Haun’s Mill

Haun’s Mill. . , In December 1835, Church member Jacob Haun acquired this tract of land and hired the construction of a gristmill. By 1838 an 18-foot square blacksmith shop had also been built and 10 to 15 families lived in the community. Cultural differences between members and non-members soon led to conflict. Missourians harassed church wagon trains traveling to Caldwell County and confiscated weapons. Church members at Far West responded by sacking several northwestern Missouri communities. Local residents spread rumors that further aggression was planned. For their protection, Haun's Mill residents planned a defensive strategy--the men and boys were to use the blacksmith shop as a fortress while the women and children were to escape into the woods to the south. , Missouri Regulators initiated a preemptive attack. On the afternoon of October 30, 1838, an armed force composed of local residents and extralegal militia units from Livingston, Carroll, and Daviess Counties numbering 200-250 men approached from the north through a large stand of trees, stopping a few hundred yards from the settlement. The vigilante force blackened its faces and wore red bandanas. They quietly divided into three columns, planning their attack from the north, east, and west. Seeing the militia moving into position, community leader David Evans waved a white flag, but his surrender was ignored. , At approximately 4:00 p.m. the onslaught began. Nearly all 50 women and children escaped safely across Shoal Creek into the woods leaving 32 men and four boys to defend the settlement from the blacksmith shop. This structure was neither chinked nor daubed and had wide cracks between the logs. There were two windows and a door to the south facing the creek. The ill-fated defensive strategy turned disastrous as it allowed the militia to focus their fire. Balls ripped through the structure and it became a deathtrap. One survivor estimated an exchange of 1,600 rounds. The massacre lasted 30-60 minutes. , Without resistance, raiders pillaged the settlement for the next hour. At nightfall, those who had fled returned to discover the fate of their loved ones. Through the night they nursed the wounded and prepared the dead for burial. Fearing the militia's return, the next morning 14 of the dead were buried in an unfinished well near the mill, the exact location of which is presently unknown. A total of 17 church members eventually died, another 14 suffered wounds in the engagement, and one was held captive for three days. Only four defenders were unharmed. Three attackers were wounded, one seriously. During the following weeks church members were forced from the state by the October 27 Extermination Order of Missouri governor Lilburn W. Boggs.