General Orders for Nauvoo Legion, 22–27 February 1842

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General Orders for Nauvoo Legion, 22–27 February 1842
Source Note

JS,
John C. Bennett
3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...
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,
Wilson Law
26 Feb. 1806–15 Oct. 1876. Merchant, millwright, land speculator, farmer. Born in Ireland. Son of Richard Law and Ann Hunter. Immigrated to U.S. and settled in Springfield Township, Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Moved to Delaware Township, Mercer Co....
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, and
Charles C. Rich
21 Aug. 1809–17 Nov. 1883. Schoolteacher, farmer, cooper. Born in Campbell Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Rich and Nancy O’Neal. Moved to Posey Township, Dearborn Co., Indiana, ca. 1810. Moved to Tazewell Co., Illinois, 1829. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ...
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, General Orders, to
Nauvoo Legion
A contingent of the Illinois state militia provided for in the Nauvoo city charter. The Nauvoo Legion was organized into two cohorts: one infantry and one cavalry. Each cohort could potentially comprise several thousand men and was overseen by a brigadier...
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,
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
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, Hancock Co., IL, 22–27 Feb. 1842. Featured version published in “Nauvoo Legion,” Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, vol. 3, no. 9, 718. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.

Historical Introduction
In late February 1842 JS,
John C. Bennett
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,
Wilson Law
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, and
Charles C. Rich
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—generals of the
Nauvoo Legion
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—issued orders for their respective staffs and all soldiers in the Nauvoo Legion to assemble at ten o’clock in the morning on Friday, 11 March, for parade and review. Although technically an “independent military” body, the legion was ultimately responsible to the governor of
Illinois
Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...
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, and its members were required to “perform the same amount of military duty” as regular Illinois militia units.
1
Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840; An Act Organizing the Militia of This State [26 Mar. 1819], Laws . . . of the State of Illinois [1819], pp. 270–296.
Comprehensive Works Cited
General Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Eighteenth General Assembly, Convened January 3, 1853. Springfield: Lanphier and Walker, 1853.
For most soldiers, this mandatory duty consisted primarily of periodically mustering for reviews, parades, and training exercises throughout each year. While Illinois statute dictated the parade’s appointed ten o’clock assembly time, it did not require the militia to hold a company parade on the second Friday in March. Parades were traditionally scheduled for the first Saturdays in April, June, August, and October of each year. However, the law allowed unit commanders to schedule additional activities as needed.
2
An Act Organizing the Militia of This State [26 Mar. 1819], Laws . . . of the State of Illinois [1819], pp. 277–278, sec. 15.
Under the four orders featured here, the entire legion was required to assemble. It is unclear when JS and the other legion generals determined they would hold a parade on 11 March 1842, as the minutes of all Nauvoo Legion court-martial proceedings between 9 March 1841 and 12 March 1842 were lost by the end of 1843.
3
Legion recorder Hosea Stout speculated on 8 December 1843 that Bennett mislaid or took the minutes when he was cashiered from his position in the legion and left the church and Nauvoo in summer 1842. (Nauvoo Legion Minute Book, 8 Dec. 1843, 9; JS et al., “Notice,” 11 May 1842, JS Collection, CHL.)
Nauvoo Legion Minute Book, 1843–1844. Nauvoo Legion, Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430, fd. 1.

The orders were published in the 1 March 1842 issue of the
church
The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...
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’s
Nauvoo
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newspaper, Times and Seasons, and no handwritten manuscript is extant. While all four generals stipulated that their staffs were to assemble at their respective residences, according to JS’s journal entry of 11 March 1842, the legion met at “their usual place of parade. below the
Temple
Located in portion of Nauvoo known as the bluff. JS revelation dated Jan. 1841 commanded Saints to build temple and hotel (Nauvoo House). Cornerstone laid, 6 Apr. 1841. Saints volunteered labor, money, and other resources for temple construction. Construction...
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.”
4
JS, Journal, 11 Mar. 1842.
This was likely the “usual place” to which the notices for the legion’s two cohorts refer.
Footnotes
[1]
Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840; An Act Organizing the Militia of This State [26 Mar. 1819], Laws . . . of the State of Illinois [1819], pp. 270–296.
[2]
An Act Organizing the Militia of This State [26 Mar. 1819], Laws . . . of the State of Illinois [1819], pp. 277–278, sec. 15.
[3]
Legion recorder Hosea Stout speculated on 8 December 1843 that Bennett mislaid or took the minutes when he was cashiered from his position in the legion and left the church and Nauvoo in summer 1842. (Nauvoo Legion Minute Book, 8 Dec. 1843, 9; JS et al., “Notice,” 11 May 1842, JS Collection, CHL.)
Nauvoo Legion Minute Book, 1843–1844. Nauvoo Legion, Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430, fd. 1.
[4]
JS, Journal, 11 Mar. 1842.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *General Orders for Nauvoo Legion, 22–27 February 1842 Times and Seasons, 1 March 1842
Page 718
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NAUVOO LEGION
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.

