Attack of Hawn's Mill
A Hinge Point
By October of 1838 on the banks of Shoal Creek in Caldwell County, Missouri, Jacob Hawn was operating a water grist milling business. A small community had developed near the mill – which consisted of about ten cabins and a blacksmith shop. There were about thirty families who belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints living in the immediate vicinity of Hawn's Mill.
Early this same month in Daviess County, conflict between the Latter-day Saints and other county residents had escalated. Some Daviess County communities were raided by Latter-day Saint forces from Far West. Alarmed Daviess County residents fled to Livingston County.
Specific antagonism developed against the Hawn’s Mill community after a few Caldwell County Latter-day Saint dissidents moved into Livingston County and made false reports about Latter-day Saints’ intentions.
Latter-day Saint David Lewis, who lived on the property just east of Jacob Hawn’s property wrote in his first-hand account:
“The people . . . became alarmed to see so many people gather to one place, all of one religion and one politics. They raised many false accusations against us, in order to have us drove away from the State. . . . Previous to this transaction, the people living on Grand River [referring to Daviess County residents who had fled to Livingston County] . . . began to come over to Shoal Creek settlement [referring to the Hawn’s Mill area] where the Mormons lived, and drove off our cattle, and made some threats that they intended to come and burn down the mill. . . .”
Hostilities increased. Jacob Hawn [not a member of the church] was sent to Far West to get Joseph Smith’s advice concerning what the Hawn’s Mill residents should do. At Hawn’s Mill on Sunday October 28th a small group from Kirtland Camp arrived. At about that same time a council meeting was being held to determine the best course of action. In the council meeting, Jacob Hawn said that Joseph Smith wanted them to stay and try to maintain the mill, and that they would be cowards if they did not. So the council decided to organize guard duty to protect the mill in the event a small group of men would come to burn down the mill.
Two days later on Tuesday October 30th at about 4:00 p.m., a Livingston County force numbering about 240 men attacked the community. David Evans the local leader, ran towards them waving his hat and calling for peace. Alerted to the their approach, most of the fifty women and children fled into the woods to the south, while most of the thirty-six men and boys headed to the blacksmith shop. Unfortunately the building was a particularly vulnerable structure as the widely spaced logs made it easy for the attackers to fire inside. The shop became a deathtrap since the attackers gave no quarter - firing about 100 rifles into the building. According to their own account the attacking force fired 1,600 shots during the attack. The Livingston County force that attacked the community consisted of men mostly from Daviess and Livingston counties – including a Missouri state legislator, and a Caldwell County Latter-day Saint dissenter.
After the initial attack, several of those who had been wounded or had surrendered were shot dead. Some attackers entered the shop and found three boys hiding under the blacksmith bellows and they were shot. Houses were robbed, wagons, tents, and clothing were stolen, and horses and livestock were driven off - leaving the surviving women and children destitute.
Early the next morning, fourteen of the fifteen dead were carried, one at a time, on a large plank and slid into a partially dug well. The mass grave was then covered with straw and a thin layer of dirt. Amanda Barnes Smith later wrote of the burial, “We trusted their bodies to God.”
David Lewis’ brother Benjamin was buried on David’s farm and later reinterred in a nearby graveyard. Two other mortally wounded Latter-day Saints were buried later.
As a result of the attack on the Hawn’s Mill community, fifteen men and two boys died. Thirteen men, one woman, and one boy were wounded and survived. At least four Missourians were wounded.
A contingent of the Missouri state militia occupied the mill for nearly three weeks harassing and plundering the Latter-day Saints. In the 1886 History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties it states that the militia lived off the country - and ‘lived fat too’. . .‘the Mormon cattle and hogs had been turned into the fields and were fat and fine, the mill furnished plenty of breadstuffs, and there were other articles of provisions to be had for the taking’.
In December 1838, Major Daniel Ashby of the Missouri state legislature, who had been a member of that Livingston County force that attacked the community, in his statement to the Missouri House of Representatives, claimed that “reports by dissenting Mormons led to the battle of Hawn's Mill”.
Life during the winter of 1838-1839 became essentially that of day-to-day survival. Most of the families banded together until they could make arrangements to move along with the rest of the Latter-day Saints to Illinois.
Jacob Hawn sold the mill to the Fryer brothers, and eventually immigrated to Oregon. The Fryer brothers (John and William) leased the site to their brother-in-law Charles R. Ross who moved onto the property February 1st 1839. He finished filling in the mass grave in the spring.
