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Visible Mormon period road runs through Wallace State Park Along Plum Creek
Joseph HolbrookExtracts of Joseph Holbrook's Autobiography
Resident of Plum Creek Settlement in the Far West Period
Joseph Holbrook, 1806-1885
Autobiography (1806-1846), Typescript, HBLL
After the first of July of this same year [1836], there began to be a great excitement between the citizens of Clay County and the Latter-day Saints and it appeared that war was even at our doors, when some of the citizens of Clay County came forward as mediators and called a meeting of the citizens and some of our leaders of our church. It was agreed that one-half of the Latter-day Saints would leave the county in six months and the remainder as soon after as possible and not think of putting another crop in that county or the people would not suffer them to remain longer and they, the citizens of Clay [County] would send a delegation into the north counties of Caldwell with our leaders to induce the few settlers in said counties to sell out their possessions to the Latter-day Saints so that the Church would have the soil of the county to themselves. When a meeting was called of the citizens of Caldwell, they agreed to sell out some of the Church property, when my brother and myself proposed to take our team and go out Shoal Creek near where Far West was afterward laid out by the Church.
We camped on the creek for about one week, exploring the county with Bishop [Edward] Partridge and John Corrill, the surveyor, for the purpose of making locations for the church. Bishop Partridge counseled me with my brother, Chandler Holbrook, and Benjamin Covey and Jacob Yates. Mr. Cusie [?] [offered to sell his] place of 40 acres with ten acres of corn upon it for $300.00. We all four went and bought it. I turned out my wagon for $55.00 and gave my note for the other $20.00 in six months, which gave me the right of ten acres undivided in the 4th acres.
The place I had rented was yet one year and one-half before the time expired; I had paid my rent for the whole time and I could do nothing more than give it up without receiving anything for it. We had to sell our corn in Clay County for 12 1/2 cents per bushel or haul it 60 miles and all our things in proportion which made a great sacrifice. The brethren continued moving night and day all the fall and winter until they were about all out of Clay County by spring. I was greatly blessed for in six months I had 100 acres entered and my same old wagon back again and out of debt. This was on Plum Creek, three miles west of Far West. The whole country was soon settled by the Saints from Clay County and other emigrants from the east and everything seemed to flourish with the people that could make them happy.
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My wife Nancy had a son born January 31, 1837, at about 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon, and I named him Joseph Lamont Holbrook at my house on Plum Creek. I have built a house and assisted others in building so that I had plenty to do and the brethren paid me well for it. I built an office for Bishop Edward Partridge in Far West and finished it. I also built a dwelling house for him. I built two other dwelling houses, for Morgan Gardner and George Slade; I also built a school house in the district where I lived, 22 feet square, besides farming considerable each year.
I married Brother John Newberry to Miss Lucinda Williams of Clinton County, December 24, 1837. I often helped the quorum of elders in their meetings, with all other church business that I was called to act in.
 Joseph Holbrook Elder's License, 1838, cited in The Nauvoo Journal, 2 (October 1990): 114.
On May 19, 1838, I was ordained into the First Quorum of Seventies under the hands of Levi Hancock at a general conference of Seventies held at Far West. About this time there was a military company formed in our neighborhood by electing Amasa Lyman captain and myself first lieutenant of said company and was commissioned by the Governor Lilburn W. Boggs and I gave to the church ten acres of land being in Clinton County for paying church debts, being July 23, 1838.
On the 1st day of July, 1838, the cornerstones of the temple were laid, they having been hauled to the spot before hand. My team helped to haul them. They were quarried from the ledge down west and were about seven feet long, four feet wide and two feet thick by the First Presidency, Joseph Smith, Jr., and counselors and others. An address of oration was delivered by Sidney Rigdon with cheering from the audience. There was a liberty pole on the public square of white oak some 60 feet in length but the lightning struck it in about three weeks and that caused it to lean about one-third way from the top and thus ended our liberties in Missouri.
