An incident of the past, as told me by my mother-in-law
and others who were acquainted with the facts. It was in the fall of 1836,
I believe, that Father Cutler and his son, Thaddeus, and his three
sons-in-law with their families, and a few others also settled on Grand River,
Missouri.
Soon after arriving there Father (Alpheus) Cutler took the contract of
building a toll bridge across Grand River. This furnished employment
for all the men folks that winter, and by their industry and honesty they won
the respect of the merchants of Richmond, who let them have goods in
payment for their work on the bridge. In this way they became acquainted with
Merchant Moorehead and Colonel Parks and others.
After this my father-in-law and Almon Sherman, with their wives, who
were Father Cutler's daughters, moved upon a farm about six miles south of
where the battle was fought in which David Patten was killed. And on the day
before the battle a company of men came to my father-in-law's and told
them that the Mormons were on the war path, killing people and burning
houses, and they ordered Father Anderson and Uncle Sherman to give up their
guns and whatever weapons they might have to them. Father Anderson replied that
if the Mormons were on the war-path, he wanted his gun to defend himself
with, but they began swearing at him and telling him that he wanted to join
the Mormons. They then threatened his life if he did not obey orders, so he
gave them his gun. They then told him and Uncle Sherman to take their teams
and families to one place and camp together for safety. Of course our folks
did not wish to go, as they all belonged to the church, except Father
Anderson, and knew that their people would not fight only in self-defense. They
began to make excuses and Aunt Lois said she could not go, for she had light
bread rising already to bake; but they told her with an oath that she would
to bread or no bread, and she went; so they camped all night with their
enemies who claimed that the Mormons were burning houses. But from their place
of encampment there was no light seen from any fires all night.
At last [page 316] some men came from the scene of battle and brought the news that David Patten was killed, whereupon one woman in the camp jumped to her feet
ad commenced clapping her hands and shouted, "Glory to God," while our
folks were filled with grief at the tidings; for they knew Bro. David Patten,
and he was one of the elders who had laid his hands on the head of Lois
when she was healed of consumption a few years before, an account of which was
printed in Autumn Leaves five or six years ago under the heading, "Others with the church in an early day." [Vol. 2 (November, 1889): 494-96].
Well, the camp soon dispersed and our folks were allowed to go home,
and hastily packing things into their wagons, they concluded to move
immediately to Father Cutler's neighborhood, thinking they would be safer than
where they were. They hoped that by taking a road running a few miles north
of Richmond to miss the mob an reach Father Cutler's that night; but as
they got north of Richmond they ran into a company of men who surrounded
them and in the midst of oaths and shouts they were escorted into Richmond; then
the mob ordered them out of their wagons and some of them clambering in
began throwing things out, claiming that they were searching for arms, while
our folks could do nothing but stand by and lift their hearts in secret
prayer to God for deliverance. And I am inclined to think that he heard and
sent them friends in this time of need. Some of the men, seeing how
frightened Mother and Aunt Lois were, said, "Ladies, give yourselves no uneasiness
you shall not be harmed; but we can't tell you what will become of your
husbands."
Mother then taking her three weeks old babe, she and Aunt Lois went
into a house near by; but soon Aunt Lois said, "I am going out to see what is
going to be done with our husbands." As she neared the wagons she saw one
man bending over a trunk and searching in the till while some of the
babies' little clothes were being blown about in the dust. Aunt Lois began
gathering them up and said to the man, "What do you expect to find in the till of
that trunk?" "O," he said, "there may be a revolver or a bowie knife," though our
folks had told them repeatedly that their arms had been taken from them by a
company of men the day before.
About this time Colonel Parks and Mr. Moorehead came running over to
see what was going on, and upon seeing Father and Uncle Sherman, they came
up and shaking hands with them inquired what the trouble was. They replied
that their wives were Father Cutler's daughters, and that they were moving
to their father-in-law's for safety; that they had molested no one and had
no intention of doing so. But the mob contended that they were dangerous
men, but upon Mr. Moorehead agreeing to be responsible for them and to see
they did no damage, the mob allowed our folks to go home with Mr. Moorehead.
He had them drive their teams and wagons right into his yard, and called
some of his servants to wait upon them and treated them respectfully; so
they passed the night there in safety, and the next morning Colonel Parks
furnished them with a guard who went with them as far as it was
needful, so they reached Father Cutler's in safely.
Autumn Leaves, Vol. 8 (July, 1895): 315-16.
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