Page
Introduction to Extradition of JS et al. for Treason and Other Crimes; “Habeas Corpus,” in Bouvier, Law Dictionary, 1:454; Kent, Commentaries on American Law, 2:25–31; Walker, “Habeas Corpus in Early Nineteenth-Century Mormonism,” 5–97.
Bouvier, John. A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, and of the Several States of the American Union; with References to the Civil and Other Systems of Foreign Law. 2 vols. Philadelphia: T. and J. W. Johnson, 1839.
Kent, James. Commentaries on American Law. 4th ed. Vol. 2. New York: By the author, 1840.
Walker, Jeffrey N. “Habeas Corpus in Early Nineteenth-Century Mormonism: Joseph Smith’s Legal Bulwark for Personal Freedom.” BYU Studies 52, no. 1 (2013): 4–97.
14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...
View Full BioLocated twelve miles from western Missouri border. Permanently settled, platted, and designated county seat, 1827. Hub for steamboat travel on Missouri River. Point of departure for Santa Fe Trail. Population in 1831 about 300. Latter-day Saint population...
More Info“A Foul Deed,” Daily Missouri Republican (St. Louis), 12 May 1842, [2]; “Governor Boggs,” Jeffersonian Republican (Jefferson City, MO), 14 May 1842, [2].
Daily Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1869.
Jeffersonian Republican. Jefferson City, MO. 1831–1844.
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More InfoDavid Kilbourne, Montrose, Iowa Territory, to Thomas Reynolds, Jefferson City, MO, 14 May 1842, Records of Governor Thomas Reynolds, 1840–1844, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City; McLaws, “Attempted Assassination of Missouri’s Ex-Governor, Lilburn W. Boggs,” 50–56; Woodruff, Journal, 15 May 1842; Letter to Sylvester Bartlett, 22 May 1842, in JSP, D10:89–92; “Assassination of Ex-Governor Boggs of Missouri,” Quincy (IL) Whig, 21 May 1842, [3]; see also “Introduction to Part 2: June 1842,” in JSP, D10:113–115; and Letter to Thomas Carlin, 24 June 1842. A “Mr. Childs,” who had reportedly quarreled with Boggs prior to the shooting, was also briefly identified as a suspect. (James H. Hunt, Knoxville, MO, to Nathan Daggett, Kirtland, OH, 16 July 1842, typescript, Daggett Papers, Lake County Historical Society, Mormon Related Archives, CHL.)
Missouri, State of. Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division. Register of Civil Proceedings, 1837–1971. MSA.
McLaws, Monte B. “The Attempted Assassination of Missouri’s Ex-Governor, Lilburn W. Boggs.” Missouri Historical Review 60, no. 1 (Oct. 1965): 50–62.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
JSP, D10 / Kuehn, Elizabeth A., Jordan T. Watkins, Matthew C. Godfrey, and Mason K. Allred, eds. Documents, Volume 10: May–August 1842. Vol. 10 of the Documents series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Matthew C. Godfrey, R. Eric Smith, Matthew J. Grow, and Ronald K. Esplin. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2020.
Quincy Daily Whig. Quincy, IL. 1875–1893.
Lake County Historical Society. Mormon Related Archives, 1791–1902. CHL.
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More InfoPrincipal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More Info“Have the body”; a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction commanding anyone having a person in custody to produce such person at a certain time and place and to state the reasons why he or she is being held in custody. The court will determine...
View GlossaryMinutes, 19 May 1842; Mayor’s Order to City Watch, 20 May 1842; Letter to Thomas Carlin, 24 June 1842; Letter from Thomas Carlin, 30 June 1842; Ordinance, 5 July 1842; Nauvoo Female Relief Society, Petition to Thomas Carlin, ca. 22 July 1842, in Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 136–141; Snow, Journal, 29 July 1842.
Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.
Snow, Eliza R. Journal, 1842–1844. CHL. MS 1439.
Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...
More InfoAct to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840. An 1827 Illinois statute authorized only the circuit courts and the state supreme court to issue writs of habeas corpus to prisoners accused of violating state law. (An Act Regulating the Proceeding on Writs of Habeas Corpus [22 Jan. 1827], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], pp. 322–323, sec. 1.)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
“An Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo,” approved 16 December 1840 by the Illinois general assembly to legally organize the city of Nauvoo. The charter authorized the creation of a city council, consisting initially of a mayor, four aldermen, and nine ...
View Glossary3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...
View Full BioArea acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More InfoBecame part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...
More InfoJune 1814–9 June 1878. Ferry operator, herdsman, farmer. Born in Belchertown, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Orin Rockwell and Sarah Witt. Moved to Farmington (later in Manchester), Ontario Co., New York, 1817. Neighbor to JS. Baptized into Church of...
View Full Bio14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...
View Full BioJohn C. Bennett, Carthage, IL, 2 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 15 July 1842, [2]; John C. Bennett, Carthage, IL, 4 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal, 15 July 1842, [2]; John C. Bennett, St. Louis, MO, 13 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Bulletin (St. Louis), 14 July 1842, [2]; John C. Bennett, St. Louis, MO, 15 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal, 22 July 1842, [2]; see also L. B. Fleak, Keokuk, Iowa Territory, to Thomas Reynolds, Jefferson City, MO, 12 July 1842, Records of Governor Thomas Reynolds, 1840–1844, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.
Bulletin. St. Louis. 1842–1843.
Missouri, State of. Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division. Register of Civil Proceedings, 1837–1971. MSA.
24 Oct. 1783–14 Dec. 1846. Blacksmith, joiner, carpenter. Born in Belfast, Ireland. Moved to Ulverston, Lancashire, England, by 1812. Married Margaret Cleminson Gibson, 28 June 1812, in Ulverston. Joined British navy, 1812; captured by Americans and defected...
View Full BioSettled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. president Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...
More Info12 Mar. 1796–9 Feb. 1844. Attorney, politician, judge. Born at Mason Co. (later Bracken Co.), Kentucky. Son of Nathaniel Reynolds and Catherine Vernon. Admitted to Kentucky bar, 1817. Moved to Illinois, by 1818. Served as clerk of Illinois House of Representatives...
View Full BioAffidavit, 20 July 1842 [Extradition of Rockwell for Assault]; Lilburn W. Boggs, Affidavit, 20 July 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; see also L. B. Fleak, Keokuk, Iowa Territory, to Thomas Reynolds, Jefferson City, MO, 12 July 1842, Records of Governor Thomas Reynolds, 1840–1844, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City. Missouri law stated: “Every person who shall, on purpose, and of malice aforethought, shoot at or stab another, or assault or beat another with a deadly weapon, or by any other means or force, likely to produce death or great bodily harm, with intent to kill, maim, ravish, or rob such person, or in the attempt to commit any burglary, or other felony, or in resisting the execution of any legal process, shall be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary not exceeding ten years.” Missouri law also provided that every person who “shall be an accessary to any murder or other felony, before the fact, shall, upon conviction, be adjudged guilty of the offence in the same degree, and be punished in the same manner, as herein prescribed with respect to the principal in the first degree.” (An Act concerning Crimes and Their Punishments [20 Mar. 1835], Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri [1834–1835], p. 171, art. 2, sec. 31; p. 212; art. 9, sec. 5; see also “Accessary,” in Bouvier, Law Dictionary, 1:36.)
Missouri, State of. Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division. Register of Civil Proceedings, 1837–1971. MSA.
The Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri, Revised and Digested by the Eighth General Assembly during the Years One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Four, and One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Five. . . . St. Louis: Argus Office, 1835.
Bouvier, John. A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, and of the Several States of the American Union; with References to the Civil and Other Systems of Foreign Law. 2 vols. Philadelphia: T. and J. W. Johnson, 1839.
18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...
