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The Autobiography of
Parley P. Pratt — Revised and Enhanced Edition
Edited by Scot Facer Proctor
and Maurine Jensen Proctor
Chapter 24
Massacre at Haun's Mill
Testimony covers period of July 6–October 30, 1838
Massacre at Haun's Mill
We here introduce the testimony of Joseph Young, 1 an eye witness of one of the most awful scenes which ever stained the annals of history in any age or country.
“The following is a short history of my travels to the State of Missouri,
and of a bloody tragedy enacted at Haun's Mill,2
on Shoal Creek, October 30, 1838:
“On the 6th of July last I started with my family from Kirtland, Ohio,
for Missouri — the county of Caldwell, in the upper part of the State,
being the place of my destination. On the 13th of October I crossed
the Mississippi at Louisiana, at which place I heard vague reports
of the disturbances in the upper country, but nothing that could be
relied on.
“I continued my course westward till I crossed Grand River, at a place
called Compton's Ferry, where I heard for the first time that if I
proceeded any further on my journey I would be in danger of being
stopped by a body of armed men.
“I was not willing, however, while treading my native soil and breathing
republican air, to abandon my object, which was to locate myself and
family in a fine, healthy country, where we could enjoy the society
of our friends and connections. Consequently, I prosecuted my journey
till I came to Whitney's Mills, situated on Shoal Creek, in the eastern
part of Caldwell County. After crossing the creek and going about
three miles we met a party of the mob, about forty in number, armed
with rifles and mounted on horses, who informed us that we could go
no further west, threatening us with instant death if we proceeded
any further.
“I asked them the reason of this prohibition, to which they replied
that we were ‘Mormons,' and that every one who adhered to
that religious faith would have to leave the State within ten days,
or renounce their religion. Accordingly, they drove us back to the
mills above mentioned.
“Here we tarried three days, and on Friday, the 26th, we recrossed
the creek, and, following up its banks, we succeeded in eluding the
mob for the time being, and gained the residence of a friend in Myers'
Settlement. On Sunday, October 28, we arrived at Haun's Mill, where
we found a number of our friends collected, who were holding a council
and deliberating upon the best course for them to pursue to defend
themselves against the mob who were collecting in the neighborhood
under the command of Colonel Jennings, of Livingston, and threatening
them with house burning and killing.
“The decision of the council was that the neighborhood should put
itself in a state of defence. Accordingly about twenty-eight of our
men armed themselves, and were in constant readiness for an attack,
if any small body of mobbers might come upon them.
“The same evening, for some reason best known to themselves, the mob
sent one of their number to enter into a treaty with our friends,
which was accepted on the condition of mutual forbearance on both
sides, and that each party, as far as their influence extended, should
exert themselves to prevent any further hostilities.
“At this time, however, there was another mob collecting on Grand
River, at William Mann's, which was threatening us; consequently,
we remained under arms on Monday, the 29th, which passed away without
molestation from any quarter.
“On Tuesday, the 30th, that bloody tragedy was enacted, the scenes
of which I shall never forget.
“More than three fourths of the day had passed in tranquility as smiling
as the preceding one. I think there was no individual of our company
that was apprised of the sudden and awful fate which hung over our
heads like an overwhelming torrent, and which was to change the prospects,
the feelings and sympathies of about thirty families.
“The banks of Shoal Creek, on either side, teemed with children sporting
and playing, while their mothers were engaged in domestic employments.
Fathers or husbands were either on guard about the mills or other
property, or employed in gathering crops for winter consumption. The
weather was very pleasant, the sun shone clearly, all was tranquil,
and no one expressed any apprehension of the awful crisis that was
near us, even at our doors.
“It was about 4 o'clock, p.m. , while sitting in my cabin with my
babe in my arms, and my wife standing by my side, the door being open,
I cast my eyes on the opposite bank of Shoal Creek, and saw a large
body of armed men on horses directing their course towards the mills
with all possible speed.3
As they advanced through the scattering trees that bordered the prairie
they seemed to form themselves into a three square position, forming
a vanguard in front.
“At this moment, David Evans, seeing the superiority of their numbers
(there being two hundred and forty of them, according to their own
account), gave a signal and cried for peace. This not being heeded
they continued to advance, and their leader, a man named Comstock,
fired a gun, which was followed by a solemn pause of about ten or
twelve seconds; when all at once they discharged about one hundred
rifles, aiming at a blacksmith's shop, into which our friends fled
for safety. They then charged up to the shop, the crevices of which,
between the logs, were sufficiently large to enable them to aim directly
at the bodies of those who had there fled for refuge from the fire
of their murderers. There were several families tented in the rear
of the shop whose lives were exposed, and, amid showers of bullets,
fled to the woods in different directions.
“After standing and gazing at this bloody scene for a few minutes,
and finding myself in the uttermost danger, the bullets having reached
the house where I was living, I committed my family to the protection
of Heaven; and, leaving the house on the opposite side, I took a path
which led up the hill, following in the trail of three of my brethren
that had fled from the shop.4
“While ascending the hill we were discovered by the mob, who immediately
fired at us, and continued so to do till we reached the summit. In
descending the hill I secreted myself in a thicket of bushes, where
I lay till 8 o'clock in the evening. At this time I heard a voice
calling my name in an undertone. I immediately left the thicket and
went to the house of Benjamin Lewis, where I found my family — who
had fled there in safety — and two of my friends, mortally wounded,
one of whom died before morning. Here we passed the painful night
in deep and awful reflections on the scenes of the preceding evening.