At the August election of Daviess County, the old citizens assembled and swore that no Latter-day Saint should be allowed to vote at that election, whereupon they fell upon John Butler who was unable to defend himself but others were bruised, etc. and some reported that they had killed two or three of the Mormons and would not give up their bodies to be buried, etc. I saddled my horse in Caldwell and went to Daviess County to learn how things were going as I had lately taken up some claims in that county and bought some city lots that I might have a home in that county as soon as I could build upon my claims. Upon arriving I found that no one had as yet been killed, but much threatening on the part of the old timers [had occurred]. We visited Mr. Adam Black, a justice of the peace, nearby and obtained from him a written certificate that he would administer the law in justice to Mormons or other citizens and we returned to Caldwell County with Joseph Smith and the rest of the brethren hoping that peace would again be restored. But things took a different course, for the old citizens continued their threats of driving the Mormons from Daviess County and from others out of the state as the most of the old citizens had sold their improvements to our brethren and then they could again get back their improvements they had sold free, without any to hinder them as they had gotten their pay.
About the first of October 1838, the western firm having heard that the government was about to let out a job for making roads from Fort Leavenworth south through the Indian country. They sent Esquire Bozarth [?] and myself to look out for such road and put in such bids as we might think proper. We proceeded to Fort Leavenworth on horse back from there south through the Delaware nations of Indians and stayed with them all night, and found them well to live, having good log cabins with fields of corn, etc. As we proceeded south across the Karo [?] River we came to the Shawnee Indians, the river being the line between the two tribes. We found them very much like their neighbors, enjoying civilization with fields of corn, their horses, meat stock, etc, until we came to the end of the second section on the south line of Jackson County and say the surveyors for said government road. We returned through Jackson County to Independence where said road was to be let out to the lowest bidders. We put in a sealed bid of $14,000.00 for the two north sections of over 40 miles to grade and bridges to build. Then there were about 100 such bids put in for said road, many for double that of ours while there was some for less which relieved us from further duties.
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We thought of having traveled through the entire county of Jackson from the south to Independence, a distance of 25 miles on a divided ridge of prairies between the two rivers about six miles apart on a rolling divide 20 miles of which there was not an obstruction to prevent a plow, and timber on each side from two to three miles distant. This was the land once of our brethren, the first inheritance of the Saints and this was now in the hands of the enemies. We stopped and stayed all night with a Baptist who said he would not keep a Mormon in his house or on his plantation. He said many of the old chimneys were still standing where their houses had been burned and he seemed to be greatly pleased that the people of Daviess County would drive the Saints [out] as the people of Jackson had. At Independence I saw the temple lot that had been dedicated and consecrated to the Lord of hosts by the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. as the capital of Zion in the last days and now the Saints are driven from Jackson County and their inheritance laid waste and no Mormon is safe in this county, if known. I being an eastern man, I said very little, but Esquire Bozarth being a southern man, passed very well. I said now the brethren are driven from Clay County and about to be driven from Caldwell and Daviess Counties and from the state. When shall we build the temple unto the most high God. I said that the Lord must truly work a work upon this land before this can be fulfilled so Lord, let it be.
As we tarried only about two hours in Independence, we crossed the Missouri River at the ferry for Clay County and felt that we were out from some of our enemies. We stayed all night in Clay and the next day went to Liberty where we heard that the mob was still raging against the Latter-day Saints with double vigor.
