[], 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.
the truth concerning the said affray, which had been considerably exagerated; yet, there had been a serious outrage committed. We there learned that the mob was collected at Millport, to a considerable number, and that was at their head, and were to attack the Saints the next day, at the place where we then were, called ; this report, we were inclined to believe might be true, as this , who was said to be their leader, had been, but a few months before, engaged in endeavoring to drive those of the society who had settled in that vicinity, from the . This had become notorious from the fact that said had personally ordered several of the said society to leave the . The next morning we despatched a committee to said ’s to ascertain the truth of these reports, and to know what his intentions were; and, as we understood he was a peace officer, we wished to know what we might expect from him. They report that , instead of giving them any assurance of preserving the peace, insulted them and gave them no satisfaction. Being desirous to know the feelings of for myself, and being in want of good water, and understanding that there was none nearer than ’s spring, myself, with several others, mounted our horses and rode up to ’s fence. , with one or two others who had rode ahead, went into ’s house, myself and some others went to the spring for water—I was shortly after sent for by and invited into the house, being introduced to by , wished me to be seated. We then commenced a conversation on the subject of the late difficulties, and present excitement. I found quite hostile in his feelings towards the Saints; but he assured us he did not belong to the mob, neither would he take any part with them; but said he was bound by his oath to support the constitution of the and the laws of the State of . Deponent then asked him, if he would make said statements in writing, so as to refute the arguments of those who had affirmed that he () was one of the leaders of the mob. answered in the affirmative; accordingly he did so, which writing is in possession of the deponent. The deponent further saith, that no violation was offered to any individual in his presence, or within his knowledge; and that no insulting language was given by either party, except on the part of Mrs. Black, who, while was engaged in making out the above named writing, (which he made with his own hand,) gave to this deponent, and others of the society, highly insulting language, and false accusations, which were calculated in their nature to greatly irritate, if possible, the feelings of the bystanders belonging to said society, in language like this:—being asked by the deponent if she knew any thing in the Mormon people derogatory to the character of gentlemen, she answered in the negative—but said she did not know but the object of their visit was to steal something from them. After had executed the writing deponent asked if he had any unfriendly feelings towards the deponent, and if he had not treated him genteelly. He answered in the affirmative; deponent then took leave of said , and repaired to the house of . The next day we returned to . And further this deponent saith not.