[ Full-text transcription of: Report of General John B. Clark, 1st Division of Missouri Militia, Jefferson City, MO to Governor Boggs, Jefferson City, MO ]
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No 1
City
of
The Governor of the State of
Sir The whole of the forces
placed under my Command for the purpose spe
cified in your two orders of the 26th & 27th of last
month (Copies of which are here attached marked
A & B) being discharged I now in pursuance of
your orders proceede to report to you my movements as
well as to submit to you such facts as I have been
able to embody showing the Commencement progress
and termination of this perplexing difficulty One or
two days before I received your orders above refered to
I had upon information received from Messrs Rees
Williams Dickson and Woods in writing (Copies of
which are here attached marked C) issued orders to
have raised in my Divison one thousand mounted
men to be ready to march on monday the 29th of
last month all of which I immediately communica
ted to you by express The express however conveying
my communication met one from your Excellency
conveying to me your orders and returned [“without” crossed out]
[“going on” crossed out] On the 29th according to my order
the first Brigade rendezvous at Fayette prepared [word crossed out] to
march and did on that evening take up the line of
march and reach
the 30th I received an express from Genls Atchison &
Lucas to you but which had been sent to me by
Williams your aid After examining it I enclosed
it to you this letter stated that war was inevitable
and that they would hold the enemy in check until
you could arrive supposing from previous informa
=tion that the forces under the command of Genls
stated I wrote to them telling them to act for the best.
according to circumstances until my arrival in which
letter I enclosed copies of your two orders to me (this
letter is here attached marked D) On this evening
we reached Keytsville where we met the second
Brigade commanded by Brig Genl Wilson who had
been ordered to join me at this place Here I organized
the Division giving Col I W. Redman the command
of the first Brigade in the absence of the Brigadier
Genl the next day we took up the line of march
for
we reached Carrolton Novr 2nd I heard that Genl
Lucas had invested
pitulation the terms of which was that the Mormons
were 1st to give up their leaders to be tried and
punished 2nd All who had taken up arms to make
an appropriation of their property to pay their debts
and the damages they had done 3rd the balance
should leave the state forthwith and be protected
out of the State by the Militia 4th to give up all
their arms These propositions seem to have been
proposed in writing by Genl Lucas and accepted
to by the Mormons as I afterwards learned I here
sent another express to Genl Lucas ordering him
to hold to the prisoners and make no final
treaty until I arrived when I would commu
=nicate to him my views [ ] (a copy of this order
is here attached marked E) This order however
did not reach Genl Lucas as I am informed
until after he had left
The next day I reached
that Genl Lucas had disbanded his forces and
marched the prisoners to Independance I immediately sent
an express to intercept him with orders for him to march
the prisoners and arms back to
No 2
order is here attached marked F) I continued
my march to
on Sunday the 4th of this month Hearing at Rich
mond that some of the guard left by Genl Lucas
at
ing other excesses I left my troops and went in
advance riding all night in order to check such
things, but when I reached there on examination
I found the [“men chose as a” crossed out] guard had been mis-
represented greatly and injustice done them in
this matter as well as Gen Lucas’ troops in many respects When
the troops reached
in the vicinity of Town and a guard placed around
the Army to keep the men from going in on that eve
ning I went into town with all the field officers
and instituted a military Court of enquiry to
ascertain who were the most guilty and ought to be
put on their trial in the Civil Courts This business
employed my time for two days and nights I will
here remark that but for the Capture of Sampson
Avard a leading Mormon (by Col Hall from
the plat who is a fine officer) I do not believe I
Could have [“gotten” crossed out] obtained any useful facts No one dis-
closed any useful matter until he was captured
and brought in I [“did” crossed out] instructed every one who
did disclose or give testimony that they were
not bound to criminate themselves and that no
steps would be taken to compel them We pro-
gressed with this investigation until all had dis
=closed who would willingly I then caused
the whole of the Mormons to be paraded and
selected such as I thought ought to be put on
their trial before a committing Magistrate
and put them in a room until the next morning
when I took up the line of march for
with the whole forces and prisoners forty six in
number I however the
day before I lift
dispatched Lt Col Price with two companies from
the Second Brigade to
prisoners and arms Genl Lucas had been ordered
to have there On his arrival not finding them
there he went to Independance and informed the
Genl of [“his mission” crossed out] the nature of his mission
They were then started and arrived the next day
the arms however I did not succeede in getting before
my departure from
Could not be crossed for the ice On the day I left
his brigade except the two Companies Col Price
had to Adam on Diamon a town in Daviess
