[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 27 Sunday I spent the morning hearing a paper from Missouri read giving an account of the battle between the mob & mormons of Nauvoo. Also of General Karney Army of the west among wholm was 50 of the Mormons. There was a prospect of the whole Armey suffering for want of food. We appointed a meeting at 2 oclok in our new city to hear a statement made by square Wells of the affairs in Nauvoo. Before meeting the cry of fire was heard on the prairie grass of the encampment & all run to put it out & it was soon extinguished.
Meeting opened at 2 oclok PM at the Council Block. Meeting opened by prayer by O Pratt who also remarked that we had suffered by the gentiles A long time; but had now gone out of there midst & hoped we should rest for a season from there grasp. Had rather suffer the fatigues of this wilderness journey and live on game than suffer by mobs. Would rather fall into the hands of God than a mob as God is more merciful. I have heard the prophet say that God Could not controle the wicked at all times and let them act upon their agency without operating upon them as a machine. I am contented whare I am but should be more so if we had an abundance of the necessaries of life.
The mob at last have had courage after gathering & threatning for about 6 years to come against the Saints in Nauvoo. From one thousand to twelve hundred men had came against one hundred of the Saints and have a pitched battle. But the Saints went out to Battle in the name of God & their enemies were defeated.
Daniel H Wells arose and said, I will by request give a short account of affairs in Nauvoo concerning their late difficulties. You have heard that men were lynched there. We took 15 of the offenders who were sent to Quincy for a trial were let out on bail. The mob then issued writs against Picket, Clifford & Furnice. The two latter went. Picket would not. A mob was then raised as a possee to execute the writs they said. They staid several weeks to increas there numbers. They had at first about 300 /And increased to 1,000/. The 100 men we had lay in ambush for the mob. They canonaded through the day but done no harm. Next day they tried the same again. We repelled them. On Saturday at one oclok they advanced upon the city with 1,000 or 1,200 men. We met them in the name of God and gained the victory. The action lasted one hour & 20 minutes. They fired 42 Cannon Ball & we 32 Ball. Though the mob were 10 to our one they were defeated & retreated from the Battle field.
We had three Killed and none wounded. The mob would not acknowledge any killed but we walked over the battle ground & found a plenty of mob blood. One man not a member of the Church said He saw them put 15 bodies in one waggon that were handled like dead & other waggons were loaded in the same way. One of the Saints lying in a suller saw 8 wounded brought to the building each one telling whare he was shot. They dug at there intrenchment after the battle. It was supposed they buried there dead there.
The next day was sunday. They did not shute any. We flung some ball & burst one cannon. On Monday the mob sent us a cannon ball to let us know they had some left & we sent it back again. During the fight the boys would watch the cannon Ball strike & run & get it & bring it to us & we would send it back.
On Tuesday a committee was sent to us to make a treaty but it was rejected by both parties. A Brigade was then Called for, but afterwards A treaty was made. We agreed to surrender the City & leave in 5 days. On wednesday evening the treaty was made and the Saints began to pack up their goods and the next day all goods was removed.
As the mob came in we left 2 Blocks in advance. We met many of the Saints on this side of the river in distress & it drew tears from the eyes of some of the mob. We saw camp fires of the mob the same night we left on both sides of the river.
There were scenes transpired in the siege enough to melt the heart of a stone. The lynching of men when they are labouring for a living & whiping them untill they cannot stand alone as the mob did was a damnable thing. They made them kneel on a spot whare they said some one was buried. Placed them in a position so they Could be whiped easy. An old revolutioner was one of them and was so beat by the mob that He has not been able to get about all summer. I have an old grand Father, A Revolutioner. I have thought I would not let him know any thing about it but keep it from him that his feelings may not be harrow up as he is about ready to step into his grave. But I will say no more but give way for Father Br Cutler.
Br Cutler arose and said I can bear my testimony that what Br Wells has said is strictly true according to the best of my knowledge. If I was to talk untill sun down the whole Could not be told. I have been kept in Nauvoo by the hand of God. Others wanted to have been here and would have been had it not been necessary to have stoped to save our brethren there who could not get away. I know the hand of God has been made manifest in the salvation of the people in Nauvoo. I thank God I had a hand in the battle. And the hand of God was so visible in that battle that many that were weak & faltering have been much strengthend by it and will gather with the Saints. I did not expect that God would deliver their enemies into their hands but expected that God would save them out of the hands of their enemies and this he has done.
I was sensible we must leave Nauvoo. The time has come for us to depart. God has Called upon us to Go and if we will not he will let the mob loose upon us to drive us out. But they will not get any Glory for it but will have to suffer for their wrongs to the [Saints]. I hope the day will come when we shall not have to suffer from Mobs as we have done. But if we had sought to have saved our lives in this case by fleeing many would have lost them for but few could have fled. But we went out in the name of God and Conquered through the blessings of God we done well.
One Brother put on a sheep bell and went near the camp to spy out the enemy and they supposed it to be a sheep. The mob do not acknowledge they had any killed dut they had a good deal of Blood spilled which they could not cover up which I saw. Capt Smith who was Capt of the guard at the time of the death of Joseph was shot in the neck but not killed. Another commander was also shot. We have done the best we could, to kill the poor Devels and we are satisfyed with the result and leave it all in the hands of God.
Br Wells has done well in all places where he has been put, in the midst of danger as well as safety. With regard to the Citizens of Nauvoo there were but few who stood by us in time of trouble. There are many spirits in Nauvoo that are like bats ready to join any party that conquer. If the beast conquer they will show there legs. If the featherd tribe there wings. We left the mob in the city hoping that the time would come when we could gain a greater victory over them.
President Young arose and said I wish to make a few remarks attached to the remarks that have been made. I will inform the brethren that have come up we are glad to see them. Br Cutler has been with us before. Br Wells has been in our society for several years and I have had considerable acquaintance with him and I am more than ever satisfyed with his course. We have prayed for our brethren continually.
I am sensible there is a good deal of suffering there and here. But let me say the Lord God who has fed us all the day long has his Care still over us. When the Saints are Chastened enough it will scease. At least the hand of God will be visible in there salvation. Some individuals may fall but the body will be sustained. I have never believed the Lord would suffer a general Massacree of this people by a mob. If 10,000 men were to come against us if no other way was open the earth would open and swallow them up. Some say they can stay in Nauvoo and can live there in perfect peace they are so righteous. There are some that have no better eyes than to say let me live with the wicked in peace. But there blessings will be scearce with the mob and
if they do not leave I fear they will prove a scourge in the hands of God. He works with the wicked by law and when they trespass upon his rights God is there to maintain them. Many other remarks were made by President Young when meeting was dismissed one hour.
During the intermission I visited the sick. Council met in the afternoon and attended to some business on hand.
[source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
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