and acted as if it wished to warn us of danger. Then
it flew off towards the settlements where I wished to go.

All admitted that these were strange actions for a bird, but they
still insisted on going to cut the bee trees. I was persuaded to
go with them. We had gone a quarter of a mile further when the
blackbird returned to us and went through the same performance as
before, and again flew off toward the settlement.

This was to me a warning to go home at once; that there was
danger there to my family. I then proposed that we all join in
prayer. We did so, and I prayed to the Author of our existence,
and asked that if it was His will for us to go home at once, and
if the blackbird had been sent as a warning messenger, to let it
return again, and I would follow it. We then traveled on some two
miles, when the messenger returned the third time and appeared,
if possible, more determined than before to turn us towards home.
I turned my team and started, as straight as I could go, for
Adam-on-Diamond.

As we passed over the prairie we saw the smoke rising from many
farms and houses in the vicinity of where we had left our bee
trees. This smoke showed us that our enemies were at work, and
that had we kept on in the course we were first intending to
travel we would have fallen into the hands of the lawless and
lost our lives.

Before we got home the news of the attack upon the settlements
had reached there. It was also reported, and we afterwards
learned that the report was true, that many of the Mormon
settlers had been tied to trees and whipped with hickory withes,
some of them being horribly mangled by the mob. This conduct on
the part of the Gentiles roused every Mormon to action, and the
excitement was very great.

Joseph the Prophet was then sent for. Col. White called together
every man and boy that could carry arms. When the forces were
assembled Col. White made a war speech. As he spoke he stood by
his fine brown horse. There was a bearskin on his saddle. He had
a red handkerchief around his head, regular Indian fashion, with
the knot in front; he stood bareheaded, in his shirt sleeves,
with collar open, showing his naked breast. He held a large
cutlass in his right hand. His manner of address struck terror to
his enemies, while it charged his brethren with enthusiastic zeal
and forced them to believe they were invincible and bullet-proof.
We were about three hundred and seventy-five strong. I stood near
Co