“I feel to acknowledge the hand of God in all things – and bear testimony of the truth of the Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” -James McBride Autobiography.
“For I am the Lord your God, and will save all those of your brethren who have been pure in heart, and have been slain in the land of Missouri, saith the Lord.” -Doctrine & Covenants 124:54.
“. . . In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33.
Some References:
David Lewis Accounts
David Lewis Autobiography
https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE2445325
“Although we had been counseled by Joseph the Prophet to leave the mill and go to Far West, but being deceived by the messenger we sent him for council, we understood it not, for our messenger said to Joseph what shall we do that is at the mill, Joseph said gather up all of you and come to Far West. What said the messenger, whose name was Jacob Haun the owner of mill, leave the mill and let it be burnt down[?] we think we can maintain it[.] [I]f you maintain it said Joseph you will do well do as you please. The messenger returned and said if we thought we could maintain the mill it was Joseph’s council for us to do it, if we thought not to come to Far West and we thought from the way the thing was represented it would be like cowards to leave and not try to maintain it, and as they agreed to be at peace we thought to gather up our houses would be useless, for we did not know that it was Joseph’s decided council for us to do so . . .”
“. . . I kept out of their way for near three weeks when a scouting party came across me. . . . They marched me in front of their camp and when they got me in their encampment . . . ‘Well, can I have the privilege to go or not? You can send a guard with me if you cannot trust to my coming back.’ The captain said, ‘We will hold a council over you and we will let you know.’ Then Bob White [Jacob Hawn’s mill business competitor], an apostate Mormon who was with them pled to let me go for said he, ‘I know that Mr. Lewis has been sick and is now unable to stay in our camp while it is so cold.’ This kindness Mr. White done because he hated Haun as he did Lucifer. And he knew that I did not like Haun. I believe he thought it done him some good to have me help hate Haun. For this reason, he had before been kind to me. But White in my estimation was no better than Haun, for self interest had caused Haun to stand up to us [saints], while White was fighting against us. . .”
James McBride Account
James McBride Autobiography
https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/section/library?lang=eng
“. . . One day, having worked my way back into their [militia] midst, I discovered that a man named Robert White, who was a member of the church, had turned traitor and given the enemy all the information he could about the Mormon families and their situations.” –Page 35
1886 History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties Missouri,
pages 93, 100, 156, 159, 476-8 (Robert White references)
https://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm/ref/collection/mocohist/id/62024
“While in camp at the mill, according to the statements to the writer of two members of the company (Robt. White and James Trosper), the [Missouri state contingent of] militia lived off the country, and “lived fat too.” The Mormon cattle and hogs had been turned into the field and were fat and fine, the mill furnished plenty of breadstuff, and there were other articles of provisions to be had for the taking. The company remained at the mill until peace was entirely restored.” -Page 159
Joseph Young Affadavit of Hawn's Mill Massacre
Digital Collections BYU Library
https://cdm15999.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15999coll24/id/26184
Senator Daniel Ashby
Missouri State Archives, Mormon Papers, Senate Chamber Nov 28th 1838
https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/archives/resources/findingaids/fulltext/b02_f13.pdf
Missouri Republican [Newspaper], Vol. 15, St. Louis, Monday, December 24, 1838, No. 1723. Letter from the Editor, City of Jefferson, Dec. 19, 1838.
“…Mr. [Daniel] Ashby wished to see the investigation made. His constituents of Livingston, had been accused, and he wished the truth to be known. A parcel of dissenting Mormons had come into his county, and had stated, that the Mormon leaders required the members of the church to assemble and take up arms; that the day had arrived when the destroying Angel would appear and burn and destroy all their enemies, and all those who did not take up arms against their oppressors. These men said that they had fled from the society, and they even manifested so much fear of Smith and his party that they hired other men to go and bring their goods away. The reports of the dissenting Mormons led to the battle of Haun's Mill. They reported that the Mormons intended attacking the people on our line, and that they intended burning a town, (the name I did not catch, as the speaker uttered it). We thought it best to attack them first, and we did attack them: we attacked them in the day. The history of the battle shows a great superiority in our favor in the results. What we did was in our own defense, and as we had a right to do. -- They say their men were given up. Let the investigation be made, and if we did not do what we had a right to do, let us suffer the consequences. The character of my constituents demands an investigation.”