Nauvoo Legion, Feb. 22, A. D. 1842.

Office of the Lieutenant General.

The officers of my staff
1
A 3 February 1841 city council ordinance organized the legion and specified that the lieutenant general’s staff consist of “two principal Aids-de-Camp, with the Rank of Colonels of Cavalry, & a guard of twelve Aids-de-Camp, with the Rank of Captains of Infantry, & a drill officer, with the rank of Colonel of Dragoons, who shall likewise be the Chief Officer of the Guard.” (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 3 Feb. 1841, 2; see also “Nauvoo Legion Senior Officers.”)
are required to assemble at my residence, on Friday, the 11th day of March, 1842, at 10 o’clock A. M. armed and equipped according to law.

JOSEPH SMITH,

Lieutenant General.

Major General
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’s Office, Nauvoo Legion,

City of
Nauvoo
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, Feb. 25, A. D. 1842.

My staff,
2
According to the ordinance that organized the legion, the major general’s staff was to include “an Adjutant, a Surgeon in Chief, a Cornet, a quarter Master, a Pay Master, a Commissary, & a Chaplain, with the Rank of Colonels of Infantry; a Surgeon for Each Cohort, a quarter Master Sergeant, Sergeant Major, & Chief Musician, with the rank of Captains of light Infantry; & two Musicians, with the rank of Captains of Infantry.” (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 3 Feb. 1841, 2–3; see also “Nauvoo Legion Senior Officers.”)
accompanied by the band, is required to rendezvous, at my quarters,
3
Bennett’s notice uses the phrase “my quarters” where the notices of the other three men read “my residence”—likely because Bennett did not own his own home at this time and was residing in JS’s home.
on Friday, the 11th day of March, proximo, at 10 o’clock, A. M., armed and equipped as the law directs.

JOHN C. BENNETT
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,

Major General.

Frst Cohort, Nauvoo Legion,

Feb. 27, A. D. 1842.

All the battalions of the 1st Cohort, residing within the
Nauvoo
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Precinct, are required to assemble for battalion parade, at the usual place of rendezvous, on Friday, the 11th day of March, at 10 o’clock A. M.—all officers, and troops will take notice and govern themselves accordingly. My staff
4
In February, when these orders were issued, the staffs of brigadier generals Wilson Law and Charles C. Rich each consisted of only one aide-de-camp, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. On the day following the scheduled 11 March parades, however, these staffs considerably expanded due to a new ordinance that restructured the legion. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 3 Feb. 1841, 3; Minutes, 12 Mar. 1842; see also “Nauvoo Legion Senior Officers.”)
will appear at my residence at the same hour.

WILSON LAW
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,

Brigadier General, & Brev. Maj. Gen.

Second Cohort, Nauvoo Legion,

Feb. 27, A. D. 1842.

The officers and privates, of the 2d Cohort, are required to rendezvous, for battalion parade, at the usual place in this
city
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, on Friday, the 11th day of March, at 10 o’clock, A. M.—all persons concerned, therefore, will take notice, and govern themselves accordingly. My staff will congregate at my residence, at the same hour.

CHARLES C. RICH
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,

Brigadier General. [p. 718]
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Footnotes
[1]
A 3 February 1841 city council ordinance organized the legion and specified that the lieutenant general’s staff consist of “two principal Aids-de-Camp, with the Rank of Colonels of Cavalry, & a guard of twelve Aids-de-Camp, with the Rank of Captains of Infantry, & a drill officer, with the rank of Colonel of Dragoons, who shall likewise be the Chief Officer of the Guard.” (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 3 Feb. 1841, 2; see also “Nauvoo Legion Senior Officers.”)
[2]
According to the ordinance that organized the legion, the major general’s staff was to include “an Adjutant, a Surgeon in Chief, a Cornet, a quarter Master, a Pay Master, a Commissary, & a Chaplain, with the Rank of Colonels of Infantry; a Surgeon for Each Cohort, a quarter Master Sergeant, Sergeant Major, & Chief Musician, with the rank of Captains of light Infantry; & two Musicians, with the rank of Captains of Infantry.” (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 3 Feb. 1841, 2–3; see also “Nauvoo Legion Senior Officers.”)
[3]
Bennett’s notice uses the phrase “my quarters” where the notices of the other three men read “my residence”—likely because Bennett did not own his own home at this time and was residing in JS’s home.
[4]
In February, when these orders were issued, the staffs of brigadier generals Wilson Law and Charles C. Rich each consisted of only one aide-de-camp, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. On the day following the scheduled 11 March parades, however, these staffs considerably expanded due to a new ordinance that restructured the legion. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 3 Feb. 1841, 3; Minutes, 12 Mar. 1842; see also “Nauvoo Legion Senior Officers.”)