[ Full-text transcription of: Letter from General John B. Clark, 1st Division of Missouri Militia in Richmond, MO to Governor Boggs, Jefferson City, MO ]
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Jno B Clark
to
Governor
Nov 10 1838
Copied
Head Quarters of the Militia
Employed against the Mormons
His Excellency L. W. Boggs,
Sir, a day or two before I
received your first Order, I had upon information
from a letter from Mr. Rees and
way to you, issued an order to have raised in my
Division one thousand men ready to march on Monday
the 29th. day of October last all of Which I communicated
to you by express, the one however conveying my
communication met one from your Excellency & returned.
On the 29th. according to my order the first
Brigade rendezvous at Fayette proposed to march
and did on that evening take up the line of march
and reached
At
and Lucas to you, which I forwarded and then I
dispatched an Order to Genls. Atchison & Lucas
with a copy of your several Orders to me, all of which
you have been informed of by me. The next day
October 30th, we reached Keytsville where we met the
2nd Brigade, Commanded by Genl. Robt.
had been ordered to join me at that place
The next morning October 31st. I organized the two
Brigades into a Division Officered the Same and took
up the line of march for
marches until we reached
day we reached Carrollton Novr. 2rd. I heard a
report that Genl. Lucas had invested
and effected a capitulation, the arms of which
I sent you from here on my way out, I then
sent another express to Genl Lucas to hold fast to
all he had (supposing he had the prisoners and
arms) until I arrived, to make no final capitu
=lation or treaty, until I did arrive , when I would
communicate to him my plans for settling the
difficulty, and also requesting him to report to me
forthwith his acts Strength &c The express was
directed to bring back to me at
any communication the Genl. might desire to make.
The next
day I reached
neighborhood of
that Genl. Lucas, had disbanded his forces,
and marched the prisoners to
I immediately Sent an express to intercept
him, with orders to march the prisoners and
arms back to
contained in my letter to you; from
I continued my march to Far West where I
arrived on Sunday the 4th. When I reached there I
encamped in the vicinity of Town. At night I went
into town, with all my Field Officers & commenced
ferreting out the guilty amongst the mormons who
were there; this business employed my time for two
days and nights. After I had Obtained all the
information I could by disclosures from the dissenters
from Jo. the Prophet (and there are not a few at this
time) I caused the whole of the Mormons to be
paraded, and took out of their ranks Such of those
I conceived guilty as could be found, and put them
into a room. A deep snow falling on this evening,
and there being no chance to Obtain fuel or provinder,
I was compelled to march back to
with the prisoners forty six in number. I however
the day before I left Far West dispatched
Price from the Second Brigade to
two companies to receive the prisoners and arms,
but on his arrival not finding them there, he went
to Genl Lucas at
him of his mission. The Genl. then sent them and
they reached here on last evening, and they
are now here under a guard—. On the day I
left far West, I ordered Gen’l.
Brigade (except the two companies with Col. Price)
to Adam Ondo Ahmon, a town in Davies, which
had a few days since surrendered and given up
their arms, with instructions to take possession
of the town, and disarm all the Mormons, and
act in that quarter in accordance to your instruc=
=tions to me, a copy of which was furnished him.
He was also instructed to take out from the
mass of mormons such as probably could be
convicted of crime, and have them committed
and then carry them to Keytsville, and have them
placed in Jail and guarded, but he was instructed
not to leave that quarter until he had reinstated
the Citizens in their property and homes as far as
practicable, and if necessary leave a small force
there to protect the citizens. I also ordered Capt.
Comstock with his company in
there, disarming the mormons where=ever [sic] found, and
report to Genl. Wilson at Diamon. for further orders.
This being done I proposed to march back
to
I called the whole of the Mormons together about
five hundred (a great number having run away
between the Surrender, and my arrival) and informed
them that the prisoners I had together with those taken
by Genl. Lucas would be taken to
and punished if found guilty.—That they must
comply with the terms of capitulation with Genl. Lucas
The situation of their women and children, and
the inclemency of the weather induced me to modify
the terms, and not require them to remove forthwith.
