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Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842

Source Note

Times and Seasons (
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Hancock Co., IL), 1 July 1842, vol. 3, no. 17, pp. 831–846; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.

Historical Introduction

The 1 July 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons was the ninth issue published under JS’s editorship. Much of the issue was devoted to the publication of correspondence regarding
John C. Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

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’s immoral conduct in
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Illinois. This correspondence included a letter that JS wrote telling
church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
members about Bennett and describing how church leaders had handled his situation. To corroborate JS’s statements in that letter, the issue included excerpts of correspondence from unidentified individuals and from
George Miller

25 Nov. 1794–after July 1856. Carpenter, mill operator, lumber dealer, steamboat owner. Born near Stanardsville, Orange Co., Virginia. Son of John Miller and Margaret Pfeiffer. Moved to Augusta Co., Virginia, 1798; to Madison Co., Kentucky, 1806; to Boone...

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, who had evidently been sent to verify information about Bennett in
Ohio

French explored and claimed area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut...

More Info
. These statements, as well as JS’s letter, had been previously published in the 25 June 1842 issue of the Wasp.
1

See Wasp, 25 June 1842, [2]–[3]. This letter is published in this volume as a separate JS document. (See Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

In addition to information about
Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

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, the 1 July issue contained an article by
William Law

8 Sept. 1809–12/19 Jan. 1892. Merchant, millwright, physician. Born in Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Son of Richard Law and Ann Hunter. Immigrated to U.S. and settled in Springfield Township, Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Moved to Delaware Township, Mercer Co...

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, excerpts from the “History of Joseph Smith,” an article on the Jews, and a reprint of a letter published in the Dollar Weekly Bostonian recounting a meeting at which “
Mr. Adams

7 Nov. 1810–11 May 1880. Tailor, actor, clergyman. Born in Oxford, Sussex Co., New Jersey. Lived in Boston during 1820s and 1830s. Became Methodist lay preacher. Married Caroline. Moved to New York City, before 1840. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of...

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, the Mormon lecturer of the city of
New York

Dutch founded New Netherland colony, 1625. Incorporated under British control and renamed New York, 1664. Harbor contributed to economic and population growth of city; became largest city in American colonies. British troops defeated Continental Army under...

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” spoke. Also included were accounts of earthquakes that had occurred in Haiti and in Greece, a letter from
Mephibosheth Sirrine

27 Oct. 1811–25 Apr. 1848. Carpet weaver. Born in Philipstown, Putnam Co., New York. Son of Isaac Sirrine and Sarah. Married first Mariah Wheeler, by 1835, likely in Putnam Co. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Aug. 1838. Served...

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to JS,
2

This letter is published in this volume as a separate JS document. (See Letter from Mephibosheth Sirrine, 25 May 1842.)


communications from
elders

A male leader in the church generally; an ecclesiastical and priesthood office or one holding that office; a proselytizing missionary. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto...

View Glossary
preaching outside of
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

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, minutes of
conferences

A meeting where ecclesiastical officers and other church members could conduct church business. The “Articles and Covenants” of the church directed the elders to hold conferences to perform “Church business.” The first of these conferences was held on 9 June...

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in outlying
branches

An ecclesiastical organization of church members in a particular locale. A branch was generally smaller than a stake or a conference. Branches were also referred to as churches, as in “the Church of Shalersville.” In general, a branch was led by a presiding...

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, and a poem by
Eliza R. Snow

21 Jan. 1804–5 Dec. 1887. Poet, teacher, seamstress, milliner. Born in Becket, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Daughter of Oliver Snow and Rosetta Leonora Pettibone. Moved to Mantua, Trumbull Co., Ohio, ca. 1806. Member of Baptist church. Baptized into Church...

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about the
Female Relief Society of Nauvoo

A church organization for women; created in Nauvoo, Illinois, under JS’s direction on 17 March 1842. At the same meeting, Emma Smith was elected president, and she selected two counselors; a secretary and a treasurer were also chosen. The minutes of the society...

View Glossary
. The issue also featured editorial commentary and notices written by the editorial staff. How involved JS was in composing the editorial material is unclear. While
John Taylor

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodist church and was local preacher. Migrated ...

