Probably David Greenleaf, an “old settler Democrat” who was serving as Hancock County probate judge. Thomas Gregg identified him as an early settler of St. Mary’s Township, Hancock County. JS’s history identifies him as “Justice Greenleaf, of Augusta, Hancock Co.” (Gregg, History of Hancock County, 299, 449, 578; JS History, vol. F-1, 162.)

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.

A second, longer list of witnesses was made later in the day and offers clues to the identity of some of the men listed here. “Dr Lyon” may be the James H. Lyon of the second list; alternatively, it could be Windsor P. Lyon, a physician. “Samu[e]l” may be the Samuel Searles of the second list. The “Dr Williams” of both lists may be Abiathar Williams, who, like Merinus G. Eaton (whom Williams follows in each list), made an affidavit on 27 March 1844 detailing accusations of murder and the operations of the “spiritual wife system” he had heard about from dissidents in Nauvoo. (Willard Richards, List of Witnesses in Carthage and Nauvoo, 26 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL; JS, Journal, 24 Mar. 1844; Abiathar Williams, Affidavit; Merinus G. Eaton, Affidavit, Hancock Co., IL, 27 Mar. 1844, Nauvoo Neighbor, 17 Apr. 1844, [2].)

Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

A later account by John S. Fullmer summarizes this meeting between JS and Thomas Ford and clarifies Willard Richards’s hastily written notes that follow. According to Fullmer, “Joseph related to him the origin of the difficulty—the facts relating to the ‘Expositor’ press,—the course of the City Council; the legality, as they thought, of their legislation; the pledges that he had made by letter and sent by express to his Excellency, to satisfy all legal claims, in case it should be shown that the Council had transcended legal bounds, &c. &c. And that the Legion had been called out for the protection of the City, while threatened with immediate hostilities by an infuriated mob and not for invasion; until his Excellency could afford relief &c. The Governor seemed to be satisfied that it was true—but did not interfere in the illegal imprisonment.” (John S. Fullmer, Preston, England, to George A. Smith, 27 Nov. 1854, Historian’s Office, JS History Documents, ca. 1839–1860, CHL.)

Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Documents, 1839–1860. CHL. CR 100 396.

JS was arrested by Constable David Bettisworth on 12 June 1844 for committing a riot during the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor press on 10 June. (JS, Journal, 10 and 12 June 1844.)

On the advice of Jesse Thomas, JS and the other men charged with riot had been examined and discharged by Justice of the Peace Daniel H. Wells on 17 June 1844. (JS, Journal, 16 and 17 June 1844.)

According to John Taylor’s reminiscent account of this meeting, JS said that when David Bettisworth first arrested him, he, JS, “offered, in the presence of more than twenty persons, to go to any other magistrate, either in our city or Appanoose, or any other place where we should be safe.” (John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, p. 38, Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, ca. 1839–1856, CHL.)

After being arrested on the charge of riot, JS was discharged at a hearing before the Nauvoo Municipal Court on 12 June. The following day, the same court discharged others arrested in the case. (JS, Journal, 12 and 13 June 1844.)

John M. Bernhisel, J. R. Wakefield, Sidney Rigdon, and JS wrote separate letters to Thomas Ford on 14 June explaining the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor press. Samuel James left Nauvoo the following day to carry “lette[r]s and pape[r]s”—including, presumably, the letters of JS and the others—to Ford. (JS, Journal, 14 and 15 June 1844; Sidney Rigdon, Nauvoo, IL, to Thomas Ford, Springfield, IL, 14 June 1844, Sidney Rigdon Collection, CHL.)

Rigdon, Sidney. Collection, 1831–1858. CHL. MS 713.

Hunter, accompanied by Lewis and John Bills, left Nauvoo on 17 June with a letter from JS to Thomas Ford informing him of threats against the Mormons and asking that he come and investigate. Hunter and the others also carried an affidavit from Thomas Wilson describing threats against church members. (JS, Journal, 17 June 1844.)

On 23 June 1844, Anderson made a written statement saying he had told JS on the morning of 18 June that the number of people leaving Nauvoo that day might give the impression “that they were afraid of being attacked and prove enjurrious [injurious]” and that JS should “use his endeavors to retain those in the City until the excitement should abate.” (George C. Anderson, Certificate, 23 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL.)

JS’s proclamation of 18 June 1844 placed Nauvoo under martial law. (JS, Journal, 18 June 1844; JS, Proclamation, 18 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL.)

JS, lieutenant general of the Nauvoo Legion.