View Full BioThomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Thomas Carlin, Proclamation, 20 Sept. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]. The U.S. Constitution states that “a Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.” In 1793, Congress passed a statute that enacted this provision and specified that the requisition—the document requesting the extradition—should be accompanied by either an affidavit or an indictment specifying the charge. (U.S. Constitution, art. 4, sec. 2; An Act respecting Fugitives from Justice, and Persons Escaping from the Service of Their Masters [12 Feb. 1793], Public Statutes at Large, 2nd Cong., 2nd Sess., chap. 7, p. 302.)
The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from the Organization of the Government in 1789, to March 3, 1845. . . . Edited by Richard Peters. 8 vols. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1846–1867.
Reynolds’s requisition was summarized in Illinois governor Thomas Carlin’s 20 September 1842 proclamation, which offered a $200 award for Rockwell’s apprehension. (Thomas Carlin, Proclamation, 20 Sept. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
12 Mar. 1796–9 Feb. 1844. Attorney, politician, judge. Born at Mason Co. (later Bracken Co.), Kentucky. Son of Nathaniel Reynolds and Catherine Vernon. Admitted to Kentucky bar, 1817. Moved to Illinois, by 1818. Served as clerk of Illinois House of Representatives...
View Full Bio18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...
View Full BioJune 1814–9 June 1878. Ferry operator, herdsman, farmer. Born in Belchertown, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Orin Rockwell and Sarah Witt. Moved to Farmington (later in Manchester), Ontario Co., New York, 1817. Neighbor to JS. Baptized into Church of...
View Full BioWarrant, 2 Aug. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Warrant, 2 Aug. 1842 [Extradition of Rockwell for Assault]. Illinois law required the governor to issue an arrest warrant when requested to do so by a governor of another state who had “complied with the requisitions of the act of congress” relating to fugitives from justice. (An Act concerning Fugitives from Justice [6 Jan. 1827], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], p. 318, sec. 1.)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
25 July 1806–17 Apr. 1854. Merchant. Born in Virginia. Lived at Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, by Jan. 1832. Served as constable, beginning Aug. 1835. Married Juliett Ann McDade, 9 June 1836, in Adams Co. Served as Adams Co. coroner, by Aug. 1836. Served as...
View Full BioSituated in western Illinois; bounded on west by Mississippi River. Organized from Pike Co., 1825. Quincy established as county seat, 1825. Population in 1830 about 2,200. Population in 1840 about 14,500. Latter-day Saint exiles from Missouri found refuge...
More Info5 Nov. 1813–24 Feb. 1879. Lumber dealer, real estate broker, housing contractor, railroad director, prison warden. Born at St. Charles Co., Missouri. Son of Richard Berry Pittman and Lucinda Hutchings. Adhered to Quaker faith. Moved to Quincy, Adams Co., ...
View Full Bio1774–after 1850. Law enforcement officer. Born in South Carolina. Married Susanna. Moved to Lewiston (near present-day New Florence), Montgomery Co., Missouri, by 1830. Moved to Lindsey, Benton Co., Missouri, by 1840. Missouri state agent commissioned to ...
View Full BioArea acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More InfoPrincipal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More Info“Have the body”; a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction commanding anyone having a person in custody to produce such person at a certain time and place and to state the reasons why he or she is being held in custody. The court will determine...
View Glossary28 Feb. 1808–15 Nov. 1881. Lawyer, newspaper editor/publisher. Born in Readington Township, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey. Son of Abraham Emmons and Margaret Vlerebome. Moved to Philadelphia, 1831. Moved to Illinois, 1840. Admitted to bar in Hancock Co., Illinois...
View Full BioPetition, 8 Aug. 1842 [Extradition of Rockwell for Assault]. Contrary to this claim, Rockwell was evidently in the area of Independence at the time of the shooting to be with his wife, Luana Hart Beebe Rockwell, when she gave birth to their daughter Sarah Jane Rockwell on 25 March 1842. The Rockwells were likely staying with Luana’s brother Isaac Beebe in Independence. Rockwell reportedly later claimed that “he could prove that he was seven miles north of Independence on the night that Governor Boggs was shot.” (Jorgensen and Leary, “Luana Hart Beebe,” 126; Joseph O. Boggs, Independence, MO, to John C. Bennett, 12 Sept. 1842, in Bennett, History of the Saints, 286.)
Jorgensen, Danny L., and Andrew Leary. “Luana Hart Beebe (1814–1897): A Biographical Sketch of a Remarkable Early Latter-day Saint.” Journal of Mormon History 42, no. 3 (July 2016): 120–154.
Bennett, John C. The History of the Saints; or, an Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism. Boston: Leland and Whiting, 1842.
Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...
More Info17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...
View Full BioAn Act Regulating the Proceeding on Writs of Habeas Corpus [22 Jan. 1827], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], p. 323, sec. 2.
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More Info“Have the body”; a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction commanding anyone having a person in custody to produce such person at a certain time and place and to state the reasons why he or she is being held in custody. The court will determine...
View GlossaryNauvoo City Council Minute Book, 8 Aug. 1842, 98; see also Historical Introduction to Petition to Nauvoo Municipal Court, 8 Aug. 1842, in JSP, D10:356–358.
JSP, D10 / Kuehn, Elizabeth A., Jordan T. Watkins, Matthew C. Godfrey, and Mason K. Allred, eds. Documents, Volume 10: May–August 1842. Vol. 10 of the Documents series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Matthew C. Godfrey, R. Eric Smith, Matthew J. Grow, and Ronald K. Esplin. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2020.
14 Mar./13 May 1802–15 Oct. 1855. Teacher, minister, university professor and chancellor. Born in West Stockbridge, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Daniel Spencer and Chloe Wilson. Moved to Lenox, Berkshire Co., 1817; to Schenectady, Schenectady Co.,...
View Full Bio28 Feb. 1808–15 Nov. 1881. Lawyer, newspaper editor/publisher. Born in Readington Township, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey. Son of Abraham Emmons and Margaret Vlerebome. Moved to Philadelphia, 1831. Moved to Illinois, 1840. Admitted to bar in Hancock Co., Illinois...
View Full BioJune 1814–9 June 1878. Ferry operator, herdsman, farmer. Born in Belchertown, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Orin Rockwell and Sarah Witt. Moved to Farmington (later in Manchester), Ontario Co., New York, 1817. Neighbor to JS. Baptized into Church of...
View Full Bio25 July 1806–17 Apr. 1854. Merchant. Born in Virginia. Lived at Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, by Jan. 1832. Served as constable, beginning Aug. 1835. Married Juliett Ann McDade, 9 June 1836, in Adams Co. Served as Adams Co. coroner, by Aug. 1836. Served as...
View Full Bio5 Nov. 1813–24 Feb. 1879. Lumber dealer, real estate broker, housing contractor, railroad director, prison warden. Born at St. Charles Co., Missouri. Son of Richard Berry Pittman and Lucinda Hutchings. Adhered to Quaker faith. Moved to Quincy, Adams Co., ...
View Full Bio20 Apr. 1785–24 Nov. 1867. Surveyor. Born at Kingsbury, Washington Co., New York. Son of Newcomb Sherwood and a woman whose maiden name was Tolman (first name unidentified). Married first Jane J. McManagal (McMangle) of Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland, ca. 1824...
View Full Bio“Have the body”; a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction commanding anyone having a person in custody to produce such person at a certain time and place and to state the reasons why he or she is being held in custody. The court will determine...
View Glossary25 July 1806–17 Apr. 1854. Merchant. Born in Virginia. Lived at Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, by Jan. 1832. Served as constable, beginning Aug. 1835. Married Juliett Ann McDade, 9 June 1836, in Adams Co. Served as Adams Co. coroner, by Aug. 1836. Served as...
