, “Brief History,” Manuscript, ca. 6 April 1838– ca. 26 January 1839; handwriting of and an unidentified scribe; seventy pages numbered 20–90, plus three unnumbered pages; John Fletcher Darby Papers, Missouri History Museum Archives, St. Louis.
, a careful observer, had enjoyed a close association with Mormon leaders, and consequently his account provides valuable insights into the development and structure of the early church. He summarized many of the doctrines taught by JS and provided a detailed description of the conflict between the Latter-day Saints and other settlers. But his chronicle also related the story of a personal spiritual journey into and then out of the church as came to disapprove of the church’s course in 1838 in Missouri. Yet despite his estrangement from the church and his excommunication in 1839, he retained a degree of sympathy for the Saints and maintained some contact.
apparently began compiling portions of his account while serving as an officially appointed church historian in . He probably completed his narrative by 11 February 1839, when he secured a copyright with the district federal copyright office. He arranged for Thomas Watson & Son of to print A Brief History. The entire print run may have included up to twelve hundred copies.
The document presented here, ’s circa 1838–1839 rough draft of his history, is incomplete. It includes the title page, copyright notice, and preface but is missing twenty-one pages, including the nineteen pages that constitute chapters 1 through 6. The manuscript is almost entirely in Corrill’s handwriting, though some of the chapter summaries (added after he drafted the narrative) were written in a different hand, possibly that of the printer.
’s published version of A Brief History receives comprehensive treatment in volume 2 of the Histories series of The Joseph Smith Papers and is available on this website as part of the history series.
Page 71
not finding the company there they proceeded to another place, and had not proceeded far till they met with a sentinal who hailed them and after a word or two shot one of them down and then ran to his company. But they followed him up in a hurry, and after a fire or two charged on the company and soon dispersed them. and supposed they had killed several. They then gathered up a part of the plunder and about thirty horses and returned leaving one of their men dead on the ground, though they did not miss him till they had got home. Three or four others were badly wounded and one other died soon. One of the opposite party was killed and others wounded. This battle produced great excitement among the people and the Mormons found in a day or two that it was militia instead of mob that they had assailed. had collected a company and got permission to guard Buncum, and was there encamped for that purpose when when they fell on him. The excitement increased rapidly, and in a day or two the whole country was seemingly was in arms. At this I was greatly alarmed, for I expected the people would turn in mass against without order or regulation and massacre and destroy without mercy, and that nothing could stop them. I tried to contrive some plan to get away with my family but I could not effect it. , and some others [p. 71]