Fragments of Experience: Sixth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day SaintsVarious
Religion
Fragments of Experience: Sixth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Various
Latter Day Saints -- History; Young, Lorenzo Dow, 1807-1895
Major Seymour Brunson directed Brother A. P. Rockwood, and myself to
take our horses and go out two miles north of Far West and patrol the
country every night. If we saw a man, or company of men coming towards
Far West, we were ordered to hail them and demand the countersign. If
necessary, to make this demand the second time, when, if not given, we
were to fire on them. When we arrived on the ground where we were to
perform our duties, Brother Rockwood and I separated, taking different
directions. It was a moonlight night. I was on the edge of a prairie
with my eye along the road, when I discovered a company of mounted men
coming over a swell of the prairie. I retired into the timber and took
a station behind the trunk of a large tree, under the shadow of its
branches, and twenty or thirty yards from the road. As the company came
opposite to me, I demanded the countersign twice, as I had been ordered
to do. As they paid no attention to me, I made ready to fire, intending
to shoot the leader, when a strong and sudden impression came over me
to hail again. I did so, and ordered them to halt. This time the leader
recognized my voice, and turning towards me, asked: "Is that you,
Brother Lorenzo?" I also recognized the man as Brother Lyman Wight,
and, as I answered in the affirmative, rode up to his side. We were
glad to meet each other, and I was very thankful that I had not obeyed
orders. He was on his way from Diamond to Far West, with a company of
men to assist the Saints there.
Soon after this occurrence, I returned to Far West. I told Sister Young
that I hoped to get one good night's sleep. For three weeks I had not
had my clothes off to lay down, and I felt much worn.
Perhaps I had slept two hours, when I was awakened by the bass drum
sounding an alarm on the public square. I was soon out to see what was
the matter. There were five men on the square, of whom I inquired the
cause of the alarm. They informed me that two of the brethren had been
taken prisoners by the mob on Crooked River, tried by a court martial
that day, and condemned to be shot the coming morning at eight o'clock.
A company of men was wanted to go and rescue them.
Preparations were soon made, and in a short time, about 40 mounted men,
under the command of David W. Patten, were ready to start. We kept
the road to a ford on Crooked River, twenty miles distant, where we
expected to find the mob.
Just as the day was breaking we dismounted, about a mile from the ford,
tied our horses, and left Brother Isaac Decker to watch them.
We marched down the road some distance, when we heard the crack of
a rifle. Brother Obanion, who was one step in advance of me fell. I
assisted brother John P. Green, who was the captain of the platoon I
belonged to, to carry him to the side of the road. We asked the Lord to
preserve his life, laid him down, ran on and took our places again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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