View Full Bio5 Nov. 1813–24 Feb. 1879. Lumber dealer, real estate broker, housing contractor, railroad director, prison warden. Born at St. Charles Co., Missouri. Son of Richard Berry Pittman and Lucinda Hutchings. Adhered to Quaker faith. Moved to Quincy, Adams Co., ...
View Full BioJune 1814–9 June 1878. Ferry operator, herdsman, farmer. Born in Belchertown, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Orin Rockwell and Sarah Witt. Moved to Farmington (later in Manchester), Ontario Co., New York, 1817. Neighbor to JS. Baptized into Church of...
View Full Bio20 Apr. 1785–24 Nov. 1867. Surveyor. Born at Kingsbury, Washington Co., New York. Son of Newcomb Sherwood and a woman whose maiden name was Tolman (first name unidentified). Married first Jane J. McManagal (McMangle) of Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland, ca. 1824...
View Full BioLocated on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...
More Info18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...
View Full Bio17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...
View Full BioPrincipal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More Info“Have the body”; a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction commanding anyone having a person in custody to produce such person at a certain time and place and to state the reasons why he or she is being held in custody. The court will determine...
View GlossaryBecame part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...
More InfoFormed from Pike Co., 1825. Described in 1837 as predominantly prairie and “deficient in timber.” Early settlers came mainly from mid-Atlantic and southern states. Population in 1835 about 3,200; in 1840 about 9,900; and in 1844 at least 15,000. Carthage ...
More InfoArea acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803. First permanent white settlements established, ca. 1833. Organized as territory, 1838, containing all of present-day Iowa, much of present-day Minnesota, and parts of North and South Dakota. Population in...
More InfoPort city founded as Quaker settlement by William Penn, 1681. Site of signing of Declaration of Independence and drafting of U.S. Constitution. Nation’s capital city, 1790–1800. Population in 1830 about 170,000; in 1840 about 260,000; and in 1850 about 410...
More InfoJS, Journal, 10–11 Aug. 1842, and 7 Oct. 1842; “Joseph Smith Documents from September 1842 through February 1843,” in JSP, D11:xix–xx; Letter to John M. Bernhisel, 7 Sept. 1842; Letter from Sybella McMinn Armstrong and Orrin Porter Rockwell, 1 Dec. 1842.
JSP, D11 / McBride, Spencer W., Jeffrey D. Mahas, Brett D. Dowdle, and Tyson Reeder, eds. Documents, Volume 11: September 1842–February 1843. Vol. 11 of the Documents series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Matthew C. Godfrey, R. Eric Smith, Matthew J. Grow, and Ronald K. Esplin. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2020.
12 Mar. 1796–9 Feb. 1844. Attorney, politician, judge. Born at Mason Co. (later Bracken Co.), Kentucky. Son of Nathaniel Reynolds and Catherine Vernon. Admitted to Kentucky bar, 1817. Moved to Illinois, by 1818. Served as clerk of Illinois House of Representatives...
View Full Bio6 Oct. 1780–21 Sept. 1852. Lawyer, politician. Born at Bromley Bridge (later Burnt Mills), Somerset Co., New Jersey. Son of Rowland Chambers and Phoebe Mullican. Lived at Mason Co., Kentucky, 1794–1841. Married first Margaret Taylor, 16 June 1803, at Mason...
View Full BioState of Missouri, Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division, Register of Civil Proceedings, vol. A, p. 175; John Chambers, Burlington, Iowa Territory, to John Cowan, 10 Mar. 1843, JS Office Papers, CHL.
Missouri, State of. Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division. Register of Civil Proceedings, 1837–1971. MSA.
10 July 1804–30 Apr. 1879. Scribe, editor, boardinghouse operator, clothier. Born at Willingborough Township (later in Harmony), Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. Daughter of Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Lewis. Member of Methodist church at Harmony (later in Oakland...
View Full Bio18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...
View Full Bio“Have the body”; a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction commanding anyone having a person in custody to produce such person at a certain time and place and to state the reasons why he or she is being held in custody. The court will determine...
View GlossaryArea acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More InfoBecame part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...
More Info12 Mar. 1796–9 Feb. 1844. Attorney, politician, judge. Born at Mason Co. (later Bracken Co.), Kentucky. Son of Nathaniel Reynolds and Catherine Vernon. Admitted to Kentucky bar, 1817. Moved to Illinois, by 1818. Served as clerk of Illinois House of Representatives...
View Full BioJune 1814–9 June 1878. Ferry operator, herdsman, farmer. Born in Belchertown, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Orin Rockwell and Sarah Witt. Moved to Farmington (later in Manchester), Ontario Co., New York, 1817. Neighbor to JS. Baptized into Church of...
View Full BioReynolds had issued a proclamation on 11 May 1842 offering $300 for the apprehension of the unknown shooter. On 19 September, he issued a memorandum amending the initial proclamation by naming JS and Rockwell and offering $300 for the capture of either man. (Proclamation, 11 May 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Memorandum of Proclamation, 19 September 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; An Act to Regulate Proceedings in Criminal Cases [21 Mar. 1835], Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri [1834–1835], p. 502, art. 9, sec. 20).
The Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri, Revised and Digested by the Eighth General Assembly during the Years One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Four, and One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Five. . . . St. Louis: Argus Office, 1835.
Thomas Carlin, Proclamation, 20 Sept. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; An Act concerning Fugitives from Justice [6 Jan. 1827], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], p. 320, sec. 8.
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...
View Full Bio5 Dec. 1800–3 Nov. 1850. Schoolteacher, newspaperman, lawyer, politician, judge, author. Born in Uniontown, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Robert Ford and Elizabeth Logue Forquer. Moved to St. Louis, 1804; to New Design (later American Bottom), Randolph...
View Full BioBecame part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...
More Info“Gov. Ford’s Inaugural Address,” Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 15 Dec. 1842, [1].
Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.
Settled by 1819. Incorporated as town, 1832. Became capital of Illinois, 1837. Incorporated as city, 1840. Sangamon Co. seat. Population in 1840 about 2,600. Stake of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized in Springfield, Nov. 1840; discontinued...
More Info1790–Oct. 1855. Teacher, lawyer. Born in Keene, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire. Moved to Watertown, Jefferson Co., New York, ca. 1810, where he taught school and studied law. Admitted to bar, 1812, at Watertown. Practiced law in Adams, Jefferson Co., and Sackets...
View Full BioNorth American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
More Info“Have the body”; a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction commanding anyone having a person in custody to produce such person at a certain time and place and to state the reasons why he or she is being held in custody. The court will determine...
View GlossaryPrincipal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More InfoJS, Journal, 9–20 Dec. 1842; Clayton, Journal, 9–20 Dec. 1842; Letter, Justin Butterfield to Sidney Rigdon, 20 October 1842; Letter from Thomas Ford, 17 Dec. 1842; Letter from Justin Butterfield, 17 Dec. 1842; see also Letter from James Adams, 17 Dec. 1842.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
Settled by 1819. Incorporated as town, 1832. Became capital of Illinois, 1837. Incorporated as city, 1840. Sangamon Co. seat. Population in 1840 about 2,600. Stake of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized in Springfield, Nov. 1840; discontinued...
More InfoSituated in western Illinois; bounded on west by Mississippi River. Organized from Pike Co., 1825. Quincy established as county seat, 1825. Population in 1830 about 2,200. Population in 1840 about 14,500. Latter-day Saint exiles from Missouri found refuge...
More Info18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...
View Full Bio26 Feb. 1806–15 Oct. 1876. Merchant, millwright, land speculator, farmer. Born in Ireland. Son of Richard Law and Ann Hunter. Immigrated to U.S. and settled in Springfield Township, Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Moved to Delaware Township, Mercer Co....
