupation of that county at Adam-on-Diamon and elsewhere had been accomplished by fraud and force and without the consent of the settlers already there. More- over they avowed that the doctrine of Mormonism was as obnoxious to them as the presence of its believers or their practices, and that they would no longer tolerate either in their midst. It was declared that the Mormons were many of them horse thieves and cattle thieves and were insolent and overbearing in their demeanor.
In Caldwell there were not more than 20 Gentile families in the spring of 1838. These had no particular grievance against their Mor- mon neighbors, but were opposed to them and their presence here on general principles. They derided the Mormon religion as tom-non- sense, if not blasphemy, but believed its devotees to be sincere and earnest.
On the part of the Mormons it was claimed that the only cause of complaint against them was that they had come into a new country, subdued the wilderness, and opened up to cultivation fine fertile farms which their Gentile neighbors coveted and desired to obtain at low prices or at no prices at all ; that the charges of thievery and robbery against them were wholly false, but that the Gentiles themselves were the thieves and robbers, and had frequently taken and converted to their own use the property of their Mormon neighbors, alleging that, in the case of certain horses and cattle, the animals had trespassed upon them ; that in a few instances certain Mormons had taken by way of reprisal a few head of horses and held them until certain
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other Mormon property which had been taken by the Gentiles was restored, but that these proceedings had been condemned by the authorities of the church and would not be repeated ; that the Gen- tiles were insulting and brutal in their conduct, and frequently assaulted and beat the Mormons without any provocation, and let no occasion pass without insulting them, and that they even grossly insulted and abused their women.
At the August election, 1838, a riot occurred at Gallatin between the Mormons and the Gentiles. The latter would not allow the Mor- mons to vote, and it is admitted were the aggressors. Two Gentiles were killed and half a. dozen more wounded. Both parties then armed to defend themselves and a sort of guerrilla warfare was kept up in the county for some weeks. The people of Daviess and Liv- ingston petitioned Gov. Boggs to remove the Mormons from the State.
Early in September a number of the citizens of Daviess assembled at Millport, near Adam-on-Diamon, and began a raid on the Mormons. According to the journal of Hiram Smith, their conduct was out- rageous. It says the Gentiles " took away our hogs and cattle, threatened us with extermination or utter extinction, saying that they had a cannon, and that there should be no compromise only at its mouth. They frequently took our men, women and children pris- oners, whipping them and lacerating their bodies with hickory withes, and tying some of them to trees and leaving them in most uncomfort- able positions without food and water for two or three days." Much worse offenses were also charged.
Down in Ray county along the northern border the Gentile settlers were (or pretended to be) apprehensive of forays upon them from the Mormons in Caldwell. Capt. Samuel Bogart went to Maj .- Gen. D. R. Atchison, at Liberty, who was then in command of this military division, and presented?a petition to be allowed to form a company to " clean out " the Mormons if they should invade Ray county territory, and to patrol the country along the northern border of Ray and keep watch and ward against the " Joe Smithites."
The Mormons of Daviess dispatched messengers to Gen. Atchison and to Judge Austin A. King, at Richmond, then the judge of this circuit, demanding assistance. Gen. Atchison returned with the mes- sengers, went immediately to Diamon, and from thence to Millport, and found the facts substantially true as they had been reported to him -that the Gentile citizens of Daviess county, to the number of 250 or 300, were assembled in a hostile attitude and threatening the
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HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.
utter extermination of the Mormons. He also found that the Mor- mons had settled in the county with the full permission of the resident citizens at the time.
Gen. Atchison hastily returned to Clay and ordered out certain detachments of the militia of his division to proceed to Daviess county and protect the Mormons and preserve the peace generally. Perhaps 500 troops marched to Diamon. Among these were some companies from Carroll and Saline counties, who had marched up Grand river, camping the first night out in Daviess near the old block house on Splawn's ridge, in the central part of Daviess, east of Gallatin, near Millport, and the next night at Diamon. Though the troops were sent out to protect the Mormons, they were heartily opposed to them and in sympathy with their enemies, and had matters come to a fight would most certainly have taken sides with the latter. Gen. At- chison seeing this determined to evacuate the country as soon as a fair semblance of peace could be observed. He remained in camp a few days near Diamon, and then marched his troops away, fear- ing every hour that they would unite with those he had come to put down.
Even before the militia had disbanded or left Daviess county, the Gentiles declared and began open warfare against the Mormons, firing upon them whenever they met them, burning a number of their houses and taking possession of their horses and driving off their cattle. The Mormons soon retaliated. "The Prophet," Joseph Smith, sent them from Far West a re-enforcement of 50 men under Capt. Seymour Brunson (or Brownson). Col. Lyman Wight called out every able- bodied Mormon man and boy capable of carrying and handling a gun.
A dreadful state of affairs resulted. Armed bands roamed over Daviess, Caldwell, and a portion of Livingston counties. Both Mor- mons and Gentiles were under arms, and doing injury to each other when occasion offered. The burning of houses, barns and stacks of grain was generally indulged in by both parties. Pillaging and rob- bery were common. In his " Life and Confession " (p. 70), John D. Lee says that Joseph Smith declared on this occasion that it was a civil war, and that by the rules of war each party was justified in spoiling his enemy. " This," says Lee, " opened the doors to the evil disposed, and men of former quiet became perfect demons in their efforts to spoil and waste away the enemies of the church." The town of Gallatin, then numbering half a dozen houses, was sacked
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HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.