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assisted him in editing the paper, JS, as editor, assumed primary responsibility for the paper’s content.
Note that only the editorial content created specifically for this issue of the Times and Seasons is annotated here. Articles reprinted from other papers, letters, conference minutes, and notices, are reproduced here but not annotated. Items that are stand-alone JS documents are annotated elsewhere; links are provided to these stand-alone documents.
3

See “Editorial Method”.


Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See Wasp, 25 June 1842, [2]–[3]. This letter is published in this volume as a separate JS document. (See Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842.)

    The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

  2. [2]

    This letter is published in this volume as a separate JS document. (See Letter from Mephibosheth Sirrine, 25 May 1842.)

  3. [3]

    See “Editorial Method”.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842 *Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842 *Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842 *Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842 Letter from George Miller, circa 2 March 1842
Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842
*Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842 Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842, as Published in Times and Seasons Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith” *Letter from Mephibosheth Sirrine, 25 May 1842 Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842

Page 842

documents concerning the matter in my possession, but I think that to say further is unnecessary, as the subject is so plain that no one can mistake the true nature of the case.
I remain yours, respectfully,
JOSEPH SMITH.
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, June 23, 1842.
——

Editorial Note
Also included in the 1 July 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons was a letter that JS wrote to the
church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
about
John C. Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

View Full Bio
and his improper conduct in
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
.
9

Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842.


To support JS’s claims about Bennett, the editors of the Times and Seasons published excerpts from two letters written by unnamed correspondents providing corroborating perspectives on Bennett’s character and conduct. Following the short excerpts, the newspaper printed a letter from
George Miller

25 Nov. 1794–after July 1856. Carpenter, mill operator, lumber dealer, steamboat owner. Born near Stanardsville, Orange Co., Virginia. Son of John Miller and Margaret Pfeiffer. Moved to Augusta Co., Virginia, 1798; to Madison Co., Kentucky, 1806; to Boone...

View Full Bio
, one of the church’s
bishops

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. JS appointed Edward Partridge as the first bishop in February 1831. Following this appointment, Partridge functioned as the local leader of the church in Missouri. Later revelations described a bishop’s duties as receiving...

View Glossary
, about his recent investigation into Bennett’s life before Bennett moved to Nauvoo. In addition, Miller, who functioned as the Worshipful Master of the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge, composed a notice to other Masons about Bennett being expelled from an
Ohio

French explored and claimed area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut...

More Info
lodge; that notice was included in the Times and Seasons as well. The excerpts, Miller’s letter, and the notice are included here.

The following extracts from letters received by gentlemen in this
city

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

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from their correspondents in relation to
Gen. [John C.] Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

View Full Bio
, will corroborate with the above statements and testimony:
——
Urbana, Ill., June 1842.
* * * * “As to my knowledge of
John C. Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

View Full Bio
, I can safely say that he is unworthy of the confidence of all mankind; in my opinion, he is an infamous rascal, and I am well acquainted with him.” * * *
——
Montecello, Platt Co., Ill., June 3, 1842.
* * * * “You inquire of me about
John Cook Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

View Full Bio
. * * * That without any creditable way of getting a living, and without any apparent income, he handles more money than any common person.
“That he pretended to have had a commission as Surgeon in the
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

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army, but had not.
10

In 1834, when Bennett was a member of the Pickaway Masonic Lodge in Circleville, Ohio, fellow Mason George A. Patterson brought charges against him for “unmasonic conduct.” One of those charges was that Bennett had professed “to be an officer of the U.S. Army while he was not.” (Hogan, “John Cook Bennett and Pickaway Lodge No. 23,” 10.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Hogan, Mervin B. “John Cook Bennett and Pickaway Lodge No. 23,” Oct. 1983. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Utah. CHL.

“That he had united with persons unknown, and non-resident in that state, to filch money from the unwary, by getting up a plat of a town on a scale of 800 acres, as the capital of
Michigan

Organized as territory, 1805, with Detroit as capital. De facto state government organized within territory, 1836, although not formally recognized as state by federal government until 1837. Lansing became new state capital, 1847. Population in 1810 about...

