joseph smith

“The scene through which I have been called to pass since I arrived in this place from the East has almost alienated me from my country. Almost one continual round of mobocracy by night and by day. When I contemplate the scene it almost makes me shudder, and my blood run cold in my veins. I have been an eye witness to almost the whole scene from the beginning. My life has been exposed—threatened from time to time. . . when they were filled with wrath …. About a week before the assassination of Joseph and Hyrum Smith I was arrested—marched to jail by a band of the desperate and could not even lay there in peace—was aroused about 12 o’clock by a rush of men into the yard and a loud rattleing [sic] and hallooing at the door of the jail. One of our men went down and opened the door, when they rushed up stairs and caroused about a while, and left us.”