The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt: One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry, and TravelsPratt, Parley P. (Parley Parker)
Religion
The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt: One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry, and Travels
Pratt, Parley P. (Parley Parker)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Apostles -- Biography; Pratt, Parley P. (Parley Parker), 1807-1857
"When we arrived at the house of Mr. Haun, we found Mr.
Merrick's body lying in the rear of the house; Mr. McBride's in
front, literally mangled from head to foot. We were informed by
Miss Rebecca Judd, who was an eye witness, that he was shot with
his own gun after he had given it up, and then cut to pieces with a
corn cutter by a man named Rogers, of Daviess County, who keeps a
ferry on Grand River, and who has since repeatedly boasted of this
act of savage barbarity. Mr. York's body we found in the house.
After viewing these corpses we immediately went to the blacksmith's
shop, where we found nine of our friends, eight of whom were
already dead--the other, Mr. Cox, of Indiana, in the agonies of
death, who soon expired.
"We immediately prepared and carried them to the place of
interment. This last office of kindness due to the remains of
departed friends was not attended with the customary ceremonies nor
decency; for we were in jeopardy, every moment expecting to be
fired on by the mob, who, we supposed, were lying in ambush,
waiting the first opportunity to dispatch the remaining few who
were providentially preserved from the slaughter of the preceding
day. However, we accomplished without molestation this painful
task. The place of burial was a vault in the ground, formerly
intended for a well, into which we threw the bodies of our friends
promiscuously.
"Among the slain I will mention Sardius Smith, son of Warren
Smith, about nine years old, who, through fear, had crawled under
the bellows in the shop, where he remained till the massacre was
over, when he was discovered by one Glaze, of Carroll County, who
presented a rifle near his head and literally blew off the upper
part of it. Mr. Stanley, of Carroll County, told me afterwards that
Glaze boasted of this fiendlike murder and heroic deed all over the
country.
"The number killed and mortally wounded in this wanton slaughter
was eighteen or nineteen, whose names, as far as I can recollect,
were as follows: Thomas McBride, Levi Merrick, Elias Benner, Josiah
Fuller, Benjamin Lewis, Alexander Campbell, Warren Smith, Sardius
Smith, George Richards, Mr. Napier, Mr. Harmer, Mr. Cox, Mr.
Abbott, Mr. York, Wm. Merrick (a boy eight or nine years old), and
three or four others whose names I do not recollect, as they were
strangers to me.
"Among the wounded who recovered were Isaac Laney, Nathan K.
Knight, Mr. Yokum, two brothers by the name of Myers, Tarlton
Lewis, Mr. Haun and several others. Miss Mary Stedwell, while
fleeing, was shot through the hand, and, fainting, fell over a log,
into which they shot upwards of twenty balls.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account