Show TIlE THE TRAGEDY It is a matter of ot history that tho the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum tho Patriarch were both cruelly murdered at nt Juno 27 1844 As the question has been raised lately though certainly not by b ban any an serious Inquirer for tor the purpose of ascertaining tho the truth as to tho thol identity l of ot tho the actual murderers we quote from an article by b Colonel John Hay Ha a poet and statesman of ot International International International famo fame It was written before ho became secretary secreta of ot state state and ho he cannot be suspected of ot tendencies The article appeared In the tho Atlantic Monthly in 1869 fifteen years after atler the tragedy It is often flippant sometimes not accurate as to details and almost apologetic for tor the tho mur murderers murderers derors but tho the main facts are given with historical faithfulness Mr Hay rays 18 There Thero was as a n large body of or militia at Carthage and a small regiment at Warsaw The rhe Governor not knowing how to employ their idle hands or dered them to rendezvous at Goldens Point He sent Singleton to Nauvoo to take tako command of at the legion raised by Smith Singleton on his arrival found two thousand men inca armed and equip equipped equIpped equipped ped Though a little dismayed by tho the apparition he inspected them thorn and re cc reported reported ported to the Governor During this day or two the Govern nor s seemed se med plagued by the foul toul fiend Flibbertigibbet Ho changed his mind every eer hour with the best intentions When hen the tho troops had started for tor Gol Goi dens Point he ho began besan to doubt as ho he howell hewell howell well might They The were going to Nauvoo to search for tOr bougs a noun nouns which s in that day was used to tp denote an ingenious Imitation of ot the tho current coin manufactured in the tho city of ot the Saints and to overawe the Mormons by a calm display of at force foroe What if It thy they 11 searched for tor other things and did not content themselves with a calm display These thoughts so agi agitated agitated Governor Ford that ho wrote an order ordel on tho the countermanding former orders and disbanding the ml militia Ho He then mounted his horse and rode to Nauvoo to deliver doUver a firm firmand firmand and paternal tl address r to o the tho e Mormons All Sf this t f was done d with fu fut tho t best b Intentions fe Lions LionsOn On the tho morning of ot tho the of ot Juno the regiment of ot Colonel Levi Wil Wll Williams liams IIams started from Warsaw In obedi obedience ence once to the call can of at tho the Governor to at Goldens Point a n settle settlement settlement ment In tho the vicinity of Nauvoo They went out in high glee giec fully expecting to march to the city of ot the Saints and not doubting doubling that before they left lett It some Bome occasion would arise which would make it necessary to remove this standing scandal from the tho face of ot the earth There were none but words of ot law and order on their lips but every evory man clearly understood that Nauvoo was to bo be destroyed before they returned A public meeting in Warsaw had unanimously Resolved that wo we will forthwith proceed to Nauvoo and exterminate the city elty and its hll people a a manifesto which seemed too peppery even for tho palate palato of Mr Sharp Sh rp editor of ot the tho Signal who when he published it added the tho saving saing clause If It necessary Of or course It will willbe willbe willbe be necessary said these militiamen as they the marched out of at Warsaw on the Nauvoo road Order reigned in Warsaw for the tho thomen themen themen men wore were all gone The whole male mal adult population with trifling were in Williams lams regiment Among the captains were William N Grover Gloer afterwards a n distinguished fi lawyer of at St Louis and United States attorney for Cor Missouri and eminently respectable and ond conservative man Thomas C Sharp editor of at the tho Signal who also on this day da sowed the last lastor of or his wild oats and was afterwards principal of or the public school and greatly esteemed as county count judge Jacob C Davis then State Slate Senator afterwards member of ot Congress from that dIstrict They The arrived near noon at some nomo deserted shanties shan lies about seven miles f from i om Warsaw that had been built and md abandoned in that flurry and of or Internal improvement that passed over the state In 1838 There they the were met mot by Mr Ir David Dald Matthews a well known of Warsaw who had ridden rapidly l from Carthage with an order from the Governor disbanding the regiment The Tho Governor fearing tearing h hI could not control the inflammable material he had gathered together had hac determined to scatter it again a ln Colonel Williams read rend the tho Gover Governors Governors nors order Some of ot tho the warrior warriors blessed with robust western appetites looked at the sunS sun and con concluded concluded concluded that they the could get et home by dinner time and an under un er the Influence of this Inspiring Idea started off oft at quick step Captain Grover soon found himself without a company Captain Aldrich essayed ed a n speech for volunteers for tor Carthage He did not make multo a fair tall start says the chronicle anti and Sharp came up and took t It oft off re his I l hands Sharp being a spirited I c and impressive talker soon had a n respect respectable respectable able squad about him Captain Davis