Page:History of Utah.djvu/182



130 THE) STORY OF MORMONISM.

Thus it appears that the Missouri state militia, called out in the first instance to assist the Mormon state militia in quelling a Missouri mob, finally joins the mob against the Mormon militia. In none of their acts had the saints placed themselves in an attitude of un- lawful opposition to the state authorities ; on the other hand, they were doing all in their power to defend themselves and support law and order, save in the matter of retaliation.

The first the saints of Caldwell county know of the new tactics is the appearance, within half a mile of Far West/^ of three thousand armed men, under Gen- eral Lucas, generals Wilson and Doniphan being pres- ent, and General Clark with another army being a few days' march distant. General Lucas states that the main business there is to obtain possession of three in- dividuals, whom he names, two of them not Mormons; and for the rest he has only to inform the saints that it is his painful duty either wholly to drive them from the state or to exterminate them.^^ Gilliam and his comrades, who as disguised Indians and white men had been fighting the Mormons, now that the state es- pouses their cause, join Lucas.^* General Atchison was at Richmond, in Ray county, when the gover- nor's exterminating order was issued. "I will have nothing to do with so infamous a proceeding," he said, and immediately resigned.

ceed immediately to Richmond and there operate against the Mormons. Brig. - Gen. Parks of Ray has been ordered to have 400 men of his brigade in readi- ness to join you at Richmond. The whole force will be placed under your command.'

^^ 'The governor's orders and these military movements were kept an entire secret from the citizens of Caldwell and Daviess. . . even the mail was with- held from Far West.' Pratt's Autobiography, 200.

^^ ' This letter of the governor's was extremely unguarded, and seems to have been too literally construed. . .Making all due allowance for the exas- perated state of the public mind, these threats of extermination sound a lit- tle too savage in Anglo-Saxon ears. . .But they were impolitic, because they gave plausibility to the idea that the saints were the victims of a cruel and unrelenting religious persecution, and furnished them with one of the surest means of future success.' Ferris' Utah and the Mormons, 90-1.

^* 'About the time that Lucas came out to Far West, Smith assembled the Mormon troops, and said that for every one they lacked in number of those ^vho came out among them, the Lord would send angels, who would figlit for them, and they should be victorious.' Kidder's Mormouism, 143.