Nauvoo Legion Officers
The charter for the city of ,
Illinois, approved 16 December 1840,
allowed for the formation of the Nauvoo Legion, a unit of the state militia. The city council passed an
ordinance officially organizing the Nauvoo Legion on 3 February 1841. The first
meeting of the legion was held on 4 February 1841, when , , and other commissioned officers of the
Illinois state militia elected the general officers of the legion. Other
positions were filled during the following months and years.
The Legion comprised
two brigades, or “cohorts,” each headed by a brigadier general. The
first cohort consisted of cavalry and the second of infantry and
artillery troops. Officers retained their rank unless terminated by
resignation, death, or cashiering out of the Nauvoo Legion. At its
largest, the legion numbered between two thousand and three thousand
men.
The following chart identifies the staffs of the lieutenant
general, major general, and brigadier generals of the Legion, as well as
the men who held the various offices between February 1841 and June 1844, as
recorded in the Nauvoo Legion Minute Book and other contemporary records. Names are followed by
the date of rank; dates of formal commission by the governor, when
known, are provided in parentheses. Ending dates are not given except in
cases of termination. Positions, dates of rank, and commission dates are
taken from returns to the adjutant general of the state and records of
the state militia. Positions of brevet or acting ranks
are not included in this chart.
Lieutenant General’s
Staff
| Lieutenant General | |
| Joseph Smith | 5 Feb. 1841 (10 Mar. 1841) |
| Inspector General | |
| 5 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841)–12 Apr. 1842 | |
| 12 Apr. 1842 (2 May 1842) | |
| Assistant Inspector General | |
| George Schindle | 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) |
| Drill Officer | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 (31 Mar. 1841) | |
| Judge Advocate | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841)–ca. 6 Nov. 1841 | |
| 6 Nov. 1841 (14 Dec. 1841) | |
| Aides-de-Camp | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841–27 Aug. 1841 | |
| 6 Apr. 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| 6 Apr. 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| After 27 Aug. 1841 | |
| William Hall | 15 Apr. 1843 (8 June 1843) |
| 18 Apr. 1843 | |
| 5 Jan. 1844 | |
| 5 Jan. 1844 | |
| Guard of Twelve Aides-de-Camp | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841–8 June 1843 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 (31 Mar. 1841)–31 July 1842 | |
| 6 Apr. 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| George Creymour | On or before 15 Sept. 1843 |
| On or before 15 Sept. 1843 | |
| On or before 15 Sept. 1843 | |
| Herald and Armor Bearer | |
| 9 Sept. 1841 (14 Dec. 1841) | |
Major General’s
Staff
| Major General | |
| 5 Feb. 1841–30 June 1842 | |
| 13 Aug. 1842 (19 Sept. 1842)–9 May 1844 | |
| ca. 17 June 1844 | |
| Adjutant General | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| Assistant Adjutant General (First Cohort) | |
| 3 June 1842 | |
| Assistant Adjutant General (Second Cohort) | |
| 3 June 1842 | |
| Surgeon General | |
| 9 Mar. 1841–10 May 1844 | |
| George Cooke | 7 June 1842 |
| Assistant Surgeon General | |
| Abel Underhill | 7 June 1842 |
| Cornet | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| Garrett Ivins | 15 Apr. 1843 (8 June 1843) |
| Quartermaster General | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 1 May 1841 (15 June 1841) | |
| Commissary General | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| Paymaster General | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| Chaplain | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| Assistant Chaplain General | |
| 7 June 1842 | |
| Chief Musician | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| Musicians | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 19 Mar. 1842 | |
| 2 Apr. 1842 | |
| Assistant Inspector General (First Cohort) | |
| Carlos Gove | 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) |
| 12 Mar. 1842 | |
| Assistant Inspector General (Second Cohort) | |
| David Smith | 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) |
| 30 Nov. 1841 (14 Dec. 1841) | |
| Aides-de-Camp | |
| Carlos Gove | 4 Mar. 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) |
| 1 May 1841 (15 June 1841) | |
| George Schindle | 1 May 1841 (15 June 1841) |
| 1 May 1841 (15 June 1841) | |
| 1 May 1841 (15 June 1842)–after 27 Aug. 1841 | |
| 13 Nov. 1841 (14 Dec. 1841) | |
| 12 Mar. 1842 | |
| 12 Mar. 1842 | |
| 28 May 1842 (2 June 1842) | |
| Amos Dean | 7 June 1842 |
| 7 June 1842 | |
| J. M. Binelo | 7 June 1842 |
| 7 June 1842 | |
| 20 Apr. 1843 (8 June 1843) | |
| Before 27 June 1844 | |
| War Secretary | |
| 12 Mar. 1842 | |
| Assistant War Secretary | |
| William Hall | Before 15 Aug. 1843 |
| Quartermaster Sergeant | |
| 9 Mar. 1841–20 Apr. 1841 | |
| 1 May 1841 (15 June 1841) | |
| Sergeant Major | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| Herald and Armor Bearer | |
| Samuel Hicks | 6 Apr. 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) |
Brigadier General’s
Staff (First Cohort)
| Brigadier General | |
| 5 Feb. 1841–13 Aug. 1842 | |
| 23 Sept. 1842 (27 Apr. 1843) | |
| Adjutant | |
| George H. Thatcher | 7 May 1842 |
| Sergeant Major | |
| 6 June 1842 | |
| Quartermaster Sergeant | |
| (no record) | |
| Aides-de-Camp | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| 13 Nov. 1841 (14 Dec. 1841) | |
| Assistant Quartermaster General | |
| 1 Feb. 1842 | |
| Assistant Commissary General | |
| 1 Feb. 1842 | |
| Surgeon | |
| 9 Mar. 1841 | |
| Assistant Chaplains | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| Herald and Armor Bearer | |
| William Whitmarsh | 1 Feb. 1842 |
| Brigade Major | |
| 10 Aug. 1842 (19 Sept. 1842) | |
Brigadier General’s
Staff (Second Cohort)
| Brigadier General | |
| 5 Feb. 1841–7 Aug. 1841 | |
| 4 Sept. 1841 (14 Dec. 1841) | |
| Adjutant | |
| 7 May 1842 (22 June 1842) | |
| Sergeant Major | |
| 3 June 1842 | |
| Quartermaster Sergeant | |
| 3 June 1842 (27 Apr. 1843) | |
| Aides-de-Camp | |
| 9 Mar. 1841–1 Sept. 1842 | |
| 1 May 1841 (15 June 1841)–1 Sept. 1842 | |
| 8 Sept. 1843 (28 Oct. 1843) | |
| Assistant Quartermaster General | |
| 1 Mar. 1842 | |
| Assistant Commissary General | |
| 1 Mar. 1842 | |
| Surgeon | |
| James Kelly | 9 Mar. 1841 |
| 13 Nov. 1841 (14 Dec. 1841) | |
| Assistant Chaplains | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841)–6 Nov. 1841 | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| 3 July 1841 (16 Oct. 1841) | |
| Herald and Armor Bearer | |
| 1 Mar. 1842 | |
| Brigade Major | |
| 23 July 1842 (27 Apr. 1843) | |