James Guyman, Affidavit, before , , Hancock Co., IL, 20 June 1844; handwriting of ; signature of James Guyman; certified by ; docket in handwriting of John McEwan; one page; JS Office Papers, CHL.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
Personally appeared before me <—> an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said James Guyman of Green Plains Precinct in said , and being first duly sworn deposeth and saith that on Saturday morning the 15th inst. he was at Rocky Run precinct when one Captain Myers, captain of an “Independent Anti Mormon Minute Men” Company, came to a house where your deponent was, staying, he enquired for a drum he wanted either to borrow it or buy it until this affray with the Mormons was over— I asked him how he was going to proceed to take Smith— he then said had offered to send over two thousand men to come over to assist and take him. I asked whether it was legal for them to come over here. He replied when they came over the Constables were going to summons them, and also to summons every man who were in, or would come into the . I asked if it was according to law to proceed that way and he replied it was, and he went in for the Law and Democracy. He said they had sent two men to the to order the militia out in their favor to help to take those criminals and if he would not do just right they would execute his head from his shoulders— I replied you said you was a democracy man and went for the Law— I said do you call that democracy or mobocracy— he said if they went that far and if the ordered the militia against them, instead of in favor of them, he would turn mob and the militia would join him, and they would take the s head from his shoulders— he repeated it two or three times. I enquired if it was law to go and drive those innocent Mormons who were living in the neighborhood or tyrannically compel them to do things not agreeable to their will; he allowed that in this case it was. I asked what he was going to do with those old settlers who would neither take up arms and fight against Smith, nor in favor of him, when he replied they must fight either for one side or the other— or they must share the same fate as the Mormons. Your deponent further saith the he is not a Mormon and does not belong to the . and further saith not.
James Guymon
Subscribed and sworn to this 20th day of June, 1844, before me,