Chapter Third
1836
We bid our friends goodbye and started on our journey. It was about the first of April. We had three hundred miles to go before we reached Missouri. We traveled with ox teams. We had one yoke of cattle give out and we had to get another yoke. We had pretty good travelling considering. We arrived at Father James Allred's in Ray County on the 16th of June, and found many Saints rejoicing in the new covenant, and I realized myself to that which I had embraced was the truth from God. The Saints there were much persecuted, and they went and laid out a county and called it Caldwell County. The Saints all moved there and called it Far West. I moved there myself and assisted in making the first settlement; but first we moved into Clay County and stayed there a little while, and from there into Caldwell County. We moved there in the fall and stayed there two winters and from there we moved to Daviess County.

I went with Brother Gee, he lived close by us, and we went to the election [Gallatin] in Daviess County when the Saints were refused the privilege of voting, and rescued some of the Saints from a furious mob, and the Lord did strengthen my body far beyond the strength of man. Just after I joined the Church, I took a second growth and grew two inches and a half and grew very stout indeed, and my health became strong, and I felt as if I could handle any two men on the earth. When myself and Brother Gee got there, there was a large crowd of folks. Soon after the election commenced it was rumored around that the Mormons should not vote and that drew the brethren together. They commenced talking about how there had been a man going around among us finding out who the Mormons were going to vote for and when they heard it made them mad. They said that the Mormons should not vote because the Mormons did not vote to suit them; they must not vote at all. Now this the Saints did not like to be deprived of, their liberty and rights, so some were determined to go and put in their vote. Now for my part, I felt like backing everyone for it was our right.

There was Riley Stuart, Hyram Nelson and myself and another man that I can't think of his name just now, but we all started to go and put in our votes. I was about the last one and the brother that was on ahead got knocked down and then Brother Riley Stuart interfered for him and one of the mob rushed at him with a knife. Riley turned and ran when he saw the man draw his knife. I then ran after the ruffian and as it happened, I saw an oak stick lying in the road; it was split, one of those sticks that they have to build chimneys with and just as the fellow struck Stuart, I struck him and as I struck him there had been another fellow running after me with a loaded horsewhip and struck me right between the shoulders, but it did not seem to hurt me much only I felt that I could take them all if they would come along. Just as the fellow struck me, I turned around and struck an underhanded lick and just fetched it under his chin and broke his jaw in two places and down he came; we had no more trouble with him.

There was so much excitement after that, that I could hardly tell what did transpire, but one of the brethren had a large cotton handkerchief full of earthenware and some fellow broke some of them with a stick, and he then made a weapon of them and commenced breaking the rest of them over their heads. I know that I knocked them right and left, every one that came in my reach and I know that there were over eight or ten. There was one fellow commenced bawling when he saw one of his companions lie motionless on the sod. He said that they had killed poor (Dick Wilkdin) Bill, and a brother hearing the poor fellow wailing for his companion thought that he would give him something else to cry for, it was Washington Vorus. He came up with a rock and threw at him and struck him right in the mouth. He boohooed and cried out what d—nd hard licks those d—nd Mormons do hit. They then commenced carrying off the men that had been knocked down and some killed and some were standing up against the fence and against the house with the blood running from their heads and faces, and I expect that some of them were from the effects of the teacups and saucers. However, they looked pitiful objects indeed, and when it was all over, Brother Vorus looked at the crockery ware and there was not a piece left the size of an inch and the handkerchief and all was covered with blood.

The officer then came up to me and said that we could come and vote, but I told him that I did not care whether I voted or not, but he said that I'd better come and put in my vote, so I started on behind. I had not yet put down my stick and he saw it and said, "For God's sake put down your stick, there is no use for it now." But I told him that I had no weapon and I did not care about leaving it, for it had been a good friend to me. "For God's sake don't come here then." So I turned back and he kept on. It was only a bite to draw me in and then they would have taken me or used me up and then Brother Samuel H. Smith came up to me and said let us go home, but when I got to where I had left my wagon, I found it gone, so Brother Smith said, "Come and go home with me," which was about three miles from my house. Brother Gee started home with the team and my wife going out of doors saw the team and started to meet it, but there was but one man in the wagon and he was standing up and had the whip in his hand laying it onto the horses and horses going at full speed.

