Brother John Tanner7 sent his two sons to Kirtland to learn the will of the Lord, whether he should remove to Zion or Kirtland. It was decided by the unanimous voice of the council, on the 28th of September, that it was the will of the Lord for all who were able and willing, to build up and strengthen the stake in Kirtland. Brother Tanner was counseled accordingly.
About this time, Elders Hyde and Gould arrived in Zion, and the Church having made the necessary preparations, Elders W. W. Phelps and Orson Hyde were despatched to the Governor of Missouri, residing at Jefferson City, the capital of the state, with the following:
Petition.
September 28, 1833.
To His Excellency Daniel Dunklin, Governor of the State of Missouri:
We, the undersigned, citizens of the Republic of the United States of America, inhabitants of the state of Missouri, and residents of Jackson county, members of the Church of Christ, vulgarly called "Mormons," believing in God, and worshiping Him according to His revealed will contained in the Holy Bible, and the fullness of the Gospel contained in the Book of Mormon, and the revelations and commandments of God through Jesus Christ, respectfully show:—
That we, your petitioners, having purchased lands of the United States, and of the State of Missouri, and of the inhabitants of said state, for the purpose of improving the same, and peaceably enjoying our rights, privileges immunities, and religion, according to the constitution and laws of the state and national governments, have suffered unjustly and unlawfully in property, in person, and in reputation, as follows:—
First, in the spring of 1832, some persons, in the deadly hours of the night, commenced stoning or brick-batting some of our houses, and breaking in our windows, disturbing ourselves, our wives, and our children; and also, some few days after, they called a county meeting to consult measures to remove us, but after some confusion among themselves, they dispersed with doing no more than threatening on that day. In the fall of the same year, they, or some one, burned a large quantity of hay in the stack, and soon after commenced shooting into some of our houses, and at many times insulting with abusive language.
Secondly, about the middle of July last, yea, in fact, previous, they commenced brick-batting our houses again, and breaking in our windows. At this time, July 18th, the following document was in circulation:8 * * * * * * *
On Saturday, the 20th of July last, according to the foregoing document, there assembled, suddenly, in the town of Independence, at the court house, between four and five hundred persons, who sent Robert Johnson, James Campbell, Moses Wilson, Joel F. Chiles, Richard Bristoe, Abner F. Staples, Garr Johnson, Lewis Franklin, Russell Hicks, S. D. Lucas, Thomas Wilson, James M. Hunter, and Richard Simpson to some of your petitioners, namely, Edward Partridge, A. S. Gilbert, John Corrill, Isaac Morley, John Whitmer, and W. W. Phelps, and demanded that we should immediately stop the publication of the Evening and Morning Star, and close printing in Jackson county; and that we, as Elders of said Church, should agree to remove out of the county forthwith. We asked for three months for consideration. They would not grant it. We asked for ten days. They would not grant it, but said fifteen minutes was the longest, and refused to hear any reasons. Of course the conversation broke up.
The four or five hundred persons, as a mob, then proceeded to demolish or raze to the ground, the printing office and dwelling house of W. W. Phelps & Co. Mrs. Phelps, with a sick infant and the rest of her children, together with the furniture in the house, were thrown out of doors—the press was broken, the type pied—the bookwork, furniture, apparatus, property, etc., of the office, were principally destroyed, and the office thrown down, whereby seven hands were thrown out of employment, and three families left destitute of the means of subsistence.
The loss of the whole office, including the stoppage of The Evening and Morning Star a monthly paper, and the Upper Missouri Advertiser, a weekly paper, was about six thousand dollars, without the damages which must result in consequence of their suspension.
The mob then proceeded to demolish the store-house and destroy the goods of Gilbert, Whitney & Co.; but Mr. Gilbert assuring them the goods should be packed by the 23rd inst., [July,] they then stopped the destruction of property, and proceeded to do personal violence. They took Edward Partridge, the Bishop of the Church, from his dwelling house by force, and a Mr. Allen, and stripping them of their coats, vests, and hats, or causing them to do it themselves, tarred and feathered them in the presence of the mob, before the court house. They caught other members of the Church to serve them in like manner, but they made their escape. With horrid yells and the most blasphemous epithets they sought for other leading Elders, but found them not. It being late, they adjourned until the 23rd inst.
On the 23rd inst., early in the day, the mob again assembled to the number of about five hundred, many of them armed with rifles, dirks, pistols, clubs and whips; one or two companies riding into town bearing the red flag, raising again the horrid yell. They proceeded to take some of the leading Elders by force, declaring it to be their intention to whip them with from fifty to five hundred lashes apiece, to demolish their dwelling houses, and let their negroes loose to go through our plantations, and lay open our fields for the destruction of our crops.
Whereupon John Corrill, John Whitmer, W. W. Phelps, A. S. Gilbert, Edward Partridge, and Isaac Morley, made no resistance, but offered themselves a ransom for the Church, willing to be scourged or die, if that would appease their anger towards the Church, but were assured by the mob, that every man, woman, and child would be whipped or scourged, until they were driven out of the county, as the mob declared that either they or the "Mormons" must leave the county, or they, or the "Mormons" must die.
The mob then chose a new committee, consisting of Samuel C. Owens, Leonidas Oldham, G. W. Simpson, M. L. Irwin, John Harris, Henry Chiles, Harvey H. Younger, Hugh L. Brazile, N. K. Olmstead, James C. Sadler, William Bowers, Benjamin Majors, Zachariah Waller, Herman Gregg, Aaron Overton, and Samuel Weston, who, with Edward Partridge, Isaac Morley, John Corrill, W. W. Phelps, A. S. Gilbert, and John Whitmer, entered into the following stipulation:—
"Memorandum of agreement between the undersigned of the Mormon society, in Jackson county, Missouri, and a committee appointed by a public meeting of the citizens of said county, made the 23rd day of July, 1833.
"It is understood that the undersigned members of the society do give their solemn pledge each for himself, as follows, to-wit:—
"That Oliver Cowdery, W. W. Phelps, William E. M'Lellin, Edward Partridge, Lyman Wight, Simeon Carter, Peter and John Whitmer, and Harvey Whitlock, shall remove with their families out of this county on or before the first day of January next; and that they, as well as the two hereinafter named, use all their influence to induce all the brethren now here, to remove as soon as possible—one half, say, by the first of January next, and all by the first day of April next; to advise and try all means in their power, to stop any more of their sect from moving to this county, and as to those now on the road, they will use their influence to prevent their settling permanently in the county, but that they shall only make arrangements for temporary shelter, till a new location is agreed on for the society. John Corrill and Algernon S. Gilbert, are allowed to remain as general agents to wind up the business of the society, so long as necessity shall require; and said Gilbert may sell out his merchandise now on hand, but is to make no new importations.
"The Star is not again to be published, nor a press set up by any of the society in this county.
"If the said Edward Partridge and W. W. Phelps move their families by the first day of January as aforesaid, they themselves will be allowed to go and come in order to transact and wind up their business.
"The committee pledge themselves to use all their influence to prevent any violence being used so long as a compliance with the foregoing terms is observed by the parties concerned.
"To which agreement are subscribed the names of the above-named committee, as also those of the Mormon brethren named in the report as having been present."
The damages which your petitioners have sustained in consequence of this outrage and stipulation are,