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, when it was about to become a state; and thereby procure from thoughtless persons money to locate such a town, and pay in town lots—without any even remote supposable idea of ever locating such a town.
11

Among the charges that George A. Patterson made against Bennett in the Pickaway Masonic Lodge was that Bennett attempted “to get plats of a city reported by him to be a plat of the capital of Michigan, afterwards intimating it not to be settled as a capital for Michigan, and professing to offer it to the Governor of Upper Canada.” (Hogan, “John Cook Bennett and Pickaway Lodge No. 23,” 10, underlining in original.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Hogan, Mervin B. “John Cook Bennett and Pickaway Lodge No. 23,” Oct. 1983. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Utah. CHL.

‘That he had in like manner attempted to palm himself upon the Legislature of
Ohio

French explored and claimed area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut...

More Info
, by trying to get a charter for a College in that state, but the Legislature detected him, and recorded him on the journals as an impostor,
12

This likely referred to an effort Bennett made in 1833 and 1834 to establish a college in Ohio called “The Classical, Literary, and Scientific Institution of the Scioto Valley, for teaching the Arts and Sciences.” The bill to create the school passed the Ohio House of Representatives but received an unfavorable report in the state senate from the Committee on Colleges and Universities. Among the committee’s objections were that Bennett was “the only individual who appear[ed] to take any interest” in passing the bill and that he had tried to sell diplomas to individuals in Ohio from a school he had proposed in Indiana. The senate committee thus concluded “that the said Bennett has some Sinister Motive in view, in pressing the passage of the bill now under consideration.” (“To the Public,” Western Medical Reformer [Cincinnati], Extra, 8 Sept. 1845, 4–7, italics in original; see also S. A. L., Cleveland, OH, 1 July 1845, Letter to the Editors, Western Medical Reformer, June 1845, 13.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Western Medical Reformer. Cincinnati. 1840–1845.

and Mr. [John] Bailhache, editor of the “Ohio State Journal,” published it as far as the paper was read.”
13

John Bailhache became associated with the Ohio State Journal in 1825 and in 1831 became sole proprietor and editor of the newspaper. Nothing regarding Bennett and the school has been found in the issues from 1833 and 1834. (Studer, Columbus, Ohio, 243.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Studer, Jacob H. Columbus, Ohio: Its History, Resources, and Progress, with Numerous Illustrations. Columbus, OH: By the author, 1873.

——
McConnelsville

Post town located about seventy-five miles southeast of Columbus on eastern bank of Muskingum River. Platted 1817. Population in 1840 about 1,000. George Miller corresponded with JS from town regarding John C. Bennett, 1842.

More Info
, Morgan Co. O[hio])
March 2, 1841.)
14

This date, particularly the year, may be incorrect. The author of this letter, George Miller, is listed as a participant in a lyceum that was apparently held in Nauvoo on 23 February 1841, making it unlikely that he had time to travel to Ohio and conduct the investigation outlined in the following paragraphs before composing this letter on 2 March. Instead, Miller may have written the letter in March 1842. He had been sent on a mission to Kentucky “at the closing in of winter” in early 1842, and he could have easily traveled the short distance from Kentucky to McConnelsville—located in southeastern Ohio—around March 1842 to gain additional information about Bennett. JS’s journal indicates that Miller left Nauvoo no later than 19 January 1842; Miller later recollected that he returned to Nauvoo in April 1842. (McIntire, Notebook, [12]; Historical Introduction to Discourse, ca. 23 Feb. 1841; George Miller, St. James, MI, to “Dear Brother,” 26 June 1855, in Northern Islander [St. James, MI], 16 Aug. 1855, [3]–[4]; JS, Journal, 19 Jan. 1842.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

McIntire, William Patterson. Notebook, 1840–1845. CHL. MS 1014.

Northern Islander. St. James, MI. 1850–1856.

Dear Sir—By your request I have made inquiries into the history of
John Cook Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

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, and am enabled to give you the following facts which may be relied on as correct.
“When a young man his character stood fair, he studied medicine with his uncle, Dr. Samuel P. Hildreth, of Marietta, Washington county, O[hio].
15

Hildreth, according to one medical journal, was “one of the most distinguished members of the profession in our western country.” He graduated from the Medical Society of Massachusetts in February 1805 and moved to Marietta, Ohio, in 1806, where he practiced medicine and served in the Ohio legislature. (“Dr. Samuel P. Hildreth, of Ohio,” Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, 24 Oct. 1849, 229–231.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

“Dr. Samuel P. Hildreth, of Ohio.” Boston Medical and Surgical Journal 41, no. 12 (24 Oct. 1849): 229–232.

