Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-04-06
Whole Number 1922.


Wiley and others spoke, reproving
! me sharply for trying to dictate tC
/ the priesthood; that it would set al
naught all other authority; that be
would not give the life of one of our
brethren for a thousand such per-
sons. ''If we let them 60" he con-
tinued, ''they will raise trouble in
California, and the result will be
that our wives and children will
have to be butchered, and ourselves,
too, and they are no better to die
than ours; and | am surprised to
hear Brother Lee talk as he does, for
he has always been considered one
of the staunchest in the church.
Now he is the first to shirk from his
duty" said, "The Lord must hard
en- my heart before l can do such a
thing" Allen said it was not wick
ed to obey counsel.
At this juneture l withdrew, walk
ing off some fifty PAGES, and pros
trated myself on the ground and
wept in the bitter anguish of my
soul, and asked the Lord to avert
that evil. While in that situation
Counselor G. Hopkins, a friend Of
mine, came to me and said: "Broth-
er Lee, come get up and don't draw
off from the priesthood. You are
only endangering your own life by
standing out; you can't help it. If
this is wrong the blame won't rest
on you" l said: "Charley, this is
the worst move this people ever
made. l feel it" He said: "Come
go back and let them have their
way" | went back, weeping like a
child, and took my place and tried
to be silent, and was unit, Higbee
said they { the emigrants) must
be decoyed out through pretended
friends help. 1 could no longer hold
my peace, and said l: "Joseph Smith
said that God hated traitor, and so
do l. Before l would be a traitor l
would rather take ten men and 60 to
that camp and tell them they must
die, and give them a show for their
lives. That would be more honor
able than to betray them like Ju-
das." Here I got another reproof,
and was ordered to hold my peace.
The plan agreed upon then was to
meet them with flag of truce, tell
them that the Indians were deter
mined on their destruction; that we
dare not oppose the Indians, for we
were at their mercy. That the best
we could do for them (the emigrants)
was to get them and what few traps
we could take in wagon out; to lay
their arms in the bottom of the wa
gon and cover them up with bed
clothes and start for the settlement
as soon as possible, and trust them
selves in our hands. The small
children and wounded were to go
with the two wagons. The women
to follow the wagons, and the men
next. The troops to stand in readi-
ness on the east side of the road
ready to receive them. Shurtz and
Neph. Johnson were to conceal the
Indians in the brush and rocks till
the company was strung out on the
road to a certain point, and at the
watchword "Haltl do your duty"
each man was to cover his action
and fire. johnson and ShuTtz were
to rally the Indians and rush upon
and dispatch the women and larger |
children. Il was further told the |
men that President Haight said that
if we were united in carrying out
the instructions we would receive
celestial reward" l said / was
willing to put up with less reward
if l could be excused. SHOW can
you do this without shedding innO
cent blood?" Here l got another
lampooning for my stubbOrnness
and disobedience to the priesthood.
was told there was not a drop of
innocent blood in the whole com
pany of emigrants. They also re-
ferred to the Gentle nations who
refused the children of Israel pas
sage through their country when
Moses led them out of Egypt; that
the Lord held that crime against
them, and when Israel waxed strong
the Lord commanded Joshna to slay
the whole nation, men, women and
children. Have not these people
done worse than that to us? Have
they not threatened 10 murder our
leaders and prophets and have they
not boasted of numbering our pa
triarchs and prophets, Joseph and
Hvrum? Now talk about shedding
innocent blood! They said l was
good. liberal, free-hearted man, but
too mach of this sympathy would
be always in the way; that every
man nov bad to show his colors;
that it was not safe to have Judas
in camp. Thep it was proposed that
everv man express himself; that if
there was a man Mgho would not
keep a close mouth they wanted to
know it then. This gave me to un-
derstaud what I might expect i 1
continued to oppose. Maj. HlgGee
said: ssBrotber Lee is right; let MN
take an expression VI
l knew that l dare not refuse SO l
had every man speak and express
himself All said they were willing
to carry out the counsel of their
leaders: that the leaders had the |
spirit Of God, and knew better what
was right than they did. They then
wanted to know my feelings. l re-
piled; 81 have already expressed
Them" Every eye was upon me as
l paused. "But," said l, Hyen can
do as you please, 1 will not oppose
you any longer" evil you KEEP =
close MOUTH" was the question.
will try" was my answer. I
Saturday morning all was ready
and every man was assigned to his
post of duty. During the night, or
rather just before daylight johnson
and Shurtz ambushed their Indians,
the better to deceive the emigrants.
About eleven O'Clock a. m. the '
troops under Maj. Higbee took their
position on the road. The white
lag of truce to the corral. He was !
net about half way with another S
~ hIfa 40 n, fr,r, H. - ,,v,,,, | !