[ Full-text transcription of: Letter from Senator Daniel Ashby (Tenth Senatorial District), Jefferson City, MO to General John B. Clark, 1st Division of Missouri Militia ]
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Senate Chamber Nov 28th 1838
Dear Sir
In answer to your note
of this morning requesting me to
give you such information as was
in my knowledge relative to the
the Mills on Shole Creek between
the Citizens and Mormons
I will state that the Company
I belonged to was stationed in the
rear as a reserve at a distance of about
40 yards= of the line of battle as soon
as the line of battle was formed
and before all the troop in the
line had dismounted the fire com—
menced (by the Mormons as I was
told by those in front) the po-
sition I occupied prevented me from
seeing the commencement as soon
as the [“fring” crossed out] firing commenced
the company I belonged to dismounted
and run in the line in front
when I got sight of the position
of the Mormons they were all in the
house or under the bank of the
Creek and the smoke of their guns
from both places appeared to me
to be continual our men took
a few fires at a crack in the
House when I heard the order to
charge the house which order was
promptly obeyed the men run to the
House as we approached it I saw
one man have out his gun in front
of me I steped to one side & [“that” crossed out] the man
in front of me squatted down
and pitched under the mzzle lay
still until the gun fired he then
rose and as the Mormon drew back
his gun our man shoved his gun
in the House & fired by this time
our man got possession of all the port
holes cracks &c and Kept up such a
constant fire that the Mormons could
not get their guns out to shoot They
[“they” erased] then brake out of the house
and run [“for” erased] towards the creek but
many fell in their flight about
that time I heard the cry of [“fire” crossed out]
quarters among our own [“persons” erased]
men I recollect distinctly of hearing
one of our men say (they called for
Quarters) I then Hollowed Quarters
Quarters as loud as I could which was
reecoed by all around me the fireing
then ceased on our parts at which
time a volley came from the creek
I then thought they had [word erased] heard
us calling for Quarters and
thought we were whiped the fireing
then renewed on our part and continued as long as there was
any Mormon in sight except the
wounded after the battle was near
a close I saw some of the Mormons that
had reached the top of the hill south of
the creek about 300 yards from us
stoped turn round and shot back
at us and then run on after the
battle [“was” crossed out] had subsided I saw some
of our men carry one wounded man
into a house and laid him on a bed
The men in counting the dead
found one man in the house not
hurt who had fallen down
in the early part of the action
and was covered with the slain
I saw him and talked with him
the moment he was taken prison
er Those who counted the dead
said 31 was killed of the Mormons
and seven of our men was
wounded we then got a waggon
and horses and such of our
wounded as was unable to ride
was put in the waggon and
we left the place The above
is an [“oct” crossed out] outline of that
affair as my recollection
serves me Your Respectfully
Genl J B Clark Daniel Ashby
Major Ashby Statement
Of
the
Mill
Nov. 28, 1838
No. 28
Recd Dec 6th
1838
copied