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 30> in the moon; I have not been able to get authority, and did not come to make defence.” Read from Charles B. Penrose’s handwriting (so purporting) 33 Sec. of Act Sept. 24th, 1789, Act of Congress. Had agreed to wait the decision of this court, but had not agreed to abide the decision.
James A. Mc.Canse was called by the Court and asked, “do you subscribe to the decisiion of in the matter?”
McCanse would not decide; would like counsel. [HC 6:418]
said he did not ask any favors of the court; he was a ’ Agent.
said if Canse surrenders his claim, we will not go into the merits of the case; but if Canse claims the prisoner we will go into the merits.
read a petition of for another writ of Habeas Corpus. , counsel for , said that had given up the prisoner on the first claim.
said he did not surrender his claims— had nothing to say about it. “Take your own course, gentlemen.”
said he has given him up on the first writ, and now says he says nothing about it; and upon this ground we claim a discharge.
said “we would be defending the writ before . I come here as an agent of the ; the prisoner has been taken out of my hand I consider illegally. I do not come here to prosecute or to defend a writ of Habeas Corpus; there is no law for these proceedings; I know my rights. If this court thinks it right to discharge the , let them do it— let them do it. I do not ask any favors of the Court; I ask justice. The laws of have no power over the laws. Let this court discharge him; and I shall take another course, I do not say against you as a Court. I came here to arrest .”
asked if he meant to intimidate the court by threats.
The Chief Justice remarked that it was the duty of the and Federal Government to treat their subjects and constituents with all that complacency and good feeling which they wished in return, and to avoid <every> threatening aspect, every intimidating and harsh treatment. He respected the laws, but would not yield up any right ceded to them. The has no right to trample our laws under their feet. [HC 6:419] The Court is bound by oath to support the Constitution of the , and State of , and the writ of Habeas Corpus. The Constitution of the and Habeas Corpus shall not be denied. If the Court deny the writ of Habeas Corpus they perjure themselves. The have no right to usurp power to intimidate, and the Court would see them all destroyed before he would perjure himself. We have asked no power. asked us to investigate; we were bound to do so. Let the federal government hurl on us their forces, “dragoons” &c; we are not to be intimidated. This Court is clothed with the Habeas Corpus, and will execute it according to the law. “I understand some law and more justice, and know as much about the rights of American Citizens as any man.
said, “if I did say anything indecorous to the Court, I take it back”.
Court responded, “all is right.”
Court ordered that <the> be discharged, the complainant having refused to prosecute his claim; and that judgment be entered up vs. [p. 64]