History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

BOGGS' TACTICS. 129
him in office ! This will not do. There is bad blundering
somewhere. It is the Mormons only that are
to be killed and driven off, and not the free and loyal
American Boggs voters. Ho, there! Let the state
arms be turned against these damned saints! On
what pretext? Any. Say that they are robbing, and
burning, and killing right and left, and that they swear
they will never stop until they have the country.
Easy enough. No doubt they do kill and burn;
the men of Missouri are killing them and burning;
why should they not retaliate? No doubt there are
thieves and bad men among them, who take advantage
of the time to practise their vile calling. No
doubt there are violent men among them, who swear
roundly at those who are hunting them to death, who
swear that they will drive them off their lands and
kill them if they can. But this does not make insurrectionists
and traitors of the whole society. No
matter; down with the Mormons! And so Boggs, the
governor, seats himself and coolly writes off to his
generals to drive out or exterminate the vermin. 31
31 Several of them write to Boggs: 'There is no crime, from treason down
to petit larceny, but these people, or a majority of them, have been guilty of;
all, too, under the counsel of Joseph Smith, Jr, the prophet. They have committed
treasou, murder, arson, burglary, robbery, larceny, and perjury.
They have societies formed under the most binding covenants in form, and
the most horrid oaths, to circumvent the laws and put them at defiance; and
to plunder and burn and murder, and divide the spoils for the use of the
church.' Tucker's Mormonism, 164.
And thus Boggs makes answer, Oct. 27th: 'Since the order of the morning
to you directing you to cause four hundred mounted men to be raised
within your division, I have received by Amos Rees, Esq., and Wiley E. Williams,
Esq., one of my aids, information of the most appalling character, which
changes entirely the face of things, and places the Mormons in the attitude of
an open and avowed defiance of the laws, and of having made open war upon
the people of this state. Your orders are therefore to hasten your operations,
and endeavor to reach Richmond in Ray county, with all possible speed.
The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven
from the state if necessary, for the public good. Their outrages are beyond
all description. If you can increase your force, you are authorized to do so
to any extent you may think necessary. I have just issued orders to Maj.-
Gen. Wollock of Marion county to raise 500 men, and to march them to tlie
northern part of Daviess, and there unite with Gen. Doniphan of Clay, who
has been ordered with 500 men to proceed to the same point for the purpose
of intercepting the retreat of the Mormons to the north. They have been
directed to communicate with you by express. You can also communicate
with them if you find it necessary. Instead, therefore, of proceeding as at
first directed, to reinstate the citizens of Daviess in their homes, you will pro-
Hist. Utah. 9