“Lord cause their foolish plans to fail, And let them faint or die, Our souls would quit this loathsome jail, And fly to Illinois.” — Parley P Pratt¹

Parley P. Pratt orchestrated a daring escape from the Columbia, Missouri, prison on July 4, 1839. Pratt and his fellow prisoners, W. W. Phelps and King Follett, seized a rare opportunity when the inner door was unlocked to pass through a coffee pot. They overpowered the jailor and ran from the prison, fleeing from the townspeople in hot pursuit. The chaos of the escape was intensified by the town's Independence Day celebrations. The townspeople chased the fugitives with dogs, horses, and weapons, eventually recapturing King Follett. About a half mile from the prison, John Wesley Clark and Parley’s brother Orson waited with horses for the escapees. Upon meeting up with their fellow Saints, Pratt and Phelps mounted their horses, split up, and rode towards Illinois.²

1. History, 1838–1856, volume C-1, 851, josephsmithpapers.org

2. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, 271-280, archive.org; Alexander L. Baugh, "Parley P. Pratt's Missouri Imprisonment," Pioneer Magazine, Fall 2015, 30-31, archive.org