Scraps of Biography: Tenth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day SaintsVarious
Religion
Scraps of Biography: Tenth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Various
Latter Day Saints -- Biography
I must not omit to mention one act of cruelty, which, if possible,
seems to surpass all others. In one of the settlements were four
families of very old men, infirm and very poor. They seemed to think
that they would not be molested and so remained behind, but no sooner
did the mob learn of it, than they went to their houses, broke their
windows and doors, and hurled great stones into their rooms endangering
their lives; thus were these poor old men, and their families,
driven before the ruthless mob in midwinter. These men had served
in the revolutionary war, and Brother Jones had been one of General
Washington's body guard, but this availed them nothing, for they were
of the hated people. Thus were _all_ the Saints compelled to flee into
Clay Co., where the sympathies of the people were extended towards them.
The Colesville branch, as usual, kept together and formed a small
settlement on the Missouri bottoms, building themselves temporary
houses; a few other families settled with us; and the Saints all around
built themselves places of shelter for the Winter. But the scenes that
were endured, at the river side, immediately after the flight, beggars
description. Yet the Saints did not forget to return thanks unto
Almighty God for deliverance from the hands of their vile enemies and
to seek His protecting care for the future--that He would soften the
hearts of the people to whom they had fled, that they might find among
them something to sustain themselves.
Although Governor Boggs did not come out and show himself openly in
his true colors we have sufficient evidence that he sanctioned all
the movements of the mob and even directed them. He it was who put in
motion the movements of July, and continued his exertions until he had
accomplished all his hellish designs. As Brother Joseph said, "the
great change that may appear to some, in the views, designs and craft
of this man, to rob an innocent people of their arms by stratagem, and
leave more than one thousand defenseless men, women and children, to
be driven from their homes, among strangers in a strange land is so
glaringly exposed in the sequel that all earth and hell cannot deny
that a baser knave, a greater traitor, and a more wholesale butcher,
or murderer of mankind ever went untried, unpunished, or unhung." But
Governor Dunklin was a gentleman and seemed disposed to do what was
right.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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