History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834]

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
Page 496
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During this day the Mob, to the number of about two hundred, made arrangements to cross the , above the mouth of , at William’s Ferry, into , and be ready to meet the Mob near ford, for our utter destruction; but after the first scow load of about forty had been set over the river, the scow in returning was met by a squall, and had great difficulty in reaching the side by dark.
<​—#​>Soon after <​When​> the<​se​> five men left <​were in​> our camp swearing vengeance, <​the wind, thunder, and rising cloud indicated an approaching storm, and in a short time after they left, the rain and hail began to [HC 2:103] fall.​> we discovered a small black cloud rising in the west, and in twenty minutes, or there abouts, it began to rain and hail, and this was the squall that troubled the boat.
The storm was tremendous. Wind and rain, hail and thunder met them in great wrath, and soon softened their direful courage, and frustrated all their design to “kill Jo Smith and his Army.” Instead of continueing a cannonading which they commenced the sun about one hour high, they crawled under waggons, into hollow trees, filled one old shanty, &c, till the storm was over, when their ammunition was soaked, and the forty in were extremely anxious in the morning to return to , having experienced the pitiless peltings of the storm all night, and as soon as arrangements could be made, this “forlorn hope” took the “back track” for , to join the main body of the mob, fully satisfied, as were those the survivors of the company who were drowned, that when Jehovah fights, they would rather be absent. The gratification is too terrible.
Very little hail fell in our camp, but from half to a mile around, the stones or lumps of ice cut down the crops of corn, and vegetation generally, even cutting limbs from trees, while the trees themselves were twisted into withes by the wind. The lightning flashed incessantly, [HC 2:104] which caused it to be so light in our camp through the night, that we could discern the most minute object; and the roaring of the thunder was tremendous, [p. 496]
During this day the Mob, to the number of about two hundred, made arrangements to cross the , above the mouth of , at William’s Ferry, into , and be ready to meet the Mob near ford, for our utter destruction; but after the first scow load of about forty had been set over the river, the scow in returning was met by a squall, and had great difficulty in reaching the side by dark.
—# When these five men were in our camp swearing vengeance, the wind, thunder, and rising cloud indicated an approaching storm, and in a short time after they left, the rain and hail began to [HC 2:103] fall.
The storm was tremendous. Wind and rain, hail and thunder met them in great wrath, and soon softened their direful courage, and frustrated all their design to “kill Jo Smith and his Army.” Instead of continueing a cannonading which they commenced the sun about one hour high, they crawled under waggons, into hollow trees, filled one old shanty, &c, till the storm was over, when their ammunition was soaked, and the forty in were extremely anxious in the morning to return to , having experienced the pitiless peltings of the storm all night, and as soon as arrangements could be made, this “forlorn hope” took the “back track” for , to join the main body of the mob, fully satisfied, as were the survivors of the company who were drowned, that when Jehovah fights, they would rather be absent. The gratification is too terrible.
Very little hail fell in our camp, but from half to a mile around, the stones or lumps of ice cut down the crops of corn, and vegetation generally, even cutting limbs from trees, while the trees themselves were twisted into withes by the wind. The lightning flashed incessantly, [HC 2:104] which caused it to be so light in our camp through the night, that we could discern the most minute object; and the roaring of the thunder was tremendous, [p. 496]
Page 496