settlements. The troops sent by the Governor to guard
the settlers and preserve order soon took part with the mob, and
all show for legal protection was gone, so far as Mormons were
concerned. I had built a cabin in the valley of Adam-on-Diamond,
at the point where the Prophet said Adam blessed his posterity
after being driven from the Garden of Eden.

The condition of the country being such that we could not labor
on our farms, I concluded to go and hunt for wild honey. Several
of my neighbors were to join me in my bee hunt, and we started
with our teams, and traveled northeasterly until we reached the
heavy timber at the three forks of Grand River. We camped on the
middle fork of Grand River, and had fine success in securing
honey.

We had been out at camp only two or three days when we discovered
signs of armed men rushing through the country. On the 3d of
October, 1838, we saw a large number of men that we knew were
enemies to the Mormons on their way, as we supposed, to attack
our people at the settlements. I concluded to go and meet them,
and find out for certain what they were really intending to do. I
was forced to act with caution, for, if they discovered that we
were Mormons, our lives would be taken by the desperate men
composing the mob who called themselves State volunteers. I took
my gun and carrying a bucket on my arm started out to meet the
people and learn their intentions. I met them just after they had
broken camp on Sunday morning.

As soon as I saw them I was certain they were out hunting for
Mormons. I concluded to pass myself off as an outsider, the
better to learn their history. My plan worked admirably. I stood
my ground until a company of eighteen men rode up to me, and
said:

"You move early."

"Not so early, gentlemen; I am not moving any sooner than you
are. What are you all doing in this part of the country, armed to
the teeth as you are? Are you hunting for Indians?"

"No," said they, "but we wish to know where you are from, and
what you are doing."

"I am from Illinois; there are four of us who have come out here
to look up a good location to settle. We stopped on Marrowbone,
and did think of staying there, until the settlers and Mormons
got into a row at Gallatin, on election day. After that we
concluded to strike out and see what this country looked like. I
am now going to cut a bee tree that I found yesterday evening,
and I brought my gun along so that if I met an old buck