The Mormon Menace Part 12

When we reached Nashville. Elder Twist became homesick, and returned to Nauvoo. I gave him ten dollars to pay his way home. I was thus left alone once more. I found the branch at Nashville in a healthy condition, and much pleased to have me with them. I visited the branch in Putnam County, and preached to them, advising all to go to Nauvoo. I added several new members to the Church. By the next spring that entire branch had gone to Nauvoo.

The branch on Stone River also went to Nauvoo soon after I returned home. A delegation, headed by Capt. John H. Redd, invited me to preach in the settlement where Capt. Redd lived.

They said I could not preach publicly, for my life would be in danger, as many of the citizens were hostile to the Mormons and had run one man out of the neighborhood for practicing Mormonism, and that Randolph Alexander had been run off for preaching Mormonism.

Capt. Redd was formerly a sea captain; he was a native of South Carolina. I told the delegation I would preach if they gave general publicity to my appointment. They were startled at the proposal, and said my life would not be safe if I undertook to preach in public. I told them to trust that to G.o.d.

They returned home and gave general notice of when and where I would preach. At the appointed time I started for the place of meeting, which was twenty miles from Murfreesborough. I was met by a guard of ten men, headed by Capt. Redd, who came to meet and protect me.

The next day I preached to a large number of people. I spoke two hours to them, upon the subject of our free inst.i.tutions and the const.i.tutional rights of American citizens. I told them who I was and what I was; that I was a free American citizen; that I claimed the right of free speech as a free man; that I held myself open for investigation; that if the people wished me to set forth the tenets of our faith I would do so, otherwise I would leave; that if they did not desire to hear the truth they could make it manifest and I would quit their country. The vote was unanimous for me to tarry and preach to them. I preached there twice.

My first sermon was upon the apostasy of the Churches of the day and the necessity of a purer gospel, proving what I said by the Scriptures. I followed with the origin and authenticity of the Book of Mormon. I was induced to continue my sermons. I stayed there to do my Master's will.

After the fourth sermon I commenced to baptize members. The first one that I baptized at that place was Parson John Holt, of the Christian faith. Then I baptized seven of the members of his Church; then Capt. Redd and his family. This unexpected success of the gospel created great excitement in that section of country.

About ten miles from where I preached lived two men, formerly lieutenants in the militia company of Capt. Bogardus, of Missouri infamy and disgrace. These men had strayed into this section of the country, and were employed by two wealthy farmers as overseers.

They circulated fearful stories about the Mormons in Missouri, and gathered up a mob of about twenty-five men and came with them, determined to tar and feather me if I preached again. Word reached the settlement of what was intended. The people flocked to me and asked what they should do. I told them to wait and let me manage the affair.

The next day, Sunday, while I was preaching one of the ruffians by the name of d.i.c.key made his appearance with ten men. He informed me of his design, and said that I must quit preaching and leave for other parts of the country.

"Not just yet," said I.

At this he and his men made a rush for me. As they started, the sisters next to the stand formed a circle around me. While thus surrounded I continued my sermon. I refuted the absurd stories of d.i.c.key and his crew. I then told the people what had been done at Far West by Lieut. d.i.c.key and the members of Capt. Bogardus'

company. The mob tore down my stand, but could not get at me because of the sisters. Then they retired to consult.

Capt. Redd appointed a meeting to be held at his place that afternoon, and he told the people that he did not want any person to come into his yard unless he came intending to behave; that if any violence was used there someone would get hurt. I preached at his house that afternoon. A fearful storm raged during most of the time, but this was fortunate, for it kept the mob away.

While I was preaching a drunken man interrupted me and called me a liar. Capt. Redd was sitting near me with two large pistols, which he called his peacemakers. The insult was no more than out of the fellow's mouth when Capt. Redd caught him by the neck and rushed him from the house into the rain. The coward begged hard for himself, but he was forced to go out and sit under a porch during the rest of the sermon. Capt. Redd was a kind-hearted, generous man, but would not stand abuse.

The next Sunday was a cloudy day, so the meeting was held within doors. d.i.c.key had by this time raised his mob to fifty men, and made every arrangement to give me a warm reception. Two ruffians who were intoxicated had been selected to start the disturbance, or "open the ball," as they called it. I had just commenced speaking when one of these men began to swear and use indecent language, and made a rush for me with his fist drawn. I made a Masonic sign of distress, when, to my relief and yet to my surprise, a planter pushed to my aid. He was the man who employed d.i.c.key. He took the drunken men and led them out of the crowd, and then sat by me during the rest of my sermon, thus giving me full protection. That man was a stranger to me, but he was a good man and a true Mason. His action put an end to mob rule at that place. After the meeting I baptized ten converts.

Soon afterwards I was sent for by Col. Tucker to come a distance of thirty miles. I attended, and delivered three lectures, which were well received by all, the Colonel in particular. He was a wealthy Virginian, and he pressed me warmly to make his house my home. His wife and family were very favorably impressed. They were of the Presbyterian order, and two of Mrs. Tucker's brothers were ministers of that faith. I remained a few days, and made an appointment to preach on the following Sat.u.r.day and Sunday.

Before leaving I let the Colonel's lady have books on our faith, and then went to fill some appointments that I had made at Capt.

Redd's. At the appointed time I returned to preach, as I had promised, on Buckskin River.

Within half a mile of Col. Tucker's house was a Methodist chapel.

At this place lived a New Light preacher, an old man, who invited me to stop with him. He informed me that Col. Tucker had become bitter against the Mormons because his wife believed in them; and that she wanted to be baptized. She had left word with him, requesting me not to leave without baptizing her.

