The Mormon War—two Battles—Sev-eral lives lost.
The disgraceful and inhuman persecution of the Mormons at Nauvoo has resulted in more blood-shed. On the 11th the anti-Mormon mob attemp-ted to march into Nauvoo. They were met about a mile east of the Temple by from three to five hun-dred Nauvooites, who took position with an open plain in front, and an extensive cornfield in the rear, their line being formed near and parallel with the fence. The Anties, said to be eight hundred in number, with five or six pieces of cannon, commenc-ed the action at about 3 P. M., by firing their can-non which were posted on an eminence, but at too great a distance to be effective. Soon after, the action was continued with small arms, and lasted until 5 o'clock, when the Anties withdrew. First reports from the battle field stated that the Anties a had from ten to fifteen killed, and the Mormons one a killed and two wounded, but later accounts state that none were killed and only one wounded. The Mormons had no cannon.
The second battle took place the next day, which again resulted in the retreat of the Anties to their camp. The St. Louis Reveille says:—"An eye-witness, who watched the progress of the second battle from the top of the Mormon temple at Nau-voo, describes it as a very spirited engagement, in which the new citizens and the Mormons prevented the advance of their foes at every point.
The Nauvooites had thrown up three breast-works, at about one and a half miles from the city, towards the road leading to Carthage, and behind these the defending forces are posted with live pieces a of artillery. At about 12 o'clock, M., the new cit-izens fired two six pound shot into the Anties' camp, upon which the latter sent a flag of truce, with a "request to hold another 'talk,' but the citizens of Nauvoo returned for answer, that they were done talking with them, and that hereafter they should fight until the others became desirous of a peace.—The action now commenced from the artillery on both sides—over eighty discharges of cannon were a heard from both parties during the course of an hour and a half. They now closed in and commenced discharges of musketry at each other. A move-ment was then made by the Anties to outflank the Nauvoo right, and pass their breastwork, which was here defended by the 'Spartan band' of Mormons, with "sixteen chamber rifles; "the latter drew out from the breastwork to repel the advancing force, and succeeded in beating them back. During this skirmish on the right, a man named Anderson, the leader of the Mormon Spartans, fell, shot through the lungs by a rifle ball, and almost instantly expir-ed. About the same moment, his son, a boy of about fifteen years of age, who was engaged in an-other portion of the ranks, was struck by a six pound shot on the right shoulder, and the body made a crushed mass of bones, the whole breast being torn to pieces. Another Mormon was struck du-ring this part of the fight with a cannon shot and killed instantly. His name was Norris, a black-smith. The fight was continued for two hours and a half, and if every attempt the Anties made to pass the position of the Nauvooites, they were success-fully beaten back, until, at length, they were forced to retire to their camp, leaving the field in pos-session of the new citizens and Mormons.
Duting the progress of the fight an invalid Mor-mon was posted upon the top of the temple, with spy glass in hand, watching its progress; and the wives of the citizens, with their children, were gath-ered at the base of the building, with upturned eyes and painfully anxious faces, listening to his report of the battle, which from time to time he related to them from above. Our informant says he heard many of these poor Mormon mothers declare that they would perish in the streets of Nauvoo, defend-ing it against this mob, if it should drive their hus-bands in from field where they are posted.
The number of killed on the part of the Anti-mormon force is unknown. At Carthage they only acknowledge to six badly wounded—Capt. Smith, one of the number, mortally. Every preparation was made on both sides for another battle.
All capable of bearing arms in Nauvoo are en-gaged in the fight. Many of the women and chil-dren of the new citizens are in the city, without the power or opportunity to leave, their husbands are in the field battling against an unreasonable mob, and they are left a prey to the worst of fears.
The report of the first fight was a wildly exag-gerated rumor, only one Mormon having been wound-ed the heel, and several Anties badly frightened—the main bodies of the opposing forces not having ventured within musket-shot range."
The New Era, in noticing the second battle, states that on the part of the anti-Mormons, Capt. Smith, of Carthage, was killed, and several others wound-ed. The people at Nauvoo reported the anti-Mor-mon loss at a much greater number, but their report is contradicted at Warsaw.
