Autobiography of Ebenezer Robinson
in The Return Vols. 1-2 (1888-90)
Volume 2
In our last we gave an account of a company of brethren volunteering at Far West, at the call of Joseph Smith, Jr., and marching to Daviess County, with David W. Patten as captain, who was one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church. We esteemed him very highly, as a good man, and loved him as such. He was brave to a fault. So much so, that he was styled and called, "Captain Fearnought." He seemed reckless of his life, as though it was scarce worth preserving. He had said to us, before there was any indication of a mob, or difficulty with the people of Missouri, "If I dare to do it, I could wish myself dead." We did not feel at liberty to ask him any reason for such a wish, but presume it was on account of those things transpiring in the Church, as we did not know of his having any domestic or financial troubles.
An account of the battle at Crooked River, and of his death, we gave in the last number of THE RETURN, on page 191, as quoted from history of Joseph Smith, Jr. He was buried with the honors of war, and at his grave a solemn covenant was made to avenge his death.
The attack upon Bogart, and the mob under his command at Crooked River, added wonderfully to the excitement already existing in upper Missouri, and created wide spread alarm, on account of the exaggerated statements made with regard to it.
The report went abroad, and circulated like wildfire, "that Bogart, and all his company, amounting to between fifty and sixty men, were massacred by the Mormons, except three," whereas only one of his men was killed.
The brethren lost three killed and several wounded, as heretofore stated. They took one prisoner, who was released after the brethren from Far West met them. When he was released he was told to go in a certain direction lest young men seeing him might shoot him. He went in the direction told, but did not escape being shot, as someone shot and wounded him, not fatally however, as he recovered, and appeared as a witness afterwards against the brethren, when on trial in Richmond.
The writer of these papers did not accompany this expedition, therefore was not present to witness any of its scenes, as we declined to go when called upon the night before, consequently were at home, thirteen miles away from the scene of the engagement, when it took place.
After the governor sent word to the brethren by their messenger, as stated in our last, that "if they had got into a difficulty with the citizens they must fight it out," they felt justified in pursuing the course they did in plundering the store in Gallatin, and burning the houses in Daviess County; which action, together with the attack on Bogart's camp, completely aroused the whole upper country.
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Autobiography of Ebenezer Robinson, p.209 - p.210
That night, about sixty of those who had been engaged in the Crooked River battle, made arrangements, and fled on horseback, north to the Indian country of Iowa, thus escaping the vengeance of the authorities of Missouri, which was about to be poured out upon all those who participated in that affair. They were advised to leave, being looked upon as men who had periled their lives in defense of their brethren, and their friends wished them to escape the wrath of their persecutors.
Autobiography of Ebenezer Robinson, p.235
It seemed to be the aim of the prosecuting attorney to implicate as many of the prisoners as possible, with the Bogart battle, so much so, that Brother Lumen Gibbs, one of the prisoners, a good, honest-hearted soul, thinking to exonerate himself, stepped up on to a bench, in open court, and said: "I wasn't there at all, I stayed back and took care of the horses." The writer pulled the skirt of his coat, and urged him to keep quiet, but it was too late, he had sealed his destiny.
