son county. The prophet was at this time at Kirtland, and to him some of the brethren resorted in this emergency, and under his direction made an appeal to Governor Dunklin. The Governor, in answer, admitted that they had been illegally treated, and advised them to appeal to the courts for redress. In consequence of this, they commenced a number of suits against sundry of the mob, and resolved to remain. Of course, this led to further violence, and finally to something like a regular skirmish, in which two of the Missourians were killed. Blood being fairly spilled, there seem

ed every prospect of a civil war, when the main body of the Mormons, hastily and in much confusion, abandoned their homes, and fled into Clay county, on the other side of the Missouri. This took place in November, 1833: women and children were exposed to the inclemency of the weather, and there was much suffering and some loss of property. They were, however, received with great kindness by the people of Clay county, and the prophet managed to take off the rough edge of these reverses by a revelation that they were in consequence of the "contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires" among the Saints, whereby they had "polluted their inheritances;" and they are comforted with the assurance that “Zion shall not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered; they that remain and are pure in heart shall return and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of Zion. And, behold, there is none other place appointed than that which I have appointed for the work of the gathering of my Saints, until the day cometh when there is found no more room for them, and then I have other places which I will appoint unto them; and they shall be called stakes for the curtains, or the strength of Zion" (August, 1833). He also reveals to them that they were to appeal to the judiciary, and, if that was in vain, then to the Governor, and, if that was unsuccessful, then to the President of the United States, and if the appeal was still unheeded, "then the Lord God himself would arise, and come forth out of his hidingplace, and in his fury vex the nation!"

These appeals were all subsequently made without success; but, unfortunately for the prediction, the Lord does not seem to come forth from his "hiding-place;" and, although Missouri was to be overflowing with Saints before the "stakes for the curtains" were appointed, yet they have been compelled to appoint these "stakes" without returning to Independence at all. The truth is, these revelations in regard to the seat of Zion were a little too definite. The prophet, in due time, discovered that he led the Mormon deity into a mistake, and did all he could to explain the failure. It was difficult, however, in the face of such predictions, to change the venue, and the notion is therefore still prevalent among a portion of the Saints that they are to return in triumph to Missouri and drive out the Gentiles.

CHAPTER V.

HISTORY CONTINUED.

Mormons quit Clay and remove into Caldwell County.-Joseph's Journeys into Missouri.-Sets up a Bank at Kirtland.-Leaves Kirtland in the Night.-Troubles in Missouri.-"Danites."-Joseph arrested, and Mormons agree to leave the State.-Murder at Hawn's Mill.— Mormons remove to Illinois.—Evidence on the Trial of Joseph.— His Imprisonment and Escape.

THE Mormons went into Clay county as a temporary refuge from the popular storm then raging against them, and until they could return to Zion or obtain some other abiding-place. Under the encouraging predictions of the prophet, they confidently expected soon

to be restored in triumph to their chosen metropolis. But delays ensued. The people of Jackson county, determined to be forever rid of the nuisance which they had thus summarily abated, pertinaciously refused all terms of accommodation based upon the idea that the Saints were to return among them.

In the mean time, persecution seems to have given them exactly the kind of aid needed for a rapid accumulation of numbers. New converts flocked in, and spread from Clay into Caldwell and Davies counties, and this portion of Missouri bid fair to become completely Mormonized. The people of Clay county became seriously alarmed. They found in their midst an ignorant, clannish population, combined together by religious fanaticism, arrogant and overbearing in their pretensions, and completely under the control of a single will. Their numbers were rapidly increasing; they were purchasing lands; and there was every appearance that they intended to remain. They were non-slaveholders, and excited the fears of the people in regard to their slaves; they proclaimed that the Indians were a remnant of the Israelites, and were making strenuous efforts to convert them to the new faith; and the tomahawk and scalping-knife became, in popular imagination, fearful additions to the destructive elements which seemed to be combining for evil in their midst. A meeting of the citizens was held at Liberty on the 29th of June, 1836, in which these matters were taken into consideration. The Mormons were reminded of the circumstances under which they were received, and requested to leave, time being given them to harvest their crops and dispose of their property.

Fortunately for all concerned, the Saints admitted the conditions under which they were received by the citizens, and agreed to leave on the terms proposed, denying strenuously that they had ever tampered with the slaves, or had any idea of exciting an Indian war.

The Mormons, being thus compelled to leave Clay county, settled principally in Caldwell county, founding the city of Far West, and other smaller places. The popular storm, however, which had never fully abated, gathered new strength, and ultimately drove them from the state.

The prophet, who had kept himself out of the way of danger during the warfare in Jackson county, and had made a missionary excursion into Canada, seeking for new converts, projected a journey into Missouri soon after the Saints had got safely settled in Clay county. Many had grown weak in the faith, and become discouraged by reason of the troubles at Independence. This journey was therefore intended to build up the breaches in the walls of Zion by a fresh display of revelations, and other signs and wonders. He journeyed partly in disguise, to avoid the anticipated hostility of the wicked Gentiles, and was attended by a body-guard of about one hundred young men, secretly armed. This was in May, 1834. After passing the Illinois River, they came to some of those mounds so common in the Western States. One of these was opened, and the bones of a dead Indian exposed to view, with an arrow between his ribs. Joseph was instantly favored with a vision, and declared the remains to be the skeleton of one of the ancient Lamanites by the name of Zelph, who had been killed in a battle