MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION
We saw a large company of between 200 and 250 within about one hundred yards from us, thinking their movements were hostile, we immediately ran into the blacksmith's shop, for safety. Some of our brethren had camped a little behind the shop; one of them by the name of [Nathan] Knight, had just taken up his gun and was going down to a small lake for the purpose of shooting ducks when the mob came upon him. One of their leaders named Comstock observing him immediately fired upon him and shot the strap off his shot pouch. He then ran into the shop whither we had taken shelter, the mob then kept rushing on towards the shop and shooting at us.
William Foot, autobiography, BYU
The Mormons ran into a log blacksmith shop (which belonged to James Houston, my wife's brother-in-law) for their arms, and the mobbers formed instantly so as to command the entrance, and fired upon them. There being no chinking between the logs they also fired through these open spaces. Some of the Mormons broke out and succeeded in getting away safe, and about six were wounded in their flight. The mobbers then ran into the shop, and shot all in there that were wounded. One little boy whose name was Smith, had crawled under the bellows to hide, but the fiends discovered him and instantly shot his brains out. The number killed was 18. After the mob had gone, some of the "Mormons" came from their hiding places the next day and in a hurried manner, gathered up the dead, and cast them into a well, which was being dug, but had not yet found water. I will here say that the well spoken of belonged to Jacob Myers, my wife's brother, who was severely wounded and a year or so after ward had to have his leg amputated. George Myers another brother was shot through the body as he was trying to escape. The mobbers did not pursue him, and he succeeded in getting away, and recovered from his wounds, but was never as stout afterwards. Jacob Myers Sen., my wife's father, assisted in putting the dead in the well, and she also, was an eye witness of the sad scene, being in her 10th year.
Artemisia Sydney Myers, (Community of Christ Archives, P86, f30)
My father Jacob Myers and my Mother Sarah Coleman Myers. . . built a grist mill for Mr. Haun. . . . My brother Jacob Myers, Jr., was living near the mill and had been assisting in running it. My brother-in-law, James Houston, who was a blacksmith built and owned the shop in which the massacre occurred. My father and brother-in-law [Houston] started for home before the mob came. . . . We lived three miles from the mill. My brother George lived one and a quarter miles from the mill. [George told us the manner of his escape.] Our guns were in the blacksmith shop when the mob came unexpectedly upon us. Orders were given to run to the shop. The mob formed a half circle on the north side of the shop, extending partly across the east and west ends so as to cover all retreat from the shop. . . . I made two or three jumps from the door when a bullet struck me a little below the right shoulder. . . . I fell to the ground. . . . I thought it would do me no good to lie there so I arose and ran up the hill, the bullets whistling by me all the time. When I came to the fence and was climbing over it, a ball passed through my shirt collar. . . .
When we first arrived at Haun's Mill the first scene that presented itself, in his door yard, was the remains of Father York and McBride and others covered with sheets. We went down the hill to cross the mill dam and there stood a boy over a pool of blood. . . . We made our way to brother Jacob's house and found him with his left leg broken by a bullet. . . . From my brother's house we went to the blacksmith shop. . . . After we came back to my brother's house my Father, David Evans and Joseph Young, with one or two more came and gathered up the dead and carried them to my brother's place, put the bodies on a wide board, and slid them off feet foremost into a well which he had been digging but had not yet come to water.
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