Bro W. Woodruff
Sir according to your request I Proceed to give you
an account of the conversation I had with Pres Joseph Smith previous to
his Massacre. the first conversation I had with the Prophet On the following
subjects was the Night; the Guard come in to Take him with a Rit
we walked togather towards the River & sat down. I asked him How this
thing was going to come out. he replied if the Brethern would Let him
Manage the Business; there should be no blood shed, but if not it would
be the hardest Blow the Church ever had or would receive, that if he & Hyrum
were ever taken again the[y] Would be Massacread or he was not a Prophet of
God, he said he wanted to Save Hyrum to avenge his Blood, he said that
Hyrum was determined Not to Leave him but die with him, he told me to
go & call Bro Hyrum Bro Willard Richards, Wm Law, W. W. Phelps, John Taylor &
several others that I do not now recolect their Names, then he & I turned & walked
up close to the Mansion, as we were walking along we heard the sound of a company
of Horses & Men; as it was now dark he sent me ahead to see what the[y] were
on getting up I found a company of 20 Men from Carthage for about 17 ^having a Writ^
for some 17 Men. I talked with them a few Minutes & found out what the[y]
wanted & returned & Told Joseph, he told me to return & tell them he would
see them the Next day at 10 Oclock, then I called the above named council
togather & we went up to Joseph Chamber, there we talked over the subject of
the Writ &c &c, & Joseph said it was the voice of the Spirit for him to go to the
West ^among the Navives^ & Take Hyrum & several others along with him & Look out a place for the Church
(NB. While siting on the Bank of the River he said he wanted Bro Hyrum to go aboard of the
Maid of Iowa & Take Both their famalies to Ohio & Leave him to fight the Battles,
at this time he said he wanted to save Hyrum to avenge his Blood). When the
council was dismissed about 4 A.M. we all went out to Josephs West gate, there several
of us halted. Joseph Turned & said something to me Like this Bro Markham I want
to Leave you to Take charge of the Legion. thin I replied I will do as you want me
whatever it may be. I will go with you, or stop here & defend the city ontill I die
or go & give myself up just what ever you say I will do. he held his hed Bowed
down as though he was in a deep study about a Minute then he said Bro Markham
you have always done as I wanted you & you always will Now I will tell you
what to do, go & dismiss the Legion before day Light so that the Men having the Writ
cannot see that we are Onder arms, & then send My Horse & Hyrums over the River
to us with the 8 Oclock Boat, then go home & sleep till 10 Oclock & go & get all the
Men you can to delver themselves up with you at 10 Oclock & stand your Triel and it
may do some good. I tell you in the name of Israels god the[y] shall not have power
to hurt you: he repeated these Last words 3 Times, we walked down to the River
& he & Hyrum W. Richards W. Clayton W. Law General Dunam & W. W. Phelps the[y]
started across the river in a Sciff. & I went & dismissed the Legion &c as I
was told & Left word with the Guard at the Mansion to have the Horses sent over
with the 8 Oclock Boat, without fail. at 9 A.M. I went down to get the others
to delver themselves up with me. When I got To the Mansion I found that the
horses was not sent along I found on Enquiry that Emma Locked the barn dore &
would not Let Josephs Horse go as she Had the Key in his Pockett. I asked her
for the Key, she would not Let me have it. I took up an ax & said I would
stave open the dore & send the Horse along, then she said if I would not do it
she would sent them over with the Next Boat without fail & you may go & deliver
your self up & rest contented that the[y] will get the Horses. I hunted for the Men
called for in the Writ & found Stephen Peery, & Harvey Richfield & another
Whose Name I have forgot we deliverd ourselves up. When I was going to give myself
up there appeard to be considerble exitement Manifested by A. Cutler R. Cahoon
Lucan Woodworth H. Kimball & a Number of others. the[y] wanted to get a council
found & send a committee to Invite Joseph back. the[y] said it was a Balable
Case & there was no danger as the[y] would bale him To any amount the[y] Might