We hastened home as fast as we could. I got some cotton cloth and some other articles (I here enclose a bill of the goods) to take home with me. I stayed all night in the woods by some logs that were on fire. In the night it commenced snowing, [October] the 16th [1838]. The 17th of October [1838] in the morning we met General [Alexander W.] Doniphan troops of 100 men on their return home from Daviess County where they had been from Clay County two weeks before, saying they could do nothing with the mob. The trees were all loaded down with snow. In the course of two or three days, the snow had disappeared and we had good weather. I volunteered to go to the south line of the county of Caldwell next to Ray County to see what the mob in that quarter were about, with Brother Amasa Lyman. After staying about five days, we returned home without seeing anything of a mob. About this time word came that the mob had seized the public arms deposited in Richmond, Ray County, and were taking them to Daviess County to the mob. Ten of us volunteered to go in search of them. After riding about 16 miles we struck Richmond road and found they had not passed. We continued on said road about three miles on the open prairie and found a broken wagon and down in a ravine of high grass, we found hidden two large boxes containing United States rifles with their accoutrements.
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In the course of another hour we found three men with another wagon on their way for the guns. We took the men and stolen guns to Far West where they were found guilty of siding and assisting the mob, contrary to law. After this I again went into the south part of the country with Brother Cudith [?]. Before we got far on our journey we heard that the mob, calling themselves militia were in that part of the country, but did not know their whereabouts. We continued on to near the county line and eight of the mob was nearby in hostile array. They stopped at a Brother [Nathan] Pinkham's, took his son [Nathan Pinkham, Jr.] and two other young men [William Seeley and Addison Green] as their prisoners, shot at and hit one of his cows, took his arms and told the old man he must leave before morning or they would kill him and his family. Upon hearing this, and that they had disarmed all the brethren in that section and threatened them with instant death if they did not leave that night for Far West as they would not come the next day, therefore, I in company with Brother [David] Juda started for Far West where we arrived about midnight. We informed our brethren of the danger there was in that quarter and about 60 men volunteered to go down and see what the mob was about. As we got near Shoal Creek one of our men by the name of [Patrick O'Banion] was fired at in the main road, and died in a few hours afterward, the 25th of October, 1838.
As we still wished if possible to learn their object in coming into Caldwell County in the form of a mob to disturb the quiet citizens and disarming them, etc. The first we knew they commenced a brisk fire upon our whole body [Battle of Crooked River], shooting down many of our best brethren all around us and hollering so that we had no other course to take but to defend ourselves the best way we could, which soon gave us the grounds with the spoils of the camp. Among the dead and wounded was David W. Patten, one of the Twelve, shot through the chest. He died about 4:00 o'clock that day. [Patrick] O. Bennion was shot through the chest and died about the same time and Gideon Carter was left dead on the ground through a mistake, and [Drusilla] Hendricks who was shot through the cords of the neck and was entirely helpless. [William] Seeley, one of the young men they took prisoner at Brother Pinkham's the evening before, was shot through the shoulder and one Lilburn Hodges was shot in the hip and one Eli Chase was shot in the knee with a number more slightly wounded. I was wounded in my left elbow with a sword after cutting through five thicknesses of cloth. [It] so fractured the bone that after the doctor had placed back the bones, it was very lame for some four months and so stiff that I could not feed myself with that hand. The battle of Crooked River began October 25, about daybreak, 1838. The whole country was in motion against the Saints and all were equally threatened with death without regard to age, sex or any other relief except such as would abandon their religious faith and unite with the mob in pursuing the Saints.
The brethren had gathered into Far West as much as they could for safety as the whole country was filled with the mob. There arrived in sight of Far West, October 29, 1838, 5,000 Missouri militia, ordered out by Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. The next day they sent in a flag of truce south of the town. Colonel G. [George] M. Hinkle went out to meet them and a conference ensued when Hinkle agreed to deliver Joseph Smith, Jr. with the heads of the Church into their hands by strategy. That evening Joseph Smith, Jr., the Mormon prophet, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Hyrum Smith and others went out with a flag of truce to meet another from our enemies, when Colonel Hinkle, then commanding the militia of Caldwell County said to our enemies who were approaching in lines all around our flag of truce and Joseph Smith, Jr. and those that were with him. "Gentlemen, I now deliver to you Joseph Smith, Jr., the Mormon prophet. He is now in your hands as your prisoner." At this moment the lines of our enemies began to ring with the most hideous yells that the Saints ever heard and could be heard for some miles around, of their achieved and treacherous victory. It was with the greatest trouble that they could keep their enemies from shooting them down as wild beasts in their camp. There was a court martial held in which they condemned the prisoners to be shot on the public square in Far West. They still continued to take prisoners and threatened all that came into their war that they might torture them and force them to leave their religion.