View Full BioA contingent of the Illinois state militia provided for in the Nauvoo city charter. The Nauvoo Legion was organized into two cohorts: one infantry and one cavalry. Each cohort could potentially comprise several thousand men and was overseen by a brigadier...
View GlossaryClayton, Journal, 26 Dec. 1842; see also Petition to Chauncey Robison, 26 Dec. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More Info5 Dec. 1800–3 Nov. 1850. Schoolteacher, newspaperman, lawyer, politician, judge, author. Born in Uniontown, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Robert Ford and Elizabeth Logue Forquer. Moved to St. Louis, 1804; to New Design (later American Bottom), Randolph...
View Full Bio13 Apr. 1792–22 Dec. 1880. Farmer, clerk, sheriff, politician, judge. Born in Clark Co., Kentucky. Moved to Xenia, Greene Co., Ohio, 1811. Married Elizabeth Constant, 5 Dec. 1813, in Greene Co. Moved to Brownsville, Union Co., Indiana, 1820. Moved to Fancy...
View Full BioArea settled, 1817. Established as Sangamo Co., 30 Jan. 1821; name changed to Sangamon Co., 5 June 1821. Population in 1840 about 15,000. Population in 1850 about 19,000. County seat, Springfield; site of JS’s habeas corpus hearing in federal circuit court...
More Info1790–Oct. 1855. Teacher, lawyer. Born in Keene, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire. Moved to Watertown, Jefferson Co., New York, ca. 1810, where he taught school and studied law. Admitted to bar, 1812, at Watertown. Practiced law in Adams, Jefferson Co., and Sackets...
View Full Bio“Have the body”; a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction commanding anyone having a person in custody to produce such person at a certain time and place and to state the reasons why he or she is being held in custody. The court will determine...
View GlossaryNorth American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
More InfoBecame part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...
More Info5 Jan. 1784–22 Jan. 1850. Lawyer, judge. Born at present-day Louisville, Jefferson Co., Kentucky. Son of William Pope and Penelope Edwards. Graduated from Transylvania University, 1806, at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Moved to St. Genevieve, St. Genevieve...
View Full BioRoger Taney, chief justice of the United States, was also present during the proceedings. Federal statute granted U.S. courts the right to issue writs of habeas corpus in cases where a person was imprisoned “under or by colour of the authority of the United States.” (Habeas Corpus, 31 Dec. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Docket Entry, Petition and Order for Habeas Corpus, 31 Dec. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; An Act to Establish the Judicial Courts of the United States [24 Sept. 1789], Public Statutes at Large, 1st Cong., 1st Sess., vol. 1, chap. 20, p. 82, sec. 14.)
The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from the Organization of the Government in 1789, to March 3, 1845. . . . Edited by Richard Peters. 8 vols. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1846–1867.
31 Jan. 1809–31 Mar. 1847. Lawyer. Born in Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Samuel Lamborn and Mary McGinnis. Moved to Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1811; to Washington Co., Kentucky; to Springfield, Sangamon Co., Illinois, 1832; and to Jacksonville, Morgan...
View Full Bio31 Jan. 1809–31 Mar. 1847. Lawyer. Born in Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Samuel Lamborn and Mary McGinnis. Moved to Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1811; to Washington Co., Kentucky; to Springfield, Sangamon Co., Illinois, 1832; and to Jacksonville, Morgan...
View Full Bio1790–Oct. 1855. Teacher, lawyer. Born in Keene, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire. Moved to Watertown, Jefferson Co., New York, ca. 1810, where he taught school and studied law. Admitted to bar, 1812, at Watertown. Practiced law in Adams, Jefferson Co., and Sackets...
View Full BioArea acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More Info14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...
View Full Bio26 Feb. 1806–15 Oct. 1876. Merchant, millwright, land speculator, farmer. Born in Ireland. Son of Richard Law and Ann Hunter. Immigrated to U.S. and settled in Springfield Township, Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Moved to Delaware Township, Mercer Co....
View Full BioPrincipal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More Info8 Oct. 1811–25 Sept. 1857. Merchant, sheriff, soldier, politician, land speculator. Born at Lower Paxton, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Jacob Backenstos and Margaretha Theis. Member of Lutheran Reformed Church. Married Sarah Lavina Lee, niece of Robert...
View Full BioFormed from Pike Co., 1825. Described in 1837 as predominantly prairie and “deficient in timber.” Early settlers came mainly from mid-Atlantic and southern states. Population in 1835 about 3,200; in 1840 about 9,900; and in 1844 at least 15,000. Carthage ...
More Info23 Apr. 1813–3 June 1861. Lawyer, politician. Born at Brandon, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of Stephen Arnold Douglass and Sarah Fisk. Moved to Ontario Co., New York, 1830. Moved to Jacksonville, Morgan Co., Illinois, 1833. Served as attorney general of Illinois...
View Full BioWilson Law and Others, Affidavit, 4 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Jacob B. Backenstos and Stephen A. Douglas, Affidavit, 4 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Transcript of Proceedings, 6 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; JS, Journal, 4 Jan. 1843.
31 Jan. 1809–31 Mar. 1847. Lawyer. Born in Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Samuel Lamborn and Mary McGinnis. Moved to Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1811; to Washington Co., Kentucky; to Springfield, Sangamon Co., Illinois, 1832; and to Jacksonville, Morgan...
View Full BioNorth American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
More InfoMotion, ca. 3 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]. Lamborn contended that Carlin had acted under an 1827 Illinois statute. (JS, Journal, 4 Jan. 1843; An Act concerning Fugitives from Justice [6 Jan. 1827], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], pp. 318–320.)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
“Have the body”; a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction commanding anyone having a person in custody to produce such person at a certain time and place and to state the reasons why he or she is being held in custody. The court will determine...
View GlossaryPrincipal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More Info1790–Oct. 1855. Teacher, lawyer. Born in Keene, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire. Moved to Watertown, Jefferson Co., New York, ca. 1810, where he taught school and studied law. Admitted to bar, 1812, at Watertown. Practiced law in Adams, Jefferson Co., and Sackets...
View Full Bio13 June 1818–4 Feb. 1886. Lawyer, judge. Born at Edwardsville, Madison Co., Illinois. Son of Ninian Edwards and Elvira Lane. Moved to Belleville, St. Clair Co., Illinois, 1824. Graduated from Yale, 1838, in New Haven, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Admitted ...
View Full Bio14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...
View Full BioArea acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More Info5 Jan. 1784–22 Jan. 1850. Lawyer, judge. Born at present-day Louisville, Jefferson Co., Kentucky. Son of William Pope and Penelope Edwards. Graduated from Transylvania University, 1806, at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Moved to St. Genevieve, St. Genevieve...
View Full Bio5 Jan. 1784–22 Jan. 1850. Lawyer, judge. Born at present-day Louisville, Jefferson Co., Kentucky. Son of William Pope and Penelope Edwards. Graduated from Transylvania University, 1806, at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Moved to St. Genevieve, St. Genevieve...
View Full Bio31 Jan. 1809–31 Mar. 1847. Lawyer. Born in Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Samuel Lamborn and Mary McGinnis. Moved to Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1811; to Washington Co., Kentucky; to Springfield, Sangamon Co., Illinois, 1832; and to Jacksonville, Morgan...
View Full BioNorth American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
More Info14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...
View Full BioArea acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More InfoJune 1814–9 June 1878. Ferry operator, herdsman, farmer. Born in Belchertown, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Orin Rockwell and Sarah Witt. Moved to Farmington (later in Manchester), Ontario Co., New York, 1817. Neighbor to JS. Baptized into Church of...
View Full Bio12 Mar. 1796–9 Feb. 1844. Attorney, politician, judge. Born at Mason Co. (later Bracken Co.), Kentucky. Son of Nathaniel Reynolds and Catherine Vernon. Admitted to Kentucky bar, 1817. Moved to Illinois, by 1818. Served as clerk of Illinois House of Representatives...