ask they said it would Break up the Place & Lissen the Value of Property also Ruin
a number of Men for Joseph to Leave. they wanted me to be One of a Committee
to wait on Joseph. I riplied mind your Own business Brethirn & Let Joseph
alone. I have got my Orders from him & I will die before I vary from them
I then went & deliverd myself up alone, the Oficer having the Writ told me to get as
many as was going to deliver themselves up & get a suficient guard & come on in
the afternoon as the[y] did not wish to Wait any Longer I got the aforesaid Men that
was willing to deliver themselves up, & Philemon Merrell with a guard of Elevin
Men with him, & we Proceeded to Carthage about 5 Oclock P.M. when we arived
at Carthage there was considerable exitement because Joseph & Hyrum was not along
& a good many Threats by the people that the[y] would have ^them^him or the[y] would go &
destroy Nauvoo. General Demming took us in his charge. also Our ammo & the arms
of our Guard. he promised on the Honor of a Man to deliver them up to us again
he reported to the Governor that we had come but he would not receive us that
Night as the[y] were not ready to try us. General Demming Lodged us Guard & all
in the Upper Room of the Jail where Joseph was Killed & set a guard round us
about 11 Oclock at Night John A. Hicks sent along an Oficer with a Writ for
One of any Guard. there was with the Officer about 12 Men I told them to wait
Ontill day Light as we should all be there. I recieved a Letter from Gen Demming
about day light informing me that the Governor would not receive us as prisnors, as
Joseph & Hyrum was not along. he said there was evil desighnd against us especialy
me & he said we had better take care of ourselves. we councild togather in Prison
& concluded that the Prisnors & I would clear Leaving Our Guard to get our Horses
& come after us, which we did Keeping of[f] the road ontill we got about half
way to Nauvoo. I began thereafter Oversy as our Guard did not follow as was expected
here we see a company coming from Nauvoo. When the[y] come up I found that
it was Joseph & Hyrum going to give themselves up. I went to Joseph & showed
him the Litter [Letter] I got from Gen Demming & Told him what had Passed & the
Threats that had been Mad[e]. he re[a]d the Letter & Told me about the committee
Going to him in Iowa saying that he had always said he would stand by them
ontill death but now as the Woolf had come he left the flock for the W
To be destroyed. he remarked I could not stand such Language as that & said
If the People do not want me to Live for their sake I do not want to live for
my own. he said he told them he would go back & dilevr himself up &
go Like a Lamb to the Slaughter. then I asked him if I might go with
him & die with him he Looked up at me & smiled saying I have told you
that they will not have power to hurt, you but you may go along. I got into
the Wagon & rode with him ontill we got to Bro A. Fellows House from
there we see an armd force of about 100 Men coming from Carthage both
them & us Came to a halt. when we sent a flag of Truce to see what
was wanted here any Guard that was to bring on our Horses came up to us the[y]
said after we Left several of them was Taken with Writs & General Demming
interfeard & took them from the Oficers several Times. at Last he Put them
in a Hollow square formd by Cap Dunns Company & instructed them to
dilever the Guard safe to me which Cap Dunn did. here Cap Dunn came
up saying he had an Order from the Governor for the Public arms. about that
Time I Looked towards Nauvoo & see Two men ride Quickly towards the City
I asked Joseph if he had sent an Express Back he said no. I told him there
was 2 Men going. he hung his head about a Minute & replied the
Wicked fleeth when no man pursueth here we returned to Nauvoo & deliv
erd up the the arms & We returnd to Carthage about 10 Oclock P.M.
next day we were brought up for Triel & all got bail. when fixing to return
home Joseph & Hyrum was taken with another Writ for Treason
the[y] were brought before the Justice that Isued the Writ & he without
Trying them Made out a Commitamus & sent them to Jail without a Triel
the[y] were Lodged in the Lower Room for the Night. while there I seen several
men with their fire arms Peeking through the windows, we got Joseph & H.
