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Discourse, 18 June 1844, as Reported by William Clayton

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Discourse, 18 June 1844, as Reported by William Clayton

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [, Hancock Co., IL, 18 June 1844]. Featured version inscribed [18 June 1844] in William Clayton, Daily Account of JS’s Activities, 14–22 June 1844, pp. [5]–[6]; handwriting of ; William Clayton, Journals, 1842–1846, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for William Clayton, Daily Account of JS’s Activities, 14–22 June 1844

Historical Introduction

On 18 June 1844 in , Hancock County, Illinois, JS delivered a discourse to the , calling on them to prepare for war against mob forces plotting to exterminate the in Nauvoo. There had been recent reports of intensified mob activity in the , including an affidavit from given on 17 June 1844 indicating that a mob was “expected to make an immediate attack” on Nauvoo. Later that day, citing Markham’s affidavit, JS, as the mayor of Nauvoo and the legion’s lieutenant general, ordered , the city marshal, and , the legion’s acting major general, to prepare for mob violence. Responding to JS’s order, Dunham ordered members of the legion to assemble the next day, 18 June.
According to JS’s journal, at around two o’clock in the afternoon, the legion gathered “on the corner of the street by the ” and JS, dressed in military uniform, “stood on the top of the Grain[in]g frame and addressd the Legion.” He then declared martial law in the city of . He was followed by , who read from a recent issue of the Warsaw Signal. The broadside contained resolutions from antagonistic citizens seeking “to put an immediate stop” to JS and his “demoniac coadjutors” and calling for assistance “to rid the Earth of a pest such as has never before poluted its surface since it was redeemed from Chaos.”
After spoke, JS apparently addressed the legion again, likely delivering the discourse featured here. In this speech, he warned the Saints of the mob’s murderous intentions and called for volunteers to defend the city. He also cautioned that if ’s citizens had to fight, they were to act only defensively. JS apparently cursed the church’s enemies and then closed by asking God to bless the Saints. It is unclear how long JS’s speech lasted. His journal suggests that the militia was assembled for about an hour, while a later history reported that JS spoke for approximately an hour and a half. Sometime after his discourse, JS, in his capacity as mayor, issued a written proclamation declaring martial law in Nauvoo.
Three versions of JS’s discourse are extant. , JS’s private clerk, kept the most detailed account of the discourse, recording it on 18 June sometime after JS spoke. apparently provided another account; although his notes are undated, they appear to report on this 18 June discourse. McIntire used the phrase “from to the Rocky Mountains,” for example, a variation of which appears in both Clayton’s account and JS’s journal entry for 18 June. Another similarity to Clayton’s account is that McIntire recorded JS’s call for volunteers. It is unknown if McIntire was present for the discourse, because he had recently been assigned to electioneer in for JS’s presidential campaign. If he was present, then he could have created this account from notes taken during the sermon or, because his version is brief, he could have written it from memory. He identified this discourse as JS’s last address, which indicates that McIntire inscribed this version after JS’s death. The final volume of JS’s multivolume manuscript history contains a third version of this speech, apparently written in 1856 by . Because Smith, who was not present for this speech, reconstructed it years later from “verbal reports” of individuals who were supposedly present, his version is not included. The Clayton and McIntire accounts are featured here.

Footnotes

  1. Stephen Markham, Affidavit, Nauvoo, IL, 17 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL; see also “Joseph Smith Documents from 16 May through 28 June 1844”; and “Part 3: 12–20 June 1844.”

  2. JS, Journal, 17 June 1844; Mayor’s Order to John P. Greene, 17 June 1844; Military Order to Jonathan Dunham, 17 June 1844; Order Book, 1843–1844, 22–23, Nauvoo Legion Records, CHL; see also William Clayton, Daily Account of JS’s Activities, 14–22 June 1844; Clayton, Journal, 18 June 1844; Stout, “History of the Nauvoo Legion,” 17–18 June 1844; and JS, Journal, 18 June 1844.

    Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

  3. JS, Journal, 18 June 1844. Samuel W. Richards alternatively indicated that the legion was dismissed at two o’clock in the afternoon. No account of JS’s remarks when he declared martial law has been located. (Richards, Reminiscences and Journal, 18 June 1844; see also Hale, “Account Keept of the Nauvoo Legion,” 18 June 1844.)

    Richards, Samuel W. Reminiscences and Journal, ca. 1843–1845. Samuel W. Richards, Papers, 1839–1909. CHL. MS 1841.

    Hale, Jonathan. “An Account Kept of the Nauvoo Legion.” Jonathan Hale, Papers, 1835–1845. CHL. MS 3214, fd. 1.