County to settle matters in that quarter he had [“him” crossed out]
furnished him a copy of your several orders to me
Genl Wilson is a good officer and also a [“good” crossed out] Law
yer and I thought therefore pecularly fitted for that
Command The manner in which he discharged his
duty will be seen by his final report to me with my
order to him a copy of which is here attached marked
G) The Genl and his troops suffered very much by the
inclemency of the weather but they acted kindly and
humanely to the prisoners and deserve great credit
While at Far West Brig Genl Parks reported to me
his acts at Diamon under the order of Genl Lucas
and I sent to him an order to keep the prisoners guarded
until my arrival Charging him not to permit the prop
erty or persons of the prisoners injured in any way (a
copy of which order is attached marked H) General
Parks fulfilled my orders to my satisfaction
While in
No 3
number who informed me that they were out of provisions
in Town but had plenty on their farms Not wishing to
release any until I closed the enquiry I caused
provisions to be dealt out to such as were destitute
until they were discharged There was at Far west
about five hundred Mormons (Several hundred
having run off with their arms before my arrival) and at Adam
on Diamon about one hundred and fifty or two
hundred making in all about [“fifteen” crossed out] twelve hundred armed
men when all togeather as well as I can ascertain
There is now collected in the hands of my quarter
Master and I presume Genl Lucas’ about [“Eight” crossed out] Seven
hundred guns a great many pistols swords and
spears but I have not now in my possession
any means to ascertain the exact number but
they have been receipted for and will be reported
in due time by the proper officer Before I left
Far West I had the mormons called togeather and
addressed them in substance that they had
cappitulated with Genl Lucas and made their
own agreement and they would be expected to
Comply & must comply [ ] it necessary for the public
peace but that they would not be expected to
go until their convenience in the spring—that
no military guard would go with them—that
none was necessary as I would pledge the honour
of the State they should not be hurt—that their
arms should then be given up to them I did
not see what else I could do under the circum
=stances without setting at naught [“every thing” crossed out]
what had been done by Genl Lucas which I thought would have
produced another difficulty with these people
of perhaps more danger than the one that was
then settled this being done I marched to Rich
mond with the prisoners and applied to the
to the Honl A. A. King to try them He commen-
sed the examination immediately after the Defen-
dants obtained Counsel Before their trial com-
menced they were informed what was alledged
against them I spoke to Col Wood to assist the
Circuit Attorney in the prosecutions for the reason
given in my last communication The enquiry
as you may well imagine takes a wide range em-
bracing the crime of Treason Murder Burglary
Robery Arson and Larceny. Genls White
Grant and Willock were directed to discharge
their troops as soon as I learned of the surrender
and that they were on their march—Also the troops
from the 5th Division under the Command of
Genl Woodward except the Boonville guards
Commanded by Capt
of Cavelry commanded by Capt Parsons both
of those Companies were kept to guard the pris-
oners The guards to
bring them to
the Cavelry to guard them after they got there The
whole of the troops are now out of service and
were discharged as early as possible according
to your orders Brigadier Genl Wilson who was
sent to
quarter made a report of his acts and opinions
of the commencement of this dificulty which
is dated the 25th and it is so replete with in
formation that I have appended it to this
report as heretofore stated. I can bear testimony
to the good conduct of my whole immediate
command both officers and men they all con
conducted themselves on the march and while with
the Mormons as honourable Citizen Soldiers and
I state to you Sir that none of my Division
No 4
at any time nor any of the forces after I ar
rived at
either upon the property or persons of the Mor-
mons of either sex Any statement or insinuation
to the Contrary is false and a slander upon my
Command and our Citizens I am led to make
this statement to your Excellency on account
of strictures I have seen in some of the public
journals of the Country About the troops generally
and consequently embracing my command I cannot
vouch for the troops before my arrival but I do
afterwards and in justice to the officers comman
ding before I will state that I believe that great
injustice has been done them also I have the testimony
of the most inteligent Mormons on this subject (which
I attach marked I) It is humiliating to the
Militia who are Citizens generally of a high order
to see the public journals of the Country publishing
every report that is put out without knowing
whether it be true or false for the purpose of casting
reproach upon our arms and Country I make
this statement to rescue my my Command from
such unmerited censure which I know to be false
as far as they are concerned and leave other general
officers having the Command before my arrival
to act as they please in the premises. I have not
been able to satisfy myself as well as I would
desire of the causes of this difficulty but enough is
shown by the evidence I here attach marked (J.)
