General Atchison to the Commander-in-Chief.
Liberty, September 27, 1838.
To the Commander-in-Chief.
Sir:-I received a communication by express on the 26th inst., together with a report from Brigadier General Parks, who is in command of the troops, left by me in Daviess county. I have made two reports to your Excellency, one sent by Maj. Rogers, and the other by mail, neither of which I presume your Excellency has received; one dated the 17th of September, the other the 20th of September. The force under General Parks is deemed sufficient to execute the laws and keep the peace in that county, things are not so bad in that county as represented by rumor, and in fact from affidavits I have no doubt your Excellency has been deceived by the exaggerated statements of designing or half crazy men. I have found there is no cause of alarm on account of the Mormons; they are not to be feared; they are very much alarmed. I transmit a report made to me by General Parks, dated 25th of September, and from that report I learn that the General has reported to your Excellency.
I have the honor to be &c.
DAVID R. ATCHISON.
General Lucas to the Governor.
Boonville, Mo., October 4, 1838.
Dear Sir:—As we passed down the Missouri River, on Monday last, we saw a large force of Mormons at De Witt in Carroll county, under arms. Their commander, Col. Hinkle, formerly of Caldwell county, informed me that there were two hundred, and that they were hourly expecting an attack from the citizens of Carroll county, who, he said, were then encamped only six miles from there, waiting for a reinforcement from Saline county. Hinkle said they had determined to fight. News had just been received at this place, through Dr. Scott of Fayette, that a fight took place on yesterday, and that several persons were killed. Dr. Scott informed me that he got his information from a gentleman of respectability, who had heard the firing of their guns as he passed down. If a fight has actually taken place, of which I have no
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doubt, it will create excitement in the whole upper Missouri, and those base and degraded beings will be exterminated from the face of the earth. If one of the citizens of Carroll should he killed, before five days I believe that there will be from four to five thousand volunteers in the field against the Mormons, and nothing but their blood will satisfy them. It is an unpleasant slate of affairs. The remedy I do not pretend to suggest to your Excellency. My troops, of the 4th Division, were only dismissed subject to further orders, and can be called into the field at an hour’s warning.
In haste, I have the honor to be, Your most ob’t serv’t.
SAMUEL D. LUCAS.