Children were playing freely about while their mothers and fathers worked at the little affairs of a pilgrimage like that.

Most of them had then been three months on the road, enduring incredible hardships for the sake of their religion--for him you believe to be a bad, common man.

But they felt secure now because one of the militia captains, officious like your captain here, had given them assurance the day before that they would be protected from all harm.

I was helping Brother Joseph Young to repair his wagon when I glanced up to the opposite side of Shoal Creek and saw a large company of armed and mounted men coming toward our peaceful group at full speed.

One of our number, seeing that they were many and that we were unarmed, ran out and cried, 'Peace!' but they came upon us and fired their volley.