Show A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST incidents of the nauvoo troubles major bidamon tells an interesting story NAUVOO hancock co ill oct 7 Editor Deseret news the more we see of nauvoo ve fie better we like its beautiful site and admire the taste of the prophet and ins his brethren when they selected this spot lor for a gathering place of the saints of all the places we have seen on the mississippi river none in our estimation equals thisdore the location of a a gibat city and it to an easy matter for our imagination to conceive how magnificent was toe view when the beautiful stretch of land between joseph mansion near the r river ive r and tb ibe e slite where yie ve tompie temple reared spi heavenward was covered with the neat habitations and lovely gardens of the saints even now BOW in its neglected state when the site is covered with farms vineyards and orchards and weeds are cod contending tending with pedestrians and veni vehicles cies for the possession of the streets and sidewalks the place has great attractions what a wonderful wendorf ul change would be brought about in a few years were a community of saints possessing the industrial and stirring habits characteristic te of huchto such to take possession hera and the present population seem to be fully aware of this in our rambles les through town we hive have met a number of men and some of them prominent who have expressed great desires for the saints to return it was said they I 1 a great mistake to drive the mormons cormons away from illinois li ever ver since they ibey left nauvoo has been but a poor shadow of its former sell self and all our efforts to rebuild the place and increase our population have been in vain we sincerely wish the mor mons would return they would now be received with open arms such seems to have been the change of sentiment that a few years ago a petition was formulated signed by nearly the entire population of nauvoo and addressed to joseph smith asking him to make nauvoo his bis headquarters he saw fit bow however everto to locate at lamoni iowa whether the saints in utah would be equally welcome is an open ques ion we hhie since our arrival here met and conversed with a number of the leading men ot of tale town who without exception have treated us ua with much courtesy and respect aud seem to be greatly interested in our people among those we will make special mention tion of our host major L 0 bidamon husban rot the late emma smith widow of the prophet joseph he is a remarkably well preserved man now nearly 83 years old and withal sociable and agreeable in his bis manners being somewhat inclined to be witty we asked him a number of questions in inyeard regard to his experience among the saints in the time of the troubles in ia 1816 which he answered in a straight forward manner and at times spoke with considerable emotion his narrative rans ramis follows 1 I am a virginian au by birth removed to ohio with my parents when a boy and there married but lost my wife by death add subsequently removed to canton ohio when I 1 first arrived in nauvoo in ill april 1846 1 I found the city menaced by a wicked mob who notwithstanding the majority of the mormons cormons Mor mons hd bad already gone into the wilderness were relentless in their persecutions of the few who remained behind I 1 was soon convinced that the mormons cormons Mor mons were a much abused people and as I 1 have always felt inclined iDell ned to stand up tor for jus tice and right at all times and under all circumstances it was not long before my sympathies were with the saints I 1 watched the doings of the mob with a keen eye and felt indignant when I 1 witnessed how illegal and vexatious lawsuits were gotten up based upon grumpel up charges for the purpose of dragging defendants twenty or thirty miles into out of the way places in order to waylay them and often for the purpose of whipping and murdering them and when they in some instances refused to go knowing the object was waa to kill them ahe robbers set up a great hue and cry that the mormons cormons disobeyed the law I 1 was finally appointed a trustee on the he part of the new citizens to negotiate A with the robbers for peace and was also sent to governor ford to lay OUT grievances before that official at first he refused to listen to me swore that lie he would not spend another dollar dol ar in the interest of hancock county having already had bad so much trouble with the people there I 1 knew however that our cause was just and becoming indignant at the governors actions I 1 threatened that if he would not do his duly daty in the matter I 1 would appeal to the president ot of the united states baates seeing that I 1 was in earnest he at last listened to what I 1 had bad to say and a agreed reed to send major parker with me back to nauvoo with a posse ot of twelve men which were to serve as a guard to protect protect those upon whom writs might to be served in the fixture the mob however would wo aid not recognize ze Park ets authority and swore by all we the devils and saints the they y could think of that they would do as they d d please and did not care for the governor nor anybody else and bot even jecus christ if lie ile would dare