History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844]
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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.
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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.
July 16 put into my hands by Sister Phelps, one from and one from of , both confirming the report of the death of Joseph and — they were murdered in Jail. It is not for me to counsel you, but I would ask if it would not be well for you to come direct to and hold a Council with the Twelve, and decide what course to pursue. Things are still very critical in the west, we don’t know where it will end. I spent the Sabbath here— spoke three times— comforted the Saints all I could, and had a good time: The Saints bear the shock well. I am well and in good spirits. I do not know where I can address my letters to reach you. I shall write to Lowell, ’ and Bradford hoping they may reach you in one of those places. I shall go immediately to Farmington, New Haven Ct. and ; if you wish to write to me, direct to Farmington, Ct.
Yours in the Kingdom of God
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having received ’s letter at ’, started for , but on arriving at Lowell, remained all night.
17 Wednesday 17. Mrs. , in company with Messrs. and , went to , for letters of administration on the estate of her deceased husband, Joseph Smith. [HC 7:194]
The following is from ’s Journal:—
“Elder arrived in this morning. I walked with him to 57 Temple St, and called upon Sister Vose: took the bed & gave vent to his feeling in tears, I took the big chair, and veiled my face, and for the first time gave vent to my grief and mourning for the Prophet and of the Church, Joseph and , who were murdered by a gentile mob: after being bathed in a flood of tears I felt composed. left the ; I spent the night at Bro. Phelps’.”
The following is extracted from the Transcript taken from the report of the Editor of the Republican:—
“On our return we stopped at , where the State Commissioners were joined by Col. Wood, the Mayor of , and Mr Conyers. The gentlemen had returned from through , and had been laboring to establish peace between the parties. The people of , however, appear to be averse to any compromise, short of the removal of the Mormons from the . They assert that it is now absolutely necessary to peace and quietness, that either the Mormons or citizens quit the , and that sooner or later one must go, even if force be necessary to accomplish it. Mr Jonas, one of the commissioners, addressed the citizens of , and called upon them to say whether they would support the in enforcing the law and upholding the constitution, and they unanimously refused to give the pledge. The same evening a of , who professed to speak in the name of the citizens of , uttered the same sentiment. He deprecated as impossible the idea of settlement if the Mormons were to remain. A committee of the citizens waited upon , informing him of their fixed conviction that it was necessary one of the parties should leave the , and [p. 273]
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