November 1, 1838, the brethren laid down their arms when they wore and all the town of Far West was put under guard. That day the troops, some 5,000, all mounted on horseback, marched through the town in the principle streets, abusing the Saints when they could meet with them.
About the second day our enemies carried away our Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., his brother Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wright and others for Jackson County under guard of their numerous arms which was one of the greatest trials I had witnessed, to see them pulled away with main strength, when their wives and children, fathers and friends clinging to them and crying and taking, as many supposed, their last look of farewell upon their Prophet, fathers upon their children, their wives and husbands all calculated to draw tears from the stoutest hardened hearts. But our enemies only continued to swear that we need not ever suppose we would see them alive again or hear their voices in our midst for they should die.
All the brethren were there drawn up in a hollow square on the public square in Far West. About this time General Clark arrived with about 6,000 more militia and still threatened the brethren with further violence, making them sign away a deed of trust to defray the expenses of the mob or army, of all they possessed either personal or real estate and leave the state the coming winter or spring and no further liberty would be granted them. At the same time they called out some 75 of our best men and took them to Richmond jail and put the rest under guard so that no one was at liberty to go for work or other things without a strong guard. They continued to make all kinds of property a common plunder, taking as prisoners wherever they could find any that they had any grudge against because they believed in the revelations of God.
The mob or militia burned my house, stole a valuable horse from me, killed my fat hogs and drove off my stock. I had some 300 bushels of corn taken from the crib; they fed or rats in the stack destroyed my hay and left everything in a state of desolation from one side of the country to the other. [They] abused our sisters whenever they thought it best to suit their brutal and hellish desires.
November 4, 1838, [we had] a severe snowstorm and some very cold weather for some three weeks, which drove the troops out of the county except some few companies who said they were left to see that the Mormons left the state and also to continue to take the brethren prisoners. Thus my freedom and my life for three months were in constant danger as one old resident by the name of "Snodgrass" came with eight soldiers at one time to the house where I had been stopping a few days and made diligent search for me in every house in the neighborhood from top to bottom and swore they would take me to the battleground on Crooked River and there shoot me because I was unable to defend myself at the battle against my foes. My wife had very poor health during the fall and winter by being exposed much to the inclement weather by having to remove from place to place as our house had been burned and we were yet left to seek a home wherever our friends could accommodate us and for my safety but as I cannot write one hundredth part of the suffering and destruction of this people who were in a flourishing condition a few months before but were now destitute. I could have commanded some $2,000.00 but now I had only one yoke of oxen and two cows left.
As we found that there was no more peace or safety for the Saints in the state of Missouri, and that if the Church would make haste and move as fast as possible it would do much to relieve our brethren who were now in jail as our enemies were determined to hold them as hostages until the Church left the state so that every exertion was made in the dead of the winter to remove as fast as possible and for those whom they, our enemies, held the greatest spite, to leave their families, go without them, as I left my family with only 50 cents in cash for their comfort with three small children, viz, Sarah Lucretia Holbrook, Charlotte Holbrook, and Joseph Lamoni Holbrook. My wife was confined just one week from my departure from home and had a daughter and she was named Nancy Jane Holbrook, born January 27, 1839. On the 20th day of January 1839, I left home in the evening with Brother Nathan Tanner and Ethan Barrus [?]. We traveled that night so that the next day we were away from those that would seek to do us harm.
Below: Resident points out Mormon period road at Wallace State Park to R-L: Richard Ross, Alta Short, Mike Riggs, Diane Forsythe
Plum Creek
Rich Branch on Log Creek
Back to Caldwell County, Missouri, Map
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