My wife had gotten some distance from the house when she met him and she said to him, "Who was Brother Gee, what in the world is the matter, where is Mr. Butler?" "Why," said he, "hasn't John Butler come home? I thought that he would have been home by this." "Why," said he, "he has killed five or six men at the election," and on he drove past my wife and stopped at the house and got out and started for home, leaving the horses all hitched up and leaving my wife to take care of them. She took them off the wagon and fed them and then waited anxiously for my return, but I returned not until the next morning after breakfast from Brother Smith's.

I concluded to ride over to Far West some fourteen miles from where we lived and I saw Brother Joseph Smith. He resided there. He asked me if I had removed my family. I told him no, I had not. "Then," said he, "go and move them directly and do not sleep another night there." "But," said I, "I don't like to be a coward." "Go and do as I tell you," said he. So I started back again and got home about two hours after dark. I then said to my wife, "We must pack up our things and leave here directly, for Brother Joseph has told me to." My wife was very glad for she had been wanting to move for a long time. So we loaded up one wagonload and took it down to Brother Taylor's about one mile and a half and my wife and Malinda Porter, a young woman that was boarding with us, who was keeping school. They packed up another wagonload by the time I got back and we all started off just about the break of day.

Now about sunrise, or a little while after, Brother Gee saw in the distance a large body of men. He said that he thought there was about thirty-odd. He watched them come toward the house and surround it. He then ran down to Taylor to tell them that we were all killed, I suppose, and when he saw us, he said, "Oh, I am so glad that you are here for there are about thirty men around your house to kill you all." I then saw the hand of the Lord guiding Brother Joseph Smith to direct me to move my family away. If he had not, why in all probability we should all have been murdered, and I felt to thank God with all my heart and soul.

I then started on to Far West and my wife followed me the next day. We stopped on the west side of Far West and went into Follet's farm to live. While in Caldwell my wife bore me another daughter on the 16th of December, 1837. We named her Phebe Malinda. She is about nine months old.

The Saints were still persecuted in every corner, and while I was in Far West, Joseph Smith and Hyrum were taken prisoners. A man by the name of Kinkle [Hinkle?] came to compromise with them, but they must come unarmed, and so Brother Joseph and Hyrum went and when they met so that they could see each other, this man pulled off his coat and stood with his back to them; that was for them to come without arms. Well, they met and this fine friend said, "Gentlemen, there are your prisoners." So they just took them and of all the yelling and whooping and swearing; it was done then. Some of the brethren went with Joseph and Hyrum. The mob then took them off and came back. The next day they came back and surrounded the city and were going to take all the males prisoners, and through the day we had to hide anywhere we could. I had my horse hitched inside the field, my wife was at Brother Hendrick's, and as I went to get my horse, I took my bridle off the pickets, and was going to get him and my wife came and snatched the bridle from me and went and hung it back on the pickets. I never spoke, neither did my wife, but she came and took me out again and told me that there had been six men watching my horse to get me for the last three or four hours. As it happened while this transpired, they were reading a piece of paper, so that they saw nothing and suspected nothing.

There had been a battle fought on Goose Creek by the Mormons and mob and several were killed and wounded, among the killed was David Patten, one of the Twelve and Brother Hendricks was shot right through the neck. At night they still kept on guard around the city and Brother Dannets was so mad that he got an old horse pistol and loaded it pretty heavy and then crawled out in the brush and fired it off and the confusion there was in their camp was laughable for their officers gave their command to their men, "fall into rank and prepare your arms for the Mormons are upon us," and they surely thought it was so. They heard no Mormons coming and all was quiet again; they went back to their fires and some went to bed. After a while, whang went the old pistol again and they did not know what to do. They mustered together again and got ready to kill every damn Mormon that came in sight, but none came in sight, so they went to bed again and so he kept it up until morning.