in one corner of the room where the[y] could not be seen & Guarded them all Night
in the Morning Doctor southwick ^& I went in to the Town^ (a Man from Taces Trying to get Joseph to go to
Texas with the Church being in Jail with us all Night) & Myself went in to the
Town to see what was going On & found a good deal of ecitement espicealy with
the Carthage Grays, as the[y] had rebeld saying the[y] would kill Joseph & H. the
Governor Made a speach to them after which the[y] came back & Joind the Brigade
that afternoon there was a council held in Hamiltons Tavern. Doctor South[w]ick
was in the Meeting seeing what was going on, he said he had the Minutes of the
Meeting & the Purport of said Meeting was to take into consideration the best
way to stop Joseph ^& Hyrum^ Smiths Career as his vewe on Government was widely
Circulated & Took Like wild fire. the[y] said that if he did not get in to
the Presidential chair this Election he would be sure to next, & if Illo^i^nois
& Missouri would join togather & kill ^them^ him they would not be brought
to justice for it. there was delegates in said meeting from every state
of the Union excpt three. the Governor & Cap Smith of the Carthage Grays
was in the Meeting also. the doctor said the Meeting was broke up in a huried
manner as the sentinal Reported that Col Markham was coming up
stairs. when the Meeting dismissed in a hurry the[y] Lift [Left] the Minutes on the
Table & the Doctor Picked them up, & Brought them to me & re[a]d them
he agreed to Copy them & give me the Original. I went to Jail & Told
Joseph that the[y] intended to kill him he made an observation Like this
be not afraid. nothing more pertaculary passed through the day. the Nect
Morning I went out again & found that the Governor was going to the City
of Nauvoo with about 100 Men. I went & Told Joseph that I did not
consider them safe as the Governor had gone Leaving the Carthage grays
to guard the Jail & dismissing the rest of the Troops. before Leaving I
went to the Governor & got a Permit Written & sighned by his own hand
giving me Leave to go in & out of the Jail when I pleased. before starting
he pledged his Word on the Honour of the state that Nothing would molest
the prisnors. I told the Governor that I did not Consider the Carthage Grays
a safe Guard saying that I considerd he should Leave another Gard it was
at this Time that he pledged his Honour & the faith of the state that no
Measure would be taken but according to Law
I had no more conversation with Joseph till about One Oclock. we were
Sitting togather on the Bed. I said, I wish you would tell me how this
fuss is going to come out as you have at other Times before hand. he replied
Bro Markham the Lord placed me to govern his Kingdom on the Earth
but the people has Taken away from me the rains [reigns] of Government by
the Commit^t^ee Making the statements they did concerning me Leaving the
flock I gave way to them, & the whisperings of the spirit Left me &
I am now nomore then a common Man, & I can do nothing for myself
exept the[y] place me back to my former position, & if the[y] dont do it I am
gone. about this Time Doctor Richards was taken sick, then Bro Joseth [Joseph]
said to me Bro Markham as you have a pass to go out & in you will
need to go out & get the Doctor a Pipe & Tobacco to settle his stumack
I went out & got a Pipe from Sherif Backinstoss & Bought some Tobacco in
a store Close by & was returning. John Eagle was in the store & Threw out
Considerable Threats against the Mormons & in Perticular against me. when
Proceeding to the Jail I was asailed by a man by the Name of Stewart he
Called to me. Old man you have got to Leave the Town in 5 Minutes I
replied I shall not do it neither can you drive me you Can kill me but
you cannot drive me. then he Turned and charged upon me with his Baynot & I
Paried it of[f] with my Lift [Left] hand & Nocked him down with my right he
Hollowed & all the Carthage grays ralied round me with their Guns & Baynots
& Told me I had got to Leave the Town forth with or I would be a dead
man in a short time they making passes at me with their Baynots I
Paried them of[f] with my Left and Nocked them down to the amount of 10 or 12
with my right, then the[y] got so close that I had no chance. Eagle in the
gang urge^i^ng them on. Hamilton the Inn Keeper came out & said I had
better go home as I would only get Killed if I remained. he said you
can do the prisnors no good & I will bring you your Horse I told him I
was not going home. & not to bring him. he Cried & Brought my Horse
up & they forced me on him with the points of their Baynots Ontill the
Blood filled my shoes. they then formed a hollow square round me
& Marched me to the Timber. from there I rode to G. D. Grants &
desired him to go & tell Joseph the reason I did not return. when Near
Bro Fellows I heard the report I heard the report of a Large amount of
fire arms discharge in Carthage. On ariving at Nauvoo I found the Governor
on Porter Rockwells frame Making quite an Inflamitory speach to the people
about that Time 2 of the [Marrs] & 10 others handed in their Names to the Governor
acompanied with afidavids that the[y] were afraid of their Lives. the Gov
Turned to the people & said Gentlemen you do not Know the danger you are in
if there is any of these men Missing onder any Circumstance whatever, your Lives
& the Lives of your Wives & children will atone for it. your houses are as
it were on Kegs of Powder & the Matches are all ready ^lit^ to set it of[f]. When
the Governor came down of[f] the house I met him at the Mansion dore I told
him how the[y] used me in Carthage after he started, to which he replied that
is nothing to what you have done here. I replied you are a Damed Lier
he turned in to the West dore of the Mansion & Left me.
the Next morning G. D. Grant came to my house at daylight & told me
that Joseph & Hyrum were Killed in Jail. Bro Grant said he was coming into
Nauvoo & was within 2 Miles of the City when the Governor met him. he told
the Gov what transpired at Carthage. he was then Taken into Custady & marched
2 Miles East of Carthage. the Gov said if he would Let him go to the
City Markham would Call out the Legion & destroy Carthage & Warsaw
before Morning. & then get fresh Horses & follow us and Kill us off
Respectfuly
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Historians Office
G. S. L. City
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June 1844
S. Markham's statement about Jos. Smith
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