History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844]
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844]
Source Note
Source Note
JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. E-1, created 20 Aug. 1855–5 Apr. 1856; handwriting of Robert L. Campbell, , and Jonathan Grimshaw; 392 pages, plus 11 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fifth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fifth volume covers the period from 1 July 1843 to 30 Apr. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, D-1, and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1, constitutes the fifth of six volumes documenting the life of Joseph Smith and the early years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The series is also known as the Manuscript History of the Church and was originally published serially from 1842 to 1846 and 1851 to 1858 as the “History of Joseph Smith” in the Times and Seasons and Deseret News. This volume contains JS’s history from 1 July 1843 to 30 April 1844, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in the mid-1850s.
The material recorded in volume E-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin. Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the history and creating a set of draft notes that Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks.
Robert L. Campbell, a recently returned missionary and member of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed ’s notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). The Church Historian’s Office journal entry for 2 May 1855 pinpoints the beginning of his work: “R. L. C. on Book D forenoon, afternoon began book E.” Campbell’s work on the volume apparently concluded on 5 April 1856; entries in the Historian’s Office journal indicate that he then moved on to other assignments while another clerk, Jonathan Grimshaw, began work on volume F-1, the last manuscript in the series. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 May 1855; 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.)
Volume E-1 contains 391 pages of primary text and 11 pages of addenda. The initial entry on page 1637 is a continuation of the 1 July 1843 entry that closed volume D-1. The final entry in volume E-1 is for 30 April 1844.
The 391 pages of volume E-1 document a crucial period of JS’s life and the history of the church. Important events recorded here include
• An account of JS’s 2 July 1843 meeting with several Pottawatamie chiefs.
• JS’s 4 July 1843 address regarding his recent arrest, the Legion, and Mormon voting practices.
• JS’s 12 July 1843 dictation of a revelation regarding eternal marriage, including the plurality of wives, in the presence of and .
• The 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment of and revocation of his priesthood license.
• Dispatch of the first missionaries to the Pacific Islands on 20 September 1843, led by .
• JS’s 1 October 1843 announcement of ’s appointment to a mission to Russia.
• Minutes of a 6–9 October 1843 general conference inserted under the date of 9 October at which pled his case in regard to his 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment and was permitted to continue as counselor in the First Presidency.
• Text of JS’s appeal to the Green Mountain Boys of , inserted under the date of 29 November 1843.
• A 20 January 1844 entry that includes a poem by commemorating the presentation of two copies of the Book of Mormon to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by .
• JS’s nomination on 29 January 1844 as an independent candidate for the presidency of the .
• An account of JS’s sermon, 7 April 1844.
<August 23> Sent to to procure some articles for the
See 24 Aug. 1843 entry in History Draft.
<24> <Thursday.> Engaged inland business, selling and making titles of land & settling with several individuals.
See 25 Aug. 1843 entry in History Draft.
<25> <Friday.> My brother in the , We conversed upon <conversing about> the new Revelation <upon celestial marriage.>
Rain in gentle showers through the day, being the first of any amount that has fallen in since the 1st. of June. The earth has been exceedingly dry, and the early Potatoe nearly destroyed, Corn has been stunted in its growth, and even vines much injured by the drouth.
See 26 Aug. 1843 entry in History Draft.
<26> <Saturday> Six hundred houses destroyed by fire in Kingston, Jamaica; estimated damage $1,500,000.
The U. S. Steam Frigate “Missouri” destroyed by fire.
returned from his Mission to the Lamanites <exploring excursion West.> The following is extracted from his journal; [HC 5:541]
“Saturday July 16th. 1843. Staid all day at — all night at Mr. Hawley’s. Sunday 17th. Miss Daniels finished my tent— &c. left Hawleys at 12 o’Clock went 15 miles, and camped for <the> night; in the morning our horses were gone, we hunted for them some time before we found them. 18th. July left the Camp at 7 o’Clock, travelled all day, came within 16 miles of the Agency, camped on the prairie. Tuesday 19th. left the Camp at 6 O’Clock— passed the Agents house half past 12.— Came to Sugar Grove creek— stopped rested our horses, took dinner &c at 2 oClock p.m.;— stopped at dark on Mosquito Creek and staid all night. Wednesday 20 started out at 6 O’Clock, travelled 30 miles, fell in with the Sac Indians <who> had been to the old Sac village after corn— At night they got drunk and fought. We encamped at dark <and> staid all night in the Timber on the a bank Bluff of the Desmoines river. Started late in <the> morning of Thursday 21<st.> we travelled until 12 O’Clock, stopped on the round flat of the Desmoines river (here another drunken frolic which lasted all the afternoon,) left the ground <at> ½ past 2 p.m. <and> went 13 miles, came within 20 miles of the Garrison troops or Sac settlement, <and> encamped on the edge of the prairie— Friday 22 July,— left for the Sac village, at noon we got parted from each other and the Indians got drunk and quarreled and Captain Joe would not <go> any further, he lay down— was mad, and I could not get him to go, so I left him and went to<wards> the Sac village, staid all night at the trading house. Saturday morning 23 July came to the Sac village and waited for Captain Joe to arrive with his party. Sunday 24th. staid at the Sacs, waiting for my pilot, who was sick and lame in one knee so <that> he could not travel. Monday 25th. This morning at Wapamuneto’s,— staid until noon of Tuesday 26th. then Neotaneah, my guide came, <and> we started off immediately for : staid on the Prairie all night. Wednesday 27th. travelled until noon, baited our horses, no water, <we had> nothing to eat; <continued our journey, it> rained all afternoon, staid all night on the prairie— lay in the wet grass. Thursday 28 started on our journey this morning early. Saw in [HC 5:542] the forenoon a flock of Elk. The Indian went up the hollow to shoot one, while I held the horses out of sight of the Elk, he crawled in the grass some fifty or sixty rods, and snapped four times at them, when they were a laying down, he could not get his gun off; the Elk run off a rifle shot and looked at him, he broke his gun to pieces on the ground and threw it away down the hill and came back [p. 1698]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [200]
See 24 Aug. 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [201]
Clayton, Journal, 24 Aug. 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
- [202]
See 25 Aug. 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [203]
JS, Journal, 25 Aug. 1843.
- [204]
See 26 Aug. 1843 entry in History Draft.
- [205]
“Kingston, Jamaica in Ashes,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 11 Oct. 1843, [3]; “Further Particulars of the Great Fire in Jamaica,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 25 Oct. 1843, [2].
Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
- [206]
“Steam Frigate Missouri Burnt,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 25 Oct. 1843, [3].
Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
- [207]
Dunham, Journal, July–Aug. 1843.
Dunham, Jonathan. Journals, 1837–1846. Jonathan Dunham, Papers, 1825–1846. CHL. MS 1387, fds. 1–4.
- [208]
TEXT: Circled with an arrow indicating it should come after Bluff, that is “Bluff bank.”
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