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  2. Documents, Volume 12, Part 1 Introduction: March 1843

Part 1: March 1843

In March 1843, JS balanced ecclesiastical, civic, and family responsibilities while continuing to respond to continual fallout from attacks on the by former Latter-day Saint . During the first week of March 1843, JS—acting as a justice of the peace for , Illinois—presided in a medical malpractice suit, Charles Dana v. William Brink. JS’s decision, delivered on 10 March, was subsequently printed in the Wasp, the church’s community newspaper published in , Illinois. Sometime during the first half of March, JS also addressed a group of Latter-day Saint youth in Nauvoo, encouraging them to organize and perform charitable service. From 11 to 14 March, JS visited the of the church in , Illinois, and regulated a leadership dispute.
Upon his return to , JS learned that had been arrested in for allegedly shooting former Missouri governor the previous year. After accused Rockwell of the crime, Boggs made two affidavits on 20 July 1842, the first claiming that Rockwell was the shooter and the second alleging that JS was an “accessary before the fact.” Based on the affidavits, Missouri officials initiated extradition proceedings for Rockwell and JS as fugitives from justice. governor complied by issuing arrest warrants for them. When the arresting officers tried to take JS and Rockwell into custody on 8 August 1842, the Nauvoo Municipal Court granted the two men writs of , a common law remedy that permitted an authorized court to review the legality of a prisoner’s detention. Unsure how to proceed, the officers left the city to consult with the governor. Meanwhile, JS went into hiding in and around Nauvoo, and Rockwell departed for the area.
In early 1843, decided to return to . In January 1843, the Circuit Court for the District of discharged JS from custody on the grounds that ’s affidavit—the foundation of the extradition attempt—did not claim that JS had committed a crime in or that he had fled from the justice of that state, meaning Missouri had no authority under the United States Constitution to extradite him. The charge against Rockwell, however, was still outstanding. On 5 March, when he attempted to pass through under an assumed name, he was apprehended and incarcerated.
’s arrest prompted the creation of several JS documents during March 1843. While in the County jail, Rockwell received a visit from prominent attorney , who wrote to Latter-day Saint on 7 March, offering to defend Rockwell. On 17 March, Whitney passed Blennerhassett’s letter to JS, prompting him to send instructions regarding Rockwell to the lawyer. Two former church members, and Joseph Wood, likewise learned of Rockwell’s situation and sent letters to JS relaying information; they also reported that had been lecturing against the church in St. Louis. JS also corresponded about Rockwell’s plight with , the attorney for the district of , who had represented JS in the January 1843 hearing before the federal court.
During March 1843, Latter-day Saints and others wrote letters to JS on a variety of other subjects. Church members reported on conditions of outside of and explained events affecting the church in such places as , , and , the capital of . They also asked for guidance on regulating immigration to Nauvoo. Other letter writers requested information about the Latter-day Saint city and the church, offered to sell guns to church members, asked to borrow a cannon, and advised JS about the land situation in Nauvoo.
On 23 March, JS gave a blessing to promising that he and his recently deceased wife, , would “be crowned and enthrowned to dwell together in a Kingdom in the in the presents of God, And you Shall Enjoy each other Society & Embraces.” The blessing gave Caroline the same promise “as though She was present herself.” On the same day, JS composed a handwritten blessing for —Caroline’s niece and JS’s plural wife—promising her eternal blessings if she remained faithful to her covenant with JS.
Toward the end of March, JS corresponded with , his counselor in the . JS accused Rigdon of conspiring with to undermine JS and the church, and he threatened to withdraw fellowship from Rigdon at the upcoming April of the church. Rigdon denied that he maintained contact with Bennett and affirmed his loyalty to the church. On the last day of March, an unidentified individual purporting to be attorney general Hugh Legaré forged a letter to JS alleging that JS had been indicted for treason. JS and his scribes and determined that the letter was a hoax, in part because Rigdon had received a similar letter claiming falsely that the post office had been closed.
Part 1 includes thirty JS documents from March 1843, including correspondence, blessings, and other documents.
  1. 1

    Trial Report, 4–22 Mar. 1843.

  2. 2

    Discourse, between ca. 1 and ca. 15 Mar. 1843.

  3. 3

    Minutes, 13 Mar. 1843.

  4. 4

    Boggs was shot in Independence, Missouri, on 6 May 1842. Rockwell was arrested in St. Louis on 5 March 1843. Word of Rockwell’s arrest reached Nauvoo on 13 March. (“Assassination of Ex-Governor Boggs of Missouri,” Quincy [IL] Whig, 21 May 1842, [3]; “Orrin Porter Rockwell,” Daily Missouri Republican [St. Louis], 6 Mar. 1843, [3]; JS, Journal, 13 Mar. 1843; see also Historical Introduction to Letter from Isaac Galland, 11 Mar. 1843.)