View Full Bio18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...
View Full Bio24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...
View Full Bio5 Jan. 1784–22 Jan. 1850. Lawyer, judge. Born at present-day Louisville, Jefferson Co., Kentucky. Son of William Pope and Penelope Edwards. Graduated from Transylvania University, 1806, at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Moved to St. Genevieve, St. Genevieve...
View Full Bio1790–Oct. 1855. Teacher, lawyer. Born in Keene, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire. Moved to Watertown, Jefferson Co., New York, ca. 1810, where he taught school and studied law. Admitted to bar, 1812, at Watertown. Practiced law in Adams, Jefferson Co., and Sackets...
View Full Bio17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...
View Full BioJS, Journal, 6 Jan. 1843; Clayton, Journal, 6 Jan. 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
5 Dec. 1800–3 Nov. 1850. Schoolteacher, newspaperman, lawyer, politician, judge, author. Born in Uniontown, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Robert Ford and Elizabeth Logue Forquer. Moved to St. Louis, 1804; to New Design (later American Bottom), Randolph...
View Full Bio18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...
View Full BioSituated in western Illinois; bounded on west by Mississippi River. Organized from Pike Co., 1825. Quincy established as county seat, 1825. Population in 1830 about 2,200. Population in 1840 about 14,500. Latter-day Saint exiles from Missouri found refuge...
More InfoThomas Ford, Order, 6 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Clayton, Journal, 6 Jan. 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
June 1814–9 June 1878. Ferry operator, herdsman, farmer. Born in Belchertown, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Orin Rockwell and Sarah Witt. Moved to Farmington (later in Manchester), Ontario Co., New York, 1817. Neighbor to JS. Baptized into Church of...
View Full BioWhile passing through St. Louis in March 1843, Rockwell was recognized and arrested. A grand jury in Jackson County found insufficient evidence to indict him for shooting Boggs, but he was indicted for attempting to escape from jail. He subsequently received a change of venue to Clay County, Missouri, where a jury found him guilty of the escape attempt but sentenced him to only five minutes in jail. After his release, he arrived in Nauvoo on 25 December 1843. (“Orrin Porter Rockwell,” Daily Missouri Republican [St. Louis], 6 Mar. 1843, [3]; JS History, vol. E-1, 1827–1829; Transcript of Proceedings, 18 Nov. 1843 [Extradition of Rockwell for Assault]; JS, Journal, 25 Dec. 1843.)
Daily Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1869.
Settled by 1819. Incorporated as town, 1832. Became capital of Illinois, 1837. Incorporated as city, 1840. Sangamon Co. seat. Population in 1840 about 2,600. Stake of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized in Springfield, Nov. 1840; discontinued...
More Info5 Jan. 1784–22 Jan. 1850. Lawyer, judge. Born at present-day Louisville, Jefferson Co., Kentucky. Son of William Pope and Penelope Edwards. Graduated from Transylvania University, 1806, at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Moved to St. Genevieve, St. Genevieve...
View Full Bioca. 1810–by 10 July 1849. Court clerk. Born in Baltimore. Son of John Aloysius Owings and Margaret McAlister. Served in Black Hawk War, 1832. Married Josephine Lalumiere, 31 Oct. 1836, in Randolph Co., Illinois. Served as U.S. circuit court clerk, in Vandalia...
View Full BioNorth American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
More Info31 Jan. 1809–31 Mar. 1847. Lawyer. Born in Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Samuel Lamborn and Mary McGinnis. Moved to Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1811; to Washington Co., Kentucky; to Springfield, Sangamon Co., Illinois, 1832; and to Jacksonville, Morgan...
View Full BioTrial Report, in Times and Seasons, 16 Jan. 1843, 4:65–71; Trial Report, in Wasp, 28 Jan. 1843, [1]–[2]; Trial Report, in Alton (IL) Telegraph and Democratic Review, 4 Feb. 1843, [1]. JS asked Pope on 6 January 1843 if the Nauvoo Wasp could have the first opportunity to publish the trial report, but the judge replied that he intended to give it first to the Sangamo Journal, which published it in its 19 January 1843 issue. Although the Times and Seasons published the trial report in its 16 January 1843 issue, the paper at that time was evidently behind schedule by two weeks or more. When the Wasp published the trial report in its 28 January 1843 issue, it cited the Sangamo Journal, not the Times and Seasons, as its source. (JS, Journal, 6 Jan. 1843; Woodruff, Journal, 2 Jan. 1843; “The Release of Gen. Joseph Smith,” Times and Seasons, 2 Jan. 1843, 4:59; “The Release of Gen. Joseph Smith,” 14 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Editorial, Wasp, 28 Jan. 1843, [3]; see also “Sacred Hymns,” Times and Seasons, 1 Feb. 1843, 4:95.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.
Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review. Alton, IL. 1841–1850.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
See, for example, “Ex Parte Joseph Smith—the Mormon Prophet,” 57–67; Trial Report, 5–19 Jan. 1843, as Published in Reports [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; West, Federal Cases, 22:373–380; and Moore, Treatise on Extradition, 2:878–882, 938.
“Ex Parte Joseph Smith—the Mormon Prophet” / “Circuit Court of the United States, Illinois, January, 1843. Before the Honorable Nathaniel Pope, District Judge. Ex Parte Joseph Smith—the Mormon Prophet.” The Law Reporter 6 (June 1843): 57–67.
The Federal Cases Comprising Cases Argued and Determined in the Circuit and District Courts of the United States from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Federal Reporter. Arranged Alphabetically by the Titles of the Cases, and Numbered Consecutively. Vol. 8. St. Paul, MN: West Publishing, 1895.
Moore, John Bassett. A Treatise on Extradition and Interstate Rendition. With Appendices Containing the Treaties and Statutes Relating to Extradition; the Treaties Relating to the Desertion of Seamen; and the Statutes, Rules of Practice, and Forms, in Force in the Several States and Territories, Relating to Interstate Rendition. Vol. 2. Boston: Boston Book Company, 1891.
This proclamation offered $300 for the apprehension of the unknown shooter of Lilburn W. Boggs. On 19 September, Reynolds issued a memorandum amending this initial proclamation by naming JS and Rockwell and offering $300 for the capture of either man. (Memorandum of Proclamation, 19 Sept. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
In addition to the versions featured in the calendar, the affidavit was copied into the Book of the Law of the Lord and published in the Times and Seasons. (Lilburn W. Boggs, Affidavit, Jackson Co., MO, 20 July 1842, in Book of the Law of the Lord, 213; Lilburn W. Boggs, Affidavit, Jackson Co., MO, 20 July 1842, in Times and Seasons, 16 Jan. 1843, 4:65.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
This copy was likely made to support the petition submitted by JS’s associates on 14 December 1842 to Thomas Ford, requesting the governor to rescind Carlin’s 2 August 1842 warrant. Trumbull copied the affidavit and Thomas Reynolds’s 22 July 1842 requisition on opposite sides of a single page. Although Trumbull did not date this copy, he did date a copy of Boggs’s 20 July 1842 affidavit naming Orrin Porter Rockwell as the shooter 14 December 1842. (JS, Journal, 9–20 Dec. 1842; Affidavit, 20 July 1842 [Extradition of Rockwell for Assault].)
