Accordingly, at an election held in Daviess County, a portion of these bandits undertook to prevent the members of the Church of the Saints from voting--forcing them from the poll box, and threatening to kill whoever should attempt to vote. As some voters were attacked they defended themselves, knocked down several of their opponents, gained the victory, and cast in their votes. This was a pretext for a general rising of the insurrectionists in all the adjoining counties. They were alarmed for fear the "_ Mormons_," as they called them, should become so formidable as to maintain their rights and liberties, insomuch that they could no more drive and plunder them. Public meetings were held in Carroll, Saline, and other counties; in which resolutions were passed and published, openly declaring the treasonable and murderous intention of driving the citizens belonging to the Church from their counties, and, if possible, from the state. Resolutions to this effect were published in the journals of upper Missouri, and this without a single remark of disapprobation. Nay, more: this murderous gang, when assembled in arms and painted like Indian warriors, and when openly committing murder, robbery, house burning, and every crime known to the laws, were denominated citizens, whites, etc., in most of the journals of the State. While those who stood firm to the laws of the land, and only defended themselves, and their homes and country, were denominated "_ Mormons_," in contradistinction to the appellation of "_citizens_," "_whites_," etc., as if we had been some savage tribe, or some colored race of foreigners. In pursuance of the resolutions thus passed and published, a formidable banditti were soon assembled under arms, to the amount of several hundred, and rendezvoused in Daviess County. Here they commenced firing upon our citizens, plundering, and taking peaceable citizens prisoners. The people of the Church made no resistance, except to assemble on their own ground for defense. They also made oath before the District Judge, Austin A. King, to the above outrages. One thousand men were then ordered into service, under the command of Major-General Atchison, and Brigadier-Generals Parks and Doniphan. These marched to Daviess County and remained in service thirty days. But, judging from the result, they had no intention of coming in contact with the mob, but only to make a show of defending _one_ neighborhood, while the mob were allowed to attack _another_. The gang now withdrew from Daviess County and proceeded to De Witt, Carroll County. Here they laid siege for several days, and subsisted by plunder and robbery, watching every opportunity to fire upon our citizens.