That they could remain until their convenience
suited them in the spring. That no military guard
would go with them, but I would pledge the honor of
the State, they should not be hurt, and that their
armes should be given up to them whenever they left
the State, and not before. This they readily agreed
to, so far as I coul Judge from their expressions.
This being done, I took up the line of march
with the prisoners, and got here on Yesterday. On my
arrival here I discharged the whole of the first
Brigade. I will here state that on my way to Far
West while at
and ordered him to countermarch, and discharge his
forces, the same order I sent to Genl. Willock
from
was discharged at
except the Boonville guards, who were taken on to Far
West, and discharged here this morning.
Genl. White learning of the State of affairs,
left his men at the River near
on to meet me with his Staff, at
ordered him to counter march his Brigade except
the Cavalry commanded by Capt Parsons, which
Company is now here guarding the prisoners.
All the forces in this quarter are now
discharged, except two companies commanded
by Capt. Parsons and Capt Bogard, I detained
Lieut. Col. Price to superintend the guard of the prisoners,
and I also detained Genl. White, and his field officers
here a day or two, for the purpose of holding a Court
Martial if necessary.—I this day made out
charges against the prisoners, and called on Judge
King to try them as a committing Court, and I am
now busily engaged in procuring witnesses, and
submitting facts.—There being no Civil Officers in
in
witnesses from there which I do without reserve
Genl. Wilson’s Brigade is Still in Service
in
stated. They will be discharged as fast as possible.
The most of the prisoners here, I consider guilty of
Treason, and I believe will be convicted, and the
only difficulty in law is, can they be tried in any
county but
indicted, until a change of Population, in the event
the latter view is taken by the Civil Courts, I suggest
the propriety of trying Jo. Smith and those leaders
taken by Genl. Lucas, by a Court Martial for
mutiny. This I am in favor of only as a derrier
resort. I would have taken this course with Smith
at any rate, but it being doubtful whether a Court
Martial has jurisdiction or not in the present case,
that is whether these people are to be treated as in time of war.
and the mutineers as having mutinied in time of war, & I
would here ask you to forward to me the Attorney
General’s opinion on this point. My whole object
is to obey your orders, & settle this matter, so as to have
the best effect upon the people, & at the same time not com:
:promit the character of the State. But it will not do to allow
these leaders to return to their treasonable work again, on
account of their not being indicted in
that by inquiry that with all the enormities we have
heard charged against these people, many of which charges
we looked upon as the offspring of prejudice on the
part of our citizens, the half has not yet been
been told. There is no crime from treason down to the
most petty larceny, but those people, or a majority
of them, have been guilty of, all too under the counsel
of Joseph Smith jr, the prophet—They have committed
treason, murder, arson, burglary, robbery and larceny
and perjury—They have societies formed under the most
binding covenants in form, & the most horrid oaths to Cir:
:cumvent the laws & put them at defiance, & to plunder
and burn & murder & divide the spoils for the use of
the Church—This is what they call the Danite Club
or Society—These facts I gather from some persons I
have who have disclosed—Under this horrid system
many of the Citizens of Daviess County who went to that
frontier poor, and who by their industry & economy had
acquired a good living have been robbed of every article
of property they have—their houses burnt before
their eyes, & them & their wives & children driven
out of the County without any kind of shelter
In one instance I have been informed that a
family was ordered off and their houses burnt in
their sight, & a woman driven out while it was snowing
with a child only four days old—In another case
I was informed a family was driven away &
the woman was compelled to ask protection
in a few miles, where she was delivered of
of a child, in a short time after she was thus
treated—These, sir, are some of the offences of
these people—I do not wonder at the prejudices
against them in their vicinity—I send you enclosed
a copy of a Constitution of one of their societies from
which you can gather some information. I design
to continue my head Quarters here, until the
investigation of the cases of the prisoners are closed.
You shall be informed from time to time of the prog:
:ress, as also of the movements in Daviess. Those facts
I now communicate to you, supposing they would
be useful to you before the meeting of the Legislature
Your communication of the 6th was received today by
Mr. Maupin—its contents were duly noted & shall
be attended to—I have this evening informed the
prisoners of what is charged against them and
ordered the leaders to be bound, so as to be sure
to save them—
I am, Sir, your obtd: Servt:
John B. Clark
Maj Genl:
Commg—