This copy was made by Illinois Secretary of State Lyman Trumbull and presumably filed with the U.S. circuit court, as indicated in William Clayton’s copy of Trumbull’s 31 December 1842 certification. Trumbull evidently copied the affidavit and Thomas Reynolds’s 22 July 1842 requisition in conjunction with Thomas Ford’s 31 December 1842 warrant in preparation for JS’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus. (Lilburn W. Boggs, Affidavit, 20 July 1842, William Clayton Copy [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
Clayton copied the affidavit and Thomas Reynolds’s 22 July 1842 requisition on opposite sides of a single page, along with a 31 December 1842 certification by Lyman Trumbull on a separate page. Clayton’s version was apparently copied from Trumbull’s 31 December 1842 version and repurposed for inclusion in the 6 January 1843 transcript of proceedings. (See also JS, Journal, 31 Dec. 1842.)
In addition to the versions featured in the calendar, the requisition was copied into the Book of the Law of the Lord and published in the Sangamo Journal, Wasp, Times and Seasons, and Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review. (Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842, in Book of the Law of the Lord, 214; Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842, in Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 19 Jan. 1843, [1]; Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842, in Wasp, 28 Jan. 1843, [1]; Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842, in Times and Seasons, 16 Jan. 1843, 4:65; Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842, in Alton [IL] Telegraph and Democratic Review, 4 Feb. 1843, [1].)
Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.
The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review. Alton, IL. 1841–1850.
This copy was likely made to support the petition submitted by JS’s associates on 14 December 1842 to Thomas Ford, requesting the governor to rescind Carlin’s 2 August 1842 warrant. The petition was accompanied by a copy of Lilburn W. Boggs’s affidavit. Although Trumbull did not date this copy, he did date a copy of Boggs’s 20 July 1842 affidavit naming Orrin Porter Rockwell as the shooter 14 December 1842. (JS, Journal, 9–20 Dec. 1842; Affidavit, 20 July 1842 [Extradition of Rockwell for Assault].)
This copy was made by Illinois Secretary of State Lyman Trumbull and presumably filed with the U.S. circuit court, as indicated in William Clayton’s copy of Trumbull’s 31 December 1842 certification. Trumbull evidently copied the requisition and Lilburn W. Boggs’s 20 July 1842 affidavit in conjunction with Thomas Ford’s 31 December 1842 warrant in preparation for JS’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus. (Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842, William Clayton Copy [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
Clayton copied the requisition and Lilburn W. Boggs’s 20 July 1842 affidavit on opposite sides of a single page, along with a 31 December 1842 certification by Lyman Trumbull on a separate page. Clayton’s version was apparently copied from Trumbull’s 31 December 1842 version and repurposed for inclusion in the 6 January 1843 transcript of proceedings. (See also JS, Journal, 31 Dec. 1842.)
See State of Missouri, Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division, Register of Civil Proceedings, vol. A, p. 175.
Missouri, State of. Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division. Register of Civil Proceedings, 1837–1971. MSA.
This version of the warrant may have been created to support JS’s 9 August 1842 petition to the Hancock County Circuit Court for a writ of habeas corpus. (JS, Journal, 9 Aug. 1842.)
In addition to the versions featured in the calendar, the proclamation was published in the Sangamo Journal. (“Four Hundred Dollars Reward!,” Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 30 Sept. 1842, [3].)
Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.
In addition to the versions featured in the calendar, the warrant was published in the Times and Seasons. Willard Richards also created a copy on circa 31 December 1842. (Warrant, 31 Dec. 1842, in Times and Seasons, 16 Jan. 1843, 4:65–66; Warrant, 31 December 1842, Willard Richards Copy [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault] .)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
This version was copied by William Clayton and apparently repurposed for inclusion in the 6 January 1843 Transcript of Proceedings.
See JS, Journal, 9 Aug. 1842. In the absence of a circuit court judge, Illinois law authorized masters in chancery to receive petitions for writs of habeas corpus. (An Act to Provide for Issuing Writs of Ne Exeat and Habeas Corpus, and for Other Purposes [11 Feb. 1835], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], p. 145, sec. 2; see also Petition to Chauncey Robison, 26 Dec. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Although the original petition is not extant, later versions indicate that copies of Thomas Ford’s 31 December 1842 warrant, Thomas Reynolds’s 22 July 1842 requisition, and Lilburn W. Boggs’s 20 July 1842 affidavit were attached to the petition. (Petition to the United States Circuit Court for the District of Illinois, 31 Dec. 1842, William Clayton Copy [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Petition to the United States Circuit Court for the District of Illinois, 31 Dec. 1842, Willard Richards Copy, [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
Based on the 6 January 1843 copy, the original text appears to have been initially inscribed in a docket entry recounting the legal process for the day, although no docket book is extant.
Based on the 6 January 1843 copy, the original text appears to have been initially inscribed in a docket entry recounting the legal process for the day, although no docket book is extant.
The language used in this order apparently originated in a docket entry from that day. (Docket Entry, Return of Habeas Corpus, Bond, and Order, 31 Dec. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
While Sheriff William Prentiss’s signature and notation suggest this version may have been the original order, it is also possible this was a copy that Prentiss signed. This version was apparently repurposed for inclusion in the 6 January 1843 transcript of proceedings.
Although the court instructed that a copy of the order be delivered to both Illinois governor Thomas Ford and attorney general Josiah Lamborn, Sheriff William Prentiss’s return notation indicates he delivered a single copy. It is unclear if a copy was made and delivered to Lamborn, in addition to this copy containing Ford’s notation. (Order, 31 Dec. 1842, [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
In addition to the versions featured in the calendar, Willard Richards created a copy on circa 2 January 1843. (Affidavit, 2 Jan. 1843, Willard Richards Copy [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
Based on the 6 January 1843 copy, the original text appears to have been initially inscribed in a docket entry recounting the legal process for the day, although no docket book is extant.
Based on the 6 January 1843 copy, the original text appears to have been initially inscribed in a docket entry recounting the legal process for the day, although no docket book is extant.
In addition to the versions featured on the calendar, Justin Butterfield created a version—possibly an early draft—on circa 4 January 1843. (Wilson Law and Others, Affidavit, 4 Jan. 1843, Justin Butterfield Copy [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
This appears to be an early version—possibly a draft—of the affidavit created by Willard Richards and subsequently filed with circuit court clerk James Owings. It was apparently repurposed for inclusion in the 6 January 1843 transcript of proceedings. It is unclear if an additional version was created and filed with Owings.
This represents the version of Nathaniel Pope’s decision that he read to the court on 5 January 1843. No manuscript version of the decision has been located, although Willard Richards sought to capture Pope’s ruling in rough notes in JS’s journal. Later that day, Richards, evidently with the assistance of John Taylor and William Clayton, expanded his notes into a full-length version, which he shared with Pope on 6 January. Richards retained a copy of the full-length version. There is no textual evidence that Pope utilized this version when he prepared the formal trial report. (JS, Journal, 5 January 1843; Decision, as Reported by Willard Richards, 5 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Decision, as Reported by John Taylor and Others, 5 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
Based on the 6 January 1843 copy, the original text appears to have been initially inscribed in a docket entry recounting the legal process for the day, although no docket book is extant.
In addition to the versions featured in the calendar, the trial report was published in the Wasp, Times and Seasons, and Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review. (Trial Report, in Wasp, 28 Jan. 1843, [1]–[2]; Trial Report, in Times and Seasons, 16 Jan. 1843, 4:65–71; Trial Report, in Alton [IL] Telegraph and Democratic Review, 4 Feb. 1843, [1].)
The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review. Alton, IL. 1841–1850.
Owings, Clayton, and Richards apparently compiled the transcript of proceedings by collecting copies of documents already in their possession and copying additional documents as needed. In a couple of instances, it is unclear if the documents included are original documents or copies. Owings and Clayton inscribed transition text connecting all the documents to create a cohesive transcript of proceedings.
Page
Introduction to Extradition of JS et al. for Treason and Other Crimes; “Habeas Corpus,” in Bouvier, Law Dictionary, 1:454; Kent, Commentaries on American Law, 2:25–31; Walker, “Habeas Corpus in Early Nineteenth-Century Mormonism,” 5–97.