to aay a good bord word tor for tai aji 3 time after afterwards warde I 1 was to a second time to the governor I 1 started down the river in a small rowboat and the jobbers learning ol of my departure started in pursuit crossed the river from warsaw and surrounded the house in which I 1 bad intended to stop atop for or the night bt at churchville near alexandria me ther there were twelve or fifteen oi of guem they came in and asked me how bow I 1 would like to go with them to mr air brockmans brockmann Brock mans camp I 1 answered that I 1 should not like it at all as I 1 was fully aware that his bis men were not favorably disposed toward me but by god says they you will go and they made a move as if f they wanted to take me by force quick iw as thought I 1 bad d my hand on my pistol which in the next instant I 1 held cocked in their faces while I 1 hallead out oat stand back there or I 1 will blow daylight through you the way these mob burs bers made for the door and scattered in all directions was a caution cautions A ordering my tw two 0 men whom I 1 had engaged t to 0 me down the river to get the boat ready I 1 retreated with pistol in hand got inthe in the boat pulled ta f the middle of the stream where the balls of the robbers could not revoc reach us and arrived at quincy in safety from from the latter place I 1 continued tue journey by stage for springfield while stopping at mount sterling a few hours 1 I 1 was surrounded by the inhabitants who were very curious carious to know all about the situation at nauvoo I 1 made such explanations as I 1 thought proper and alter I 1 was through a hard looking individual with dark features ca came me up to me and said he was a captain in singletons ingle tons militia and was going to nauvoo the next day all at once it came to me that I 1 should play the robbers a trick in order to avert the immediate danger which threatened nauvoo and keep the mob off until I 1 had bad seen the governor I 1 asked the fellow ellow if he be would carry a letter tor for me to my brother in nauvoo hg he said he be would on conditions that I 1 would let lee huntt know the contents contenta of it this I 1 agad d to do I 1 then wrote a few alnor I 1 in which I 1 pretended to advise the a citizens of nauvoo to refrain from froin shedding blood if possible for wrote 1 I it would be an easy matter for you with you hell wires res and hell half acres to destroy the whole moo mob force at once what do you mean by hell acres and hell bell half acres demanded nay MY nian man oh I 1 dont like to tell you that said I 1 then byg by G d J ejaculated he 41 1 I will not carry your ietter letter very well wd said I 1 11 provided you can caa keep a secret I 1 will explain to you 1 he thought lie he could and I 1 then proceeded to tell him that every approach to nauvoo was undermined and large lare quantities of powder deposited in such a manner that by the pulling of certain wires mechanically arranged it clotild be exploded at will of course there was not a word of truth in that but he be drank it all tu iu aud and went immediately to the mob camp where the letter was read ir 11 had bad the desired effect the mob although quite strong enough io 10 have have taken nauvoo 0 at once concluded to wait for reinforcements which gave me time to return from my visit to the governor before toe the final attack wu made the governor returned me with orders to major flood of quincy for him to proceed to 10 nauvoo and assist in adjusting the difficulties between the mormons cormons Mor mons and the mob that gentleman was at first unwilling to go 0 f but finally concluded to do so tak taking ug with him a number of other leading men of quincy when we arrived at ai montrose we ve could distinctly hear the cannonading canno anno on the prairie east of raue nauvoo and hav having crossed the river I 1 sent the quin quincy cy delegation delegat aon in my mv carriage out to the moo mob camp these gentlemen tried their best to establish peace between the fighting parties but all in vain all they succeeded in doing was that they induced the mob to promise to cease hostilities until the next day As the delegation was returning to nauvoo several shots were fired alter them I 1 happened to pick up a spent ball which I 1 presented to mr wood saying that here was a compliment from the at feeding feeing this mr wood became so indignant that he jumped to his feet exclaims exclaimed give ve me a gun and I 1 will stand by you yon and see it all through in all my intercourse with people and 1 I have dealt even with he athens I 1 have never in all my life seen such infamy among mankind I 1 advised mr wood to keep at a safe distance and witness what was going on that he might live to testify of our doings for we all expected to fight tul the last mr wood who was a wealthy man subsequently showed great kindness in a substantial manner toward the saints by sending up lar large e quantities of pro broj visions partly ox his own stock anar partly such as he had influenced others t to 0 give ive I 1 previous previous to this I 1 together with a few other sent to the mob camp at green clams liia a view to no brin bringing ng about a compromise DIn promise on that oe occasion ion it it became my lot