Page:History of Utah.djvu/183



IMPOLITIC MEASURES. 131

The day following his arrival General Lucas orders George M. Hinckle, colonel commanding the Mormon militia, to bring before him Joseph Smith, junior, Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, Caleb Baldwin, and Alexander McRae, which is done, though not without charge of fraud and treachery on the part of Hinckle. A court-martial is immediately held; the prisoners are all condemned, and sentenced to be shot next morning at eight o'clock. "In the name of humanity I protest against any such cold-blooded murder," says General Doniphan who further threatens to withdraw his men if such a course is persisted in; whereupon the sentence i? not executed. All the Mormon troops in Far West, however, are required to give up their arms and con sider themselves prisoners of war.^^ They are furthei required to execute a deed of trust pledging all Mormon property to the payment of the entire cost of the war, and to give a promise to leave the stato before the coming spring.

Thus in the name of law and justice the Mormon soldiery, whose chief crime it would seem was that, in common with the rest of the militia, they had assisted

3^ They were ' confined to the limits of the town for about a week.' During this time much property was destroyed, and women abused. The number ot arms taken was G3U, besides swords and pistols, worth between $12,000 and $15,000. Hem. to Ler/., in Greene's Facts, 15. 'General Lucas demanded the Caldwell militia to give up their arms, which was done to the number of up- ward of 500, the rest of the troops having; fled during the night. After the troops had surrendered, the city of Far West was surrounded by the robbers, and all the men detained as prisoners, none being permitted to pass out ot the city, although their families were starving for want of sustenance.' Pratt's Persecution, 84. 'We determined not to resist anything in the shape of authority, however tyrannical or unconstitutional irught be the proceed- ings against us. With this request (to surrender ourselves as prisoners), we readily complied as soon as we were assured by the pledge of the honor of the principal officers that our liv^es should be safe. . .We were marched into camp, surrounded by thousands of savage-looking beings, many of whom were painted like Indian warriors. These all set up a constant yell, like so many blood-hounds let loose on their prey. . .A hint was given us that the general officers held a secret council. . .in which we were all sentenced to be shot.' Pratt's Persecution, SO-2. 'If the vision of the infernal regions could suddenly open to the mind, with thousands of malicious iiends, all clamoring, exulting, deriding, blaspheming, mocking, railing, raging, and foaming like a troubled sea, then could some idea be formed of the hell which we had en- tered.' Pratt's Autohiorjraphy, 204. See Yoiuuj's Woman's Experience, MS.; Home's Migrations, j\IS.