“Dear Sir:— I received this morning an affidavit from Carroll County. The following is a copy. Henry Root on his Oath states, that on the night of the first of October, there was collected in the vicinity of De Witt an armed force, consisting of from thirty to fifty persons, and on the morning of the second of October, came into the Town of De Witt and fired on the civil inhabitants of that place.” — General Hiram Parks¹

In late September 1838, the town of De Witt, Missouri, where about four hundred Saints lived, came under siege by hostile neighbors who demanded they leave by October 1. George Hinkle was the leader of the Saints in De Witt and refused to give in to their demands. The Saints asked Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs for protection, but he declined to intervene. On October 2, the mob began shooting at the Saints and, after two days, the Saints began shooting back. Joseph Smith arrived on October 6 with reinforcements, but, recognizing the dire situation, sought a peaceful resolution.² The Saints had been shot at when attempting to leave De Witt to get food, but if they abandoned De Witt, the mob said they would not be harmed.³ Following another unsuccessful petition to Governor Boggs, Joseph decided that the Saints would leave De Witt and retreat to Far West.²

1. History, 1838–1856, volume B-1, 831, josephsmithpapers.org

2. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 28, 330-333

3. History, 1838–1856, volume B-1, 835, josephsmithpapers.org