History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

MORE TROUBLE AT CARTHAGE. 225
On the 6th of June the people of Hancock county
met at Carthage to arrange for celebrating the 4th of
July. One of the citizens rose and said that since
the Mormons were not all removed they could not
rejoice as freemen. Mormon affairs then took precedence,
and another meeting was appointed for the 12th,
an invitation being sent to the gentiles at Nauvoo who
had occupied the deserted dwellings of the saints. It
happened that this was the day appointed for the
assembling of the militia, with a view to raise volunteers
for the Mexican war; and now, it was thought,
was a good opportunity to show the Mormons the
military strength of the county. The officers conferred,
and without authority from the governor,
marched their troops, some three or four hundred in
number, to a place called Golden Point, five miles
from Nauvoo, where they encamped, and opened communication
with the city. It happened, however, at
this juncture, that Colonel Markham and others had
returned with teams from Council Bluffs for some of
the church property, and arming a force of six or eight
hundred, prepared to sally forth; the name of Colonel
Markham was a terror to evil-doers, and the militia
fled, no one pursuing them.
There were yet remaining, as late as August, certain
sturdy saints who, having committed no crime,
would not consent to be driven from their homes or
barred from their occupations. Among these was a
party engaged in harvesting wheat at a settlement eight
miles from Nauvoo, in company with one or two of the
gentiles, although it was forbidden by the men of Illinois
that any Mormon should show himself outside the
city, except en route for the west. The harvesters
were seized and beaten with clubs, whereupon the
people of Nauvoo, both Mormons and gentiles, took
up the matter. Some arrests were made, and the
culprits taken to Nauvoo, but by writ of habeas corpus
were removed to Quincy, where they met with
little trouble. While in Nauvoo, a gun in the hands
Hist. Utah. 15