ZION'S CAMP PROTECTED FROM A MOB
In the spring of 1834, Joseph assembled a group of about 200 men from Ohio
and elsewhere who came to be known as "Zion's Camp." They marched
some 800 miles to Jackson Country, Missouri, with the apparent objective of
returning the exiled Saints to their rightful residences. Though that objective
was not obtained, it was a time of training and sifting for many who later
became leaders in the Church... nine of the first twelve apostles, and all of
the first quorum of seventy, were part of Zion's Camp.
As we halted and were making preparations for the night, five men armed with
guns rode into our camp, and told us we should "see hell before
morning;" and their accompanying oaths partook of all the malice of
demons. They told us that sixty men were coming from Richmond, Ray county, and
seventy more from Clay county, to join the Jackson county mob, who had sworn
our utter destruction.
During this day, the Jackson county mob, to the number of about two hundred,
made arrangements to cross the Missouri river, above the mouth of Fishing
river, at Williams' ferry, into Clay county, and be ready to meet the Richmond
mob near Fishing river ford for our utter destruction; but after the first scow
load of about forty had been set over the river, the scow in returning was met
by a squall, and had great difficulty in reaching the Jackson side by dark.
When these five men were in our camp, swearing vengeance, the wind, thunder,
and rising cloud indicated an approaching storm, and in a short time after they
left the rain and hail began to fall. * The storm was tremendous; wind and
rain, hail and thunder met them in great wrath, and soon softened their direful
courage, and frustrated all their designs to "kill Joe Smith and his
army." Instead of continuing a cannonading which they commenced when the
sun was about one hour high, they crawled under wagons, into hollow trees, and
filled one old shanty, till the storm was over, when their ammunition was
soaked, and the forty in Clay county were extremely anxious in the morning to
return to Jackson, having experienced the pitiless pelting of the storm all
night; and as soon as arrangements could be made, this "forlorn hope"
took the "back track" for Independence, to join the main body of the
mob, fully satisfied, as were those survivors of the company who were drowned,
that when Jehovah fights they would rather be absent. The gratification is too
terrible.
Very little hail fell in our camp, but from half a mile to a mile around,
the stones or lumps of ice cut down the crops of corn and vegetation generally,
even cutting limbs from trees, while the trees, themselves were twisted into
withes by the wind. The lightning flashed incessantly, which caused it to be so
light in our camp through the night, that we could discern the most minute
objects; and the roaring of the thunder was tremendous. The earth trembled and
quaked, the rain fell in torrents, and, united, it seemed as if the mandate of
vengeance had gone forth from the God of battles, to protect His servants from
the destruction of their enemies, for the hail fell on them and not on us, and
we suffered no harm, except the blowing down of some of our tents, and getting
wet; while our enemies had holes made in their hats, and otherwise received
damage, even the breaking of their rifle stocks, and the fleeing of their
horses through fear and pain.
Many of my little band sheltered in an old meetinghouse through this night,
and in the morning the water in Big Fishing river was about forty feet deep,
where, the previous evening, it was no more than to our ankles, and our enemies
swore that the water rose thirty feet in thirty minutes in the Little Fishing
river. They reported that one of their men was killed by lightning, and that
another had his hand torn off by his horse drawing his hand between the logs of
a corn crib while he was holding him on the inside. They declared that if that
was the way God fought for the Mormons, they might as well go about their
business.
*FOOTNOTE: Wilford Woodruff says that when the five men entered the camp
there was not a cloud to be seen in the whole heavens, but as the men left the
camp there was a small cloud like a black spot appeared in the north west, and
it began to unroll itself like a scroll, and in a few minutes the whole heavens
were covered with a pall as black as ink. This indicated a sudden storm which
soon broke upon us with wind, rain, thunder and lightning and hail. Our beds
were soon afloat and our tents blown down over our heads. We all fled into a
Baptist meetinghouse. As the Prophet Joseph came in shaking the water from his
hat and clothing he said, "Boys, there is some meaning to this. God is in
this storm." We sang praises to God, and lay all night on benches under
cover while our enemies were in the pelting storm. It was reported that the mob
cavalry who fled into the schoolhouse had to hold their horses by the bridles
between the logs, but when the heavy hail storm struck them they broke away,
skinning the fingers of those who were holding them. The horses fled before the
storm and were not found for several days. It was reported that the captain of
the company in the schoolhouse said it was a strange thing that they could do nothing
against the Mormons but what there must be some hail storm or some other thing
to hinder their doing anything, but they did not feel disposed to acknowledge
that God was fighting our battles. (Wilford Woodruff's note in Ms. History of
the church, Book A p. 332.)
(History of the Church, Vol.2, Ch.7, pp. 103-5)
(Compiled and written by David Kenison)