and burned. Of his own experience, and referring to certain incidents of the war, John D. Lee says : -
While I was engaged with the Mormon troops in ranging over the country, the men that I was with took a large amount of loose prop- erty, but did not while I was with them burn any houses or murder any men. Yet we took what property we could find, especially pro- visions, fat cattle and arms and ammunition. But still many houses were burned and much damage was done by the Mormons, and they captured a howitzer and many guns from the Gentiles. Frequent attacks were made upon the Mormon settlements. The Mormons made an attack on Gallatin one night, and carried off much plunder. I was not with them, but I talked often with them and learned all the facts about it. The town was burned down, and everything of value, including the goods in two stores, was carried off by the Mor- mons. A company went from Adam-on-Diamon and burned the house and buildings belonging to my friend McBrier. Every article of movable property was taken by the troops : he was utterly ruined. This man had been a friend to me and many others of the brethren ; he was an honorable man, but his good character and former acts of kindness had no effect on those who were working, as they pretended, to build up the kingdom of God. The Mormons brought in every article that could be used, and much that was of no use or value was hauled to Adam-on-Diamon. Men stole simply for the love of stealing. Such inexcusable acts of lawlessness aroused every Gentile in the three counties of Caldwell, Daviess, and Carroll, and brought swarms of armed Gentiles from other localities.
The howitzer referred to was taken by a squad of Mormons from a company of Gentiles en route to Millport. This was accomplished without the firing of a gun, the Gentile escort running away. The affair happened in the forks of Grand river, east of Gallatin. One man, named Ira Glaze, of Carroll, was taken prisoner and made to ride the cannon to Diamon.
Meantime, the Mormons in Caldwell county had been preparing for war. The regiment of State militia in the county, composed of Mor- mons to a man, had once been commanded by Geo. W. Hinkle, but he was now down at De Witt, and Lyman Wight took command. A company of " Danites," or " Destroying Angels," was formed from some of the bravest and best men for especial service.1 Guns were
1 From sworn statements of Thos. B. Marsh and Orson Hyde, two leading Mor- mons, made at Richmond, October 24, 1838, something of the true character of the Danites may be learned. Following, see extracts from their affidavit: .* * * They have among them a company all consisting of what are considered true Mor-
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put in order and ammunition provided. Companies drilled and pa- raded frequently. Fanciful titles were bestowed on the leaders. Capt. David Patton, of the Destroying Angels, was called " Capt. Fear Not." Col. Hinkle was called " The Thunderbolt." Col. Wight was designated " The Intrepid." All told, the Mormon regi- ment in Caldwell numbered 600 or 700 men.
Troubles thickened and multiplied. Down in Carroll county the citizens, under Col. W. W. Austin, attempted the expulsion of the 600 Mormons at De Witt, under Hinkle. At the August election a vote was taken to decide whether or not they should be allowed to re- main, and it was practically unanimous that they should not. In time the citizens were re-enforced by their neighbors from Ray, Clay, Jack- son, Saline, Howard, and Chariton, and DeWitt was regularly be- sieged for two or three days. Congreve Jackson was elected a brigadier-general commanding the forces. September 21, the Mor- mons (who, in the meantime, had been re-enforced by a company from Far West, led by Col. Lyman Wight ), surrendered and agreed to leave the county. The citizens paid them back the money they had given for the town site, allowing nothing for building or other im- provements, and the Mormons, wretched and miserable, and stripped of nearly all their earthly possessions, left for Caldwell county, many families, even women and children, making the journey on foot.
Capt. Samuel Bogart, with his company of Ray county " patrols," had been scouting through the country, occasionally encountering a few Mormons, whom he invariably drove from his county into Cald- well. He sent word to the Mormon militia at Far West that he was coming up in a few days to " clean them out." News came a few days later that Bogart was on his way into Caldwell at the head of a strong, well armed company, and Capt. David Patton was sent down from Far West with his company of 50 men to repel the inva 1ers. Capt. Patton was a " Danite," and as previously stated, was known among his brethren as Capt. " Fear Not." Arriving at the southern boundary of the county, he learned that Bogart and his company were
mons, called the Danites, who have taken an oath to support the heads of the church in all things they say or do. Many, however, of this band are much dissatisfied with this oath, as being against moral and religious principles. On Saturday last, as we are informed, they had a meeting at Far West, at which they appointed a company of twelve by the name of the 'Destruction Company,' for the purpose of burning and destroying, and that if the people of Buncombe came to do mischief upon the people of Caldwell, and committed depredations upon the Mormons, they were to burn Bun- combe, and if the people of Clay and Ray moved against them, this company was to burn Liberty and Richmond."
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encamped on Crooked river, in the northwestern part of Ray county, 2 miles southeast of the present village of Lisbonville, and he resolved to attack them suddenly, and if possible, surprise them.
Creeping silently down the Crooked river valley, keeping in the timber and under cover, the Mormons made a night march and arrived at the Gentile position before daylight, on the morning of October 25. Just as the dawn appeared, or rather just before it appeared, the Mor- mons sprang suddenly upon the Gentile camp. Capt. Patton, in front of his company, and wearing a white blanket overcoat, was the first enemy seen. Calling out in trumpet tones the old Jewish battle- cry, " The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" and then shouting, " Charge, Danites! Charge! " he bravely rushed forward upon his enemy. So conspicuous a target was soon hit. A ball entered his body, passing through the hips and cutting the bladder. But he kept on his feet and continued to lead his men for some time before yield- ing to the effects of the wound, calling out almost with every breath, " Charge, Danites ! "
The Gentiles, who numbered but 36 men, were completely routed and driven from the field in a few minutes. They fought bravely and effectively, but could not withstand the sudden and impetuous attack which was made upon them, and Capt. Bogart led them off in the direction of Elkhorn, but finally fell back to the southern part of the county. The Mormons did not pursue, owing chiefly to the fall of their leader, whose death had a demoralizing effect upon them, chiefly because they had deemed him invincible, as he had repeatedly de- clared that he could not be killed.
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