JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. E-1, created 20 Aug. 1855–5 Apr. 1856; handwriting of Robert L. Campbell, , and Jonathan Grimshaw; 392 pages, plus 11 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fifth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fifth volume covers the period from 1 July 1843 to 30 Apr. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, D-1, and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1, constitutes the fifth of six volumes documenting the life of Joseph Smith and the early years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The series is also known as the Manuscript History of the Church and was originally published serially from 1842 to 1846 and 1851 to 1858 as the “History of Joseph Smith” in the Times and Seasons and Deseret News. This volume contains JS’s history from 1 July 1843 to 30 April 1844, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in the mid-1850s.
The material recorded in volume E-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin. Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the history and creating a set of draft notes that Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks.
Robert L. Campbell, a recently returned missionary and member of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed ’s notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). The Church Historian’s Office journal entry for 2 May 1855 pinpoints the beginning of his work: “R. L. C. on Book D forenoon, afternoon began book E.” Campbell’s work on the volume apparently concluded on 5 April 1856; entries in the Historian’s Office journal indicate that he then moved on to other assignments while another clerk, Jonathan Grimshaw, began work on volume F-1, the last manuscript in the series. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 May 1855; 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.)
Volume E-1 contains 391 pages of primary text and 11 pages of addenda. The initial entry on page 1637 is a continuation of the 1 July 1843 entry that closed volume D-1. The final entry in volume E-1 is for 30 April 1844.
The 391 pages of volume E-1 document a crucial period of JS’s life and the history of the church. Important events recorded here include
• An account of JS’s 2 July 1843 meeting with several Pottawatamie chiefs.
• JS’s 4 July 1843 address regarding his recent arrest, the Legion, and Mormon voting practices.
• JS’s 12 July 1843 dictation of a revelation regarding eternal marriage, including the plurality of wives, in the presence of and .
• The 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment of and revocation of his priesthood license.
• Dispatch of the first missionaries to the Pacific Islands on 20 September 1843, led by .
• JS’s 1 October 1843 announcement of ’s appointment to a mission to Russia.
• Minutes of a 6–9 October 1843 general conference inserted under the date of 9 October at which pled his case in regard to his 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment and was permitted to continue as counselor in the First Presidency.
• Text of JS’s appeal to the Green Mountain Boys of , inserted under the date of 29 November 1843.
• A 20 January 1844 entry that includes a poem by commemorating the presentation of two copies of the Book of Mormon to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by .
• JS’s nomination on 29 January 1844 as an independent candidate for the presidency of the .
<July 1> engaged in threatening the citizens with death if they did not leave their homes and go out of the within a very short time; the time not precisely recollected; but I think it was the next day by ten o’clock, but of this I am not certain. He said they were setting fire to the prairies, in view of burning houses and desolating farms, that they [HC 3:457] had set fire to a wagon loaded with goods and they were all consumed; that they had also set fire to a house, and when he left, it was burning down. Such was the situation of affairs at at that time, that could not spare any of his forces, as an attack was hourly expected at . The messenger went off, and I heard no more about it, till sometime the night following, when I was awakened from sleep by the voice of some man apparently giving command to a military body, being somewhat unwell I did not get up. Sometime after I got up in the morning, the Sheriff of the stopped at the door, and said that , had had a battle with the mob last night at , and that several were killed and a number wounded; that was among the number of the wounded, and his wound supposed to be mortal. After I had taken breakfast another gentleman called, giving me the same account, and asked me if I would not take my horse and ride out with him and see what was done. I agreed to do so, and we started and after going some three or four miles, met a company coming into , we turned and went back with them.
This mob proved to be that, headed by the Reverend , a methodist preacher, and the battle was called the Bogard Battle. After this battle there was a short season of quiet, the mobs disappeared, and the Militia returned to ; though they were not discharged, but remained under orders until it should be known how the matter would turn. In the space of a few days, it was said that a large body of armed men were entering the south part of . The county court ordered the military to go and enquire what was their object, in thus coming into the county without permission. The military started as commanded, and little or no information was received at about their movements until late the next afternoon, when a large army was descried making their way towards . being an elevated situation, the army was discovered while a number of miles from the place. Their object was entirely unknown to the citizens as far as I had any knowledge on the subject; and every man I heard speak of their object, expressed as great ignorance as myself.— They reached a small stream on the South side of the , which was studded with timber on its banks and for perhaps from half a mile to a mile on the South side of the stream, an hour before sundown. There the main body halted, and soon after a detachment under the command of , marched towards the town in line of battle. This body was preceded, probably three fourths of a mile in advance of them, by a man carrying a white flag, who ap[HC 3:458]proached within a few rods of the eastern boundary of the , and demanded three persons, who were in the town, to be sent to their camp, after which the whole town, he said would be massacred. When the persons who were inquired for were informed, they refused to go, determined to share the common fate of the citizens. One of those persons did not belong to the “Church of Latter day Saints.” His name is , a merchant in that .
The white flag returned to the camp. To the force of , was the small force of militia, under , opposed. Who also marched in line of battle to the Southern line of the . The whole force of did not [p. 1645]