in the town, but two or three women and children, and one or two sick persons. It was with very great difficulty that prevailed upon , Hotel keeper, and his family to stay; they would not untill had given a solemn promise that he would see them protected, & hence I was looked upon as a hostage. Under those circumstances notwithstanding, I believe they were hostile to the Mormons, and were glad that the murder had taken place; yet they did not actually participate in it, and feeling that I should be a protection to them they stayed.
The whole community knew that a dreadful outrage had been perpetrated by those villains, and fearing lest the citizens of , as they possessed the power, might have a disposition to visit them with a terrible vengeance, they fled in the wildest confusion. And indeed it was with very great difficulty that the citizens of could be restrained; a horrid, barbarous murder had been committed; the most solemn pledge violated, and that too whilst the victims were, contrary to the requirements of law, putting themselves into the hands of the to pacify a popular excitement. This outrage was enhanced by the reflections that we were able to protect ourselves against, not only all the mob, but against three times their number and that of the s troops put together. These were again exascerbated by the speech of the in town. The whole events were so faithless, so dastardly, so mean, cowardly and contemptible; without one extenuating circumstance, that it would not have been surprising if the citizens of had arisen, enmasse, and blot[t]ed the wretches out of existence. The citizens of knew they would have done so under such circumstances, and judging us by themselves, they were all panic stricken and fled. , too, after his expulsion from , [p. 56]