    Quincy Whig. Quincy, IL. 1838–1856.

    Daily Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1869.

  5. 5

    “Bennett’s Second and Third Letters,” Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 15 July 1842, [2]; “Gen. Bennett’s 4th Letter,” Sangamo Journal, 22 July 1842, [2]; Lilburn W. Boggs, Affidavit, 20 July 1842; Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842; Thomas Carlin, Warrant, 2 Aug. 1842, Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL; see also Historical Introduction to Petition to Nauvoo Municipal Court, 8 Aug. 1842. The affidavit and requisition for Rockwell are apparently not extant; however, the two documents were referenced in Carlin’s warrant for Rockwell, which was copied into Rockwell’s petition for habeas corpus. (Orrin Porter Rockwell, Petition to Nauvoo Municipal Court, 8 Aug. 1842, Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL.)

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  6. 6

    JS, Journal, 8 and 11 Aug. 1842; Historical Introduction to Letter from Sybella McMinn Armstrong and Orrin Porter Rockwell, 1 Dec. 1842; see also “Habeas Corpus,” in Bouvier, Law Dictionary, 1:454–456; Historical Introduction to Petition to Nauvoo Municipal Court, 30 June 1843; and Historical Introduction to Discourse, 30 June 1843.

    Bouvier, John. A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, and of the Several States of the American Union; With References to the Civil and Other Systems of Foreign Law. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Deacon and Peterson, 1854.

  7. 7

    Court Ruling, 5 Jan. 1843.

  8. 8

    “Orrin Porter Rockwell,” Daily Missouri Republican (St. Louis), 6 Mar. 1843, [3]; “The Attempted Assassination of Gov. Boggs,” New-York Commercial Advertiser (New York City), 18 Mar. 1843, [1]. Rockwell was apprehended by a “Mr Fox,” who presumably made the arrest based on Missouri governor Thomas Reynolds’s September 1842 proclamation offering a $600 reward for the capture of JS and Rockwell. Several sources provide different dates for Rockwell’s arrest; however, the Daily Missouri Republican report, which gave the date as 5 March, was closest to the situation. (JS History, vol. E-1, 1827; Leopard and Shoemaker, Messages and Proclamations, 1:524–525.)

    Daily Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1869.

    Commercial Advertiser. New York City. 1820–1863.

    Leopard, Buel, and Floyd C. Shoemaker, comps. The Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of the State of Missouri. Vol. 1. Columbia, MO: State Historical Society of Missouri, 1922.

  9. 9

    Richard Blennerhassett, St. Louis, MO, to Newel K. Whitney, Nauvoo, IL, 7 Mar. 1843, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU; Letter to Richard Blennerhassett, 17 Mar. 1843.

    Whitney, Newel K. Papers, 1825–1906. BYU.

  10. 10

    Letter from Isaac Galland, 11 Mar. 1843; Letter from Joseph Wood, 14 Mar. 1843.

  11. 11

    Letter to Justin Butterfield, 18 Mar. 1843; Letter from Justin Butterfield, 27 Mar. 1843; see also Letter from James Arlington Bennet, 10 Apr. 1843.

  12. 12

    Letter from John M. Bernhisel, 8 Mar. 1843; Resolutions of the Boston Conference, 12 Mar. 1843; Letter from Austin Cowles, 13 Mar. 1843; Letter from James Adams, 14 Mar. 1843; Letter from John P. Greene, 18 Mar. 1843; Letter from Hannah Root and James M. Adams, 10 Mar. 1843.

  13. 13

    Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 16 Mar. 1843.

  14. 14

    Letter from John McKee, 7 Mar. 1843; Letter from Halsey Cook, 20 Mar. 1843; Letter to John McKee, 28 Mar. 1843; Letter from Garret Bias, 7 Mar. 1843; Letter to Garret Bias, 28 Mar. 1843; Letter from Abraham Jonas, 21 Mar. 1843; Letter to Abraham Jonas, 25 Mar. 1843; Letter from Chauncey Robison, 8 Mar. 1843.

  15. 15

    Blessing to Joseph Kingsbury, 23 Mar. 1843; Blessing to Sarah Ann Whitney, 23 Mar. 1843; see also Revelation, 27 July 1842.

  16. 16

    Letter to Sidney Rigdon, 27 Mar. 1843; Letter from Sidney Rigdon, 27 Mar. 1843.

  17. 17

    Letter from Hugh Legaré, 31 Mar. 1843 [Forgery].

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