to delav deliver r a speech in defence f ence of the mormons cormons Mor mons now I 1 am not a very religious man and not at all superstitious superstitions in fact 1 am in dined to be rather skeptic but 1 I believe I 1 was inspired ou on that occasion to portray the condition of the people in nauvoo and to plead in behalf of suffering innocence for even the feelings of the hardened williams williami seemed to be touched as he be listened to me as I 1 plainly saw tears coursing their way down his hia guilty Cj checks eclis I 1 told them that thai the remnant reni saoi ot of the mormons Mor mons were malting making pre pa rations to get away as fast as possible and all they asked lor for was a little more time in chica to dispose of their property ILI alakl raise cleans for their lourney journey I 1 Y an and d furthermore that some of the heads of families were 1 in the service of the united states marfaing marc aing toward mexico aid their families could no not conveniently bo be mo moved ed until these soldiers had drawn their pay I 1 was appa apparently renay making a good impression upon the robbers mob bers when thomas C saara the notorious editor of the warsaw sigual interrupted me and told me that hiie the war was between the mormons cormons Mor mons and the old citizens and that lead no right to interfere and further that if we whom they d designated jack not stand aloof we should bhare the same fate las as the mormons Mor mons 1 when I 1 alluded to the sufferings of the women and children he burst out in terrible terrin le rage as ing after uttering a fearful larive oath drive the women into the river and throw their damned young ones in alter them bit B it was finally agreed that we should meet at warsaw the following day and make another attempt at ing here I 1 was asked ly loy mr vii dams to sign a document to to the effect wit that we would see all the cormons mormons Mor mons a 8 0 oat at of nauvoo within i a reasonable abne this I 1 emphatically refused to dv y and said that I 1 would weald see him in deli bu a thousand fathoms beep before I 1 would put my signature zo suca auca A paper at last lasi I 1 became so d elih hii h him that I 1 invited him bim to come out into the street for five minutes and we would then and there settle the matter at ar once so far as we two were concerned buthe bathe refused to eaga engage gein in t anat oat kind of experience when I 1 think of the doings of those fellows even at this late day it makes my blood boll bell within it was a shame gentlemen a burning shame the way your people were treated at that time III 1 I returned alfrom warsaw without affecting any compromise and our next move was to defend ourselves the best beat we could bould we turned the steamboat shafts into cannon repaired our small arms manufactured ammunition and were determined to sell our lives as dear as possible tte toe famous battle of nauvoo Is a matter of history I 1 fought fouat by the side ot the gallant captain anderson who fell as one of th the oble noble defenders of human rights but af at last we were forced to capitulate and so in I 1 ceased were the robbers atthe at the active part I 1 had bad taken la in the defense that they put me and two others on the death list threatening to kill us at sight to avert toeur murderous intent ten I 1 absented myself f from rom nauvoo for a few mon tits and did not return until february 1847 duri during ng my absence the robbers ro b bers plundered pi u my house the one I 1 had bad bo aught of president young carry carrying lua away and destroying everything could get a hold of including my a tock lock of wagons and house furniture never returned to me save some boone of the carpets ets which 1 I had par purchased chased ot of the temple mple committee when governor ford in his history of illinois says I 1 that he was not posted in regard to tile the crimes cames enacted by the mob in nauvoo at that time he tells a wicked lie for I 1 visited him twice himself and told him all about it and I 1 also know that he was duly informed inlo amed by others in regard jooseph te to oseph smith candor compels me to sa aa r V that be was a noble man yes a noble man indeed I 1 never met his equaling equa lin au my life and 1 only saw him once but that occasion I 1 shall never forget A certain phrenologist tad bad invited me to accompany him to nauvoo to pay joseph a visit the professor desiring to make an examination of his head we found joseph walking in the garden he received us kindly and soon invited us into the house where I 1 had a two hours conversation with him his manners movements and whole deportment made a deep and ancl lasting impression upon me I 1 and convinced me that lie he was not the impostor and wicked pian nan he had bad been represented by his enemies to be to me he be appeared to oe de a good honest and noble hearted man maa and from all I 1 have ever learned about him since I 1 have not had bad occasion to change my opinion about him in answer to our further inquiry the major described the as a very good looking man with light complexion and light brown hair he was strongly built and well proportioned i was about six feet high and weighed hec pounds ANDREW EDWARD 4 JOSEPHS JOSEPH S BLACK |