I was born in Peekskill, N. Y., Dec. 26, 1814, and came with my parents to Willoughby, Ohio, in 1825. I have lived here and in Mayfield, the adjoining town south, and of Kirtland west, ever since. I attended many Mormon meetings in Mayfield and Kirtland when Rigdon, Jo Smith and others preached. Prayer meetings were held after preaching when the Stanton girls and Printha Abbott always got the power. They would scream, hello "Glory!" and clap their hands, and finally apparently become unconscious. I attended a meeting at Mrs. Crandall's, who had a double log house in Mayfield, Jo Smith preached. Thirty or more men and women got the power. I have often seen women fall over back on men's laps and others on the floor. John Goodell, Warren Cottrell and two other young men rolled a large snow-ball on the roof and placed it on the top of the chimney. The house soon filled with smoke and drove the people out except those who had the power. Soon the snow melted and fell down the chimney and scattered the fire and ashes about the room. Those who had the power immediately got over it and left the room. While the room was being cleaned Black Pete, who was a good singer, harangued the people out-of-doors.

They baptized three times that night. They sang much in their meetings. The majority of the citizens in the west part of the town joined them. Jo claimed he had a revelation that the converts must put all their property into the Lord's treasury. Rufus Mapes, who had sixteen children who lived to maturity, said he did not read in his Bible that the Lord required his farm. He and many others left them. I went to Isaac Morley's to see the dead child raised to life. I stayed till late in the afternoon without being gratified. I never saw so many people together before. Soon after our Mormon neighbors informed us Jo Smith, on Sunday night, was going to walk on the water and urged our family to go. My brother and I went with Enos and Joel Smith, whose parents were Mormons.

After attending a meeting in the school house at the Flats in Kirtland, at which Jo and I think Rigdon spoke, we all went to the river east and below the bridge. Jo Smith again spoke to the crowd and put on a white robe and began to walk. He said something about faith and talked as he walked in a curve. He was out of water except his feet and was successful for a time. He walked slowly and finally went down. The Gentiles shouted loudly, laughed and jeered in many ways. The Mormons said Jo's faith had failed. I saw several men step into the water and reach for Jo to help him out. I soon after learned planks had been fixed in the water for him to walk on and one had been removed. Black Pete said at a meeting in Mayfield that fire would not burn him. Two men immediately set him on the burning logs in the fire place and the fire destroyed his pants. Many young men for miles about the country attended the Mormon meetings for amusement. I have seen men and women stand on the seats, reach up and go through the motions of picking fruit from trees. They said they were picking ambrosial fruit and would pretend to eat it.