JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. F-1, created 9 Apr.–7 June 1856 and 20 Aug. 1856–6 Nov. 1856; handwriting of and Jonathan Grimshaw; 304 pages, plus 10 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the final volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This sixth volume covers the period from 1 May to 8 Aug. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1 through E-1, go through 30 Apr. 1844.
Historical Introduction
History, 1838-1856, volume F-1, constitutes the last 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 May 1844 to the events following his 27 June 1844 death, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in 1856.
The material recorded in volume F-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin, and also assistant church historian . Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the volume and creating a set of draft notes, which Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks. Woodruff gathered additional material concerning the death of Joseph Smith as a supplement to George A. Smith’s work recording that event. Jonathan Grimshaw and , members of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed the draft notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents.
According to the Historian’s Office journal, Jonathan Grimshaw initiated work on the text of volume F-1 on 9 April 1856, soon after Robert L. Campbell had completed work on volume E-1. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.) Grimshaw’s scribal work begins with an entry for 1 May 1844. Unlike previous volumes in which the numbering had run consecutively to page 2028, Grimshaw began anew with page 1. He transcribed 150 pages by June 1856, and his last entry was for 23 June 1844. Though more of his writing does not appear in the volume, he continued to work in the office until 2 August, before leaving for the East that same month. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 and 10 Aug. 1856.)
assumed the role of scribe on 20 August 1856. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 20 Aug. 1856.) He incorporated ’s draft notes for the period 24–29 June 1844 on pages 151–189, providing an account of JS’s death and its immediate aftermath. He next transcribed a related extract from ’s 1854 History of Illinois on pages 190–204. Pages 205–227 were left blank.
provided the notes for the final portion of the text. This account begins with an entry for 22 June 1844 and continues the record through 8 August 1844, ending on page 304. (The volume also included ten pages of addenda.) The last specific entry in the Historian’s Office journal that captures at work on the history is for 6 November 1856. A 2 February 1857 Wilford Woodruff letter to indicates that on 30 January 1857, the “presidency sat and heard the history read up to the organization of the church in , 8th. day of August 1844.” (Historian’s Office, Journal, 6 Nov. 1856; Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 2 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 410; see also Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich, 28 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, pp. 430–431.)
The pages of volume F-1 contain a record of the final weeks of JS’s life and the events of the ensuing days. The narrative commences with and arriving at , Illinois, on 1 May 1844 from their lumber-harvesting mission in the “” of Wisconsin Territory. As the late spring and summer of 1844 unfold, events intensify, especially those surrounding the suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor in mid-June. Legal action over the Expositor leads to a charge of riot, and subsequently JS is charged with treason and is incarcerated at the jail in , Illinois. The narrative of volume F-1 concludes with an account of the special church conference convened on 8 August 1844 to consider who should assume the leadership of the church.
<June 17> except what was said in capacity of councilors and alderman,— was by the door all the time when the press and type, and things used in connexion with the press was destroyed. There was no other property taken from the building.
“Cross examined.— Did not know the name of the man who opened the door— knew .
“ read the resolutions of the city council of the 10th inst., declaring the press a nuisance &c; and the Mayor’s order to the to destroy the press; and the Lieut. Generals order to , to assist the with the Legion if needed, [HC 6:490] to abate the nuisance; and the ’s return that the press and type were destroyed. (As published in the ‘Neighbor’ June 19.)
“Court queried about the destruction of the desk.
“ was again called up; heard tell the officers and men, to hurt no property except the press, type, and fixtures; and after the abatement enquired if his order had been obeyed, and the officers said it had.
“E. Wingott called again; heard ask for the key of the office, and afterwards saw him deliver the key to ; there was nothing destroyed but what pertained to the press.—
“Addison Everett (of ) sworn— saw the press and type taken out and burned— saw no other property burned— desk might have been taken out <away> before— should not have seen it if it had been; saw no desk burned,— does not believe any desk was burned.
“ sworn— said his docket was not burned. Witness was sure that said he had taken other papers out of the desk.
“ called again; saw coming from the office, and go into ’s house with books under his arm; looked like account books— saw nothing but the press and fixtures brought out except a chain, and the ordered it carried back.
“E. Wingott, recalled— stood close by the door; could see all that was done, did not believe a desk could be brought out, and he not see it.
“ recalled— Joseph Smith and were not on the Hill at all that evening.
“ was discharged by the court and sworn; asked for the key to the office— hesitated; said he wanted to get a desk that had some valuble papers in it— got the key and went in, did not see him remove the desk, might have removed it, and witness not see it; there was no desk burned.
“The Councilors submitted the case without plea; and the court discharged the prisoners.” [HC 6:491]
, , and Major started with the affidavit of Thomas G. Wilson, and my letter &c to take to . I charged , under oath, to tell every thing he knew concerning me, good or bad, as he has known me for several years; and I said to him “, you have always wished you had been with us from the commencement; if you will go to , and do this business for me now in this time of danger, it shall be as though you had been in , and had always been with us.”
made the following affidavit:—
“State of Illinois)
ss.
City of )
On the 17th. day of June 1844, came , before me, , Recorder of said , and after being duly sworn, deposeth and [p. 113]