After daylight appeared some four or five men, with myself, who had
escaped with our lives from this horrid massacre, repaired as soon
as possible to the mills to learn the condition of our friends, whose
fate we had but too truly anticipated.
“When we arrived at the house of Mr. Haun, we found Mr. Merrick's
body lying in the rear of the house; Mr. McBride's in front, literally
mangled from head to foot. We were informed by Miss Rebecca Judd,
who was an eye witness, that he was shot with his own gun after he
had given it up, and then cut to pieces with a corn cutter by a man
named Rogers, of Davies County, who keeps a ferry on Grand River,
and who has since repeatedly boasted of this act of savage barbarity.
Mr. York's body we found in the house. After viewing these corpses
we immediately went to the blacksmith's shop, where we found nine
of our friends, eight of whom were already dead — the other, Mr. Cox,
of Indiana, in the agonies of death, who soon expired.
“We immediately prepared and carried them to the place of interment.
This last office of kindness due to the remains of departed friends
was not attended with the customary ceremonies nor decency; for we
were in jeopardy, every moment expecting to be fired on by the mob,
who, we supposed, were lying in ambush, waiting the first opportunity
to despatch the remaining few who were providentially preserved from
the slaughter of the preceding day. However, we accomplished without
molestation this painful task. The place of burial was a vault in
the ground, formerly intended for a well, into which we threw the
bodies of our friends promiscuously.5
“Among the slain I will mention Sardius Smith, son of Warren Smith,
about nine years old, who, through fear, had crawled under the bellows
in the shop, where he remained till the massacre was over, when he
was discovered by one Glaze, of Carroll County, who presented a rifle
near his head and literally blew off the upper part of it. Mr. Stanley,
of Carroll County, told me afterwards that Glaze boasted of this fiend-like
murder and heroic deed all over the country.
“The number killed and mortally wounded in this wanton slaughter was
eighteen or nineteen, whose names, as far as I can recollect, were
as follows: Thomas McBride, Levi Merrick, Elias Benner, Josiah Fuller,
Benjamin Lewis, Alexander Campbell, Warren Smith, Sardius Smith, George
Richards, Mr. Napier, Mr. Harmer, Mr. Cox, Mr. Abbott, Mr. York, Wm.
Merrick (a boy eight or nine years old), and three or four others
whose names I do not recollect, as they were strangers to me.
“Among the wounded who recovered were Isaac Laney, Nathan K. Knight,
Mr. Yokum, two brothers by the name of Myers, Tarlton Lewis, Mr. Haun
and several others. Miss Mary Stedwell, while fleeing, was shot through
the hand, and, fainting, fell over a log, into which they shot upwards
of twenty balls.
“To finish their work of destruction, this band of murderers composed
of men from Davies, Livingston, Ray, Carroll and Chariton Counties,
led by some of the principal men of that section of the upper country
(among whom, I am informed, were Mr. Ashby, from Chariton, member
of the State Legislature; Col. Jennings, of Livingston County; Thos.
O'Bryon, Clerk of Livingston County; Mr. Whitney, Dr. Randall and
many others), proceeded to rob the houses, wagons and tents of bedding
and clothing; drove off horses and wagons, leaving widows and orphans
destitute of the necessaries of life, and even stripped the clothing
from the bodies of the slain!
“According to their own account they fired seven rounds in this awful
butchery; making upwards of sixteen hundred shots, at a little company
of men about thirty in number.
“I hereby certify the above to be a true statement of facts, according
to the best of my knowledge.
“Joseph Young.
“State of Illinois,
County of Adams.
“I hereby certify that Joseph Young this day came before me,
and made oath in due form of law, that the statements contained in
the foregoing sheets are true, according to the best of his knowledge
and belief. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and
affixed the seal of the Circuit Court at Quincy, this fourth day of
June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
“C. M. Woods,
“Clerk of Circuit Court of Adams Co., Ill.”6
Notes
1Joseph Young (1797–1881), the seventh of the eleven children of John and Abigail Howe Young, was an older brother of Brigham Young. He joined the Church in 1832 and served as a President of the First Quorum of Seventy from 1835–81. He was ever faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2 This settlement was built around the mill of Jacob Haun.
3 This mob was led by Nehemiah Comstock and Obadiah Jennings, notorious mobsters and killers in western Missouri.
4 “Amanda Barnes Smith and her daughters saved their lives by running to the woods with bullets whistling by ‘like hailstones.' But when she crept back to the mill, she saw her husband and ten-year-old son ‘lifeless upon the ground.' Then she found another son shot in the head under the blacksmith's bellows where he had attempted to hide” (Proctor, Witness of the Light, 149).
5 The location of this well was known until the late 1870s. It was then lost from history until March 1999, when Dr. F. Richard Hauck aimed to discover it using sophisticated ground sonar. The burial well has still not been identified.
6 This account appears in Smith, History of the Church, 3:183–86.
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