This was something I wished to avoid, so to prevent trouble I concluded not to go to Col. Tucker's at all. I filled my appointments, and returned to my Christian friend's house for refreshments, intending to make my way over the mountains that night, and thus avoid meeting Mrs. Tucker.

This, however, was not to be. I had just finished supper, and stepped to the door to start back when I met Mrs. Tucker. She upbraided me for not calling to see her. I said that it was contrary to the rules of our faith for an elder to interfere in any man's family against the wish or will of the husband or parents; that she must keep quiet and the Lord would take the will for the deed. The more I tried to reconcile her, the more determined she grew to be baptized.

While I was talking with her a young man came to us and reported that Col. Tucker had ambushed himself, with a double-barreled shotgun, near the place of baptizing, swearing vengeance against the man that attempted to baptize his wife. I tried to persuade her to return, but in vain. She said to me:

"You have declared that your mission is from Heaven, that you are a servant of G.o.d; and I believe it. Now I demand baptism at your hands. If you are a servant of G.o.d, don't shrink from your duty."

I looked at her for a moment, and said: "Sister, if you have faith enough to be baptized under these circ.u.mstances, I have faith enough to try it."

Some personal friends who lived in the little village accompanied us to the water, a short distance above the usual place of baptizing, and were present during the performance of the ordinance. They advised her to return home immediately, with her two servants, and never let on that anything had happened.

For myself, I started for the house of my friend, carrying my boots in my hand. It was now dark. As I got to the top of a high fence and cast my eyes about me, I luckily saw a man with a double-barreled shotgun in his hands, or what I supposed was such. He was within ten steps of me, or nearer. I recognized Col.

Tucker.

Having heard of his threats, I was induced not to tempt him too far. I placed my hands on the fence and leaped over it, alighting on the other side, near a cross fence which separated the garden from a field of corn. As quick as thought I got among the corn, which was at full height. I was within twenty feet of Tucker and could hear all that was said. I heard him rave, and demand with oaths what my friends, who came up, were doing there. Had they been baptizing his wife? I recognized the voice of the parson's lady with whom I was stopping. She had the wet clothes of Mrs.

Tucker.

"Tell me," said Tucker, "if my wife has been baptized, or I will blow your brains out." The reply was: "She has been baptized."

"Where is that infernal Mormon preacher?" demanded the Colonel; "I will put a load of shot through him."

"He is in that cornfield," was the reply.

The Colonel raved the more. Finally some of his friends persuaded him to return home, and not disgrace himself. He pretended to do so, but it was only a feint to get me out.

After waiting until all was quiet I returned to the house of my friend, and pa.s.sing through the door went out on the porch. I sat down and was slipping off my socks, to put on dry ones, when I heard a rustling in the room behind me. The next moment Col.

Tucker had his gun leveled on me, but it flashed in the pan. He then whirled up the b.u.t.t of it to fell me to the earth.

Seeing my danger I sprang and caught him around the waist, with one of his arms in my grasp, which left him only one arm loose.

"I have you now where I want you," he cried.

He was a strong, muscular man, and, no doubt, supposed I would be no match for him. I ordered a young man who stood near to take his gun. I then gripped him with an iron hug, and sent him back into the room.

The old gentleman with whom I was stopping ordered him out of the house unless he would behave himself. He said he had invited me to his house, and felt it his duty to protect me. The Colonel replied that he would go if he could; he never knew before that when he was in the hands of a Mormon he was in a bear's clutches.

I said:

"I will take you out if it will accommodate you."

Thus saying, I stepped out on the porch with him. I saw that he was willing to go. This gave me new courage.

"Let me go, or I will blow your brains out when I get loose," he said.

"There is one condition on which I will let you go, which is that you will go home and be quiet and trouble me no more," I replied.

"I will settle with you for all this," was his answer.

It was in the month of July, and very warm. I had hugged him closely, and he was growing weak. As I was in the act of dashing him to the ground he begged of me, saying that if I would set him loose he would go and trouble me no more. I let him fall to the ground, handed him his gun, and let him live. When he got a little distance away he began threatening me, and said he would be revenged. When all had quieted down I retired to rest in the upper story of my friend's house.

About one o'clock in the morning I was awakened by a voice which I recognized as the voice of Mrs. Tucker. She informed me that her husband was bent on my destruction, and he and ten men were then waylaying my road, and advised me not to start in that direction. Her husband had accused her of wetting the loads in his gun to save my life; but she told me to be of good cheer and put my trust in G.o.d, and that she had not regretted the steps she had taken. I thanked her for her kindness, and begged her to return home and not see me any more; that I was in the hands of G.o.d, and He would protect me and deliver me safe; that her visits would only make her husband more enraged at her.

At four o'clock I awoke, dressed myself, and ordered the servant to saddle my horse. As the servant hitched my horse to the post Tucker and several men appeared upon the ground. Tucker told the servant that he would shoot him in two if he saddled my horse. I spoke to Tucker, saluting him with the time of day. His reply was:

"I have got you now."

Thus saying, he ordered his nephew to bring Esquire Walls immediately.

After washing, I took my seat on the porch, and got out my Bible to read. Tucker stood about ten steps from me to guard me and my horse.

While this was the situation my old friend, the New Light preacher with whom I was lodging, had a fine horse saddled and hitched on the south side of the cornfield. He advised me in a whisper to pa.s.s down through the cornfield while I could do so without being detected, take the horse, and thus get out of the county before a warrant had been issued for my arrest.