John Corrill, “Brief History,” Manuscript, circa 1838–1839
John Fletcher Darby Papers, Missouri History Museum Archives, St. Louis.
John Corrill, “Brief History,” Manuscript, circa 1838–1839
Source Note
Source Note
, “Brief History,” Manuscript, ca. 6 April 1838– ca. 26 January 1839; handwriting of and an unidentified scribe; seventy pages numbered 20–90, plus three unnumbered pages; John Fletcher Darby Papers, Missouri History Museum Archives, St. Louis.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
Even while the embers of the 1838 Mormon War smoldered in , labored on the manuscript for his 1839 publication, A Brief History of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, (Commonly Called Mormons;) Including an Account of Their Doctrine and Discipline; with the Reasons of the Author for Leaving the Church. Corrill had begun serving the church as a historian after ’s excommunication in March 1838, replacing Whitmer in that role in April. Whatever his initial labors as historian, Corrill completed A Brief History after distancing himself from JS and the Saints, as the full title implies.
, a careful observer, had enjoyed a close association with Mormon leaders, and consequently his account provides valuable insights into the development and structure of the early church. He summarized many of the doctrines taught by JS and provided a detailed description of the conflict between the Latter-day Saints and other settlers. But his chronicle also related the story of a personal spiritual journey into and then out of the church as came to disapprove of the church’s course in 1838 in Missouri. Yet despite his estrangement from the church and his excommunication in 1839, he retained a degree of sympathy for the Saints and maintained some contact.
apparently began compiling portions of his account while serving as an officially appointed church historian in . He probably completed his narrative by 11 February 1839, when he secured a copyright with the district federal copyright office. He arranged for Thomas Watson & Son of to print A Brief History. The entire print run may have included up to twelve hundred copies.
The document presented here, ’s circa 1838–1839 rough draft of his history, is incomplete. It includes the title page, copyright notice, and preface but is missing twenty-one pages, including the nineteen pages that constitute chapters 1 through 6. The manuscript is almost entirely in Corrill’s handwriting, though some of the chapter summaries (added after he drafted the narrative) were written in a different hand, possibly that of the printer.
’s published version of A Brief History receives comprehensive treatment in volume 2 of the Histories series of The Joseph Smith Papers and is available on this website as part of the history series.
make proposals of peace. He promised that no harm should befal us that night. He stated that their object was to bring the guilty to punishment, but the innocent should have an opportunity to escape befor they would attact the place. That night the Mormons built a sort of breastwork of rails, house logs boards &c on that side of town next the army, but it was about a good a defence as a common fence would be. Much has been said abroad about the Mormons building forts, entrenchments &c. but this breast work spoken of above is all that they ever had. In the night both armies were alarmed more or less, each being afraid of an attact from the othr. Next morning at the time appointed , and went with the white flag and met Generals and some other officers who informed us that they were waiting for whom they expected soon with the s order; that they were not prepared to make proposals of peace untill it arrived, for they knew not what it would require of them or us.
They agreed to let us know as soon as they received it. At the same time informed us that had the chief command. Smith appeared much alarmed and told me to beg like a dog for peace, and afterwards said he had rather [p. 74]
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