Well, I went then to go through the guard which was not a very pleasant job, but however, I started and got along first rate with the help of God, but I had never felt to murmur until this time. I had to cross the creek and take off my clothes and tie them on my head and wade through and the banks on either side were almost straight up and down and the water was bitter cold and when the water came up to my breast, it chilled me through and then I felt to murmur by the time that I got out, but I prayed the Lord to bless me and give me his Holy Spirit to enable me to hold fast to the principle of eternal salvation.

I got through the guard and went to Brother Hubbard's and stayed with him four days in which time I had to keep pretty close. I went from there to Brother Head's and stayed with him a little over two weeks, and when I was there I used to tell the folks that my name was John Lowe and some knew no different so I got along very well. When the mob came to Far West there [was a man] by the name of Nathan and [I was] well acquainted with him. He would not volunteer to come and fight the Mormons so they drafted him and made him come and just before they got to Far West the captain told the men to cut a whole lot of switches to hang them on their saddle so that if the Mormons should whip them out they would have something to make the horses faster, but Nathan did not get any switches and they said, "Why do you not get some, Nathan?" His answer was, "I have no cause for any for I have never done the Mormons any harm and they will not do me any harm." So when they got to camp and the baggage wagon had come up, Nathan said that he was going over to the city to see an old friend of his and they told him that the Mormons would kill him if he did. He told them that he was not afraid, so he started over to my house, and when he got there he told my mother that he had come to have some supper and stay all night. She asked him who all the men were that had come down on the city. He told her that they were a mob come to kill all the Mormons. "Well," said the old lady, "you have come with them, have you not?" Nathan said he had, but not to kill the Mormons; they had forced him to come to fight them, but they could not force him to shoot and he was going home in the morning.

Well, about three of four hours later there came five or six men to fetch him away. They said that the captain had sent them after him. Nathan told them that he should not go for he could sleep in a house. So he said that they could go and tell their captain so. Well, they went back and Nathan slept. He had his breakfast in the morning and told the folks that if the mob drove the Mormons away, his house would be a home for them as long as they had a mind to stay. Well, he wished them good luck and started, but not back to the camp, but back home. Now the captain sent over in the day to see where he was, they inquired of my mother where he was and she told them that he had gone home, so they had to go back without him. They still kept guard about the place, and they took a great many prisoners, some forty or fifty, and they were hunting pretty close after me, but I kept myself from being known to them. They all formed a hollow square and gave orders for the Mormons to bring all their arms and lay them down in the square, so I went and got my rifle and sword. It was counseled by the brethren to lay down our arms for it would be better for Joseph and Hyrum. I laid down mine, but there was one man who came to lay his arms down and he walked into the middle of the square and looked around him upon the black-looking villains and then swung his sword around his head and threw it, point foremost, until it struck the ground and buried it in the ground eight or ten inches, and said "If you have got my arms, you have not got my spunk." He then retired and gave room for more and a while after that there came some five or six men to search for arms. They came to my house and asked my wife for all the arms she had. She told them that I had given them all up, and the officer said, "Have you got any small arms, such as revolvers or small pistols, bowie knives or the like?" She said, "No, I have not, and if I had you would not get them, so you may as well be gone." He answered and said, "We have come to search and take all we can find." "Well, she said, "you may search if you want to." "Well," he said, "I suppose we can take your word." They then left and went somewhere else.

While I was away about December, Father Smith gave out that there would be a prayer and fast meeting for Brother Joseph and Hyrum while they were in prison, for the Lord to bless them and enable them to bear the cruelties that they had to suffer and pass through. My mother and my wife went to go to the meeting. It was to open about sunrise in a place that was built by Joseph but when they got to the door, it was locked and they thought that they were at prayer. Father Smith and his folks and Brother John Taylor came up and they said to them, "Why do you not go in?" They said that they were at prayer. "At prayer?" said Father Smith, "no it cannot be." So he tried the door and found it locked on the inside. He said that some of the apostates had gotten there before them and that they had done it to break up their meeting. He called to them to open the door, but no one answered or took any notice whatever.

