entering into every house on Log and Long creeks, rifling their houses of their most precious articles, such as money, bedding, and clothing, taking all their old muskets and their rifles or military implements, threatening the people with instant death if they did not deliver up all their precious things, and enter into a covenant to leave the state or go into the city of Far West by the next morning, saying that "they calculated to drive the people into Far West, and then drive them to hell." Gillum also was doing the same on the north-west side of Far West; and Sashiel Woods, a Presbyterian minister, was the leader of the mob in Daviess county, and a very noted man, of the same society, was the leader of the mob in Carroll county; and they were also sending out their scouting parties, robbing and pillaging houses, driving away hogs, horses, and cattle, taking men, women, and children, and carrying them off, threatening their lives, and subjecting them to all manner of abuses that they could invent or think of. Under this state of alarm, excitement, and distress, the messengers returned from the Governor, and from the other authorities, bringing the fatal news that the "Mormons" could have no assistance. They stated that the Governor said, "that the 'Mormons' had got into a difficulty with the citizens, and they might fight it out, for all what he cared, he could not render them any assistance." The people of De Witt were obliged to leave their homes and go into Far West; but did not until many of them had starved to death for want of proper sustenance, and several died on the road there, and were buried by the wayside, without a coffin or a funeral ceremony, and the distress, sufferings, and privations of the people cannot be expressed. All the scattered families of the "Mormon" people, in all the counties except Daviess, were driven into Far West, with but few exceptions. This only increased their distress, for many thousands who were driven there had no habitations or houses to shelter them, and were huddled together, some in tents, and others under blankets, while others had no shelter from the inclemency of the weather. Nearly two months the people had been in this awful state of consternation, many of them had been killed, whilst others had been whipped until they had to swathe up their bowels to prevent them from falling out. About this time, General Parks came out from Richmond, Ray county, who was one of the commissioned officers who was sent out to Diahman, and I, myself, and my brother Joseph Smith, senior, went out at the same time.