It is unclear which specific orders are referred to here. Over the previous three weeks, JS had issued six orders to Dunham, acting major general of the Nauvoo Legion. The first, dated 10 June 1844, was to “hold the Nauvoo Legion in readiness” to help Nauvoo marshal John P. Greene remove the Nauvoo Expositor press if necessary. The second, given on 16 June, was for Dunham “to have the Legion in readiness to suppress all illegal violence in the City.” The third, given the following day, ordered Dunham to prepare the legion to assist Greene “in keeping the peace, and doing whatever may be necessary to preserve the dignity of the State and city.” The fourth, also issued on 17 June, instructed Dunham to execute all of Greene’s orders and to “perform all services with as little noise and confusion as possible.— and take every precaution to prevent groups of citizens & from gathering on the bank of the river, on the landing of boats or otherwise, and allay every cause & pretext of excitement as well as suspicon.” The fifth, given 22 June 1844, ordered Dunham to “proceed without delay, with the assistence of the Nauvoo Legion,” in preparing for an attack on the eastern border of Nauvoo. The final order, issued 24 June 1844, was for Dunham to “comply strictly and without delay” with Thomas Ford’s order to surrender the state arms to James Dunn. (JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Jonathan Dunham, Nauvoo, IL, 10 June 1844, copy, JS Collection, CHL; Clayton, Daily Account of JS Activities, 16 June 1844; JS, Military Order, to Jonathan Dunham, Nauvoo, IL, 17 June 1844–A; JS, Military Order, to Jonathan Dunham, Nauvoo, IL, 17 June 1844–B, JS Collection, CHL; JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Jonathan Dunham, Nauvoo, IL, 22 June 1844, copy, JS Collection, CHL; JS, “Prairie 4 miles W Carthage,” IL, to Jonathan Dunham, Nauvoo, IL, 24 June 1844, appended to Thomas Ford, Carthage, IL, to JS et al., 24 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL; JS, Journal, 10, 16, 17, and 22 June 1844.)

Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.

John P. Greene.

According to a later account by John Taylor, John P. Greene told Thomas Ford that “in some instances” passes had been given to strangers so they could pass by the men charged with protecting Nauvoo from attack. He also told the governor that no one had been imprisoned at Nauvoo without legal cause, which echoed what JS had told Ford in his midnight 22 June letter. (John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, p. 39, Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, ca. 1839–1856, CHL; JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Thomas Ford, [Carthage, IL], 22 June 1844, copy, JS Collection, CHL.)

Thomas Ford may have reiterated his belief expressed in his 22 June 1844 letter to JS that the Nauvoo Municipal Court had overstepped its bounds when it had issued writs of habeas corpus for JS and others charged with riot and discharged them from arrest. (Thomas Ford, Carthage, IL, to JS et al., Nauvoo, IL, 22 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL.)

The compilers of JS’s history report Ford saying that the examination before Daniel H. Wells “did not satisfy the feelings of the people in and about Carthage.” (JS History, vol. F-1, 164.)

The posse may have comprised the thirty “officers” who, according to William Clayton, arrived in Nauvoo on 22 June to accompany JS and the other men charged with riot to Carthage. Ford later reported, however, that he had sent only a constable and ten men to arrest JS. Whatever its number, the posse returned to Carthage without JS, who had crossed the Mississippi River into Iowa Territory the night of 22–23 June. According to John Taylor’s reminiscent account of JS’s meeting with Ford, Ford asked JS why he had not given “a more speedy answer” to the posse. JS responded that he and others in Nauvoo “had matters of importance to consult upon” and that “it took some time . . . to weigh duly these matters.” Ford then conceded that “sufficient time was not allowed by the posse” for JS and his associates “to consult and get ready.” Ford himself later wrote that the posse had left Nauvoo quickly out of fear that JS and the others actually would submit to arrest, in which case “there would be no occasion for calling out an overwhelming militia force, for marching it into Nauvoo, for probable mutiny when there, and for the extermination of the Mormon race.” (Council of Fifty, “Record,” 22 June 1844; JS History, vol. F-1, 148; Editorial Note following 22 June 1844 entry in JS, Journal; John Taylor, “The Martyrdom of Joseph Smith,” in Burton, City of the Saints, 533; Ford, History of Illinois, 332–334.)

Taylor, John. “The Martyrdom of Joseph Smith.” In The City of the Saints, and Across the Rocky Mountains to California, by Richard F. Burton, 517–540. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1862.

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 compilers of JS’s history completed this sentence to read that Thomas Ford “was satisfied now that the people of Nauvoo had acted according to the best of their judgment.” (JS History, vol. F-1, 164.)

The compilers of JS’s history attributed this statement to JS’s counsel Hugh Reid and reported him saying that “it was very evident from the excitement created by Mr. Smith’s enemies it would have been unsafe for him to come to Carthage, for under such circumstances he could not have had an impartial trial.” According to John Taylor, Thomas Geddes similarly said, “It certainly did look, from all I have heard, from the general spirit of violence and mobocracy that here prevails, that it was not safe for you to come unprotected.” (JS History, vol. F-1, 164; John Taylor, “The Martyrdom of Joseph Smith,” in Burton, City of the Saints, 533.)

Taylor, John. “The Martyrdom of Joseph Smith.” In The City of the Saints, and Across the Rocky Mountains to California, by Richard F. Burton, 517–540. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1862.