At this time they had one or more pieces of artillery, in addition to small arms and ammunition in abundance. A Presbyterian priest, "_Rev_." Sashel Woods, served as chaplain to the gang, and said prayers in the camp evening and morning. They succeeded in killing a number of citizens in and about De Witt. They also turned a gentleman, named Smith Humphrey, and his wife and children out of doors, when sick, and setting fire to the house, burned it to ashes before their eyes. At length they succeeded in driving every citizen from the place, at the sacrifice of everything which they could not take with them. This happened during a cold, stormy time in October; and, as many of the citizens were sickly, and robbed of shelter and everything comfortable, they came near perishing. Some of them, in fact, did perish before they arrived in Caldwell, a distance of sixty miles. Here the survivors were hospitably taken in by their brethren. The militia, under General Parks, made some show of trying to prevent these outrages; but all in vain. At length the General informed the citizens that his forces were so small, and many of them so much in favor of the insurrectionists, that it was useless to look any longer to them for protection. Several messages were also sent to the Governor, Lilburn W. Boggs, the old mob-leader, imploring protection. But he was utterly deaf to everything which called for the protection of the "_ Mormons_," as he called us. But, on the contrary, he harkened to the insinuations of the mob which were without shadow of foundation. At one time he called out an army, and put himself at their head to march against the "_Mormons_." But, as he approached the upper country with this formidable force of several thousand men, he was officially notified that the "_Mormons_" were not in a state of insurrection, but were the victims of those who were so, and that they needed his help. His Excellency then disbanded his forces, and returned to Jefferson City, to await till the mobs should compel the "_ Mormons_" to some act that might be considered illegal, which would give him some pretext for driving them from the State. After the evacuation of De Witt, when our citizens were officially notified that they must protect themselves, and expect no more protection from any department of the State Government, they assembled in Far West to the number of one thousand men, or thereabout, and resolved to defend their rights to the last. A call was made upon every person who could bear arms to come forward in defense of our houses, homes, wives and children, and the cause of our country and our God. In the meantime the bandits, elated with success and emboldened by the negligence of every department of the State Government, were increasing in numbers daily. They were concentrating in Daviess County, with artillery and military stores, with open threats that they would now drive the citizens from Daviess and Caldwell Counties.