Council of Fifty, Minutes, March 1844–January 1846; Volume 2, 1 March–6 May 1845

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Council of Fifty, Minutes, March 1844–January 1846; Volume 2, 1 March–6 May 1845
1 March 1845 • Saturday, continued Page 1 4 March 1845 • Tuesday Page 32 11 March 1845 • Tuesday Page 77 18 March 1845 • Tuesday Page 131 22 March 1845 • Saturday Page 181 25 March 1845 • Tuesday Page 231 5 April 1845 • Saturday Page 266 11 April 1845 • Friday Page 267 15 April 1845 • Tuesday Page 327 22 April 1845 • Tuesday Page 349 29 April 1845 • Tuesday Page 355 6 May 1845 • Tuesday Page 361
Source Note
See source note under Council of Fifty, Minutes, March 1844–January 1846; Volume 1, 10 March 1844–1 March 1845.
Historical Introduction
See historical introduction under Council of Fifty, Minutes, March 1844–January 1846; Volume 1, 10 March 1844–1 March 1845.
Page [123]
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the officers arrested
Brackenbury
27 Apr. 1827–8 May 1897. Farmer, blacksmith. Born in New London, Huron Co., Ohio. Son of Joseph Blanchett Brackenbury and Elizabeth Davis. Moved to Whitmer Settlement, Jackson Co., Missouri, by ca. spring 1832; to Wayne City (later Sugar Creek), Jackson and...
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some one began to call out for the police. Now if we have no charter we have no police but we can ordain five hundred deacons and appoint over them an Arch-deacon which will do just as well as the police.
183
On 14 March 1845 the Nauvoo “New Police” adopted an organizational structure similar to that proposed by Phelps. According to Hosea Stout, “It was concluded to organize the whole community of Saints in this County in to Quorums of 12 deacons and have a Bishop at their head and they could thus administer in the lesser offices of the Church and preserve order without a charter.” According to Willard Richards, who was in attendance at this 14 March meeting, Brigham Young proposed this new organization. On Sunday, 16 March, Young announced from the stand that he wanted all the bishops in the community to assemble so they could “organize them according to our notion of things,” since “we have no police.” Furthermore, Young stated, “I intend to get up a whistling school, & whistle the poor men away.” Heeding Young’s instructions, a group of bishops, seventies, and high priests assembled the next day, 17 March, and “agreed to appoint Bishops and Deacons to watch the movements of mauraders.” Oliver Huntington, a member of this “Whittling Society,” stated that when unwanted individuals came to Nauvoo, these men “would soon run them out of town without touching them, for no one liked the sight of ½ a dozen large knives whittling carelessly about their ears and not a word said.” (Stout, Journal, 14 Mar. 1845; Richards, Journal, 14 Mar. 1845; Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, 16 Mar. 1845; George A. Smith, Autobiography, 17 Mar. 1845, 50; Huntington, History, 105.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Stout, Hosea. Journal, Oct. 1844–May 1845. CHL. MS 1910.
Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.
Historian’s Office. General Church Minutes, 1839–1877. CHL
Smith, George A. Autobiography, ca. 1860–1882. George Albert Smith, Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322, box 1, fd. 2.
Huntington, Oliver B. History, 1845–1846. Oliver Boardman Huntington, Papers, 1843– 1932. BYU.

Some remarks were made on the subject of marrying in the
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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without Licenses Also concerning recording Deeds, shall we go to
Carthage
Located eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of acute opposition to Latter-day Saints, early 1840s. Site...
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to do it or shall we not.

The
chairman
1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...
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was opposed to going to
Carthage
Located eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of acute opposition to Latter-day Saints, early 1840s. Site...
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either to get a marriage licence or to get our Deeds recorded. When any couple wants to be married let them make a covenant between themselves in the presence of witnesses and they cant be harmed.
184
Young further endorsed this plan on 18 March. The repeal of the Nauvoo charter by the Illinois legislature had deprived city officials of the authority to perform marriages. (See Council of Fifty, “Record,” 18 Mar. 1845.)

He proposed that we hire brother Wandall
185
Probably Charles Wesley Wandell, a clerk employed by Willard Richards. (See Historian’s Office, Journal, 9 Apr.–26 July 1845.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.
to write the letters, but some saying [p. [123]]
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Editorial Title
Council of Fifty, Minutes, March 1844–January 1846; Volume 2, 1 March–6 May 1845
ID #
11602
Total Pages
385
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
William Clayton
Footnotes
[183]
On 14 March 1845 the Nauvoo “New Police” adopted an organizational structure similar to that proposed by Phelps. According to Hosea Stout, “It was concluded to organize the whole community of Saints in this County in to Quorums of 12 deacons and have a Bishop at their head and they could thus administer in the lesser offices of the Church and preserve order without a charter.” According to Willard Richards, who was in attendance at this 14 March meeting, Brigham Young proposed this new organization. On Sunday, 16 March, Young announced from the stand that he wanted all the bishops in the community to assemble so they could “organize them according to our notion of things,” since “we have no police.” Furthermore, Young stated, “I intend to get up a whistling school, & whistle the poor men away.” Heeding Young’s instructions, a group of bishops, seventies, and high priests assembled the next day, 17 March, and “agreed to appoint Bishops and Deacons to watch the movements of mauraders.” Oliver Huntington, a member of this “Whittling Society,” stated that when unwanted individuals came to Nauvoo, these men “would soon run them out of town without touching them, for no one liked the sight of ½ a dozen large knives whittling carelessly about their ears and not a word said.” (Stout, Journal, 14 Mar. 1845; Richards, Journal, 14 Mar. 1845; Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, 16 Mar. 1845; George A. Smith, Autobiography, 17 Mar. 1845, 50; Huntington, History, 105.)
Stout, Hosea. Journal, Oct. 1844–May 1845. CHL. MS 1910.
Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.
Historian’s Office. General Church Minutes, 1839–1877. CHL
Smith, George A. Autobiography, ca. 1860–1882. George Albert Smith, Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322, box 1, fd. 2.
Huntington, Oliver B. History, 1845–1846. Oliver Boardman Huntington, Papers, 1843– 1932. BYU.
[184]
Young further endorsed this plan on 18 March. The repeal of the Nauvoo charter by the Illinois legislature had deprived city officials of the authority to perform marriages. (See Council of Fifty, “Record,” 18 Mar. 1845.)
[185]
Probably Charles Wesley Wandell, a clerk employed by Willard Richards. (See Historian’s Office, Journal, 9 Apr.–26 July 1845.)
Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.