to enable the Country to appreciate your prompt
movement in ordering out the Militia to put
down an insurrection of no ordinary Character
It had for its object Dominion the ultimate subju-
gation of this Ù state and the union to the laws of a
few men called the Presidency [“of the Church and” crossed out]
their Church was to be built up at any
rate peacebly if they could but forcibly if
necessary These people had as you will perceive
banded themselves togeather in Societies the object
of which was to first drive from their society
such as refused to join them in their unholy
purposes and then to plunder the surrounding
Country and ultimately to subject the State to
their rule They have [“been” crossed out] committed great injury
to the Country by burning robing &c these things
however their Leaders say was done to punish the
Citizens of our State for past violence to them [“in other places” crossed out]
how true this is you can determine
from the evedince herewith sent In their incur
sions they have murdered Robed stole and burnt
and committed many inhumane acts [“to” crossed out] on helpless
families I have no doubt but what we have
[“guarded” crossed out] many citizens who have vary much
mistreated these people but never to such an
extent as to create the idea in a rational [mind]
who loved his country that the [“Country” crossed out] Government ought to
be subverted and the laws put at defiance
The whole number of Mormons killed through
the whole difficulty as far as I can ascertain
are about forty and several wounded there
has been one citizen killed and about fifteen
badly wounded I give it as my decided opin
=ion that much more blood would have been
shed than was if their had [“not” crossed out] been [“so many” crossed out] only troops
enough ordered out by your Excellency to conquer the insirgents in a battle by having a large number. [“Such was” crossed out] Their
influance [“that the Mormon men” crossed out] awed them into
submission to the first troops that appeared
before their Town This I am authorized to
say by inteligent Mormons [“among whom” crossed out]
No 5
much has been said to the prejudice of those
engaged in the battle at Hauns Mill not having
received before my departure from
official account of that battle from the officers
commanding Since my arrival here I [“have” crossed out]
addressed a note to Majr Ashby a Senator from
his answer is here appended and marked (K.)
to which I refer you
I would inform your Excellency that I
have been informed by Mormons that there are now
about one hundred females the wives of those
who were killed and run off who are destitute
and depend on their friends for support. I do not
know how many of the prisoners will be committed [“convicted” crossed out]
not having heard the evidence in defence [“but I suppose from the evidence that a great portion of them” crossed out]
When I left
tained copies of all the evidence that had been
[“taken” crossed out] given in that I could procure and en-
gaged a gentleman to copy the balance on
both sides and forward it to me at this place
by each [“male” crossed out] mail The evidence I have is not
certified but I heard it delivered and know
it is substantially copied That part of S.
Avards evidence giving a list of those persons
engaged in crime is by accident omitted
As fast as the balance arrives it shall be submit-
ted Every facility was afforded the prisoner
in getting their witnesses &c that could be and
as far as I could observe the investigation was
conducted upon legal grounds They have
able counsel who are vigilant in their defence.
No payrolls have yet been made to me but
they will be very soon when I will forward
them in due form There is some public property
which my Quarter Master [“General” crossed out] was ordered
to report to the Quarter Master General.
Having now submitted to your Excellency
the course taken by me under your several
orders in every material step as well as such
information as I [word crossed out] possess Permit me to assure
Your Excellency that I entered on my duties
with fearful apprehensions that my experience
and ability to command had been overrated
by you and it would have given me pleasure
if such an important trust involving so much
had been committed to other more competent
hands But in the discharge of my duty I
have endeavoured to comply with your orders as
I understood and construed them making the
restoration and preservation of the public peace
the great object to be attained all which I
respectfully submit to your Excellency hoping
that my acts may be satisfactory to you and
yours [word crossed out] to the Country
I am sir with consideration
of high respect your
Obt Servant
John B Clark
Majr Genl Comg
Rept Genl Clark to
Comr in Chief
Nov. 29th. 1838
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