McGee wrote, "The Grand river country was then so well spoken of by those who had been out there bee hunting, and especially Daviess county, that my father came out during the winter to look at it. At that time Bu one township of land in the county was open for entry- the balance not having as yet been brought into the market. This was township 58 of range 29- at present Colfax township. My father, wishing to enter land immediately, selected 160 acres of land on Marrowbone creek, three miles south of the now flourishing town of Winston in that is known as the Castor settlement. Here he built a cabin and in the spring of 1838 [and] moved the family to it from Richmond. Here he and my brothers grubbed out a hazel thicket and planted about six acres of corn. I went from Richmond to Elk Horn, in Ray county, and commenced working for a man by the name of Penniston. I continued to work with him until July when I came out to my father's on Marrowbone creek.

    There was quite a settlement of Mormons all around us. They were the only near neighbors we had, and as we lived near the main traveled road between Far West in Caldwell county and Diamon on Grand river, Mormon towns and as the leading Mormons were passing back and forth continually, I soon became acquainted with all the leading Mormons. The Prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr., Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Oliver Cowd[er]y and a host of others. In fact Joseph Smith once told me, 'that the time would come when I would be a shining light of the Mormon church.' Even that assurance failed to make a convert of me. I was known among them as a 'Persecutor of the Saints.'” [Story of the Grand River Country, 1821-1905: Memoirs of Major Joseph H. McGee (Gallatin, Mo. : The North Missourian Press, 1909). ]

Joseph McGee

    Northern Missouri was fast coming to a state of war during the summer of 1838. Open hostilities had their inception in a fight at the general election held in Gallatin on August 6, 1838. On that occasion an attempt was made to keep the "Mormons" from voting. Major Joseph H. McGee witnessed the Election Day Battle from the top of a nearby log pile, relating the story in the following words:

    "My first visit to Gallatin was in 1838, August 6th. My father and I came to town to attend the general election held on that day. This proved to be a historical day as the great knock down between the Mormons and the Missourians took place on that day. I had been with my father at many an election in Ohio, but I never saw him so peaceably inclined at an election before." "

    There was a big pile of house logs piled up in front of the little cabin where they were voting. My father and I climbed to the very top of that pile of logs and witnessed the whole battle. I had witnessed many knock downs in my time, but none on so grand a scale. Pistols were not used. Rocks and clubs were in demand, and an occasional butcher knife slipped in. Men dropped on all sides."

    "I saw one poor Mormon trying to make his escape from two Missourians who were pursuing him. He had a butcher knife sticking between his shoulders. They would no doubt have succeeded in capturing him had not another Mormon by the name of John L. Butler seized a big club and rushing in between them and their victim dealt them such blows that he felled them both to the earth and allowed the Mormon, whose name was Murphy, to escape. The Missourians proved victorious and the Mormons had to leave. After the fight was over my father and I got into our wagon and returned home. This was my first debut in Gallatin. All the Mormons who took part in this fight left the county that night and moved their families to Far West in Caldwell County this being the stronghold of the Mormons."

    [Cited in Rollin J. Britton, EARLY DAYS ON GRAND RIVER AND MORMON WAR. (Columbia, Missouri: State Historical Society of Missouri, 1920), 9].

John L. Butler at Gallatin

    In what was viewed as a defensive action, a company of Mormons, "started at once for the protection of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and Joseph Smith, Jr., went along, and he states that many depredations, such as driving off horses, sheep, cattle and hogs belonging to his brethren took place at this time."
    Major Joseph H. McGee tells us in his memoirs, "that on the morning of October 18, 1838, one hundred and fifty Mormons came to Gallatin and finding but seventeen men in the place they run them out and took possession of the town. They removed the goods out of Stolling's Store house and burned the house. They then took the goods to Di-Ammon. They burned my tailor shop after taking all there was in it, leaving me only the suit of clothes I had on my back. They took me prisoner and after keeping me about two hours they turned me loose and told me to 'get.' My father was living about three miles south of where Winston now is and the road we traveled then made it about fifteen miles from Gallatin. The snow on the ground was about six inches deep. When they turned me loose and told me to go, I made tracks for home, reaching there late in the evening. Not knowing at what time we would be visited by the Mormons, father boxed all our feather beds and table ware and hid them out in the woods. There they remained until the war was over. We could stand in our door yard and see houses burning every night for over two weeks. The Mormons completely gutted Daviess county. There was scarcely a Missourian's house left standing in the county. Nearly every one was burned. Their flight from the county had been so precipitate that they left all they had behind, taking only their families and teams. The Mormons secured all their property and took it to De Ammon [Di-Ahman] and there placed it in what was termed the Lord's Store house, to be issued out to Saints as they might need."

    [Cited in Rollin J. Britton, "Mormon Troubles in Daviess County," EARLY DAYS ON GRAND RIVER AND MORMON WAR. (Columbia, Missouri: State Historical Society of Missouri, 1920), 29.

