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     “I held a meeting at G. Butterfield’s. The Wednesday following I laid hands on Brother William Avery’s child. It was scalded very bad. The fire came out and in the morning it was perfectly well. Also I laid hands on Mother Avery, who was afflicted and on my wife and child. They all recovered immediately, and on Friday Elizabeth and Mariah Butterfield brought their children to me. They were afflicted. One had lost the use of her arm, the other had never been well from its mother’s womb. They both recovered immediately, to the astonishment of all that knew the circumstances. This was effected by the prayer of faith and the laying on of hands in the name of the Lord. The following Saturday I held a meeting at Father Avery’s at 12 o’clock, and at Rhine’s in the town of Rushville at evening.

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     “The next day I held a meeting with William Clark at Mr. Todd’s and at night at Father Avery’s, and then worked at my temporal business till the first of April, 1837. I was sick the next day. I held meetings at Father Avery’s, and on Wednesday I was very sick with fever and rheumatism and inflammation in my head. Brother Earl and Brother Howard came and laid hands on me and I continued sick until Sabbath. Brother Harvey Green laid hands on me and I recovered and went to meeting at Father Avery’s. Brother Green preached. I then the next day prepared for the sale of my property at auction, and then I fixed for going on a journey to my father’s and on the 16th (Sabbath) held meeting at Father Avery’s, and on Monday Brother Daniel Avery took the wagon and hauled me and my family to Reed’s landing on the Illinois River, and I could not get on board of a boat conveniently and so we came back again and then prepared for moving as soon as we could to Zion. I settled with the people and repaired my wagon and team and on the 28th of April I started to come as far as Brother Earl’s and arrived at Brother Earl’s the next day.

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     “The next day (May 10, 1837) we all started on for Missouri, thus we came on our way rejoicing and we came through the flourishing town of Quincy on the Missouri River. We there crossed and came on through.

     “We drove on to Bond Stephen’s on Shoal Creek at the mouth of Mill Creek. Here I let my wagon stay. I looked around and found a place to buy and bought 40 acres of Brother Wright. This is the first day I got into the City of Far West, on the 25th of May, 1837. I moved on my place on the head of Log Creek. I went to work at clearing and planting my garden stuff and potatoes, going to mill and to meeting, and on the 4th of June I went to Far West to hear Brother T. C. Marsh, the President of the Twelve, and D. W. Patton and William Smith, both of the Twelve. I heard them all preach, and on the next Sabbath I attended meeting at the school house. Brother Charles C. Rich and H. Green preached. This was the 11th of June, 1837. Continued my common business till the 3rd of July, 1837. I attended the meeting at Far West, helped dig the foundation of the Temple in Far West.

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     “November, 1837. I labored at the common business of the day, and on the 13th Brother Cowdrey, Egovix and others came to my house on an exploring expedition to the North, stayed all night.

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     “Then I heard of the excitement in Caldwell and Daviess counties. I immediately moved back to Caldwell so as to be on hand for whatever might come. The excitement continued to increase till it broke out in a war between the mob and the Saints. I had the ague and was unable to do anything, but I prayed to the Lord to give me strength that I might help to defend His cause and His people. I was healed by the power of the God of Israel so that I went forth with the army of Israel. I was in the army at the taking of the cannon and on the hill a little of Adamondi Ahman on a rise of ground the cannon was placed. Brother Joseph gathered the army of Israel, formed a square, and the cannon was fired three rounds with the shout of Hosanna. At each fire of the cannon Joseph Smith, the prophet of the Lord, then drew his sword from its sheath, saying with a loud voice to all Israel: ‘I have drawn my sword from its sheath and I swear by the living God that it never shall return again till I can go and come and be treated by others as they wish to be treated by me,’ and all the army said ‘Amen.’

     “The mob kept gathering and driving the Saints from the out settlements to Far West and Diahman till they had destroyed all their houses, farms, etc., till the Saints were all in those two places. On hearing that they had taken some of our brethren prisoners and were miserably abusing them, and had camped on Crooked River, David W. Patten, one of the Twelve Apostles, called out a company of the Saints and went to rescue them from the mob, which he did. In that noble act he laid down his life. He fell close at my side, though after he fell he bid the little band of brethren to charge on the mob, which they did and soon routed them. They fled all directions for their lives. The prisoners were rescued. We returned to Far West, but four of our men where slain. This took place on the 25th of October in the year of our Lord 1838.

