Parley P. Pratt and companions escape the Columbia jail as friends wait with horses (1839)

Parley P. Pratt, Mr. Follett, and Mr. Phelps escaped from the prison at Columbia, Missouri, by overpowering the jailer. Their escape involved a struggle at the stairs, with Mrs. Phelps crying out, 'O Lord God of Israel, thou canst help.' They then fled through the fields toward a thicket where friends waited with horses. Pratt rode into a forest, dismounted, tied his horse, and climbed a tree. He then fainted from exertion, experienced vomiting and thirst, and prayed to the Lord for strength and deliverance. He eventually came down and continued his journey north on foot.

Pratt’s brother, Orson Pratt, assisted him in the escape on July 4, 1839. Before this successful attempt, Parley had been held for eight months, first in Richmond and then in Columbia, Missouri. During a prior detention at a hotel in Independence while being transferred to Richmond, Parley had slipped away into the woods but voluntarily returned to his captors, fearing his escape would bring further persecution or death upon his fellow Church leaders.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

The sun was now set, and the stars began to twinkle in the horizon. We knelt down and prayed, and then took our leave of the jailer, and of the prison, which had been our home for several months. We walked out of the jail, and through the public square, and passed through the town, and then took the road leading to the north. We had not gone far before we heard the sound of horses' feet behind us, and we began to fear that we were pursued. We stepped aside into the woods, and let the horsemen pass. They were going the same way we were, and we followed them at a distance. After traveling some miles, we came to a place where the road forked, and we took the one which led to the north-east. We traveled all night, and when the sun rose we were in a thicket of timber, where we concealed ourselves during the day. We were very hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or drink. In the evening we ventured out, and traveled until we came to a house, where we obtained some food. We then continued our journey, and after some days of travel, and many narrow escapes, we arrived in safety among our friends in Illinois.