Mormon History, Dec 5, 1845

[Hosea Stout Diary] Friday Decr 5th 1845. I went to the Hall this morning as usual: but when I came I found the waggon shop in confusion about the price of wages & many other matters of dissatisfaction which had been brewing for some tine.In fact matters had got to such a pass among some of the old police that I could hardly suggest an idea which was not some exceptions taken to it & some had even gone so far as to join some other companies in a clandestine way and kept the same from me & at the same time was working in my company because they said I was doing better than the company to which they had attached themselves and not content with that they were using their influence to have others do the same and thus spreading the seeds of discord & disunion in the midst of this once happy and united company.There was hardly a move which I could make but some one would either leave or threaten to leave the company.The guard was also on the wane & it seemed that the very genius of
contention was about to
prevail.There would also be some one or two dissatisfied every time I would appoint a captain of ten.So it appeared this morning that the matter had come to its achme.So I went to reconciling the difficulties again and as fast as I would reconcile one another would become dissatisfied whereupon I concluded to call the captains together to night at dark and have these differences adjusted and the price of wages settled and thus it ended for the present.I then went to Hunters to see him about what had happened at the Hall this morning but he not being home I was there left to contemplate on the situation of the company alone.I plainley saw that it all had originated from a spirit of dissention which was in the old police and I concluded to fall back on my former rights and deal with all offenders as was our custom in such cases and informed Hunter of the same who approved of my resolution.We then met the police and then to the Hall and met with the Ca
ptains of my company (who were
thirteen in number)
When we were ready for business I told them that I had no intention to regulate wages settle difficulties but was resolved to stand on my on rights privileges and that the way I was going to do was to drop every one of the company who had been using his influence against it all those who had joined other companies should not work in mine to continue the Spirit of disunion as they had done and ordered the captains to see to it in their respective companies or I would hold them accountable for the neglect that if they and all of their companies or any one of them did not like my policy they could leave the company in welcome and I would allow them what was right for what they had done if they went in peacethat inasmuch as we were appointed to guard the city I intended to perform that part of my duty if everything else remained undone & that I was determined to have men of integraty and such as would remain so to assist me to
perform this most responsible part of my duty as it
respected the old police who were disaffectedI told them that I would not detail them any more on guard untill they made satisfaction for what they had done or showed good reason for the course which they had pursued.
After I was done the captains all spoke and also all in the house about twenty in all and said that they were glad I had taken the course I had & that they would support me in it to the utmost of their ability
The names of the old police who we considered disaffected that night were Jesse P HarmonDaniel CarnAndrew & John Lytle & M. D. Hambleton and no others were mentioned or intended to be in the move which was taken at that time after the meeting was over I went home at 9 oc.

[source: Diaries of Hosea Stout]