[ Full-text transcription of: Letter from General Alexander W. Doniphan, at Headquarters of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division of the Missouri Militia at Camp at Grand River, MO to General David R. Atchison of the 3rd Division of Missouri Militia at RIchmond, MO. ]
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Camp
on
Head Quarters 1 Brig 3 Div. M. M.
Major General David R. Atchison Commanding
3rd Div. M. M.
Sir
In pursuance of your orders
dated 11th Inst. Issued orders to Colo William A. Dunn, commanding
the 28th Regiment, to raise four companies of mounted
Riflemen, consisting of fifty men each, also to Colo
John Bowlware, Commanding the 70th Regiment, to
raise two companies of mounted riflemen, consisting
each of a like number, to start forth with for service,
in the Counties of Caldwell and Daviess, on the Same day
Colo Dunn obtained the four companies of Volunteers
required from the 28th Reg. on the morning of the
12.th I took the Command in person, & marched to the
line of
to march the regiment to the timber on Crooked
River. I then started For Far west, the County seat
of
arriving at that place I found Comer, Miller &
McHany, the prisoners mentioned in your order-
I demanded of the Guard, who had them in confine-
=ment, to deliver them over to me, which was
promptly done. I also found that the guns that
had been Captured by the sheriff & Citizens of
had been distributed & placed in the hands of the
soldiery & Scattered over the County. I ordered them
to be immediately Collected & delivered up to me
I then sent an express to Colonel Dunn to march the
Regt by day light for that place - where he arrived about
Seven A.M. making forty miles since 10 A.M. on the previous day-
when my Command arrived the guns were delivered
up amounting to 42 Stand, three Stand could not be
produced, as the had probably gone to
I sent these guns under a guard to your Command in
Ray County, together with with the prisoners, Comer-
the other two prisoners being Citizens of Daviess. I retained
& brought with me to this County, & released them on
parol of honor, as I conceived their detention illegal-
At 8 A.M. we took up the line of March & proceeded
through Millport in
our former encampment, and arrived at the camp
of the Citizens of Daviess & other adjoining Counties. they
amounted to between 200 & 300 as their Commander, Dr.
Austin of Carroll, informed us. your order requiring
them to disperse which had been forwarded in
advance of my Command by your aid, James
M. Hughes, was read to them and they were required
to disperse they professed that their object for
arming & Collecting was solely for defence, but
they were marching and Counter marching guards
out, & myself & others who approached the camp
were taken to task & required to wait the approach
of the seargeant of the guard. I had an interview
with Dr. Austin and his professions were all pacific-
but they still continue in arms, marching & counter
marching. I then proceeded with your aid
J. M. Hughes & my aid, Benj. Holliday, to the Mormon
encampment, commanded by Colo Lyman Wight
we held a conference with him and he proffessed
entire willingness to disband and surrender up to me
every one of the Mormons, accused of Crime, & required
in return, that the hostile force, collected by the other
citizens of the County should also disband. At the
camp commanded by Dr. Austin I demanded the
prisoner demanded in your order, who had been re-
leased in the evening after my arrival in their
vicinity. I took up the line of march & encamped
on the direct road between the two hostile encamp-
-ments where I have remained since within about
two & a half miles of Wight’s encampment, & some
times the other camp is nearer and some times further
from me – I intend to occupy this position until
your arrival, as I deem it best to preserve peace
& prevent an engagement between the parties, & if [Rept]
so for[word crossed out] a few days they will doubtless disband
without coercion.
I have the honor to be yours with respect
[A.M. Douiphan]
Brg. Genl. 1 Brig: 3rd Div.
A. M. Doniphan
Genl. Atchison
Sept 15, 1838
Head Quarters 3 Div: M. M.
To His Excellency, The Commander in Chief -
Sir – I arrived at the County seat of this
County, Daviess, on the evening of the 15th inst.
with the troops raised from the militia of Ray
County, where I was joined by the troops from
Doniphan – In the same neighborhood, I joined
from two to three hundred men in arms, principally
from the
these men were embodied under pretext of defending
the Citizens of
and were operating under the orders of a Doctor
:
on the East side of
farms, & removed their families, either to the ad:
:joining Counties, or collected them together at a place
called the Camp ground – the whole County, on
the East side of
:serted, with the exception of a few who are not
so timid as their neighbors –
The Mormons of Daviess County have
also left their farms, and have encamped for safety,
at a place immediately on the East Bank of