By this time, several had gathered together and some of them wanted to take an ax and cut the door down, so that they could get in, but Father Smith said, "No, we must not do that," and Brother Taylor said that if they had deprived us of meeting in the house, they could not deprive us of praying to God, our Heavenly Father to look down in tender mercy upon his servants and enable them to bear their afflictions and the wrongs that they had to pass through.

So Father Smith said, "Let us hold meetings in this house," pointing to one of the houses belonging to one of the brethren, "and they that cannot get inside can hear outside, and we will have a good meeting, although the devil has tried to frustrate our design." They did hold a meeting and those that were there said that they never saw such a meeting. The Lord was with them, and that to bless and answer their prayers. They broke up about four o'clock in the afternoon and the apostates had not come out yet. There were the Whitneys and Thomas B. Marsh and a great many more in there. What their business was I never found out, but some plan to help and destroy Mormonism.

Some few days before that a man by the name of Maclelling (McLellin), one who had been high in the Church and Kingdom of God and had held the office of one of the Twelve, and another man went into Brother Joseph's house and commenced searching over his things and Sister Emma asked him why he had done so and his answer was because he could. He took all the jewelry out of Joseph's box and took a lot of bed clothes and in fact, plundered the house and took the things off and while Brother Joseph was in prison, he suffered with the cold, and he sent home to his wife Emma to send him some quilts or bed clothes, for they had no fire there and he had to have something to keep him from the cold. It was in the dead of winter. My wife was up there when the word came, and she said that Sister Emma cried and said that they had taken all of her bed clothes, except one quilt and blanket and what could she do. So my wife with some other sisters said, "Send him them and we will see that you shall have something to cover you and your children." My wife then went home and got some bed clothes and took them over to her.

Well, all this time I was on my way to Illinois. There was Brother Elias Higbee and David Louis [Lewis] with myself. The night after the mob took Brother Joseph and Hyrum, I asked Brother Isaac Morley to ordain me to the office of a priest and I would join some elder and help to roll forth the Kingdom of God. He laid his hands upon me and ordained me to the office of an elder. Well, myself and brethren stopped at a place one night and asked a man we saw if he could gave us something to eat and a night's lodging. He asked us where we were from. I told him that we were from Clinton County. "Oh," said he, "you are from the other side of the damn Mormons and what are they doing at this time? They are getting rubbed out, ain't they?" I answered that I did not know much about them. "Yes," said he, "you can stop all night and welcome. I know you must be tired." So he told his wife to go to work and get a good supper ready for these men for they were tired and hungry. So she bustled about and went to work and got us a good supper, and then we had a little conversation, but I avoided Mormonism as much as possible, and answering questions about it.

After we had gone to bed there came a man to the house and said, calling the man by name, "Come down with me," said he, "for there is a damn Mormon down here," come down from the Mormons to see his mother-in-law and sister himself. "Now, we are going to give him perfect hell." The old man told him that he could not go with him tonight for he had company and could not have them leave. "Well," said the fellow, "I am sorry for I should like you to have the fun of the job as well as ourselves." "What's the fellow's name?" said our host. "Well, now, I think it is Riley Stuart [Stewart] they call him." He then went off. I thought that when he first came and told his take and said that there was a Mormon here that some of the mob had gotten on our track and was going to have a go at us, but I found out afterwards that it was not us. I felt greatly relieved when I heard it, although I felt sorry for Riley's condition for they were bound to ill treat him if they caught him, which I hoped they would not, but the same fellow came back in about an hour and a half and said they had done it for him. He said that they had lots of fun with him, seeing him try to help himself.

Well, we got up in the morning about daybreak, and I can tell you we were not long in getting away. We saddled our horses and got ready and the old man said that we must stay to breakfast, but I told him that we were in somewhat of a hurry and that we would not stop. Well, he said that he was very sorry, but that we must have our own way. The old lady said that we must take some biscuits in our pockets to eat on the road, so we took them and started on our journey wishing them good morning. I found out that Riley Stuart [Stewart] had caught hell sure enough as the fellow said. He was pounded over the head and it liked to have killed him. He was laid up through it.