It is believed he has a diploma, and also recommendations from some of the principal Physicians of that place;
16

Bennett served a medical apprenticeship with Hildreth from 1822 to 1825. Bennett then passed an exam before the Twelfth Medical Society of Chester, Meigs County, Ohio, from which he received a certificate. In an 1845 issue of the Botanico-Medical Recorder, Bennett presented several letters of recommendation, including one from Hildreth and one from officials of the Reformed Medical College of New York. (Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 3–5; “To the Public,” Western Medical Reformer [Cincinnati], Extra, 27 Oct. 1845, 4; “The Eclectics vs. Dr. Bennett,” Botanico-Medical Recorder [Cincinnati], 2 Aug. 1845, 307–308.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

Western Medical Reformer. Cincinnati. 1840–1845.

Botanico-Medical Recorder. Cincinnati. 1832–1845.

he started out with fair prospects, and married a daughter of Col. Joseph Barker, near Marietta.
17

Bennett and Mary Barker were married on 9 January 1826. (Washington Co., OH, Marriage Records, 1789–1951, vol. 1, p. 168, microfilm 941,958, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

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and his
wife

View Full Bio

united with the Methodist Church, and he became a local preacher.
18

According to a history of Morgan County, Ohio, Bennett believed that his “‘religious impressions’ gave him the right to another title, and he wrote ‘Rev. Doctor John Cook Bennett,’ and occasionally, when not otherwise engaged, gave practical exhibitions of his theological eloquence.” (Robertson, History of Morgan County, Ohio, 277; see also Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 5.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Robertson, Charles. History of Morgan County, Ohio, with Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. Chicago: L. H. Watkins, 1886.

Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

It was soon manifest that he was a superficial character, always uneasy, and moved from place to place; at different times lived in Barnesville,
Maconnelsville

Post town located about seventy-five miles southeast of Columbus on eastern bank of Muskingum River. Platted 1817. Population in 1840 about 1,000. George Miller corresponded with JS from town regarding John C. Bennett, 1842.

More Info
, Malta,
19

Barnesville, Ohio, was in Belmont County, just northeast of Morgan County, in which McConnelsville and Malta were located.


Wheeling, Va., Colesville, Pennsylvania and Indiana; it is not presumed that less than twenty towns has been his place of residence at different times; he has the vanity to believe he is the smartest man in the nation; and if he cannot at once be placed at the head of the heap, he soon seeks a situation; he is always ready to fall in with whatever is popular; by the use of his recommendations he has been able to push himself into places and situations entirely beyond his abilities; he has been a prominent personage in and about colleges and universities, but had soon vanished;
20

Bennett made several attempts to either start new colleges or become a faculty member at existing colleges, including in New Lisbon and St. Clairsville, Ohio; Wheeling, Virginia; New Albany, Indiana; and Chagrin, Ohio. (Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 8–28.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

and the next thing his friends hear of him he is off in some other direction; at one time he was a prominet Campbellite preacher.
21

One individual remembered that Bennett “came to Louisville a preacher, and was kindly treated” by the reformed Baptist movement led by Alexander Campbell. Bennett apparently also preached in Jeffersonville and New Albany, Indiana. In 1832, Bennett proposed establishing a school called “Christian College” in New Albany, which would be affiliated with Campbell. However, Campbell did not want the affiliation and refused to sponsor the college. (“To the Public,” Western Medical Reformer [Cincinnati], Extra, 27 Oct. 1845, 7; Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 13–18.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Western Medical Reformer. Cincinnati. 1840–1845.

Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

“During many years his poor, but confiding
wife

View Full Bio

, followed him from place to place, with no suspicion of his unfaithfulness to her; at length however, he became so bold in his departures, that it was evident to all around that he was a sore offender, and his
wife

View Full Bio

left him under satisfactory evidence of his adulterous connections; nor was this his only fault; he used her bad otherwise.
22

John Carter, who claimed to have been acquainted with Bennett before Bennett moved to Nauvoo, stated that Mary Barker Bennett left her husband because “his ill-usage towards her was already more than she could bear.” According to Carter, Mary stated that Bennett had destroyed seven families with his adultery. W. P. Rowell, who said he lived in the same neighborhood as the Bennetts in 1837, recounted that Mary left her husband in 1838: “I heard it from almost every person in the town, that she left him in consequence of his ill treatment of her at home, and his intimacy with other women.” (John Carter, Statement, Wasp, 1 Oct. 1842, [1]; W. P. Rowell, Statement, in Affidavits and Certificates [Nauvoo, IL: 1842], copy at CHL.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

Affidavits and Certificates, Disproving the Statements and Affidavits Contained in John C. Bennett’s Letters. Nauvoo Aug. 31, 1842. [Nauvoo, IL: 1842]. Copy at CHL.

