History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

HAUN'S MILL TRAGEDY. 127
ings organizing his men into companies of tens and
fifties, with captains. Then he called the officers
together and told them that they were to go forth
and spoil the gentiles; but the}*" rejected the proposal,
and Arvard was cut off from the church. All the
present leaders of the Mormon church deny emphatically
the existence of any such band or society as a
part of or having anything to do with their organization.
28
28 'It was intended to enable him,' Smith, 'more effectually to execute
his clandestine purposes.' '"Milking the gentiles " is a kind of vernacular
term of the Mormons, and signifies the obtaining of money or property from
those who are not members of the Mormon church.' Id., 272-8. 'In an examination
before Judge King, Samuel (Samson?) Arvard testified that the
first object of the Danite band was to drive from the county of Caldwell all
those who dissented from the Mormon church, in which they succeeded admirably
. . . The prophet Joseph Smith, Jr, together with his two counsellors Hyrum
Smith and Sidney Rigdon, were considered the supreme head of the church,
and the Danite band felt themselves as much bound to obey them as to obey
the supreme God.' John Corrill swore: 'I think the original object of the
Danite band was to operate on the dissenters; but afterwards it grew into a
system to carry out the designs of the presidency, and if it was necessary,
to use physical force to uphold the kingdom of God.' John Cleminson
said: 'Whoever opposed the presidency in what they said or desired done
should be expelled the county or have their lives taken.' Wm W. Phelps,
for a season an apostate, testified: 'If any person spoke against the presidency
they would hand him over to the hands of the Brothers of Gideon.'
'The object of the meeting seemed to be to make persons confess and repent
of their sin3 to God and the presidency.' 'Wight asked Smith, Jr, twice if
it had come to the point now to resist the laws. Smith replied the time had
come when he should resist all law.' Ferris' Utah and the Mormons, 92-3.
Arvard 'swore false concerning a constitution, as he said, that was introduced
among the Danites, and made many other lying statements in connection
therewith.' Mem. to Leg., in Greene's Facts, 32-3. Says John Corrill in his
Brief History, 'A company, called the Fur Company, was raised for the purpose
of procuring provisions, for pressing teams, and even men sometimes,
into the army in Caldwell.' Reed Peck testified that small companies were
sent out on various plundering expeditions; that he 'saw one of these companies
on its l-eturn. It was called a fur company. Some had one thing,
some another; one had a feather-bed; another some spun yarn, etc. This fur
they were to take to the bishop's store, where it was to be deposited, and if
they failed to do this it would be considered stealing.' Kidder's Mormonism,
147-8. Affidavit of the city council, Nauvoo: 'We do further testify that
there is no such thing as a Danite society in this city, nor any combination
other than the Masonic of which we have any knowledge.' Signed by Wilson
Law, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and 10 others. Millennial Star, xix.
614. References to authorities speaking of the Danites: Mackay's The Mormons,
89-90, 116; Lee's Mormonism, 57-8, 156-60; Olshausen, Gesch. d. Morm.,
48; Ferris' Utah and the Mormons, 89; Beadle's Life in Utah, 389-90; Burton's
City of the Saints, 359; Smucker's Hist. Mor., 108-9; Young's Wife No. 19,
47-8, 268; Busch, Gesch. der Morm., 87; Marshall's Through Am., 215-16;
Hyde's Mormonism, 104-5; Bennett's Mormonism Exposed, 263-72; Miller's
First Families, 64-5; Hickman's Brigham's Destroying Angel; Hall's Mormonism,
91-5; E. M. Webb, in Utah County Sketches, MS., 49-50, the last named
referring to the rules and principles of the order of Enoch.