175 years ago today - Sep 5, 1846

[Hosea Stout]

I was busy in making preperation to execute the order of the President and Br Woodruff and to that end I saw and collected together Levi Stewart, S. A. Dunn, M. D. Hambleton[.] John Lytle[.] S. H. Earl and H. S. Eldridge the Marshalland we went to the timber towards the meeting ground where one of these men was chopping wood. For I had managed to have him sent there on purpose

When we came he suspected our business and was uncommonly excited[.] He began to plead and wanted to see Br Woodruff or Brigham and tried every way to get to come into camp but it was all in vain. He had seen Woodruff & did not make satisfaction [for "night ramblings" with Woodruff's two new teenage wives] nor could he as Woodruff told him this side of hell for he told him that nothing short of fire & brimstone could cleanse them so when we came two of us having guns he never thought of anything else but to be killed forth with. This was what excited him so much[.] At length I told in a few words that we must execute our orders whereupon Br Stewart took out a rope which when he saw it he begged not to be tied saying that he would submit to whatever we put on him without being tied so we did not tie him but all started off to a proper place[.] He was weeping & begging all the time. At length he exclaimed that he did not want to be taken off and killed this way. I then first discovered what he expected so I told him that he was not to be killed. He then expected we were going to put the next worst punishment [casteration] on him so then I told him that we were only going to give him a severe whipping which seemed to allay his excitement although he protested to be innocent all the time. We took him to a good place and the Marshall gave him 18 hard lashes which striped him well but did not bring the blood after which we taught him the principles of the law and the just punishment for such crimes and what he need to expect if ever we had to visit him again now since we had declared to him the law of God. His name was Daniel Barnum son of Job V. Barnum who was a good old man and subject to the law & the order of the kingdom of God and deprecated the conduct of his son but could not control him

We then came home about Eleven oclock and in the afternoon went to the woods again to get proper switches for the next who were to be punished and then returned again and went to council at Rockwoods but there was not much done[.] I forgot to mention in the proper place that all those who were with me were of the "Old Police" but the Marshall and it was his duty to execute the law in this place for he was the only executive officer yet appointed here.

[Diaries of Hosea Stout]

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