[Hosea Stout Diary] Tuesday June 15th 1847. I staid in town today & sent out 7 men. Four for guard and 2 to drive cattle off the corn as on yesterday.
This evening an Express was sent to me from the camp for me to come forthwith and go on as captain of the guard[.] It was as follows.
"South West bank of Elk Horn river.
Indian Territory
Tuesday 15th June 1847.
To
Captain Hosea Stout,
The Council here has made the following vote which is here copied. Motioned by Parley P. Pratt & Seconded by John Taylor that Hosea Stout be sent to mount his horse and come on immediately to act in his appointment as Captain of the Guard. Voted unanimously, and we will sustain him as a people both temporally & spiritually. This vote was made at a public meeting this morning, and we expect to see Hosea in conformity with this, at this place in 24 hours from the time he gets this notice.
P. P. Pratt.
John Taylor
Rob Campbell
Clerk"
The above speaks for itself[.] As before observed I had tried to find out what to do about going and none would notice me and now after Rich had given me a written certificate showing that I was ready to go if means & men were furnished & all the authorities had refused to do any thing about a guard, I was now cited to mount my horse & leave home as a runaway & leave my family without any means for their subsistence or provisions for myself only their blank promise to "sustain me as a people" which was weak indeed and go & take my place as captain of the guard. What guard when not one man had been enlisted or one dime appropriated for it This looked like oppressive nonsense to me & excited my feeling to the highest pitch[.] I felt insulted abused & neglected in the first place and now more so & I did not intend to comply but least I had wrong feeling I postponed my decision untill morning.
[source: Diaries of Hosea Stout]
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