Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-10-24


nam upon the ground, and issued proc,
lamation, boaslng oi his exploits, giving a
ildgrlntly !alse account OF The conduct OF
the old citizens of the county, and vaunt.
ingiy Threatening What he would and could
do. He then went tack with the same
troops and about four hundred infantry to
theaame neigltorhood, aud, finding nobcdy
there TO attack, left the infantry encamped,
and came with the troops to Carthage.
We had anticipated, from the time the
troops first left NauvOo, that they would
overun the country, and many had has
lily fed, through fear that outragps would
Je comm tied by them When lack, n.
stos and his troops catue to Carthage, nIots
than half OF it's cilizpns were gone, TLcL
entered town on Friday, the 10Th, a littis
after sunset, At the fall speed Of their hor-
'sr', Tier approach was rot known till
they were seen entering into the town,
when many Of the iuhabitanis fed in con-
slernaton 10 the prairie and to the fields.
They were pursued, however, and brought
tack, and a guard was stationed around
the town TO prevent any person from es-
Gaping. Parties were sent out to The near
es! surrounding settlements, and the men
taken from their terrified families and
driven into town at the point o the bayo-
net. Orders were then passed round to
bring the prisoners TO headquarters; when
: we were all driven to the courthouse in
such haste that some who were standing
without their hats were not permitted to
get them, and a strong guard left at our
/ rt,Gi Z 1 =.
knives, swords, and pistols in sigh, Of our
| families. There We were detained more
than an hour, hudded together and sur
rounded by five times our number, who
brandished, with mpnacjng gestures, their
| instruments OF human butchery. Backen-
stos at length came in, and, after making
a renting speech in which he lauded the
bravery CT lis bied soldiers, said ne was
raking The country for a great number Of
scorgdreis, whom he would pursue till he
caught them, without limits as to time or
space; he came round and discharged most
Of us one by one, and sent us home under
an escort. Some, however, were detained
until the next day, as he was not certain.
he said, whether ne had warrents for them
or not, GHd had not tine then 10 eramire hiS
| -Ders 20 see. In the morning he dscharg-
| ed all tut one, who is still kept under
gucrd without examination. 1t was his
intention 10 arrest, or rather to seize, and
cary 70 Nauvoo, flor ne had no warrants,
and no egaI offence TO charge against them,l
some ten or twelve of our citizens, against
whom he entertained personal i'll will, or
who weIc known as prominent Anti Nor
mons. For such he and his band of ruf.
fans searched houses ard questioned
children, shaking their swords over their
heads to make them tell where they were.
As it happened, those individuals ere
gone flon the county, and so escaped fall
ling a sacrifice to Mormon vengeance and
last OF blood. Going around among Tho
troops. we could hear them speaking Of
some Of our friends, and fiendishIy eyult-
ing in the anticipation Of carving and hew-
jag them in pieces when taken. crowd
OF them collected at one of our hotels. and
in the presence OF the family, who dared
not express their horror, made themselves
merry by initiating the groans of the dying
Nc 9ratton.
In !he morning Backenstos said he had
an order from the Governor for the public
arms which had been distributed under a
law Of the State TO volunteer companies.
He showed no order, hut, resistance being
vain, the arms We 2 at once given up TO
him. Not satisfied with this, he PRETEND
ed to believe that some were withheld and
concealed, and gave orders 10 his soldiers
to search the houses of the citizens. They
went about in gangs OF from five TO ten,
loaded with arms OF every description, and
searched nearly every house in town, even
breaking open trunks and drawers, and
irummagng and throwing things about in
most inhuman mannel. They broke into
the houses O: those who had fled, and left
doors and gates open and the household
goods strewed about the floors. They took
prird,e arms, where the families were ah-
sent or did not dare to protest against it.
part Of them, however, were restored on
complaint. Some of the families which
were absent have since returned, and find
that their valuable clothing and other arti-
ces were taken and carried away.
BaCkenstos went away little before
noon with the main body of his forces, lea
wing about fifty garrisoned in the court
house, to keep military possession OF the
town. 1t is now more than a week since
this murderous band have been patrolng
the street, spying about our houses, and
coming up TO listen whenever two or three
OF US are seen conversing together. They
affect to believe that we mediate harm a.
ganst our postmasteri and when we go in
to the post Office some one of them will fol-
low close at our heels wdh drG'0n sWorG
in hand. They seem to be seeking ALI oc-
casion to plunder and destroy us, and try
ing to provoke or draw us into some impru-
dent act or speech for that purpose. They
have our names, with authority from Back
enstos to force us inIo theirranks, put gun1
! into our hands, and make us fight AGAR .r
our friends, if any such should com' to
rescue the town. Orders have aIs' r,e.n
given 10 pm us 10 the s~ord if for n4 Grirm
our houses or committing o'b' r ofoncaIH
/ al, Mfeenuri ShNhttce