This banditti went and joined the mob, when they commenced their operations after the election; and when they were turned into militia by , , and ; and disbanded as troops regularly called out. The whole posse went directly from to attack the settlement of , as well as the scattering families through Carroll county. It was sometime about the last of September, 1838, that they left for Carroll, threatening vengeance to the Saints, without regard to sex or age.

, for a little season, by this means was free from them. It was during this time that the people of made sale of their lands and other property to the Saints, all the time saying to their particular friends, that they intended, as soon as they got pay for their lands and other property, to drive the Saints off, and take it by force from them. They declared that they were fools if they did not do so, seeing that the law could not be enforced against them for so doing.

After they had left and got collected at Carroll they set guards: The roads were so infested with them that travellers were interrupted on the way as they were peaceably passing along the roads. The more effectually to accomplish their purpose they sent to and got a cannon; it was said to be a six pounder. They also got balls and ammunition with the cannon in abundance. Bodies of armed men gathered in to aid them from all the adjoining counties, particularly from , Saline, Howard, , Clinton, , Platt, and other parts of the . Among the number that came was a man by the name of Jackson, from Howard, who was appointed their leader. He was called Captain Jackson, and was among the number of the volunteers that went to Florida, and cut such a figure there, as reported by Col. Taylor.

The whole band being collected they closely infested the place. A large portion of the people there had just arrived, and they were forbidden to go out of the place under pain of death. They were deprived of getting food or providing houses for themselves. As fast as their cattle, horses, or any other property got where they could get hold of it, it was carried off as spoil. If any of the people left the town, on any occasion, they were shot at by layers-in-wait, who were laying concealed for the purpose. By these outrages the families were compelled to live in their wagons or in tents, at least, the greater part of them. Application was made to the judge of the circuit court for deliverance; and two companies of militia were ordered out. One of the companies was commanded by , a methodist preacher. The whole was put under the command of —but they never made the first attempt to disperse the mob. When the people of enquired of the reason of his conduct, he always replied that and his company were so mutinous and mobocratic that he dare not venture to attempt a dispersion of the mob; saying that if he did and his company, instead of dispersing the mob, would unite with them. A messenger was sent with a petition to the , requesting aid from him. The man who took the petition was named Caldwell—he went and saw the , and received for answer, that the Mormons had got into a [p. 29]