Davison on the contrary was sorely perplexed It Jt was heavy heay weather for tor him Ho lIe was wasa wasn a n professional politician and dearly loved loed both Mormon end and votes voles He lie wo so backward in com corn coming comIns lag Ins forward that pmt his company left lert him himIn hImIn himin In disgust dl and nd followed the tho fiery Grover ose company compan had gone gono home borne to dinner Davis still sUlI could not make oil his hIli mind to go home but got sot into Calvin Coles wagon and fol foh followed followed lowed tho the boys at nt a distance so 50 that at ato atI I h o r Li r i l ho he had at nt last tho luck to bo In at nt atthe the tho closing scone and nn the tho honor to tobo tobo tobe bo be indicted with the tho rest rosl The speeches I of or Grover Groyer and Sharp were rather rathor vague tho the purpose of ot murder does docs not seem to have havo been hinted They Thoy protested against being made the tools I and puppets of ot Tommy TOmm Ford They were going to Carthage to see sec tho the boys and talk tall things over Somo of ot tho the cooler heads such as an Dr Hay surgeon I of ot the regiment denounced the pro proceeding and went at once back to While they were waiting at the tho I shanties a courier came in from tho the Carthage Grays It is Impossible at this day an to declare exactly the tho purport I of his message It Is usually reported and believed that he brought an nil as M assurance I from the tho officers of ot his com corn company compan pany pan that they the would be found on I guard at the jail where the tho Smiths were confined that they thc would make no real resistance merely enough to save savo appearances This nic me message was not communicated ed cd to the tIrO men They The followed their leaders off orr on the road to Carthage with rather vague Intentions They were annoyed anno cd at the prospect of ot theIr picnic coming coining so 50 readily to o a close at losing the fun tun of oC sacking Nauvoo nt at having basing to go homo home without material for tor a n single romance Nearly ono one hun hundred hundred dred and fifty finy started with their cap captains captains thins but they gradually dwindled In number to These trudged along alone under the fierce t summer sun of at tho ho prairies towards the tho town where the cause cLUse of at all the trouble and con confusion confusion fusion of at the th last fow few years awaited them They sang on the tho way wa a rude rudo parody of ot a hymn called in the West ost the tho Hebrew chil Whore now is the tho Prophet Joseph Where here now Is the Prophet Joseph Whore Where now Is the Prophet Joseph Safo Safe in Carthage Jail The Tho farther tarther they the walked tho the more the idea impressed Itself upon them that now was sas the time to finish the matter totally The design of tho the leaders communicated itself magnetically to the tho men until unlit the en entire entire tire company became fused Into ono one mass of ot bloodthirsty energy By an ex cx excess excess cess of ot precaution they the did not go 10 directly Into tIre the town but made ml a n along along long detour so as to come in by b the road Toad leading from Nauvoo Tho Tire Jail where the Smiths were con confined confined confined fined Is situated at the extreme north northwestern northwestern northwestern western edee of o the tho dismal at the end end of ot a a long street whoso whose middle Is a dusty dusl road and whose sides are gay with and As Aa the tho avengers came camo in insight Insight insight sight of at the building that hid their prey the tho sleeping tiger that hat lurks In every human heart sprang up In theirs and they quickened their pace to a n run There was no need of orders no possibility of or checking them hom now Tho The guards were hustled away from the door resisting until they the were carefully dis disarmed disarmed armed Mr Hay then tells telL of ot tho the tragedy and tho the perjury committed by b the com corn commander commander mander of ot the tho guard to screen th the s 3 murderers He adds that the assas assassins assassins sins after their awful work hur hurried hurrIed ried ned away from the Jail and an took the tho road to Warsaw In silence and haste They Th y went home borne at a n killing pace over overtire ho tire wide dusty prairie That leaves no question as to where the came from Crom or who they the r were It H is no news to readers of ot Church history that some apostates In Nauvoo were vero in sympathy with tho mon man ruffians and that they the too planned tho the destruction of the Pro Prophet photo phd Writers on Church history have haye recorded that fact again and again Orson Oron O on F Whitney In his History states that hat a number of men excommunicated ed cd d for dishonesty and immorality do de denounced the Prophet and Joined in tho the crusade against a him Charles Foster temporarily friendly disclosed to Joseph a plot of o the to mur murder mur murdel murder der del him while at which kindly service enabled him to baffle the ho conspirators and return to Nauvoo in safety This was some somo sometime sometime time Ime before the martyrdom It is per pcr clear that the apostates in sympathy with the mob But it is equally qually clear if It historical evidence counts for tor anything an thai that tho the instruments Instruments ments month that carried out the plots of ot the I I conspirators were men armed enned by b th the tho state not for tor murder but fur for or the pro jno IIO or of Its citizens |