County, New York, with the information that his father and family, and Uncle Silas and family, were on their way to Kirtland, and that my grandmother was at Fami'y affairs. Fairport. "May 17. I went, in company with my brother Hyrum, in a carriage to Fairport, and brought home my grandmother, Mary Smith, aged ninety-three years. She had not been baptized, on account of the opposition of Jesse Smith, her eldest son, who has always been an enemy to the work. She had come five hundred miles to see her children, and knew all of us she had ever seen; was much pleased at being introduced to her great grandchildren, and expressed much pleasure and gratification on seeing me. "My grandfather, Asael Smith, long ago predicted that there would be a prophet raised up in his family, and my grandmother was fully satisfied that it was fulfilled in me. My grandfather Asael died in East Stockholm, St. Lawrence County, New York, after having received the Book of Mormon, and read it nearly through; and he declared that I was the very prophet that he had long known would come. in his family. "On the 18th, my uncle Silas Smith and family arrived from the East. My father, three of his brothers, and their mother, met the first time for many years. It was a happy day, for we had long prayed to see our grandmother and uncles in the church. "On May 27, after a few days' visit with her children, which she enjoyed extremely well, my grandmother fell asleep without sickness, pain, or regret. She breathed her last about sunset, and was buried in the burial ground near the temple, after the funeral address had been delivered by Sidney Rigdon. She had buried one daughter, Sarah; twosons, Stephen and Samuel; and her husband, who died October 30, 1830, and left five sons and three daughters still living. At the death of my grandfather, who had kept a record, there were one hundred and ten children, grandchil dren, and great-grandchildren. My uncle Stephen, and aunt Sarah, were buried side by side in the burial ground in Royalton, Windsor County, Vermont. Stephen died July 25, 1802, aged seventeen years, three months, and eleven days."-Millennial Star, vol. 15, pp. 741 and 742. CHAPTER 3. 1835-1836. AFFAIRS IN MISSOURI - TROUBLE IN CLAY COUNTY ACCOUNT ORGANIZATION OF CALDWELL COUNTY HISTORICAL IN Missouri the year 1835 and a portion of 1836 were spent in comparative peace. The people in Clay County were mostly friendly and hospitable. Affairs in The Jackson County people, however, were diligent in their efforts to stir up strife and distrust. In consequence of this the public mind became somewhat inflamed, so much so that trouble was feared, and some public measures were taken to avert it, an account of which will be given in the following pages, and documents produced which in themselves are sufficiently explicit. In a serial article entitled, "A history of the persecution of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Missouri," published in the Times and Seasons in 1840, occurs the following: "The Governor, D. Dunklin, was disposed to bring the mobbers to justice; consequently ten or twelve witnesses were subpoenaed to attend the February term of the Circuit Court. Captain Atchison was ordered to guard them over to Jackson and back with his company of Liberty Blues. The Attorney General was also ordered, or requested, by the Governor to attend the court, to assist the circuit attorney in the investigation. The witnesses were guarded over to Independence, and after having been there a short time. they were visited by the circuit attorney, accompanied by the Attorney General. They informed the witnesses that such was the excitement prevailing there that it was doubtful whether anything could be done to bring the mobbers to justice; that if any should be convicted they would only be fined in some trifling sum, not to exceed five dollars at most, just enough to answer the law; and they advised the witnesses not to go before the grand jury, intimating at the same time that they might be in danger. The witnesses replied that they had been ordered there by the court, and they supposed that they were still subject to the court, or to them the attorneys. As to the danger in going before the grand jury, they feared it not; they were ready and willing to go and testify to the truth. The attorneys left them, and in a short time after they were informed by Captain Atchison that the judge, Mr. Ryland, had sent him word that the witnesses and guard were not wanted there any longer. Captain A. paraded his men as soon and as well as he could for the crowd, and immediately marched off, the witnesses following him. All hopes were now given up of ever bringing that people to justice; their hatred towards the saints appeared to be unabating; they frequently sent over word to Clay County that they were coming over to drive them from that place; they even went so far as to circulate a paper in Clay County, the object of which was to obtain volunteers there, to assist them in driving the saints away. In Clay County, however, they had but a few friends (for some time) and could not obtain many signers. "A wealthy farmer by the name of Arthur, living in Clay County, who was then friendly to the saints, and who was in the habit of sending flour and whisky into Jackson to sell, (it generally being higher there than in Clay, in consequence of the Indian trade,) sent over one of his negroes and team with a load, sometime that fall or winter, [and] they were stopped on the road by some of the good people of Jackson, who mounted the load and with axes cut the barrels to pieces and wasted the flour and whisky upon the ground. "In 1834, if we mistake not, an inoffensive brother by the name of Ira J.. Willes went into Jackson County to hunt for a lost cow. He was taken by some of the ruffians residing there who, after stripping off his clothes, whipped him unmercifully. For the credit of Missouri we would state that he was taken from the house of a justice of the peace; this is an ensample of upper Missouri peacemakers. The same year Bro. Lewis Abbot, a very peaceable man, went to Jackson to see a man who owed him. On his way he was discovered and overtaken by some of that lawless banditti, who beat him with handspikes, no doubt with an intent to kill, for that was what they swore they would do; but his life was preserved and he escaped out of their hands. Thus have that people unceasingly abused and persecuted the saints whenever they could get an opportunity. "Governor Dunklin appeared willing to guard back the saints to Jackson County at any time when they should get ready to go, but said that he had not authority to keep a guard there for their protection. That being the case, they were advised by some of the most influential men in the upper country, who were friendly to them but not believers in their faith, to have enough of their brethren emigrate to that country to enable them to maintain their rights should the mob ever attempt to trample upon them again, and then get the Governor to set them back upon their lands. Accordingly word was sent forth to the churches to that effect, and in the summer of 1834 a large company emigrated from the eastern churches to Clay County for that purpose. "Whilst this company was forming and going up to Missouri, rumor with her ten thousand tongues was busily engaged in circulating falsehoods about them, insomuch that before they arrived at Clay County there was considerable excitement even there. "The Jackson County people went over into Clay and called a meeting and stirred up all the feelings there that they possibly could against the saints. The anger of the people of Jackson County rose to a great height; they had furnished themselves with a number of cannon, and their neighbors of the adjoining counties on the south side of the Missouri River volunteered by hundreds to assist them provided that the Governor should attempt to set the saints back upon their land in Jackson County. "The company from the eastern churches arrived in Clay County and their gentle manners and peaceable deportment soon convinced the people of that country of the false reports which had been circulated about them. The excite |