     “In a few days the whole country was in arms. The mob, under cover of law, came near Far West, pitched their camp on Goose Creek, surrounded the dwelling house where brother Sharer used to live. There was at that time 5 or 6 women and children living in it. Among them was my wife, Sarah, and a child of only 2 years old. My wife was then almost to the time of delivery with the second child. On or about the last of October the heads of the church were given up to the mob by Col. George M. Hinkle. The City of Far West was to be given up the next day. Early in the morning I had a short interview with brother Hyrum Smith. He advised me to leave the state forthwith. I sent for my wife, had a short interview with her, told her the counsel I had received. She said, ‘Go, make your escape, leave me in the hands of the Lord and the brethren.’ I took leave of her and the young child, not knowing that I ever should see them again, but I knew they were in the hands of an all-wise Providence. I went out of the city on the west, in company with six others, namely, Dimick Huntington, Gad Yale, Morgan Gardner–the names of the other three I have forgotten.

     “We took a Circuit route north through the Grindstone settlement, then crossed the Grand River near the three forks. We then took into the Indian country where we felt ourselves quite safe.”

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     “I went to Schuyler County, Illinois. I arrived at Benjamin West’s on or about the 20th of November. I was now among my wife’s people. I made arrangements to send for my wife, and Green Butterfield started after them and in the month of February he brought them to Crooked River to her father’s house. I spent my time preaching and laboring with my hands until my family came. In the time she was absent from me she was delivered of a son near Far West, but the Lord brought us together again, although we were robbed of almost everything we had of an earthly nature, yet we felt rich and happy that our lives were spared till we met again.

     “So I followed the common avocations of life, preaching the word to the people at every opportunity that offered, till in the year 1844. Sometime in the month of May we began to hear of the excitement in Nauvoo. There were all sorts of reports in circulation. The brethren would often ask me what it would amount to. I told them that I did not know, but to be still and tend to their own business and pray much and be humble. The Lord would bring all things right along. In the month of June the excitement got high. Our business was threatened and it seemed as though we were in danger. Orders were given to the military officers to have their men in readiness to march to Carthage if necessary. Then it was asked, should the Mormons in Schuyler be left at home while the others should go to fight the Mormons at Nauvoo? It was decided, however, that the Mormons should be first into the ranks and go along with the militia to Carthage. On the 23rd or 24th of June we were all notified to be on the parade grounds, armed and equipped, according to law. I visited the brethren, told them it was best to go, so they came out and went with the militia. I took a yoke of oxen and wagon to carry the baggage. I obtained a pledge from Capt. Bryant Brown that he would not let his men abuse us, inasmuch as we belonged to his company and were under his charge.

     “We arrived at Carthage on the 25th of June, stayed there till the 27th. In the time we were there I saw the prisoners marched out of the jail, surrounded by the Carthage Grays, then marched to the Court House in the midst of cursing and swearing of the multitude–some spitting at them, some threatening their lives. They looked like devils in human form. However, the prisoners were not kept long in the Court House but were soon marched back to jail.

     “On the 27th Company was dismissed and started for home. Left Carthage at 11 o’clock a.m. Went in small companies. The brethren kept together with some half a dozen others that were our near neighbors and disposed to be our friends, excepting one. His name was Benjamin West. He raised a report that those that were friendly to us were as bad as the Mormons. This caused some excitement in the camp, and to make it still worse, they had a bottle of whiskey along. When we got about six miles from Carthage the row began between the said West and a man by the name of James Lynn. They were both in the wagon. Lynn jumped onto West, pounded him, tore his eyes half out of his head; finally the oxen got frightened and stampeded, and before the men could part them, West was well nigh turning the corner. So much for that; he fell in the ditch he dug for him neighbor.

     “We came on homewards about 10 miles and stopped for the night. All went to bed quiet and nice, but I could not sleep. My mind was in trouble, there was none to free my mind to. If at any time they saw two of us talking together, they were jealous of us. So I lay in deep thought. What will they do with our brethren in prison? All was still. It was about ten o’clock in the evening when I heard the distant sound of a horse on the gallop. It came nearer and nearer. I thought, ‘What does this mean?’ Soon it came to the door. A man’s voice was heard rather in an excited tone. ‘Ha lo!’ I arose, opened the door; what is the matter? The answer came, ‘Joseph and Hyrum are killed.’”