Bouvier, John. A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, and of the Several States of the American Union; with References to the Civil and Other Systems of Foreign Law. 2 vols. Philadelphia: T. and J. W. Johnson, 1839.
Kent, James. Commentaries on American Law. 4th ed. Vol. 2. New York: By the author, 1840.
Walker, Jeffrey N. “Habeas Corpus in Early Nineteenth-Century Mormonism: Joseph Smith’s Legal Bulwark for Personal Freedom.” BYU Studies 52, no. 1 (2013): 4–97.
“A Foul Deed,” Daily Missouri Republican (St. Louis), 12 May 1842, [2]; “Governor Boggs,” Jeffersonian Republican (Jefferson City, MO), 14 May 1842, [2].
Daily Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1869.
Jeffersonian Republican. Jefferson City, MO. 1831–1844.
David Kilbourne, Montrose, Iowa Territory, to Thomas Reynolds, Jefferson City, MO, 14 May 1842, Records of Governor Thomas Reynolds, 1840–1844, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City; McLaws, “Attempted Assassination of Missouri’s Ex-Governor, Lilburn W. Boggs,” 50–56; Woodruff, Journal, 15 May 1842; Letter to Sylvester Bartlett, 22 May 1842, in JSP, D10:89–92; “Assassination of Ex-Governor Boggs of Missouri,” Quincy (IL) Whig, 21 May 1842, [3]; see also “Introduction to Part 2: June 1842,” in JSP, D10:113–115; and Letter to Thomas Carlin, 24 June 1842. A “Mr. Childs,” who had reportedly quarreled with Boggs prior to the shooting, was also briefly identified as a suspect. (James H. Hunt, Knoxville, MO, to Nathan Daggett, Kirtland, OH, 16 July 1842, typescript, Daggett Papers, Lake County Historical Society, Mormon Related Archives, CHL.)
Missouri, State of. Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division. Register of Civil Proceedings, 1837–1971. MSA.
McLaws, Monte B. “The Attempted Assassination of Missouri’s Ex-Governor, Lilburn W. Boggs.” Missouri Historical Review 60, no. 1 (Oct. 1965): 50–62.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
JSP, D10 / Kuehn, Elizabeth A., Jordan T. Watkins, Matthew C. Godfrey, and Mason K. Allred, eds. Documents, Volume 10: May–August 1842. Vol. 10 of the Documents series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Matthew C. Godfrey, R. Eric Smith, Matthew J. Grow, and Ronald K. Esplin. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2020.
Quincy Daily Whig. Quincy, IL. 1875–1893.
Lake County Historical Society. Mormon Related Archives, 1791–1902. CHL.
Minutes, 19 May 1842; Mayor’s Order to City Watch, 20 May 1842; Letter to Thomas Carlin, 24 June 1842; Letter from Thomas Carlin, 30 June 1842; Ordinance, 5 July 1842; Nauvoo Female Relief Society, Petition to Thomas Carlin, ca. 22 July 1842, in Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 136–141; Snow, Journal, 29 July 1842.
Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.
Snow, Eliza R. Journal, 1842–1844. CHL. MS 1439.
Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840. An 1827 Illinois statute authorized only the circuit courts and the state supreme court to issue writs of habeas corpus to prisoners accused of violating state law. (An Act Regulating the Proceeding on Writs of Habeas Corpus [22 Jan. 1827], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], pp. 322–323, sec. 1.)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
John C. Bennett, Carthage, IL, 2 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 15 July 1842, [2]; John C. Bennett, Carthage, IL, 4 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal, 15 July 1842, [2]; John C. Bennett, St. Louis, MO, 13 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Bulletin (St. Louis), 14 July 1842, [2]; John C. Bennett, St. Louis, MO, 15 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal, 22 July 1842, [2]; see also L. B. Fleak, Keokuk, Iowa Territory, to Thomas Reynolds, Jefferson City, MO, 12 July 1842, Records of Governor Thomas Reynolds, 1840–1844, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.
Bulletin. St. Louis. 1842–1843.
Missouri, State of. Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division. Register of Civil Proceedings, 1837–1971. MSA.
Affidavit, 20 July 1842 [Extradition of Rockwell for Assault]; Lilburn W. Boggs, Affidavit, 20 July 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; see also L. B. Fleak, Keokuk, Iowa Territory, to Thomas Reynolds, Jefferson City, MO, 12 July 1842, Records of Governor Thomas Reynolds, 1840–1844, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City. Missouri law stated: “Every person who shall, on purpose, and of malice aforethought, shoot at or stab another, or assault or beat another with a deadly weapon, or by any other means or force, likely to produce death or great bodily harm, with intent to kill, maim, ravish, or rob such person, or in the attempt to commit any burglary, or other felony, or in resisting the execution of any legal process, shall be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary not exceeding ten years.” Missouri law also provided that every person who “shall be an accessary to any murder or other felony, before the fact, shall, upon conviction, be adjudged guilty of the offence in the same degree, and be punished in the same manner, as herein prescribed with respect to the principal in the first degree.” (An Act concerning Crimes and Their Punishments [20 Mar. 1835], Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri [1834–1835], p. 171, art. 2, sec. 31; p. 212; art. 9, sec. 5; see also “Accessary,” in Bouvier, Law Dictionary, 1:36.)
Missouri, State of. Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division. Register of Civil Proceedings, 1837–1971. MSA.
The Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri, Revised and Digested by the Eighth General Assembly during the Years One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Four, and One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Five. . . . St. Louis: Argus Office, 1835.
Bouvier, John. A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, and of the Several States of the American Union; with References to the Civil and Other Systems of Foreign Law. 2 vols. Philadelphia: T. and J. W. Johnson, 1839.
Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Thomas Carlin, Proclamation, 20 Sept. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]. The U.S. Constitution states that “a Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.” In 1793, Congress passed a statute that enacted this provision and specified that the requisition—the document requesting the extradition—should be accompanied by either an affidavit or an indictment specifying the charge. (U.S. Constitution, art. 4, sec. 2; An Act respecting Fugitives from Justice, and Persons Escaping from the Service of Their Masters [12 Feb. 1793], Public Statutes at Large, 2nd Cong., 2nd Sess., chap. 7, p. 302.)
The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from the Organization of the Government in 1789, to March 3, 1845. . . . Edited by Richard Peters. 8 vols. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1846–1867.
Reynolds’s requisition was summarized in Illinois governor Thomas Carlin’s 20 September 1842 proclamation, which offered a $200 award for Rockwell’s apprehension. (Thomas Carlin, Proclamation, 20 Sept. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].)
Warrant, 2 Aug. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Warrant, 2 Aug. 1842 [Extradition of Rockwell for Assault]. Illinois law required the governor to issue an arrest warrant when requested to do so by a governor of another state who had “complied with the requisitions of the act of congress” relating to fugitives from justice. (An Act concerning Fugitives from Justice [6 Jan. 1827], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], p. 318, sec. 1.)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Petition, 8 Aug. 1842 [Extradition of Rockwell for Assault]. Contrary to this claim, Rockwell was evidently in the area of Independence at the time of the shooting to be with his wife, Luana Hart Beebe Rockwell, when she gave birth to their daughter Sarah Jane Rockwell on 25 March 1842. The Rockwells were likely staying with Luana’s brother Isaac Beebe in Independence. Rockwell reportedly later claimed that “he could prove that he was seven miles north of Independence on the night that Governor Boggs was shot.” (Jorgensen and Leary, “Luana Hart Beebe,” 126; Joseph O. Boggs, Independence, MO, to John C. Bennett, 12 Sept. 1842, in Bennett, History of the Saints, 286.)
