History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

IMPOLITIC MEASURES. 131
The day following his arrival General Lucas orders
George M. Hinckle, colonel commanding the Mormon
militia, to bring before him Joseph Smith, junior,
Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, Sidney Rigdon, Parley
P. Pratt, Caleb Baldwin, and Alexander McPae,
which is done, though not without charge of fraud and
treachery on the part of Hinckle. A court-martial
is immediately held; the prisoners are all condemned,
and sentenced to be shot next morning at eight o'clock.
"In the name of humanity I protest against any
such cold-blooded murder," says General Doniphan
who further threatens to withdraw his men if such
a course is persisted in; whereupon the sentence i?
not executed. All the Mormon troops in Far West,
however, are required to give up their arms and con-
sider themselves prisoners of war. 35 They are furthei
required to execute a deed of trust pledging all
Mormon property to the payment of the entire cos(
of the war, and to give a promise to leave the state?
before the coming spring.
Thus in the name of law and justice the Mormon
soldiery, whose chief crime it would seem was that, in
common with the rest of the militia, they had assisted
35 They were ' confined to the limits of the town for about a week. '
During
this time much property was destroyed, and women abused. The number of
arms taken was G30, besides swords and pistols, worth between $12,000 and
$15,000. Mem. to Leg., in Greene's Facts, 15. 'General Lucas demanded the
Caldwell militia to give up their arms, which was done to the number of upward
of 500, the rest of the troops having fled during the night. After the
troops had surrendered, the city of Far West was surrounded by the robbers,
and all the men detained as prisoners, none being permitted to pass out oi
the city, although their families were starving for want of sustenance.'
Pratt's Persecution, 84. 'We determined not to resist anything in the shape
of authority, however tyrannical or unconstitutional might be the proceedings
against us. With this request (to surrender ourselves as prisoners), we
readily complied as soon as we were assured by the pledge of the honor of
the principal officers that our lives should be safe. . .We were marched into
camp, surrounded by thousands of savage-looking beings, many of whom
were painted like Indian warriors. These all set up a constant yell, like so
hint was given us that the
many blood-hounds let loose on their prey. . .A
general officers held a secret council. . .in which we were all sentenced to be
shot.' Pratt's Persecution, SO-2. 'If the vision of the infernal regions could
suddenly open to the mind, with thousands of malicious fiends, all clamoring,
exulting, deriding, blaspheming, mocking, railing, raging, and foaming like
a troubled sea, then could some idea be formed of the hell which we had entered.'
Pratt's Autobiography, 204. See Young's Woman's Experience, MS.;
Home's Migrations, MS.