Mrs. [Mary Ann Barker] Bennett

View Full Bio

now lives with her father; has two children living, and has buried one or two.
23

Mary Bennett’s father was Joseph Barker. In 1850, Mary was listed as living in Morgan, Morgan County, Ohio, with George Bennett (age fourteen), Mary Rice (age twenty), and Sabinas Rice (age twenty-one). A son named Joseph was born to the Bennetts in December 1828, but he died shortly after birth. (1850 U.S. Census, Morgan, Morgan Co., OH, 247[B]–248[A]; Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 6.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

Dr. Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

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has three brothers-in-law living in this place, who, if they were disposed, could give all the particulars;
24

An 1881 history stated that three of Mary’s brothers had lived in Washington County, Ohio, which adjoined Morgan County: Joseph and Luther, both of whom lived in Newport Township, and George W., who lived on his father’s homestead in Wiseman’s Bottom. (History of Washington County, Ohio, 611.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

History of Washington County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. Cleveland: H. Z. Williams and Brother, 1881.

but I dislike to urge them; I did apply to one which I thought the most likely, but he seemed reluctant to give it; but referred me to the person who has given me the foregoing; but he not being a connexion, has not been particular in following him in all his perigrinations; but is, no doubt correct, so far as given;—it has been
Dr. Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

View Full Bio
’s wish that his
wife

View Full Bio

should get a bill of divorcement, but as yet she has not;
25

The Bennetts were not divorced until 15 October 1842. (Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 105.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

nor does my informant know that she contemplates doing so;—in fine, he is an imposter, and unworthy of the confidence of all good men.” * *
Through motives of delicacy, we withhold the names of our informants, and other correspondents; but hold ourselves in readiness, at all times, to substantiate by abundant testimony, all that has been asserted, if required, as the documents are all on hand.
GEORGE MILLER

25 Nov. 1794–after July 1856. Carpenter, mill operator, lumber dealer, steamboat owner. Born near Stanardsville, Orange Co., Virginia. Son of John Miller and Margaret Pfeiffer. Moved to Augusta Co., Virginia, 1798; to Madison Co., Kentucky, 1806; to Boone...

View Full Bio
.
 
————
NOTICE.
To all whom it may concern, Greeting.—
Whereas
John Cook Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

View Full Bio
, in the organization of the
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
Lodge, under dispensation
26

Abraham Jonas, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Illinois, authorized the formation of a temporary Masonic lodge in Nauvoo on 15 October 1841. Probationary lodges were referred to as “under Dispensation” until they demonstrated ability to perform their work in an acceptable manner and were made permanent, or duly constituted. The Nauvoo Lodge U. D. was officially installed on 15 March 1842. (Copy of Dispensation, in Nauvoo Masonic Lodge Minute Book, 1–2; Minutes, 15–16 Mar. 1842.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Nauvoo Masonic Lodge Minute Book. / “Record of Na[u]voo Lodge Under Dispensation,” 1842–1846. CHL. MS 3436

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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842
ID #
8151
Total Pages
16
Print Volume Location
JSP, D10:220–230
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Footnotes

  1. [9]

    Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842.

  2. [10]

    In 1834, when Bennett was a member of the Pickaway Masonic Lodge in Circleville, Ohio, fellow Mason George A. Patterson brought charges against him for “unmasonic conduct.” One of those charges was that Bennett had professed “to be an officer of the U.S. Army while he was not.” (Hogan, “John Cook Bennett and Pickaway Lodge No. 23,” 10.)

    Hogan, Mervin B. “John Cook Bennett and Pickaway Lodge No. 23,” Oct. 1983. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Utah. CHL.