Jorgensen, Danny L., and Andrew Leary. “Luana Hart Beebe (1814–1897): A Biographical Sketch of a Remarkable Early Latter-day Saint.” Journal of Mormon History 42, no. 3 (July 2016): 120–154.
Bennett, John C. The History of the Saints; or, an Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism. Boston: Leland and Whiting, 1842.
An Act Regulating the Proceeding on Writs of Habeas Corpus [22 Jan. 1827], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], p. 323, sec. 2.
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 8 Aug. 1842, 98; see also Historical Introduction to Petition to Nauvoo Municipal Court, 8 Aug. 1842, in JSP, D10:356–358.
JSP, D10 / Kuehn, Elizabeth A., Jordan T. Watkins, Matthew C. Godfrey, and Mason K. Allred, eds. Documents, Volume 10: May–August 1842. Vol. 10 of the Documents series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Matthew C. Godfrey, R. Eric Smith, Matthew J. Grow, and Ronald K. Esplin. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2020.
JS, Journal, 10–11 Aug. 1842, and 7 Oct. 1842; “Joseph Smith Documents from September 1842 through February 1843,” in JSP, D11:xix–xx; Letter to John M. Bernhisel, 7 Sept. 1842; Letter from Sybella McMinn Armstrong and Orrin Porter Rockwell, 1 Dec. 1842.
JSP, D11 / McBride, Spencer W., Jeffrey D. Mahas, Brett D. Dowdle, and Tyson Reeder, eds. Documents, Volume 11: September 1842–February 1843. Vol. 11 of the Documents series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Matthew C. Godfrey, R. Eric Smith, Matthew J. Grow, and Ronald K. Esplin. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2020.
State of Missouri, Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division, Register of Civil Proceedings, vol. A, p. 175; John Chambers, Burlington, Iowa Territory, to John Cowan, 10 Mar. 1843, JS Office Papers, CHL.
Missouri, State of. Office of the Secretary of State, Commissions Division. Register of Civil Proceedings, 1837–1971. MSA.
Reynolds had issued a proclamation on 11 May 1842 offering $300 for the apprehension of the unknown shooter. On 19 September, he issued a memorandum amending the initial proclamation by naming JS and Rockwell and offering $300 for the capture of either man. (Proclamation, 11 May 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Memorandum of Proclamation, 19 September 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; An Act to Regulate Proceedings in Criminal Cases [21 Mar. 1835], Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri [1834–1835], p. 502, art. 9, sec. 20).
The Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri, Revised and Digested by the Eighth General Assembly during the Years One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Four, and One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Five. . . . St. Louis: Argus Office, 1835.
Thomas Carlin, Proclamation, 20 Sept. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; An Act concerning Fugitives from Justice [6 Jan. 1827], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], p. 320, sec. 8.
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
“Gov. Ford’s Inaugural Address,” Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 15 Dec. 1842, [1].
Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.
JS, Journal, 9–20 Dec. 1842; Clayton, Journal, 9–20 Dec. 1842; Letter, Justin Butterfield to Sidney Rigdon, 20 October 1842; Letter from Thomas Ford, 17 Dec. 1842; Letter from Justin Butterfield, 17 Dec. 1842; see also Letter from James Adams, 17 Dec. 1842.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
Clayton, Journal, 26 Dec. 1842; see also Petition to Chauncey Robison, 26 Dec. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault].
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
Roger Taney, chief justice of the United States, was also present during the proceedings. Federal statute granted U.S. courts the right to issue writs of habeas corpus in cases where a person was imprisoned “under or by colour of the authority of the United States.” (Habeas Corpus, 31 Dec. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Docket Entry, Petition and Order for Habeas Corpus, 31 Dec. 1842 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; An Act to Establish the Judicial Courts of the United States [24 Sept. 1789], Public Statutes at Large, 1st Cong., 1st Sess., vol. 1, chap. 20, p. 82, sec. 14.)
The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from the Organization of the Government in 1789, to March 3, 1845. . . . Edited by Richard Peters. 8 vols. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1846–1867.
Wilson Law and Others, Affidavit, 4 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Jacob B. Backenstos and Stephen A. Douglas, Affidavit, 4 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Transcript of Proceedings, 6 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; JS, Journal, 4 Jan. 1843.
Motion, ca. 3 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]. Lamborn contended that Carlin had acted under an 1827 Illinois statute. (JS, Journal, 4 Jan. 1843; An Act concerning Fugitives from Justice [6 Jan. 1827], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1834–1837], pp. 318–320.)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
JS, Journal, 6 Jan. 1843; Clayton, Journal, 6 Jan. 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
Thomas Ford, Order, 6 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Clayton, Journal, 6 Jan. 1843.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
While passing through St. Louis in March 1843, Rockwell was recognized and arrested. A grand jury in Jackson County found insufficient evidence to indict him for shooting Boggs, but he was indicted for attempting to escape from jail. He subsequently received a change of venue to Clay County, Missouri, where a jury found him guilty of the escape attempt but sentenced him to only five minutes in jail. After his release, he arrived in Nauvoo on 25 December 1843. (“Orrin Porter Rockwell,” Daily Missouri Republican [St. Louis], 6 Mar. 1843, [3]; JS History, vol. E-1, 1827–1829; Transcript of Proceedings, 18 Nov. 1843 [Extradition of Rockwell for Assault]; JS, Journal, 25 Dec. 1843.)
Daily Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1869.
Trial Report, in Times and Seasons, 16 Jan. 1843, 4:65–71; Trial Report, in Wasp, 28 Jan. 1843, [1]–[2]; Trial Report, in Alton (IL) Telegraph and Democratic Review, 4 Feb. 1843, [1]. JS asked Pope on 6 January 1843 if the Nauvoo Wasp could have the first opportunity to publish the trial report, but the judge replied that he intended to give it first to the Sangamo Journal, which published it in its 19 January 1843 issue. Although the Times and Seasons published the trial report in its 16 January 1843 issue, the paper at that time was evidently behind schedule by two weeks or more. When the Wasp published the trial report in its 28 January 1843 issue, it cited the Sangamo Journal, not the Times and Seasons, as its source. (JS, Journal, 6 Jan. 1843; Woodruff, Journal, 2 Jan. 1843; “The Release of Gen. Joseph Smith,” Times and Seasons, 2 Jan. 1843, 4:59; “The Release of Gen. Joseph Smith,” 14 Jan. 1843 [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; Editorial, Wasp, 28 Jan. 1843, [3]; see also “Sacred Hymns,” Times and Seasons, 1 Feb. 1843, 4:95.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.
Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review. Alton, IL. 1841–1850.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
See, for example, “Ex Parte Joseph Smith—the Mormon Prophet,” 57–67; Trial Report, 5–19 Jan. 1843, as Published in Reports [Extradition of JS for Accessory to Assault]; West, Federal Cases, 22:373–380; and Moore, Treatise on Extradition, 2:878–882, 938.
“Ex Parte Joseph Smith—the Mormon Prophet” / “Circuit Court of the United States, Illinois, January, 1843. Before the Honorable Nathaniel Pope, District Judge. Ex Parte Joseph Smith—the Mormon Prophet.” The Law Reporter 6 (June 1843): 57–67.
The Federal Cases Comprising Cases Argued and Determined in the Circuit and District Courts of the United States from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Federal Reporter. Arranged Alphabetically by the Titles of the Cases, and Numbered Consecutively. Vol. 8. St. Paul, MN: West Publishing, 1895.
Moore, John Bassett. A Treatise on Extradition and Interstate Rendition. With Appendices Containing the Treaties and Statutes Relating to Extradition; the Treaties Relating to the Desertion of Seamen; and the Statutes, Rules of Practice, and Forms, in Force in the Several States and Territories, Relating to Interstate Rendition. Vol. 2. Boston: Boston Book Company, 1891.
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