Page:A dictionary of the Book of Mormon.pdf/115

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105
Coriantumr.

he drove Shiz back to the land of Corihor. As Shiz retreated, he swept off all the inhabitants of the lands through which he passed who would not join him. Shiz and his forces halted in the valley of Corihor, and Coriantumr established himself in the valley of Shurr, and from the neighboring hill of Comnor challenged Shiz. The latter made two unsuccessful attacks upon Coriantumr, but after a third desperate battle he was victorious, for Coriantumr was terribly wounded and fainted from loss of blood. But the loss of men, women and children was so great on both sides that Shiz was not strong enough to take advantage of his victory. At this time, some four or more years before the final battles around and near the hill Ramah (otherwise Cumorah), two millions of warriors had been slain, besides their wives and children. How many millions actually fell before the last terrible struggle ended, when Coriantumr stood alone, the sole representative of his race, it is impossible to tell from the record that has been handed down to us, but we think we are justified in believing that for bloodshed and desolation no such war ever took place before, or ever occurred since in the history of this world; if the annals of any nation have the record of its equal, it is not known to us.

When Coriantumr sensed how great was the slaughter of the people, he wrote to Shiz, offering to withdraw from the conflict that bloodshed might cease. But Shiz refused, unless Coriantumr surrendered, that Shiz might have the gratification of slaying him himself. So the war was renewed with intensified bitterness. Shiz was victorious and the defeated army fled as far as the waters of Ripliancum, supposed to be Lake Ontario. In this region another hotly contested battle was fought, in which Coriantumr was once again severely wounded, but his troops were the victors, and drove the enemy to the neighborhood of the hill