    "[Adam-Ondi-Ahman] It was so named from the fact that the prophet, Joseph Smith, professed to have received a revelation from heaven directing him to the spot where Old Father Adam were interred, commanding him to build a town at the place, and to name the town Adam-on-di-ah-mon- which being interpreted means the grave of the first man- Adam. Diahmon at this time contained over 500 inhabitants. Gallatin had but four houses. It threatened to rival Far West and probably [page] would have done so had it not been for the troubles that were just then brewing. Of these troubles I will speak hereafter. Jacob Stollings, a merchant with whom I became acquainted in Elkhorn, Ray county, had moved his store from Elkhorn to Gallatin and was now at this place selling goods. His old clerk, Pat Lynch, was also with him. I retuned to Gallatin in a few days and opened a tailor shop in a little log cabin standing on the southwest corner of the square. The ground is now owned by S. J. McDonald. The cabin belonged to a man of the name of Geo. W. Worthington. It was 12X14 feet but was large enough for that day. I got more work than I could do, so I employed an assistant, Charles M. Scoot, who now lives at Cainsville, Harrison county, was my assistant. I would have done well had it not been for the Mormon troubles that were still waxing warmer and warmer. The Mormons were more numerous than the Missourians and were very threatening in their talk and actions. They organized what they called the “Danite Band” one portion of which was set apart and known as the “Destroying Angles.” The road between Far West, in Caldwell county, and Diahmon, in Daviess county, was constantly filled with Mormon troops going backward and forward between these two places. The governor, being appraised of the condition of affairs, sent troops to Daviess county to look into the condition of affairs and if possible to bring about a settlement of all difficulties. On the arrival of the troops the Mormons professed a great desire for peace. So well did they succeed in misleading the mind of the commandment of the troops that he marched his troops back to Richmond and reported to the governor, “All quiet on Grand river.” No sooner hand the troops been withdrawn than they commenced operations again. John B. Comer and William McHaney, citizens of Daviess county, were returning from Richmond with a wagon loaded and whilst passing through Caldwell county were arrested by the Mormons and held as prisoners.
    The arrest of Comer and McHaney by the Mormons caused great excitement in Daviess county. The Mormons had a settlement at DeWitt in Carroll county, and one at Hahn's [Haun's] mill in Caldwell county. These places they commenced fortifying. The Missourians in the meantime were not idle. The governor having failed to reliever them they organized companies of citizens and drove them from DeWitt and then proceeded to Haun's Mill, where a bloody fight took place, 35 [sic] of the Mormons killed and thrown into a well. Whilst these operations were going on in Carroll and Caldwell counties the Mormons were overrunning Daviess county. On the Morning of October 18, 1838, 150 of them came to Gallatin and finding but 15 men in the place the run them out and took possession of the town. They removed the goods out of Stolling's store house and burned the house. They then took the goods to Di Ahmon. They burned my shop after taking all there [sic] was in it, leaving me only the suit of clothes I had on my back. They took me prisoner and after keeping me about two hours they turned me loose and told me to “get.” My father was living about three miles south of where Winston now is and the road we traveled then made it about 15 miles from Gallatin. The snow on the ground was about six inches deep. When they turned me loose and told me to go I made tracks for home, reaching there late in the evening. Not knowing at what time we would be visited by the Mormons, father boxed all our feather beds and table wear and hid them out in the woods. There they remained until the war was over. We could stand in our door yard and see houses burning every night for over two weeks. Mormons completely gutted Daviess county. There was scarcely a Missourian's house left standing in the [page] county. Nearly every one was [?]l. Their flight from the county had been so precipitate that they left all they had behind, taking [only] their families and teams. The Mormons secured all their property and took it to Di Ahmon and there []l it in what was termed the Lord's store house, to be issued to the Saints, as they might need. Governor Boggs now becoming satisfied that “all was not quiet on Grand River” again ordered out the troops and at this time in such force to insure submission. They first turned to Far West, which they captured, making prisoners of all the Mormon leaders; Smith, Rigdon and all the others. They then moved to Di Ahmon, which they also captured. The Lord's store house was then thrown open for the Missourians to look for their goods. All that was left of the goods were received by their owners and taken possession of. A greater part however had either been shipped to Far West, or made way with in Di Ahmon. Out of three suits of clothes I found two pair of pants, but in such a condition that I threw them away. Peace was restored but the Mormons had to leave the state. They were given until the next spring to go. The winter of 1838 and '39 will long be remembered by the Mormons and the early settlers of the Grand River country. The Mormons were moving all winter. In the early spring of 1839 there was not one left in Daviess county. Smith, Rigdon and others were being tried for treason against the state; also for arson and robbery. They were tried in Richmond, Ray county, and again at Gallatin, Daviess county. At the latter place they were committed to jail to await the spring term of the court. There was not jail that was considered safe nearer than Columbia, Boone county. The sheriff of Daviess county, Wm. Morgan, was ordered to convey them to Columbia, and deliver them to the jailor at that place for safe keeping. On the way however, they succeeded in bribing the guard, and made their escape. They were not recaptured. One of the guard, John Brassfield, owned the horses on which they prisoners were conveyed, as he was on duty the night they made their escape, and his horses were missing in the morning. It was always thought he got pay for his horses as well as allowing them to escape. Morgan, the sheriff, left the country shortly after. Wm. Bowman, another one of the guards, was treated to a ride through the streets of Gallatin by the infuriated citizens of the county on a bar of steel, which probably caused his death. He never recovered from the shook and died shortly after.
    The spring of 1839 found the settlers all back to their homes and rebuilding their cabins which had been burned by the Mormons. As all the land in Davies county had come into market during the winter, the settlers were kept busy proving up their preemptions and entering their homes. This was a hard winter on the early settlers of the county. Robbed of all they possessed by the Mormons, and compelled to raise money to enter their homes, or lose them, they were brought to straightened circumstances. Had it not been for the bountiful supply furnished by nature in the way of provisions, many would have suffered. Wild game was abundant. Deer skins made excellent clothing both for the feet and body. A coon skin cap with the tail hanging down behind was considered 'Ala-mode.'”
  [Story of the Grand River Country, 1821-1905: Memoirs of Major Joseph H. McGee, (Gallatin, Mo. : The North Missourian Press, 1909).]