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Morris Phelps, a witness, produced, sworn, and examined for the
State, deposeth and saith: That Parley P. Pratt was in the battle with
Bogart. Darwin Chase was one of the expedition, but not in the battle.
Lyman Gibbs was in the battle; thinks Benjamin Jones was in the battle.
Norman Shearer was also, and wounded. I was called upon by Charles C.
Rich, to go down to Crooked river, to help relieve some Mormon
prisoners, who, it was said, had been taken by a mob.
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Judicial District, State of Missouri
I first refused to go; but, being threatened with force, I
consented to go. We proceeded to McDaniel's field, in Ray county, where
we were commanded to hitch our horses; and we proceeded down to where
Captain Bogart was encamped-myself in the extreme rear. The fight was
brought on, but I was not in it. On our return from the battle-ground,
near Log Creek timber, in Caldwell county, we met Joseph Smith, jr.,
Lyman Wight and others, who went to the wounded and pronounced blessings
on them, and prayed for them to be healed and saved. When we started
from McDaniel's field fence, the only command given, that I heard, was,
Boys, follow me! given by the commander. I have been in two Danite
meetings. The first, I did not make any exception to; and, in the
second, the following exceptionable doctrine, was inculcated: "that we,
should take spoil, or plunder, in, some cases'" but it was objected to,
and I have never attended a Danite meeting since. The day before the
Mormons went to Adam-on- diahman J. Smith, jr., in an address, told an
anecdote of a Dutchman, who had been applied to by a captain to purchase
potatoes, &c. Rigdon, in speaking of dissenters, who were unwilling to
fight mobs, said that they ought to be pitched upon their horses with
pitchforks and bayonets, and forced into the front of the battle, and
their property confiscated to the use of the army. The anecdote spoken
of above, about the Dutchman, was told by Smith after Rigdon's address,
and without any application of it by him. And further this deponent
saith not.
MORRIS PHELPS.
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