[ Full-text transcription of: Letter from Captain Bogart of Elk Horn in Ray County, MO to Governor Boggs, Jefferson City, MO ]
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Elk
Horn Ray Co,
To his Excellency L. W. Boggs
Dr. Sir,
I avail myself of this
opportunity to inform you of the present deplorable condition
of our country. I arrived home last night of the 2nd .
tour of duty to suppress insurrection, when the first
campaign closed on
informed that peace was restor,d the Citizens who –
liv,d in Daviess and the adjoining counties knew and
expressed themselves that the Mormons were determ,d
to drive the Citizens from Dvi,s Co - which the
Mormons have since express,d - The lives of the
people of Daviess have been threaten,d many of
them have fled for safety to the adjoining co,ts
whenever we meet a Mormon he is armed in
best manner, and continually throwing out his
threats. Next we were ordered to De Witt in
we arrived at
the people of Carroll and the Mormons who were
mostly Cannadians, were assembled in a mile
of each other, ready for battle; we were also told
the Mormons of Caldwell were on their way to
De Witt 100 more expected to pass down that
night. I went to Genl Parks and requested him
to permit me to move my company on that Road
and prevent their passing, but he refus,d and we
lay there that day and till
time W. C. Williams came to the camp and told
us the Mormons were passing from
peraded my company and marchd – to the Mormon
roads leaving Parks in
of knowing what was going on. The Mormons
passed before I reac,d the road, the next day
Parks overtook us with the balance of the troops
we moved down near De Witt - & encamped two
days without making one effort to disperse either
party – I visited De Witt in company with Parks,
Dr. Ellis, Mc’Gee, and several others and on
the public highway some [7 a] mile from the town
we were met by a Mormon from
who cock,d his gun, persented it at me, and
commanded us to stop – this is a common
thing with them; in this country, the publick
highways are guarded. Genl Parks returnd
home with his command leaving over 200
Mormons well armed in Carroll Co. who
came from
orderd by Major Genl Atchison to disperce
them at all hazard’s. The people of Carroll and
the Mormons have made a compromise = The
Mormons are moving west, it is supposed they
intend pushing the Citizens out of Daviess, that
county is in a state of great agitation, great
excitement prevails here. The Daviess & Livingston
to
determination to prevent there settling in that
County at all hazards – if there is not some
effective means taken to settle to settle this difficulty
much blood will be spilt soon. It will require
a strong force. Tow many of our officers are
seeking popularity with the Mormons supposing
their votes in time will be of some service to them.
You may rest assurd times grow worse
& worse here; the Mormons emboddy themselves
keep out gards, and refuse to let any person
see their forces, had you proceeded on to
Daviess Co you could easely have convue,d
yourself the state of things which are desperate
in the extreme, you will no doubt be calld – on
I hope you will take steps to make a final
settlement of this matter, if it is not soon
done, our country is ruind
Your Obt Serv,t
Samuel Bogart
Capt. in the late volunteers.
Capt [S.] Bogart
to
Governor
Oct. 13. 1838
[Ex’y]
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