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> “1st. Because the person issuing the warrant on which he has been arrested is unauthorized to issue the same.
“2nd Because the process has been issued in a case, and under circumstances where the law does not allow process. [HC 6:421]
“3rd. Because the person having custody of said is unauthorized to execute the warrant under which he is acting, and is not the person empowered by law to detain him
“4th Because said has been by and before a competent court, legally examined and discharged in relation to the subject matter set forth in said warrant.
“5th Because said writ is defective in a substantial form required by law.
“ was called and persisted in considering the authority under which he acted good and sufficient.
“ urged the 1st. & 2nd count in his plea, and read from the Constitution of the , Art 4, 2nd Sec. 2nd Par. 3rd count, read Revised Statutes of , page 51, Sec. 399 and p. 324. 4th count, read the certificate of John S. Dunlap, Clerk of the District Court for the County of Desmoines, Iowa Territory, dated May 21st, 1844, a copy of which is on file in the Clerk’s office.
“ said he had nothing to say, and the case was submitted.
Decision. The Court is of opinion when they take into consideration their oath to support the Constitution of the , that the certificate of John S. Dunlap, Clerk of the District Court for the County of Desmoines, Territory of Iowa, is sufficient to authorize the discharge <of> the prisoner, because the Constitution says no person shall twice be put in jeopardy of life for the same offence. The decision of the Court is, that the be dischargd on all points for which plea has been made in his behalf, and that judgment be entered against the prosecutor for costs.”
Evening, was going to ; swore out an execution for $7775/100. came forward and acknowledged the fee bill, and afterwards threatened to bring the dragoons in order to get .
called for a copy of the proceedings of the Municipal Court.
I wrote the following letter to :—
“, May 30th, 1844.
“Sir:
Permit me to introduce to your particular notice and confidence, as brethren of the ‘mystic tie’, Mr. of , and Mr. of in said territory. is a gentleman whose statements can be relied on; and , a law[HC 6:422]yer of sound principles, as well as promising talents, and I always take pleasure in extending the reputations of honorable men among honorable men, especially when it appears to me that the benevolence and clemency extended by me is needed and merited by worthy men. Conscious too, that your honor is liberal and just in your sphere, and will appreciate the golden rule, I have only to greet you with my best wishes for your welfare and happiness.
“Respectfully I have the honor to be, your humble servant,
Joseph Smith.”
.”
A presidential election was recently held on board the Osprey, and the result was as follows:— [p. 66]