  3. [11]

    Among the charges that George A. Patterson made against Bennett in the Pickaway Masonic Lodge was that Bennett attempted “to get plats of a city reported by him to be a plat of the capital of Michigan, afterwards intimating it not to be settled as a capital for Michigan, and professing to offer it to the Governor of Upper Canada.” (Hogan, “John Cook Bennett and Pickaway Lodge No. 23,” 10, underlining in original.)

    Hogan, Mervin B. “John Cook Bennett and Pickaway Lodge No. 23,” Oct. 1983. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Utah. CHL.

  4. [12]

    This likely referred to an effort Bennett made in 1833 and 1834 to establish a college in Ohio called “The Classical, Literary, and Scientific Institution of the Scioto Valley, for teaching the Arts and Sciences.” The bill to create the school passed the Ohio House of Representatives but received an unfavorable report in the state senate from the Committee on Colleges and Universities. Among the committee’s objections were that Bennett was “the only individual who appear[ed] to take any interest” in passing the bill and that he had tried to sell diplomas to individuals in Ohio from a school he had proposed in Indiana. The senate committee thus concluded “that the said Bennett has some Sinister Motive in view, in pressing the passage of the bill now under consideration.” (“To the Public,” Western Medical Reformer [Cincinnati], Extra, 8 Sept. 1845, 4–7, italics in original; see also S. A. L., Cleveland, OH, 1 July 1845, Letter to the Editors, Western Medical Reformer, June 1845, 13.)

    Western Medical Reformer. Cincinnati. 1840–1845.

  5. [13]

    John Bailhache became associated with the Ohio State Journal in 1825 and in 1831 became sole proprietor and editor of the newspaper. Nothing regarding Bennett and the school has been found in the issues from 1833 and 1834. (Studer, Columbus, Ohio, 243.)

    Studer, Jacob H. Columbus, Ohio: Its History, Resources, and Progress, with Numerous Illustrations. Columbus, OH: By the author, 1873.

  6. [14]

    This date, particularly the year, may be incorrect. The author of this letter, George Miller, is listed as a participant in a lyceum that was apparently held in Nauvoo on 23 February 1841, making it unlikely that he had time to travel to Ohio and conduct the investigation outlined in the following paragraphs before composing this letter on 2 March. Instead, Miller may have written the letter in March 1842. He had been sent on a mission to Kentucky “at the closing in of winter” in early 1842, and he could have easily traveled the short distance from Kentucky to McConnelsville—located in southeastern Ohio—around March 1842 to gain additional information about Bennett. JS’s journal indicates that Miller left Nauvoo no later than 19 January 1842; Miller later recollected that he returned to Nauvoo in April 1842. (McIntire, Notebook, [12]; Historical Introduction to Discourse, ca. 23 Feb. 1841; George Miller, St. James, MI, to “Dear Brother,” 26 June 1855, in Northern Islander [St. James, MI], 16 Aug. 1855, [3]–[4]; JS, Journal, 19 Jan. 1842.)

    McIntire, William Patterson. Notebook, 1840–1845. CHL. MS 1014.

    Northern Islander. St. James, MI. 1850–1856.

  7. [15]

    Hildreth, according to one medical journal, was “one of the most distinguished members of the profession in our western country.” He graduated from the Medical Society of Massachusetts in February 1805 and moved to Marietta, Ohio, in 1806, where he practiced medicine and served in the Ohio legislature. (“Dr. Samuel P. Hildreth, of Ohio,” Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, 24 Oct. 1849, 229–231.)

    “Dr. Samuel P. Hildreth, of Ohio.” Boston Medical and Surgical Journal 41, no. 12 (24 Oct. 1849): 229–232.

  8. [16]

    Bennett served a medical apprenticeship with Hildreth from 1822 to 1825. Bennett then passed an exam before the Twelfth Medical Society of Chester, Meigs County, Ohio, from which he received a certificate. In an 1845 issue of the Botanico-Medical Recorder, Bennett presented several letters of recommendation, including one from Hildreth and one from officials of the Reformed Medical College of New York. (Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 3–5; “To the Public,” Western Medical Reformer [Cincinnati], Extra, 27 Oct. 1845, 4; “The Eclectics vs. Dr. Bennett,” Botanico-Medical Recorder [Cincinnati], 2 Aug. 1845, 307–308.)

    Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

    Western Medical Reformer. Cincinnati. 1840–1845.

    Botanico-Medical Recorder. Cincinnati. 1832–1845.

