Footnotes

1. [1]

   Journal of the Senate . . . of Illinois, 17 Dec. 1840, 89.  

   Journal of the Senate of the Thirteenth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, at Their Regular Session, Begun and Held at Springfield, December 5, 1842. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1842.

2. [2]

   The Nauvoo high council met on 1 December 1839 and appointed Hyrum Smith, George W. Harris, and Oliver Granger as a committee to petition the legislature “to discontinue certain parts of the City of Nauvoo— and also of Commerce and all other needful acts and alterations in relation to the aforesaid Cities.” Smith was also appointed to furnish the “needful maps and plats for the alteration of the Cities.” These “other needful acts” may have included legislation to incorporate the city, though it may be more likely that the alterations referred to were only intended to notify the state of the boundary changes to the Commerce, Illinois, plat. In either case, there is no record that the city council’s decision was carried out or that the committee went to Springfield to petition the eleventh general assembly, which was in session from 9 December 1839 to 3 February 1840. (Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1 Dec. 1839, 31; Laws of the State of Illinois [1839–1840]; Journal of the House of Representatives . . . of Illinois, 9 Dec. 1839; 3 Feb. 1840, 3, 338; see also Kimball, “A Wall to Defend Zion,” 491.)  

   Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

   Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Eleventh General Assembly, at Their Special Session, Began and Held at Springfield, on the Ninth of December, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Nine. Springfield: William Walters, 1840.

   Journal of the House of Representatives of the Twelfth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, Convened By Proclamation of the Governor, Being Their First Session, Begun and Held in the City of Springfield, November 23, 1840. Springfield, IL: Wm. Walters, 1840.

   Kimball, James L., Jr. “A Wall to Defend Zion: The Nauvoo Charter.” BYU Studies 15, no. 4 (Summer 1975): 491–497.

3. [3]

   Commission for John C. Bennett, 20 July 1840, Governor’s Correspondence, 1840, Military Affairs, in Illinois Governor’s Correspondence, 1816–1852, Illinois State Archives, Springfield; Letters from John C. Bennett, 25, 27, and 30 July 1840; 15 Aug. 1840.  

   Illinois Governor’s Correspondence, 1816–1852. Illinois State Archives, Springfield.

4. [4]

   Letter from John C. Bennett, 27 July 1840.  

5. [5]

   Bennett, History of the Saints, 18.  

   Bennett, John C. The History of the Saints; or, an Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism. Boston: Leland and Whiting, 1842.

6. [6]

   Minutes and Discourse, 3–5 Oct. 1840.  

7. [7]

   Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 60; Minutes and Discourse, 3–5 Oct. 1840.  

   Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

8. [8]

   “Miscellaneous,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1841, 2:281.  

   Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

9. [9]

   John C. Bennett, Nauvoo, IL, 14 June 1842, Letter to the Editor, Wasp, 18 June 1842, [2]–[3].  

   The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

10. [10]

    Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, 16 Dec. 1840, 18.  

11. [11]

    Coray, Autobiographical Sketch, 4–5.  

    Coray, Howard. Autobiographical Sketch, after 1883. Howard Coray, Papers, ca. 1840–1941. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2043, fd. 1.

12. [12]

    Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 59; Journal of the Senate . . . of Illinois, 27 Nov. 1840, 23; Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 273, 277–278.  

    Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

    Journal of the Senate of the Twelfth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, Convened By Proclamation of the Governor, Being Their First Session, Begun and Held in the City of Springfield, November 23, 1840. Springfield, IL: Wm. Walters, 1840.

    Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

13. [13]

    Journal of the Senate . . . of Illinois, 5 Dec. 1840, 45. Although the senate journal did not identify the adjustments, they may have been cancellations in section 25 of the act (dealing with the Nauvoo Legion), which are the only significant edits recorded in the manuscript version of the bill. These changes are identified in notes to section 25 herein. (“A Bill for an Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo,” 12th General Assembly, 1840–1841, House Bill no. 219 [Senate Bill no. 3], Illinois General Assembly, Bills, Resolutions, and Related General Assembly Records, 1st–98th Bienniums, 1819–2015, Illinois State Archives, Springfield.)  

    Journal of the Senate of the Twelfth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, Convened By Proclamation of the Governor, Being Their First Session, Begun and Held in the City of Springfield, November 23, 1840. Springfield, IL: Wm. Walters, 1840.

    Illinois General Assembly. Bills, Resolutions, and Related General Assembly Records, 1st–98th Bienniums, 1819–2015. Illinois State Archives, Springfield.

14. [14]

    Journal of the Senate . . . of Illinois, 9 and 17 Dec. 1840, 61, 89.  

    Journal of the Senate of the Twelfth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, Convened By Proclamation of the Governor, Being Their First Session, Begun and Held in the City of Springfield, November 23, 1840. Springfield, IL: Wm. Walters, 1840.

15. [15]

    1818 Constitution of the State of Illinois, art. III, sec. 19.  

16. [16]

    John C. Bennett [Joab, pseud.], Springfield, IL, 16 Dec. 1840, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 Jan. 1841, 2:266–267.  

