History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844]
History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844]
Source Note
Source Note
JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. F-1, created 9 Apr.–7 June 1856 and 20 Aug. 1856–6 Nov. 1856; handwriting of and Jonathan Grimshaw; 304 pages, plus 10 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the final volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This sixth volume covers the period from 1 May to 8 Aug. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1 through E-1, go through 30 Apr. 1844.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
History, 1838-1856, volume F-1, constitutes the last 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 May 1844 to the events following his 27 June 1844 death, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in 1856.
The material recorded in volume F-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin, and also assistant church historian . Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the volume and creating a set of draft notes, which Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks. Woodruff gathered additional material concerning the death of Joseph Smith as a supplement to George A. Smith’s work recording that event. Jonathan Grimshaw and , members of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed the draft notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents.
According to the Historian’s Office journal, Jonathan Grimshaw initiated work on the text of volume F-1 on 9 April 1856, soon after Robert L. Campbell had completed work on volume E-1. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.) Grimshaw’s scribal work begins with an entry for 1 May 1844. Unlike previous volumes in which the numbering had run consecutively to page 2028, Grimshaw began anew with page 1. He transcribed 150 pages by June 1856, and his last entry was for 23 June 1844. Though more of his writing does not appear in the volume, he continued to work in the office until 2 August, before leaving for the East that same month. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 and 10 Aug. 1856.)
assumed the role of scribe on 20 August 1856. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 20 Aug. 1856.) He incorporated ’s draft notes for the period 24–29 June 1844 on pages 151–189, providing an account of JS’s death and its immediate aftermath. He next transcribed a related extract from ’s 1854 History of Illinois on pages 190–204. Pages 205–227 were left blank.
provided the notes for the final portion of the text. This account begins with an entry for 22 June 1844 and continues the record through 8 August 1844, ending on page 304. (The volume also included ten pages of addenda.) The last specific entry in the Historian’s Office journal that captures at work on the history is for 6 November 1856. A 2 February 1857 Wilford Woodruff letter to indicates that on 30 January 1857, the “presidency sat and heard the history read up to the organization of the church in , 8th. day of August 1844.” (Historian’s Office, Journal, 6 Nov. 1856; Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 2 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 410; see also Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich, 28 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, pp. 430–431.)
The pages of volume F-1 contain a record of the final weeks of JS’s life and the events of the ensuing days. The narrative commences with and arriving at , Illinois, on 1 May 1844 from their lumber-harvesting mission in the “” of Wisconsin Territory. As the late spring and summer of 1844 unfold, events intensify, especially those surrounding the suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor in mid-June. Legal action over the Expositor leads to a charge of riot, and subsequently JS is charged with treason and is incarcerated at the jail in , Illinois. The narrative of volume F-1 concludes with an account of the special church conference convened on 8 August 1844 to consider who should assume the leadership of the church.
<June 26> supposition that your protection excluded all persons but those admitted by a pass. I have caused the officer of the guard to be correctly instructed of his duties so that you need suffer no further inconvenience.
Brig. Genl.”
“Head Quarters
, June 26th. 1844”
said he had got the on a pin hook; for the had committed them without examination, and had no further jurisdiction in the case, [HC 6:593] and he would not agree to a trial unless (Captain) would consent to go to for examination, where witnesses could be had.
said that a week ago and another had concocted a scheme for a writ to take Joseph, and when he was apprehended to take him to , and returned from the night before the burning of the press
1 P. M wrote to his , and sent the letter by .
It was common conversation on the Camp ground and in the dining room of the , in the presence of “the law is too short for these men, but they must not be suffered to go at large;” and, “if the law will not reach them, powder and ball must.” -[]-
½ past 2. came with Alexander Simpson, and wanted to come in, with an order to the demanding the prisoners; but as , the jailer, could find no law authorizing a justice of the peace to demand prisoners committed to his charge, he refused to give them up, until discharged from his custody by due course of law.
Justice then inquired what he must do? replied “We have plenty of troops; there are the Carthage Greys under your command, bring them out” -[]-
Joseph sent to inform the of what had just taken place, and also to inform his Counsel, Messrs and .
20 min to 3. returned from the and said apparently the was doing all he could.
3 p. m. Wrote to Messrs and as follows: [HC 6:594]
“Jail , June 26. 3 P. M.
“Messrs and , Sirs,
called a little while since, and wanted to come in, the guard would not; we have since learned that he wanted to take us before the , and we have since learned that there is some excitment because we did not go, and we wish to see you without delay.
“We are informed that has said that they can do nothing with us, only by powder and ball, as we have done nothing against the law.
Yours,
Joseph Smith
per ”
which was carried by Elder
20 min to 4. Upon the refusal of the to give up the prisoners, the with the Company of Carthage Greys, under the command of Frank Worrell, marched to the jail, and, by intimidation and threats compelled the against his [p. 169]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [385]
Richards, Journal, 26 June 1844.
Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.
- [386]
Cyrus Wheelock, London, England, to George A. Smith, 29 Dec. 1854, Historian’s Office, JS History Documents, 1839–1860, CHL.
Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Documents, 1839–1860. CHL. CR 100 396.
- [387]
Richards, Journal, 26 June 1844; John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, p. 69, in Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, ca. 1839–1856, CHL.
Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.
Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Draft Notes, ca. 1839–1856. CHL. CR 100 92.
- [388]
JS, Carthage, IL, to James Woods and Hugh Reid, 26 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL.
Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.
- [389]
Richards, Journal, 26 June 1844; "Statement of Facts," Times and Seasons, 1 July 1844, 5:562.
Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
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