  9. [17]

    Bennett and Mary Barker were married on 9 January 1826. (Washington Co., OH, Marriage Records, 1789–1951, vol. 1, p. 168, microfilm 941,958, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)

    U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

  10. [18]

    According to a history of Morgan County, Ohio, Bennett believed that his “‘religious impressions’ gave him the right to another title, and he wrote ‘Rev. Doctor John Cook Bennett,’ and occasionally, when not otherwise engaged, gave practical exhibitions of his theological eloquence.” (Robertson, History of Morgan County, Ohio, 277; see also Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 5.)

    Robertson, Charles. History of Morgan County, Ohio, with Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. Chicago: L. H. Watkins, 1886.

    Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

  11. [19]

    Barnesville, Ohio, was in Belmont County, just northeast of Morgan County, in which McConnelsville and Malta were located.

  12. [20]

    Bennett made several attempts to either start new colleges or become a faculty member at existing colleges, including in New Lisbon and St. Clairsville, Ohio; Wheeling, Virginia; New Albany, Indiana; and Chagrin, Ohio. (Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 8–28.)

    Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

  13. [21]

    One individual remembered that Bennett “came to Louisville a preacher, and was kindly treated” by the reformed Baptist movement led by Alexander Campbell. Bennett apparently also preached in Jeffersonville and New Albany, Indiana. In 1832, Bennett proposed establishing a school called “Christian College” in New Albany, which would be affiliated with Campbell. However, Campbell did not want the affiliation and refused to sponsor the college. (“To the Public,” Western Medical Reformer [Cincinnati], Extra, 27 Oct. 1845, 7; Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 13–18.)

    Western Medical Reformer. Cincinnati. 1840–1845.

    Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

  14. [22]

    John Carter, who claimed to have been acquainted with Bennett before Bennett moved to Nauvoo, stated that Mary Barker Bennett left her husband because “his ill-usage towards her was already more than she could bear.” According to Carter, Mary stated that Bennett had destroyed seven families with his adultery. W. P. Rowell, who said he lived in the same neighborhood as the Bennetts in 1837, recounted that Mary left her husband in 1838: “I heard it from almost every person in the town, that she left him in consequence of his ill treatment of her at home, and his intimacy with other women.” (John Carter, Statement, Wasp, 1 Oct. 1842, [1]; W. P. Rowell, Statement, in Affidavits and Certificates [Nauvoo, IL: 1842], copy at CHL.)

    The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

    Affidavits and Certificates, Disproving the Statements and Affidavits Contained in John C. Bennett’s Letters. Nauvoo Aug. 31, 1842. [Nauvoo, IL: 1842]. Copy at CHL.

  15. [23]

    Mary Bennett’s father was Joseph Barker. In 1850, Mary was listed as living in Morgan, Morgan County, Ohio, with George Bennett (age fourteen), Mary Rice (age twenty), and Sabinas Rice (age twenty-one). A son named Joseph was born to the Bennetts in December 1828, but he died shortly after birth. (1850 U.S. Census, Morgan, Morgan Co., OH, 247[B]–248[A]; Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 6.)

    Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

    Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

  16. [24]

    An 1881 history stated that three of Mary’s brothers had lived in Washington County, Ohio, which adjoined Morgan County: Joseph and Luther, both of whom lived in Newport Township, and George W., who lived on his father’s homestead in Wiseman’s Bottom. (History of Washington County, Ohio, 611.)

    History of Washington County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. Cleveland: H. Z. Williams and Brother, 1881.

  17. [25]

    The Bennetts were not divorced until 15 October 1842. (Smith, Saintly Scoundrel, 105.)

    Smith, Andrew F. The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

  18. [26]

    Abraham Jonas, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Illinois, authorized the formation of a temporary Masonic lodge in Nauvoo on 15 October 1841. Probationary lodges were referred to as “under Dispensation” until they demonstrated ability to perform their work in an acceptable manner and were made permanent, or duly constituted. The Nauvoo Lodge U. D. was officially installed on 15 March 1842. (Copy of Dispensation, in Nauvoo Masonic Lodge Minute Book, 1–2; Minutes, 15–16 Mar. 1842.)

    Nauvoo Masonic Lodge Minute Book. / “Record of Na[u]voo Lodge Under Dispensation,” 1842–1846. CHL. MS 3436

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