JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. C-1, created 24 Feb. 1845–3 July 1845; handwriting of , , Jonathan Grimshaw, and ; 512 pages, plus 24 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the third volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This third volume covers the period from 2 Nov. 1838 to 31 July 1842; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, D-1, E-1 and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
This document, “History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842],” is the third of six volumes of the “Manuscript History of the Church” (in The Joseph Smith Papers the “Manuscript History” bears the editorial title “History, 1838–1856”). The completed six-volume collection covers the period from 23 December 1805 to 8 August 1844. The narrative in this volume commences on 2 November 1838 with JS and other church leaders being held prisoner by the “’s forces” at , Missouri, and concludes with the death of Bishop at , Illinois, on 31 July 1842. For a more complete discussion of the entire six-volume work, see the general introduction to this history.
Volume C-1 was created beginning on or just after 24 February 1845 and its narrative was completed by 3 May 1845, although some additional work continued on the volume through 3 July of that year (Richards, Journal, 24 and 28 Feb. 1845; Historian’s Office, Journal, 3 May 1845; 3 and 4 July 1845). It is in the handwriting of and contains 512 pages of primary text, plus 24 pages of addenda. Additional addenda for this volume were created at a later date as a supplementary document and appear in this collection as “History, 1838-1856, volume C-1 Addenda.” Compilers and Thomas Bullock drew heavily from JS’s letters, discourses, and diary entries; meeting minutes; church and other periodicals and journals; and reminiscences, recollections, and letters of church members and other contacts. At JS’s behest, Richards maintained the first-person, chronological-narrative format established in previous volumes, as if JS were the author. , , , and others reviewed and modified the manuscript prior to its eventual publication in the Salt Lake City newspaper Deseret News.
The historical narrative recorded in volume C-1 continued the account of JS’s life as prophet and president of the church. Critical events occurring within the forty-five-month period covered by this text include the Mormon War; subsequent legal trials of church leaders; expulsion of the Saints from Missouri; missionary efforts in by the and others; attempts by JS to obtain federal redress for the Missouri depredations; publication of the LDS Millennial Star in England; the migration of English converts to ; missionary efforts in other nations; the death of church patriarch ; the establishment of the city charter; the commencement of construction of the Nauvoo ; the expedition that facilitated temple construction; the introduction of the doctrine of proxy baptism for deceased persons; the dedicatory prayer by on the Mount of Olives in Palestine; publication of the “Book of Abraham” in the Nauvoo Times and Seasons; publication of the JS history often referred to as the “Wentworth letter;” the organization of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo; and the inception of Nauvoo-era temple endowment ceremonies.
<November 28 Petition to Congress> built and inhabited by Mormons, while thus encamped around , they sent to the County of and procured a Cannon. They invested the place so closely, that no person could leave the Town in safety; when they did so, they were fired upon by the Mob— The horses of the Mormons were stolen and their Cattle killed. The Citizens of <amounting to about seventy families> were in great extremity, <&> worn out by want and sickness,— In their extremity they made application to for protection and relief, but no protection, no relief was granted them, when reduced to the last extremity, no alternative was left them but to seek protection by flight, and the abandonment of their homes; Accordingly on the evening of the 11th. of October 1838 they retreated from and made their way to the Countiess of and leaving many of their effects — — — — — — in the possession of the Mob. Your Memorialists will not detail the horrors and sufferings of such a flight when shared with women and children. They might detail many. One Lady who had given birth to a Child just before the flight commenced, died on the Road and was buried without a Coffin, many others sick, worn out, starved, deprived of medical aid, died upon the Road— The remnant of Mormons from arrived in and , and found a short relief, and supply of their wants from their friends and brethren there. [HC 4:31] After the abandonment of , and the flight of the Mormons from Carroll— One addressed the Mob, advising them to take their Cannon and march to the County of , and drive the Mormons from that County, and seize upon their lands and other property saying that the Mormons could get no benefit of the law, as they had recently seen— They then commenced their March from Carrol to , carrying with them the Cannon which they had received from — On their way they captured two Mormons, made them ride on the Cannon, and taunted them as they went along, telling them, that they were going to drive the Mormons from to , and from to hell. and that they should find no quarters but at the Cannon’s mouth. The mob at this time was reported to number about four hundred strong. The Mormons in these distresses in pursuance of the Laws of made application to the Circuit Judge of that Circuit for protection, and for the aid of the officers of the Law to protect them. as they have been informed and believe gave an order to Major General to call out the Militia to protect the Mormons against the fury of the Mob. thereupon gave orders to Brigadiers and , In pursuance of these orders issued as aforesaid, on the 18th. of October 1838. arrived at a Mormon village in the County of , with a small company of Militia. After he had been at two days— disbanded his company, alleging to the Mormons as his reason for so doing, that his company had the same feelings as the Mob, and that he could not rely upon them, In a short time arrived at , and also disbanded his company; at this time the Mob was marching from Carrol to — while at [p. 981]