[], An Appeal to the American People: Being an Account of the Persecutions of the Church of Latter Day Saints; and of the Barbarities Inflicted on Them by the Inhabitants of the State of Missouri, second edition; i-vi, 7–60 pp.; Cincinnati, OH: Shepard and Stearns, 1840. The copy used herein is held at CHL.
A manuscript draft of this pamphlet, simply titled “To the Publick” was presented to a conference of church members at , Illinois, on 1 November 1839. The conference voted to approve the manuscript and authorized its publication on behalf of the church. The pamphlet, when published, carried the endorsement of JS, , and as “Presidents of said Church.”
and collaborated on the publication of the text, which was available in print by May 1840. Though no author is named on the title page, was acknowledged as author in an 1840 Times and Seasons newspaper article, and when the pamphlet was advertised in that church periodical in 1841. JS and held some expectation that funds from the sale of An Appeal would eventually help defray costs of their late-1839 trip to .
By July 1840, and had been authorized to produce a second, revised edition to be published by Shepard & Stearns in . Page related some of the circumstances surrounding its publication and circulation in a letter sent to JS, “. . . at [Ohio] we parted for a few days . . . Elder Hyde went to Cincinnati where in my absince he published a second Edition of the ‘Apeal to the American people’ (2000 copies)[.] when I arrived the work was about completed[.] after disposing of as many of them as posible and suplying the market about cincinnati and the adjacient country he left me with some fourteen or fifteen hundred on hand, to dispose of” (John E. Page, Philadelphia, PA, to JS et al., Nauvoo, IL, 1 Sept. 1841, JS Collection, CHL). Funds from this printing were to be for the express purpose of subsidizing Hyde and Page’s imminent mission to in Palestine.
The second edition was essentially a lightly edited reprint of the first, with a four-page “Publisher’s Preface” added. In the preface, and noted the purpose of the publication, explained the severe hardships imposed by the persecutions upon Page’s own family, provided a detailed account of a vision experienced by Hyde, and expressed enthusiasm about the prospects of the mission. The preface also contained a copy of an official letter of appointment and commendation for Hyde and Page from an April 1840 church conference at , Illinois, signed by JS, and a letter of reference from , governor of .
Although many of the events reported in both editions of ’s pamphlet can be corroborated from other sources, his chronology of events is often inaccurate. However, Rigdon’s account does contain the texts of several significant documents. Among these are JS’s September 1838 affidavit concerning the 7 August 1838 visit to and those of and regarding the massacre. Consequently, though in many respects Rigdon’s document from a historical perspective is more advocacy than history, it offers access to some important material not readily found elsewhere.
After this affray, the men returned home. But all peace had fled away; mobbing parties were in every direction: it was dangerous for a man to go any distance from his house; if he did, and was on horseback, a gang of mobbers would take his horse from him; or if with a wagon and team, the wagon and team would both be taken, and this would be the last of them. These parties, were throwing down fences, and turning creatures into the cornfields, turnip and potatoe patches, &c. Some who were considered first in the , were engaged in this foul business. Such as , senator; Judge Smith, a judge in the Court; and men of this stamp, were not only there, but leaders, and excited others to acts of wickedness.
Matters continued thus, until the 20th of October. On this day, a large army came and halted in a little skirt of woods, about a mile from . Shortly before they reached their place of encampment, they passed by the house of a man by the name of Carey; he was a stranger in the country. One of the army, or rather mob, for such, they truly were, walked up to him, and beat his brains out with his gun. They took him up, and threw him into a wagon, and took him off with them, and refused to let his family see him, or administer to him. After keeping him for a length of time, they finally let his family have him. He expired shortly after.
This cool blooded murder, was passed by, as a matter of no consequence; though it was known to all the officers. The man who committed the murder, was by the name of Donihue.
Who they were, or what they were after, no one knew. It was rumored that such an army had crossed the line; and the authorities sent out men, to inquire who they were; and what they were after; but no information could be obtained, until the army arrived. Shortly after their arrival, a man by the name of Pomeroy, came to the town bearing a white flag; and said he wanted three persons out of the town, before it was massacred, and the rest would all be put to the sword.
The persons they called for, refused to go, saying that if their friends had to be slaughtered, they would die with them. The messenger shed a few crockadile tears, and went back to their camp.
Shortly after he returned, behold! here comes , with his brigade; marching towards the town, in line of battle. To this brigade, was presented a line also, in battle order, consisting of two hundred and fifty persons. The General gazed upon them, and thought best to order a halt. He paused and looked, and then ordered a retreat, and went back to the camp.
During these maneuvres, of ’ army, for such the army proved to be, , with his banditti of painted plunderers, was prowling around the plundering all things that they could get their hands on, and carrying them off.
After the before-mentioned maneuvering, sent word to the town that there should not be any harm done to it that night: but still there were marauding parties, which were threatening to burn it; and in consequence, it was thought best to throw up a little breast-work around the town, and set guards to watch their movements. This done, it was composed of rails, house-logs, empty wagons, &c. [p. 34]