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.
<May 8> the insufficiency of the writ, and other causes assigned. The insufficiency of the writ is sufficient to discharge the prisoner; it is the privilege and option of this court if the writ is invalid. It is the privilege of the prisoner to have all the matters investigated, in order to prove that the prosecutor is joined in with other persons in a conspiracy to take away Mr. Smith’s life. Although it is competent for the court to discharge on account of the insufficiency of the writ, yet we want an examination into the matters, in order that all may be understood. All warrants should disclose the crimes known to the court, so that the prisoner might know what answer to make; the prisoner might have had to lay in jail six months because he knows nothing what he is charged with in the writ; it might be that he is charged with debt; that he had to pay to the sum of five thousand dollars, or anything. There is no action specified; is it meant for trespass, for mal treating, beating, or slander, or what other crime? so that the damage of five thousand dollars might be known for what it is. The writ is void for want of substance and form; all who are familiar with law, common sense, or justice, must know that it is indefinite— no charge defined. If we are not released here we shall be released in the circuit court on account of the insufficiency, but we are now willing to investigate the merits of the case. We know nothing but from information from other sources, and we want this court to determinate whether we are held to any charge to ; we have given him notice to attend here, if he has any cause to keep us here. I propose to bring in the testimony of the prisoner; he has averred certain facts; he is ready to make oath of them if your honors require it. There is no ordinance against the prisoner taking his oath, it is within the province of the court to allow him to do so; it is the privilege of the court in any case to hear the plaintiff; law is founded on justice.’
“ said:
‘It has been truly stated that this court has nothing before it on which it can act; there is a prisoner brought into court who was in custody within the province of your honors; those papers have been read but they disclose no crime— no guilt; there are no merits to try; they present no meritorious cause of action; they do not present the prisoner’s guilt in any form whatever; what are the merits? Shall we try him for horse stealing, burglary, arson, or what? You shall hear the merits if you can find them out; then the court has power to try. Is it burglary, arson, or something else? What is the point to try? Those papers know no crime; this Court knows no crime; there are no merits— no existence of any thing; it is an ignis fatuus— a will-o’-the-wisp, to arrest somebody for doing nothing— to have the privilege of trying a lawsuit about nothing. The court never says ever preferred any thing; if there can be any merits hatched up, we will try them.’
“Joseph Smith said:
‘I am satisfied that this thing can be brought to trial; it appears I am a prisoner, and by the authority of the Circuit Court. I petitioned this court for a hearing; I am a prisoner, and aver that it is a malicious prosecution, and a wicked conspiracy, got up by men for the purpose of harassing me, and decoying me into their hands. I want to show that this man has joined a set of men who have entered into a conspiracy to take away my life. After hearing the case you have power to punish, imprison, or fine, or any thing you please; you have a right to punish the offender; if I am a criminal you have a right to punish me, and send me to the circuit court; but if I am as innocent as the angels of heaven, you have power to send the prosecutor to trial if crime is proved against him. They have no merit in their cause; I want to show up their conspiracy— that these men [p. 10]