Hist. Utah. 15
of a militia officer was recognized by William Pickett
as belonging to one of the harvesters. Pickett took
possession of the weapon, and a warrant was issued
against him for theft; when an officer came to arrest
him, he refused to surrender. As the Mormons stood
by him in illegal attitude, the affair caused consider-
able excitement.
In short, from the 1st of May until the final evac- uation of the city, the men of Illinois never ceased from strife and outrage. Of the latter I will mention only two instances: "A man of near sixty years of age," writes Major Warren in the letter just referred to, "living about seven miles from this place, was taken from his house a few nights since, stripped of his clothing, and his back cut to pieces with a whip, for no other reason than because he was a Mormon, and too old to make a successful resistance. Conduct of this kind would disgrace a horde of savages." In August a party consisting of Phineas H. Young, his son Brigham, and three others who were found out- side the city, were kidnapped by a mob, hurried into the thickets, passed from one gang to another — men from Nauvoo being in hot pursuit — and for a fort- night were kept almost without food or rest, and under constant threat of death.
Fears are now entertained that, by reason of the popular feeling throughout the country, Nauvoo city will be again attacked; the gentile citizens therefore ask Governor Ford for protection, whereupon Major Parker is sent to their relief ^^ All through August
i» ' Sir — I have received information that another effort is to be made on Monday next to drive out the inhabitants of Nauvoo, new as well as old, and destroy the city. I am informed that it is believed in the surrounding coun- ties that the new citizens in Nauvoo are all Mormons, and that the remnant of the old Mormon population are determined to remain there, although I am assured that the contrary in both particulars is the truth. You are there- fore hereby authorized and empowered to repair to Nauvoo, and there remain until you are relieved. You will immediately inquire how many of the in- liabitants are new citizens, and how many of them are Mormons; how many i>f the old Mormon population remain, and what the prosi^ect is of their re- moval in a reasonable time; and in case an attack on the city should be at- tempted or threatened, you are hereby authorized to take command of such