  4. JS, Journal, 18 June 1844; Warsaw (IL) Signal, Extra, 14 June 1844, [1].

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  5. JS, Journal, 18 June 1844. In JS’s journal entry for 18 June, Willard Richards indicated that after Phelps read from the Warsaw Signal, JS “called up[o]n all men from the rocky moutin [mountain] to the ocean to come to his asstn [assistance].” Because variations of this statement appear in the featured documents, it is likely that JS delivered the featured discourse not when he declared martial law but after Phelps spoke.

  6. JS, Journal, 18 June 1844; Stout, “History of the Nauvoo Legion,” 18 June 1844.

  7. JS, Journal, 18 June 1844; Proclamation, 18 June 1844.

  8. See Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 31; Historical Introduction to William Clayton, Daily Account of JS’s Activities, 14–22 June 1844; and William Clayton, Daily Account of JS’s Activities, 14–22 June 1844.

    Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, ca. 1845. CHL. MS 3365.

  9. JS, Journal, 18 June 1844.

  10. “Special Conference,” Times and Seasons, 15 Apr. 1844, 5:504–506; see also JS, Journal, 9 Apr. 1844.

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

  11. In his autobiography, McIntire mentioned that he attended and took notes on JS ’s sermons during winter 1840–1841 . Thus, it is possible that, as was his custom for those sermons, McIntire was present for and took notes on JS’s 16 June discourse. ( McIntire, Autobiography, [62] .)

    McIntire, William Patterson. Autobiography. In William Patterson McIntire, Daybook, 1840–1856, pp. 57–67. BYU.

  12. JS History, vol. F-1, 118; Historical Introduction to History, 1838–1856, vol. F-1; George A. Smith, Journal, 16 and 19 June 1844; see also Historian’s Office, Journal, 15 Oct. 1855. JS’s manuscript history indicates that George A. Smith based his account on “the verbal reports of Joseph G. Hovey, William G. Sterrett, Robert [L.] Campbell, and many others, who heard the prophet.”

    Smith, George A. Journal, 22 Feb. 1841–10 Mar. 1845. George Albert Smith, Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322, box 2, fd. 4.

    Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Discourse, 18 June 1844, as Reported by William Clayton Appendix 4: William Clayton, Daily Account of Joseph Smith’s Activities, 14–22 June 1844 *Discourse, 18 June 1844, as Reported by William P. McIntire History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”
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and mothers, brothers & sisters from being murdered by the mob. He urged them in strong terms not to shed innocent blood.— not to act in the least on the offensive but invariably in the defensive and if we die— die like men of God and secure a glorious resurrection— He concluded by invoking the Great God to bless the people.—
After the address the companies marched back to the parade ground— he at their head but after a very short stay returned. In the above address he advised all to arm themselves. those who had no rifles, get swords, scyths and make weapons of some kind He informed them that he had 5000 minute men who would come with volunteers as soon as he would inform them. He said there were many from waiting to come when requested [p. [6]]
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Source Note

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, 18 June 1844, as Reported by William Clayton
ID #
1417
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • William Clayton

Footnotes

  1. The Nauvoo Legion parade ground was behind the Nauvoo Masonic Hall, on the west end of Nauvoo. A history of the Nauvoo Legion also indicates that after the legion was dismissed, its members marched to the Masonic hall. (Map of Nauvoo, Illinois, 27 June 1844; Stout, “History of the Nauvoo Legion,” 18 June 1844.)

  2. The previous day, JS’s brother Hyrum Smith drafted a form letter to the church’s apostles directing them and other church members who were campaigning in the United States for JS’s presidential run to return to Nauvoo and bring guns with them, but the letters were never sent. Officially, the legion never had more than three thousand men. Reports estimate that between three thousand and four thousand men mustered after martial law was declared. (Letter to Brigham Young, 17 and 20 June 1844; “Nauvoo Legion Officers”; John S. Fullmer, [Carthage], IL, to “Uncle John,” 27 Sept. 1844, in Fullmer, Letterbook, 201–202; Vilate Murray Kimball, Nauvoo, IL, to Heber C. Kimball, Baltimore, MD, 9, 11, and 24 June 1844, [2]–[3], Kimball Family Correspondence, CHL.)

    Fullmer, John S. Letterbook, 1836–1881. John S. Fullmer Journal and Letterbook, 1836–1881. CHL.

    Kimball Family Correspondence, 1838–1871. CHL. MS 6241.

  3. Reinforcements from Iowa Territory arrived on 19 June 1844. (JS, Journal, 19 June 1844; William Clayton, Daily Account of JS’s Activities, 14–22 June 1844; Zina Huntington Jacobs, Diary, 19 June 1844.)

    Young, Zina Diantha Huntington. Diaries, 1844–1845, 1886, 1889. CHL. MS 6240.

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