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

17. [17]

    Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 273; John C. Bennett [Joab, pseud.], Springfield, IL, 16 Dec. 1840, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 Jan. 1841, 2:266–267.  

    Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

18. [18]

    John C. Bennett [Joab, pseud.], Springfield, IL, 16 Dec. 1840, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 Jan. 1841, 2:267.  

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

19. [19]

    Ford, History of Illinois, 263. Ford also wrote in his history that “one would have thought that these charters stood a poor chance of passing the legislature of a republican people jealous of their liberties. Nevertheless they did pass unanimously through both houses. Messrs. Little and Douglass managed with great dexterity with their respective parties. Each party was afraid to object to them for fear of losing the Mormon vote, and each believed that it had secured their favor.” (Ford, History of Illinois, 265.)  

    Ford, Thomas. A History of Illinois, from Its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847. Containing a Full Account of the Black Hawk War, the Rise, Progress, and Fall of Mormonism, the Alton and Lovejoy Riots, and Other Important and Interesting Events. Chicago: S. C. Griggs; New York: Ivison and Phinney, 1854.

20. [20]

    “An Act to Repeal the Nauvoo Charter,” 14th General Assembly, 1844–1845, Senate Bill no. 35 (House Bill no. 42), Illinois General Assembly, Enrolled Acts of the General Assembly, 1818–2012, Illinois State Archives, Springfield.  

    Illinois General Assembly. Enrolled Acts of the General Assembly, 1818–2012. Illinois State Archives, Springfield.

21. [21]

    An Act to Incorporate the City of Chicago [4 Mar. 1837], Laws of the State of Illinois [1836–1837], pp. 50–80; An Act to Incorporate the City of Alton [21 July 1837], Laws of the State of Illinois [1837], pp. 17–29; An Act to Amend the Several Acts Incorporating the Town of Galena [15 Feb. 1839], Laws of the State of Illinois [1838–1839], pp. 25–36; An Act to Incorporate the City of Springfield [3 Feb. 1840], Laws of the State of Illinois [1839–1840], pp. 6–15; An Act to Incorporate the City of Quincy [3 Feb. 1840], Laws of the State of Illinois [1839–1840], pp. 113–122; An Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo [16 Dec. 1840], Laws of the State of Illinois [1840–1841], pp. 52–57.  

    Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837. Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1837.

    Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1837.

    Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Eleventh General Assembly, at Their Special Session, Began and Held at Springfield, on the Ninth of December, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Nine. Springfield: William Walters, 1840.

22. [22]

    The preface reads: “By the politeness of Doctor Bennett, we have been favored with the following legislative act, incorporating our city, legion, and university, for publication, which will, no doubt, be read with great satisfaction by all who have an interest in the future greatness and prosperity of our people; to wit:— Charters of the ‘City of Nauvoo,’ the ‘Nauvoo Legion,’ and the ‘University of the City of Nauvoo.’” It is unclear whether the “politeness of Doctor Bennett” referred to his role in lobbying the Illinois legislature for the act’s passage or more literally to his bringing a copy of the act back to Nauvoo for publication in the Times and Seasons. (“Miscellaneous,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1841, 2:281.)  

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

23. [23]

    Bennett apparently either sent to Nauvoo or carried on his return from Springfield a certified copy of the act. In his History of Illinois, Ford wrote regarding Bennett’s efforts in lobbying for the act’s passage: “Bennet managed matters well for his constituents. He flattered both sides [political parties] with the hope of Mormon favor; and both sides expected to receive their votes.” Times and Seasons editor Ebenezer Robinson reminisced decades later that “Dr. J. C. Bennett went to Springfield and attended the legislature, where he exerted all the influence he could bring to bear, to secure the passage of the Nauvoo City Charter, and other bills which he had prepared.” (Ford, History of Illinois, 263; Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return, June 1890, 286.)  

    Ford, Thomas. A History of Illinois, from Its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847. Containing a Full Account of the Black Hawk War, the Rise, Progress, and Fall of Mormonism, the Alton and Lovejoy Riots, and Other Important and Interesting Events. Chicago: S. C. Griggs; New York: Ivison and Phinney, 1854.

    The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.

24. [24]

    See “A Bill for an Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo,” 12th General Assembly, 1840–1841, House Bill no. 219 (Senate Bill no. 3), Illinois General Assembly, Bills, Resolutions, and Related General Assembly Records, 1st–98th Bienniums, 1819–2015, Illinois State Archives, Springfield; and An Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo [16 Dec. 1840], Laws of the State of Illinois [1840–1841], pp. 54–55, sec. 13.  

    Illinois General Assembly. Bills, Resolutions, and Related General Assembly Records, 1st–98th Bienniums, 1819–2015. Illinois State Archives, Springfield.

    Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Twelfth General Assembly, at Their Session, Began and Held at Springfield, on the Seventh of December, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1841.

25. [25]

    Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 9 Apr. 1842, 69.