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> peace, and under the pledge of a safe conduct, , Joseph Smith Junr., , and went towards the Camp of the Militia— before they arrived at the Camp, they were surrounded by the whole army, and by order of put under guard, and marched to the Camp, and were told that they were Prisoners of War. A Court Martial was held that night, and they without being heard, and in the absence of all proof, condemned to be shot next morning— The of this bloody order, was prevented by the manly protest of . He denounced the act as cold blooded murder, and withdrew his Brigade. This noble stand taken by prevented the Murder of the Prisoners. It is here worthy of note that seventeen preachers of the Gospel were on this Court Martial and were in favor of the sentence. The next morning the prisoners were marched under a strong guard to “” in , and after being detained there for a week, — — — — — —, they were marched to , where then was with his troops. Here a Court of Inquiry was held before , this continued from the 11th. until the 28th. of November while the five prisoners were kept in Chains, and about fifty other Mormons taken at were penned up in an open unfinished Court House. In this mock Court of Inquiry, the Defendants were prevented from giving any testimony on their part by an armed force at the Court house, they were advised by their lawyers not to bring any, as they would be in danger of their lives or drove out of the , so there was no testimony examined only against them, in this inquiry a great many questions were asked relative to religious opinions. The conclusion of the Court of Inquiry was to send the prisoners to jail upon a charge of Treason. They do not deem it necessary to detail their sufferings while in Prison, the horrors of a Prison for four long months, in darkness, in want, alone, and during the cold of winter can better be conceived than expressed In the following April the Prisoners were sent to the County of for trial, they were then indicted for Treason, and a change of venue was taken to — The prisoners were sent to the County of , and while on their way made their escape, and fled to the State of That they were suffered to escape admits of no doubt, The truth is, the State of had become ashamed of their proceedings against the Mormons. and as the best means of getting out of the scrape, gave the Prisoners an opportunity to escape. In proof of this, the prisoners have ever since been living publicly in the State of , [HC 4:35] and the have made no demand upon the . Can it be supposed that the People of would thus tamely submit to the commission of Treason by a portion of their Citizens, and make no effort to punish the Guilty, when they were thus publicly living in an adjoining ? Is not this passiveness evidence, they knew the Mormons were innocent and the Citizens of wrong. But to return to the operations of [p. 984]