The white flag returned to the camp. To the force of , was the small force of militia, under opposed Who also marched in line of battle, to the eastern line of the . The whole force of , did not exceed three hundred men— that of perhaps three times that number. I was no way connected with the militia, being over age, neither was Joseph Smith, Senior. I went into the line formed by , though unarmed, and stood among the rest to await the result, & a full view of both forces & stood there. The armies were within rifle shot of each other. About the setting of the Sun, ordered his army, to return to the camp at the Creek; they wheeled & marched off. after they had retired it was consulted what was best to do,— by what authority the army was there no one could tell, as far as I knew— it was agreed to build through the night a sort of fortification, & if we must fight, sell our lives as dear as we could, accordingly all hands went to work, rails, house logs & wagons, were all put in requisition & the east line of the , as well secured as could be done by the men & means & the short time allowed; expecting an attack in the morning. The morning at last came & that day passed away & still nothing done; but plundering the corn fields, shooting cattle & hogs, stealing horses & robbing houses & carrying off potatoes turnips & all such things, as the army of could get, for such in the event they proved to be. The main body being commanded, by , a Deacon in the Prebyterian church. The next came & then it was ascertained, that they were there by order of the . A demand was made for Joseph Smith, Senior, . , , & myself, to go into their camp, with this demand, we instantly complied & accordingly started for <​to​> their camp. When we cames in sight of their camp the whole army was on parade, marching toward the , we approached & met them & were informed by that we were prisoners of war. A scene followed that would defy any mortal to describe, a howling was set up, that would put any thing, I ever heard before or since at defiance, I thought at the time it had no parallel except it might be in the perdition of ungodly men [p. 142]